REVIEWS Archives - Page 190 of 545

13Jun

By Tom ScottNo Comments

Scotland

Lie Low – Traverse Theatre

‘Lie Low’ is a theatrical jewel. This is theatre at its best, a production which deals with serious issues but still manages to be hugely entertaining and genuinely funny. If you possibly can, go and see this amazing show. You won’t be disappointed. ‘Lie Low’ is brilliantly written by Irish playwright, Ciara Elizabeth Smyth. The script won the Best Theatre Script award in 2023 from the Writers Guild of Ireland. It’s energetic, funny, profound, imaginative, inventive and deeply moving. Smyth’s script is superbly directed by Oisín Kearney. The production is perfectly paced and keeps the audience on the edge of its seats throughout the 70 minutes of the show. Charlotte McCurry plays Faye, a woman in her thirties who has been suffering from nightmares and insomnia following a violent ...

13Jun

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Babies: The Musical – The Other Palace

After a rise in teenage pregnancies a school sex education department felt compelled to act and educate their year 11 students by rolling out a 5-day project in which the students were given their own baby to ‘parent’. Let the mayhem begin. Babies is a new (born) rock fuelled musical featuring nine, year 11 classmates who whilst living through their own personal life challenges, of being teenagers and self-discovery dealing with interrelations not only with their families lives but with each other had the task of being responsible for someone else, a baby! The story follows each character and their personal journey and tribulations of comparisons, judgements and relationships. It is funny, energetic and uplifting peppered with real serious moments of challenges they face day to day. Rig...

Kathy & Stella Solve a Murder! – Ambassadors Theatre

13Jun

By Zara OdetundeNo Comments

London

Kathy & Stella Solve a Murder! – Ambassadors Theatre

The true crime genre of entertainment has had a strange rise to prominence in recent years and has a grip on people interested in mystery and criminal events. There are many ways to consume true crime content and many people love true crime podcasts, this show is a culmination of these things: a fictional true crime podcast hosted by Kathy and Stella. Following two seasons at the Edinburgh Fringe and a UK tour, the show is premiering in the West End. Kathy and Stella are two late twenty somethings who have been friends for most of their lives. They have both been othered for their obsession with death and fascination with true crime cases. They host a true crime podcast and inadvertently become involved in the murder case of one of their favourite true crime authors. We have a murder my...

13Jun

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

Sweet Charity – Theatr Clwyd

A musical delight with an extremely talented cast. Sweet Charity, Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields’ seminal 60’s musical with book by Neil Simon, isn’t produced as much as it should be, so it was a rare opportunity to see it at Theatr Clywd. The talented company of TIP TOP did a wonderful job and presented an amateur production with a professional feel. Under Steve Davies’ imaginative direction, Rhian Lyon’s dynamic choreography and Tim Jones’ excellent musical direction this was a delightful, entertaining evening. Most will remember the film with Shirley MacLaine – the shy, generous, dance hostess who loses her heart too easily and always ends up with it broken. Shirley brought a quirky vulnerability to the role which was memorable and hard to follow. Here, Rebecca Snowden in the title...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The Alexandra, Birmingham

13Jun

By Annette NuttallNo Comments

West Midlands

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The Alexandra, Birmingham

This loved family favourite bursts from the stage in a riot of colour and energy. BMOS are a well-established and respected amateur company. The fact that they have been chosen as one of only 11 companies nationwide to lead Les Misérables next year, should give you a clue to the quality of their performances and productions. This is the tale of poor Charlie Bucket, who dreams of chocolate. Will he ever get to see inside Wonka’s factory? If he does, what will he find there? Young Charlie (Theo Traat at this performance) seems rarely to leave the stage. His eternal hope and belief in his dream, and his kindness shine through and create a heartwarming performance. Robbie Love as Wonka is a many faceted character, cunning and a touch sinister but also full of wonder and childlike ...

12Jun

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Miss Julie – Park Theatre

August Strindberg’s Miss Julie formed part of my GCSE drama syllabus, so I approached yesterday’s performance with a warm, hazy nostalgic feeling. A classic love/lust between the classes scandal, set in the midst of wild and carefree Midsummer celebrations – maybe this production would compensate for the current lack of summer and merriment London currently seems to be experiencing and I’d be able to lose myself in high drama and raw passion for a short while. Kit Hinchcliffe’s traditional set is detailed for the relatively small space, with the action so close that you can see and sometimes even smell everything that’s happening in front of you. Servants (and partners) Jean (Freddie Wild) and Christine (Adeline Waby) are setting about their evening when the Count’s daughter, Miss Julie...

Black is the Color of My Voice – Stratford East

12Jun

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Black is the Color of My Voice – Stratford East

"Black is the Color of My Voice" is a captivating one-woman theatre production, both written and performed by the incredible Apphia Campbell. The show is inspired by the real life of Nina Simone and the show takes the audience on an emotional journey of reflection and revelation. Entering the performance, I knew little about Nina Simone's life and was only familiar with her famous hit "I Put a Spell on You." The production centers on Simone conversing with her late father, sharing poignant stories from her life and expressing her profound grief. Through these conversations, the audience gains insight into Simone's transformation from a young piano prodigy to a powerful voice in the Civil Rights Movement. The show effectively highlights Simone's impact as an activist, emphasising ...

12Jun

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Syndicate – Sheffield Lyceum

We all dream of the big lottery win but The Syndicate at the Sheffield Lyceum just falls short of hitting the theatre jackpot. Written by the supremo of creating relatable characters Kay Mellor completed the writing of this just before her death in May 2022. The Syndicate is directed by her well known daughter, Gaynor Faye, who also plays Kay, the Lottery representative. One winner from this production is the set and costume designer Bretta Gerecke. The first Act set is the shop building the characters are employed at and has multiple playing areas that allow for mood and tone. It is full and detailed and effortlessly transforms into the more clinical house interior of Stuart’s swanky new home in Act Two. A definite nod to the loss of comfortable familiarity to a harder less embracing new ...

Twelfth Night – Shakespeare North Playhouse

12Jun

By NewsdeskNo Comments

North West

Twelfth Night – Shakespeare North Playhouse

As we approach the second anniversary of the opening of the Shakespeare North Playhouse, we can begin to assess its impact both within the local area and upon the wider northern theatrical scene. By teaming up with Not Too Tame, an independent theatre company based in Warrington for this version of ‘Twelfth Night’, we can see their intent to use of local voices to retell Shakespearean stories in an accessible way, an endeavour that was only partially successful in this production. Shakespeare’s tale of misunderstanding and cross dressing has undergone a renaissance in its popularity over the last decade, with the opportunity for directors to overtly queer the storyline and allow LGBTQ+ themes to be explored in the writing in an effective and sympathetic way. Whilst Director Jimmy Fairhu...

12Jun

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Long Story Short – King’s Arms, Salford

The issue of crime and punishment has been discussed by writers and thinkers for thousands of years. There is, of course, Dostoevsky’s famous novel but it is a subject whose very nature makes it ideal for drama. Where there is a crime, there is a victim, a perpetrator and the associated emotions of for each of guilt, remorse, sadness and heartbreak. These five short plays by Ward J Harries were all linked by this theme, and each had a differing perspective on the issue. They all came across as work-in-progress pieces, that do need some fine tuning, but the basic ideas behind each play were engaging. There were times when some of the writing veered too much towards melodrama and theatrical artifice. Yet there were some genuinely powerful moments of theatre when a true emotion or conflict...