REVIEWS Archives - Page 22 of 548

6Oct

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Blessings – Riverside Studios

The Deacons are a respectable middle-class Catholic family living in an English town, doing their best to raise a family and earn a living. But this is 1969. There is a social transformation going on in England. The permissive society is well on its way, women's voices are becoming increasingly strident, skirts are getting shorter, and pop music is embracing the youth movement. In the wider world: the Americans are getting close to putting a man on the moon and closer to home, the troubles in Northern Ireland are a continual concern. Sarah Shelton's new play, which premieres at the Riverside Studios, shows how the various members of the Deacon family struggle to come to terms with these new external realities and the pressure it places on family harmony. Beneath it all, there are som...

The Bodyguard – Winter Gardens, Blackpool

6Oct

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

The Bodyguard – Winter Gardens, Blackpool

An enjoyable evening at Winter Gardens, Blackpool. A very talented cast led by Sidonie Smith (Chicago, Sister Act) as the central character, vocal superstar Rachel Marron. Alongside her bodyguard, Frank Farmer, the role made famous in the movie version by Kevin Costner, this evening played by Olivier award nominated Adam Garcia (Wicked, Coyote Ugly) a man with a wealth of industry experience If anything slightly disappointing that we didn’t get to enjoy his amazing vocal, or highly skilled tap dancing. The musical based on the very popular movie starring Whitney Houston, back in the Early 90s, featuring an outstanding Musical score of power ballads and crowd pleasers. The story closely follows that of the movie, but in parts is lacking in certain elements of the storyline, I don’t...

A Waltz on the Edge: RLPO’s Dance Through Darkness and Disquiet – Philharmonic Hall Liverpool

6Oct

By Mark HumphreysNo Comments

North West

A Waltz on the Edge: RLPO’s Dance Through Darkness and Disquiet – Philharmonic Hall Liverpool

On a wet and blustery autumnal evening, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Alpesh Chauhan, delivered a programme rich in colour, rhythm and emotional depth. Yet despite the brilliance of individual works and performances, the evening’s structure felt somewhat episodic — a sequence of vivid tableaux rather than a unified narrative. One couldn’t help but wish for a meaty Romantic symphony to provide a longer-form canvas for Chauhan’s storytelling instincts. Chauhan himself was a compelling presence on the podium — energetic, light-footed, and physically expressive. In La Valse, he launched himself from the handrail with a heel-toe-leap flourish that mirrored the music’s swirling intensity. His command of rhythm and texture was evident throughout, and his rappor...

Britannia Waves The Rules – Hope Street Theatre

5Oct

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Britannia Waves The Rules – Hope Street Theatre

Gareth Farr’s 2011 Bruntwood Prize winning play is a brutal and gritty account of a young man’s journey from the cold, wet beaches of Blackpool to the dry, burning deserts of Afghanistan and it takes no prisoners along the way. It’s a tough but important story to listen to and a sad reflection on society that its message still resonates so strongly some fifteen years on. It's grim up north and nowhere more so than Blackpool which only has rose-tinted memories of bygone days to fall back on for its older residents, whereas for young Carl Jackson (Jim Kelly) it is a place to run away from, whether that be from family members or mock-Mancs. It really has nothing to offer – even the girl next door doesn’t want to know. Only the army offers a way out and a trip around the world after ...

The Importance of Being Earnest – Noel Coward Theatre

3Oct

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

The Importance of Being Earnest – Noel Coward Theatre

When you see a cast list inclusive of Stephen Fry and the players of The Importance of Being Earnest, you know you are in safe hands. This production brings joy, silliness and exquisite delivery of an old classic. The witty puns and charm don’t disappoint, and the extravagance of the set and costumes throws you into high society elegance. This Oscar Wilde play first performed in 1895, is the last of his drawing room plays. It centres around two young men about town who in their mission to avoid their life of obligation and responsibility both take on the persona of ‘Earnest’, to gain the affections of two eligible young women. “Living a double live has its drawbacks” and amongst the mayhem this revised rendition brings sparkle and nonsense to the stage like you have never seen before. ...

3Oct

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

London

Tosca – Royal Ballet and Opera

Director Oliver Mears triumphs with this modern-day interpretation of Puccini’s full-blooded three-act drama of politics and power with its many allusions to global current affairs to the fore. In a war-torn Rome, Floria Tosca (Anna Netreba) and Mario Cavaradossi (Freddie De Tommaso) live for each other and for their art. But when Cavaradossi helps an escaped prisoner, Cesare Angelotti (Ossian Huskinson), the lovers make a deadly enemy in the form of Baron Scarpia (Gerald Finley), Chief of Police. At the mercy of Scarpia’s twisted desires, Tosca is forced into making a horrific bargain: sleeping with the man she hates to save the man she loves. Can she find a way out? Mears’ focus is very much on the darker elements at the heart of the piece, in particular the contrast in class b...

3Oct

By Holly SewellNo Comments

London

Bacchae – National Theatre

Nima Taleghani’s Bacchae is an explicitly pro-women reading of the Euripedes’ tragedy, if one that feels slightly dated (and not because of the Ancient Greek setting). It flips the focus of the play to its Greek chorus: the women of the Bacchae narrate, while the traditionally leading Dionysos, Agave and Pentheus become funnier, more ridiculous and more pitiable characters. The chorus of Bacchae is led by Vida, brought to gritty and sparkling life by Clare Perkins. Dionysos’ foster mother, she guides them through the mountains to arrive at Thebes, where they plan to liberate every woman from patriarchy, join their cult, and drink, suck and fuck to her heart’s desire. Indhu Rubasingham’s production and Taleghani’s script are both undeniably fun. The atmosphere in the Olivier is joyful...

3Oct

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Death on the Nile – The Lowry

Ken Ludwig’s stage adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile, directed by Lucy Bailey at The Lowry, is a real masterclass in theatrical storytelling, full of intrigue and suspense. From the very first moment, the audience is swept into Christie’s world of glamour and danger, all delivered with precision delivery that makes this show a genuine five-star triumph! What strikes you immediately is just how slick and cinematic the staging feels. Mike Britton’s ingenious two-tier set design brilliantly evokes the cabins and decks of the Nile steamer, offering the audience both intimacy and grandeur in equal measure. It’s this clever simple staging that allows the story to unfold with a fast pace, while Oliver Fenwick’s atmospheric lighting and a subtle, evocative soundtrack add layers ...

2Oct

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Top Hat – Edinburgh Playhouse

Irving Berlin’s Top Hat taps into the Edinburgh Playhouse this week with more sparkle than a sequinned gin palace, and, in a rare feat, manages to float for two and a half hours without ever feeling heavy. Not just that, the sound is also extraordinary, and for a venue sometimes dogged by poor acoustics, this is a revelation: sound clear as a bell, band fizzing with verve, and an audience leaning in from overture to curtain. For context, Top Hat began life in 1935 as an RKO film directed by Mark Sandrich, a vehicle for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, with Berlin supplying the evergreen numbers, “Cheek to Cheek,” “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails,” “Isn’t This a Lovely Day?”. The stage version we see tonight descends from the 2011 UK adaptation by Matthew White and Ho...

2Oct

By Sam JamesNo Comments

North West

Shake It Up Baby – Epstein Theatre

Have you ever wondered how The Beatles became THE BEATLES? If so, get yourself down to the Epstein Theatre for the fantastically toe-tapping 'Shake It Up Baby' written by Ian Salmon and directed by Stephen Fletcher. Dive into the 1960s on a musical journey which spans Liverpool, London and Hamburg. A multi-talented and creative cast take to the stage to delight and entertain you with outstanding vocals, a story of determination and energetic choreography (Carrie-Anne Ingrouille and WOW LIVERPOOL), making you feel that you want to get right up and dance with them. The characterisation of every character on stage was diverse and relatable, with many actors showing their wide range of skills by easily transitioning between multiple roles. Onto the main stars o...