REVIEWS Archives - Page 264 of 549

L’elisir d’amore – Royal Opera House Live Transmission

6Oct

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

REVIEWS

L’elisir d’amore – Royal Opera House Live Transmission

L’elisir d’amore is a bel canto comic opera in two acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti with libretto by Felice Romani. Written in 1832, today it is one of the most frequently performed of all Donizetti’s operas. Naïve country boy Nemorino (Liparit Avetisyan) is determined to win the heart of the coquettish Adina (Nadine Sierra) but this assured young woman doesn’t even bother to give him the time of day. When the parochial life of the village is thrown into disarray by the arrival of the dashing Sergeant Belcore (Boris Pinkhasovich) at the head of his troops, the lovesick peasant boy is forced to turn to other means in his Tristan-like pursuit of his Isolde, and the arrival of wheeler-dealer Doctor Dulcamara (Ambrogio Maestri) promises much with his so-called ‘elixir of love’. As...

Group Portrait In A Summer Landscape – Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh

6Oct

By Tom ScottNo Comments

Scotland

Group Portrait In A Summer Landscape – Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh

It is a brave playwright who describes his play as “Scottish Chekhov”, but Peter Arnott’s magnificent new play does not disappoint. It’s an exhilarating tour-de-force which deals with huge issues while zooming in on the complex human relationships of a group of privileged and talented people. It’s hugely entertaining, thought-provoking, and witty, but not always an easy watch. The first night audience was often shrieking with laughter, but sometimes stunned into shocked silence. It’s set in the summer of 2014 in the heady days leading up to the Scottish Independence Referendum. But although that’s discussed, it’s not a play about Independence. Nor is it about the climate emergency, although that issue features, too. And it’s not really about God though the Deity is important to some ...

6Oct

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Shooting Hedda Gabler – Rose Theatre

Jeff James returns to the Rose with another fantastic re-telling of a classic- ‘Shooting Hedda Gabler’ which explores the classic story in a very twisted and modern setting, written and adapted by Nina Segal. Antonia Thomas as Hedda is flown to Oslo to film ‘Hedda Gabler’ and there she meets Henrik (Christian Rubeck) the director with high ambitions and unwavering dedication to getting what he wants out of his actors. Also, on set we meet Berta (Anna Andresen) the AD and possibly the closest character to normality for Hedda as she is pulled into a collapse of self-belief, loss of identity and shame. Henrik believes the separation between actor and character should not exist and therefore creates situations to morph Hedda’s world together: so he hires her Ex to film with her, Ejlert (Avi Na...

5Oct

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

Lost in The Beat – Hope Street Theatre

New musical play hits all the right notes with emotional songs and thought -provoking drama. With so many shows being based around well-known hits these days, it’s refreshing to see a new musical play with original well-penned songs. Beat Productions present this multilayered show written by Andrea Orton and composed by Di Healey and Richard Badger. Lost in the Beat examines many issues, but mainly that of early onset dementia against a backdrop of well- constructed melodies and lyrics, performed by a fifteen-strong choir supporting the cast. What a super choir they are! This real community choir threw themselves into this project. A harmonious wall of sound with lovely smiling faces! Behind them, four excellent musicians. Orton’s story is about a 45-year-old woman, a community ch...

Sister Act – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

5Oct

By H.S. BakerNo Comments

Scotland

Sister Act – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Born from the Whoopie Goldberg film of the same name, this musical is a ballsy, rollicking joyride from start to finish. With music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater and book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, Sister Act tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier (Landi Oshinowo), a nightclub singer with dreams of fame, fortune and a white fox fur, who goes into hiding after witnessing a gangster killing in Philadelphia. She enlists the help of her old school friend Steady Eddie Souther (Alfie Parker), a Philly cop, who arranges for her to lie low in a local convent until the trial is over. World weary Mother Superior (Lesley Joseph) is less than happy about this arrangement but puts Deloris in charge of the choir, which certainly needs some knocking into shape. ...

Home, I’m Darling – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

3Oct

By Emma WildNo Comments

North West

Home, I’m Darling – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

Opening night for Home, I’m Darling at the divine Altrincham Garrick Playhouse and the audience are presented with a phenomenal set (designed by Charlotte Leigh) of a beautiful 1950’s inspired interior. The stairs, centrally placed, lead up to a simple bedroom, painted in hot pink. Downstairs, on the one side, the yellow kitchen (with a superb Smeg refrigerator) and monochrome chequered floor, on the other, a green living room complete with a 1950’s fireplace and minibar! The set construction team (with Mandy Cooke as Scenic Artist) have excelled in the creation of this authentic looking abode. The aesthetics in this show are key to creating the initial allure of the 1950’s and the costumes did not disappoint; a range of colourful 50’s inspired dresses and suits were worn throughout by ...

TONY! (The Tony Blair Rock Opera) – The Lowry

3Oct

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

TONY! (The Tony Blair Rock Opera) – The Lowry

With the Tory party conference infesting the centre of Manchester this week, Salford is sticking a metaphorical two fingers up at Rishi & Co by hosting TONY! (The Tony Blair Rock Opera) in the lovely Quays Theatre at The Lowry. I gladly crossed the River Irwell to witness a musical that had a satirical bite hidden within the high camp farce. With Music & Lyrics by Steve Brown and a book by comedian Harry Hill, we were never going to be presented with a totally serious analysis of political events in the eighties, nineties and noughties, their zany and sometimes surreal take on events allowed younger members of the audience a potted history delivered in an entertaining fashion, without patronising those of us of an older vintage who lived through these episodes. Hill initially...

Jesus Christ Superstar – Hull New Theatre

3Oct

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Jesus Christ Superstar – Hull New Theatre

When a theatre production seems to pass in the blink of an eye, you know you have witnessed something special. So, it was on Monday evening, when Jesus Christ Superstar came to the Hull New Theatre to spellbind us in the fairly full venue. After a 10-minute delay for curtain up, the first half was well worth the wait. Events on stage were so utterly engrossing, next thing we knew the interval was upon us. The stage setting for the last weeks of Jesus Christ’s life (seen through the eyes of Judas), was devoid of colour; even the actors’ costumes were mostly a drab beige. This cleverly created the perfect atmosphere of suspicion, fear and doubt leading up to Jesus’s demise. Feared by the authorities for being hailed as the “King of the Jews” and the “Son of God” by his followers,...

3Oct

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Imposter 22 – Royal Court Theatre

This Royal Court Theatre production presented in collaboration with Access All Areas is an extraordinary production. It has been devised and is performed by a group of 6 actors with learning disabilities. It takes the form of a whodunnit. When one of the characters appears to have been murdered, the group are concerned that because of their disabilities they will be suspected by the police. They therefore resolve to coordinate their stories and to try and find out who might have committed the crime. Danny, a homeless person played by Jamael Westman, joins their group and receives instruction by them in how fit in to a learning-disabled community. An interesting inverse of the struggles which people with learning disabilities face in fitting into society. There are then various di...

3Oct

By Wendy McEwanNo Comments

Scotland

One of Two – Traverse Theatre

Jack Hunter tells the story of his Scottish childhood, with pre-recorded content from his tenacious twin sister, Bec. Jack and Bec both have cerebral palsy, and Bec, in particular, has really had to fight to make her way in life. Jack is a multi-talented performer: an actor, a writer, and a poet. His humour is playful and acerbic, but there is also a deep anger and a determination to change things. Cerebral palsy affects every person differently. Jack walks with a limp and can’t tie his shoelaces; Bec is a full-time wheelchair user. At high school, they were forced to seek refuge from the other kids in the Base, a dingy “bunker” full of dilapidated furniture decorated with “ancient phallic hieroglyphs”. The playground was not a safe place for them. A teacher rages at Bec for...