Tuesday, February 10

REVIEWS

Hir – Park Theatre
London

Hir – Park Theatre

Vomiting all over the kitchen-sink dramedy, Taylor Mac’s black comedy shakes a cynical showmanship and irreverent discursiveness into an acidic concoction that’s a good deal easier to swallow than it is to digest. Hir (pronounced ‘here’) is a tough watch. Content warnings for “strong profanity throughout, along with discussions of sex, sexuality, and descriptions and visual evidence of domestic violence, rape and drug abuse” can be found by hunting through the production’s online listing and should be heeded. As bashful as its humour is bleak, the play’s darkest scenes are also its most illuminating. Depicting a vision of the American family life metaphorically and literally set in Malvina Reynolds’ “little boxes” it is a claustrophobic environment with a set not quite big enough for its b...
The BFG – Theatre Porto
North West

The BFG – Theatre Porto

Disley Theatrical Productions are back with their second production, the fantastic BFG. Originally written by Roald Dahl and adapted for the stage, DTP have done an incredible job at bringing this wonderful story to life at Theatre Porto in Ellesmere Port. Directed by Phil Cross, you can see from the off how much work has gone in to bringing this classic to life, but not in any ordinary way. This version invites the audience to dive into this new world with the use of inventive lighting, shadows, puppetry, and a wonderful imagination. You feel like you’ve been completely transported into a whole other universe which is run by Giants, easily losing yourself in that world with the incredible storytelling of this company. It's Sophie’s birthday and she receives The BFG book as her birth...
2:22 A Ghost Story – Wolverhampton Grand
West Midlands

2:22 A Ghost Story – Wolverhampton Grand

We should have known Danny Robin’s career would have led him up the cemetery path towards the dark side of the racks when one of his first forays into entertainment was the kids tv show, Young Dracula. The signs were all there. We should have sought the help of a vampire slayer when we had the chance, but no. Danny grew into an adult with a penchant for the paranormal, a weakness for the weird, a taste for the terrifying and an urge for the uncanny. As a young stand-up he may have died many times, but in the afterlife, he seems to have reincarnated himself as a presenter of the hauntingly addictive and truly unsettling TV and radio reality series, “Uncanny”. Those of us who hid behind a cushion as each ghostly tale throttled our imagination will approach this play with trepidation, angst a...
Hadestown – Lyric Theatre
London

Hadestown – Lyric Theatre

In recent years, the West End has welcomed musicals based on films, books, and even historical events. But Greek mythology was yet to receive the big-budget musical treatment — that is, until Hadestown came stomping into the Lyric Theatre, where it is currently running until December 2024. Created by singer-songwriter Anäis Mitchell as a folk-opera back in 2006, Hadestown has been on a shapeshifting journey — including a sold-out run at the National Theatre in 2018 — which culminated in the Tony Award-winning production that took Broadway by storm in 2019. As soon as its West End transfer was announced last year, directed by Rachel Chavkin, musical theatre fans were bubbling with anticipation to discover whether this new production would live up to its Herculean hype. A story fundame...
Bouncers – Blackpool Grand
North West

Bouncers – Blackpool Grand

If your name’s not on the list, you’re not coming in… Bouncers is back in Blackpool with a bang! Named as one of The National Theatre’s ‘Plays of the Century’, John Godber’s classic is at the Grand Theatre for a very limited run. With a contemporary introduction for a 2024 audience, Bouncers quickly returns to its roots. Keeping faith with Godber’s original script, packed with humour and nostalgia, this new production takes us back to the 1980s when disco was king, and everyone lived for the weekend. Les, Ralph, Judd and Lucky Eric (played wonderfully by George Reid, Tom Whittaker, Nick Figgis and Frazer Hammill respectively) take us on the journey back to relive a night in nightclub “Mr Cinders”. With an exhilarating, toe-tapping 80s soundtrack, this production is as fantastic for its ...
Edward Scissorhands – Empire Theatre
North West

Edward Scissorhands – Empire Theatre

A magical production that is simply stunning! There is nothing like seeing a live ballet and when Matthew Bourne is the choreographer you know it will not disappoint. He is a magician of imagination and originality, bringing stories to life for contemporary audiences. Tim Burton’s gothic fantasy Edward Scissorhands, was a strange, yet hauntingly beautiful fairytale, which came to the cinema in the 1990s. Bourne developed this bittersweet story, and it was first performed in 2005 with subsequent tours. Despite seeing many of his other magnificent ballets, this was my first time seeing Scissorhands - and it was simply stunning! Bourne works his magic once again, to give us an enchanting visual feast for the eyes, as well as really bringing out the comedy moments, which the packed ho...
Oliver – Northwich Memorial Court
North West

Oliver – Northwich Memorial Court

This evening I had the pleasure of being transported back to 1830’s London for Mid Cheshire Musical Theatre Company’s and Mid Cheshire Youth Theatre’s production of ‘Oliver’. Following a brief hiatus from producing full-scale musical productions, I was very excited to see MCMTC tackle such an iconic classic on its welcome return to the Northwich Memorial Court. The pre-show air of keen anticipation in the auditorium was tangible. Despite the challenges of such a complex and epic show to a family audience, the stellar production team, comprising of Lou Steggals (director) Jenna Finnigan (youth director & choreographer) and Marilyn Blank (musical director) did not disappoint. The musical follows the story of Oliver, a young orphan living in Victorian England.  After escaping t...
I Should Be So Lucky – Hull New Theatre
Yorkshire & Humber

I Should Be So Lucky – Hull New Theatre

If you entered Hull New Theatre on Monday evening, in a grumpy mood, I would bet my meagre life savings your grumps would soon evaporate. Stock Aitken Waterman’s feel-good musical I Should Be So Lucky was a riot of fun, joy, colour, not forgetting hit song after hit song - even though the storyline started off on a sad note. The stage setting throughout was all heart, literally. Wonderful heart shapes that changed colour and texture, fronting a video screen when more movement was needed in the storyline - such as balmy Turkish waters, hot air balloon-filled skies and thunder and lightning. Plus, a “hot air balloon” or rather its basket, was an amazing sight to behold as it floated, with its passengers, around the stage. The story centres around soon-to-be-married Ella (Lucie-Mae S...
Dear Octopus – National Theatre
London

Dear Octopus – National Theatre

This was a tender play about family dynamics which takes its title from a speech in the second act that praises the family unit as a ‘dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape’. On the eve of World War Two, we bear witness to the reunion of the Randolph family, which forces them and their servants to confront the elements of romance, hatred, jealousy and shame that underscore their interactions. I enjoyed the wit that laced through the piece, as is characteristic of Dodie Smith’s writing. This was present in the conversation of the family quarrels, but also in repeated motifs, i.e. the fact that each character is aware of Fenny’s love for Nicholas, which added a comical touch to the action. A primary issue was the play’s dated narrative; for instance, the reason for Cynthi...
Rob Brydon ‘A Night Of Songs & Laughter’ – Edinburgh Festival Theatre
Scotland

Rob Brydon ‘A Night Of Songs & Laughter’ – Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Once upon a time in the early noughties Rob Brydon was a cult figure, beloved by those-in-the-know for Marion & Geoff, Human Remains and The Keith Barret Show. Before bobbing up into the mainstream in 2007 via Gavin & Stacey he’d been the voice of countless adverts (following the Megan incident at BBC Radio Wales), the resilience, versatility and humour developed during what was a dark(-ish) period in his professional career and personal life providing ample material for tonight’s show. Of which we wish there’d been more, but… check the title. No-one’s used the words ‘national’ or ‘treasure’ yet but they must be imminent. Accumulated over the years Brydon can draw on such a deep well of honed wit, charm and skill it’s difficult to imagine anything he does failing. Both sure-...