REVIEWS Archives - Page 19 of 563

The Liar, the Bitch and the Wardrobe – Union Theatre

8Dec

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

The Liar, the Bitch and the Wardrobe – Union Theatre

There are times in the theatre when you can feel an entire room surrender to delight, when a show strikes the rare balance between clever writing, full throttle performance and joyful mischief. ‘The Liar, the Bitch and the Wardrobe’ at the Union Theatre delivers exactly that kind of night. It is, without exaggeration, pure writing genius. Joshua Coley’s unapologetic and confident script spins a riotous adult panto that is as sharp as it is shameless, packed with more wit, filth and surprise than should reasonably fit into two hours. Every gag lands well, every callback builds, every twist feels fresh. It is a gleefully untamed carnival of comedy, queerness, and musical mayhem! The premise alone sets the tone. Two hapless, fruity East London wartime young lovers, evacuated to the hilario...

8Dec

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Cinderella – The Rose Theatre

The Rose Theatre hosts Chris Bush and Roni Neale’s Christmas characterisation of Cinderella featuring a cast of professionals and the young company. What strikes you immediately is the set, with its small compact house, with its larder fridge, cereal boxes, chairs emulating stepping stone access to the attic bedroom above. The illusion of a fully functional home was truly amazing. Throughout the production the revolving house becomes the scenes of the pumpkin carriage, the castle and the forest. A clever use of the staging and lighting that enabled a sense of magical wonder, credit to Ryan Dawson Laight. The young cast kick off the show with lanterns and ensemble of “Where does the time go”. A strong start to open Act 1 and into the story of Ella pla...

8Dec

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

Private View – Soho Theatre

Private View is the debut play by playwright Jess Edwards, a vulnerable portrayal of queer love that burns itself by moving too close to the flame, too soon. It is held together by sincere performances from Patricia Allison (Sex Education) and Stefanie Martini (The Gold), who draw you in from the tantalising portrait shots on the show poster to their believable portrayals. Directed by Annie Kershaw, Private View runs at Soho Theatre from 27th November – 20th December. https://sohotheatre.com/events/private-view/ Come for the sizzling chemistry of the hot flush queer romance; stay for the realities of staying in love—true to any relationship. The play captures the essence of the tenderness of attraction. It ruminates on how, in falling in love, we open ourselves to the spotlight, ...

6Dec

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Pantoville – St Thomas’s Church Hall

Written & directed by Michael Pirks Returning once again to review a Michael Pirks Soup Production feels less like an assignment and more like coming home. Since first meeting Pirks in 2024, I’ve been hooked on his brilliantly spirited writing, and Pantoville - my fifth of his shows, proves yet again that his creative well runs deep and delightfully wild. While his previous works I’ve seen have been plays, this venture into pantomime is nothing short of a triumphant stroke of genius. With all the essential ingredients of a classic panto - singing, dancing, audience participation and of course the timeless cries of “He’s behind you!” and “Oh no you didn’t!”, Pirks not only honours the tradition but elevates it. The script is enriched with beloved Disney and storybook characters, g...

5Dec

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

A Christmas Carol – Crucible Theatre

What a start to my Christmas celebrations, a joyous and heart-warming new adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic – A Christmas Carol. Set in Sheffield and dripping with the festive custom of Carols, these harmonic vocal bells charm the local audiences and provide the grounding human link between our past and our present. Long before the well-known choral carols in churches, Christmas regional songs were sung ad hoc in pubs and this tradition remains strong and striving in Sheffield. What better way to highlight Dicken’s story of change and redemption than with a kaleidoscope of a vocally created backdrop, replacing much of the instrumental music and also gifting the community audience with localised lyrics and customs encompassing and highlighting the moral story to inclusiv...

Young Frankenstein – Liverpool Playhouse

5Dec

By Emma LambeNo Comments

North West

Young Frankenstein – Liverpool Playhouse

Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein has tickled the funny bone of many over the years. It's no wonder it works so well on stage in this fantastic musical adaptation. The show was packed with energy from all of the cast, right down to the versatile ensemble who played a range of different characters. Each actor brought the silly comedy you expect from a piece like this. The songs were all witty and gave great context for each scene and character. I cannot begin to express how special this cast was. There was no weak unit at all. Coronation Street's star Daniel Brocklebank leads the cast as Dr Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced Frankensteen) He keeps the memento going from start to finish and sets the tone of each scene. Jessica Martin is brilliant as Frau Blucher. The scene where she steps...

5Dec

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Singin’ in the Rain – Royal Exchange

We all know that Manchester has a reputation for enjoying a drop of rain, so it was entirely apt that a downpour greeted ‘Singin in the Rain’ as it landed in the Victorian splendour of the Royal Exchange for the festive period. The weather did nothing to dampen the palpable sense of excitement of the packed press night audience and were not to be disappointed. This is a show with the high quality production values, a great ensemble, superb leads and a beautifully orchestrated score, that left me walking through soggy St Anne’s Square singing 'do de do do, do de do de do do do, I'm singin' in the rain, just.......', into the Mancunian night. The plot, charting the demise of silent pictures and the rise of the 'Golden Age' of 1920s Hollywood 'talkies', is well known, less so is the fact t...

A Christmas Carol – Thingwall Community Centre

5Dec

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

A Christmas Carol – Thingwall Community Centre

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and what a better way to get yourself into the Christmas spirit than immersing yourself in one of the best loved Christmas tales which has stood the test of time, Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. Wonderfully produced and directed by Charlotte Holguin. Thingwall Players have yet again produced a magical and captivating show that will engage adults and children alike. This company really do prove that you don't need the grand sets and huge venues to produce excellent theatre. Their set (Robert Bowes) was a simple yet multifunctional space. Props (Caroline Doyle, Hayley Jeffrey and Laura Powell) were adaptable and reused for many different purposes. A cast of dynamic and versatile characters take you on this journey through London i...

4Dec

By Charlotte MansfieldNo Comments

London

The Horse of Jenin – Bush Theatre

Alaa Shehada’s one man show about growing up in Jenin is a funny and powerful tale of Palestinians trying to lead ordinary lives under the ever-present threat of violence. Comedy is the tone from the outset, as Shehada begins by engaging with the audience, getting us to laugh, clap along to music and interact with him to ease us in. He then tells us about his birth, the first boy born to his parents, passed around by all his aunts and uncles in celebration. At the same time, another boy was born in the area, Ahmed, who becomes Shehada’s best friend. When a German artist comes to Jenin and starts collecting the debris from the latest Israeli attack, the boys are confused at first – why would someone want this rubbish? But then a sculpture of a horse is unveiled, piec...

The Christmas Thing – Seven Dials Playhouse

4Dec

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

The Christmas Thing – Seven Dials Playhouse

Tom Clarkson and Owen Visser have returned with their anarchic Christmas show, The Christmas Thing. The vague title is perfect for a show that veers wildly between songs, slapstick, games and skits. It harks back to the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Specials of the 1970s, with music, sketches, slapstick, cracker jokes and a bit of topical satire thrown in - if that legendary duo had been high on magic mushrooms. The set-up is a live TV studio, with members of the audience offering up their party pieces as they become the show's "special guests". So in between songs and sketches, audience members gargle the National Anthem or do the splits or hunt for a missing box of Christmas cheer. The frenzied pace is interspersed with some whizzy and technically clever video pieces introducing ...