Sunday, January 12

REVIEWS

Lilith – New Wimbledon Theatre
London

Lilith – New Wimbledon Theatre

The stage is stark – white and blank save for the tree in the centre, laden with red fruit. This is the setting of an ancient story, the characters well known. You already know what that tree is, what it is going to do to Adam and Eve. But what of Lilith, the one who fell through the pages, the first companion of Adam, banished from paradise? The play – directed by Olivia Swain and Aimee Dickinson, written by the latter along with Aliya Gilmore – tells the story from the much-vilified Lilith’s perspective. Created along with Adam as a single entity “with four limbs and twin mouths”, Lilith was then cleaved from Adam and each named after the rhythm of their heartbeats. Together, they explore the garden of Eden with the delight of children, tasting fruits, naming animals and flowers, m...
& Juliet – Hull New Theatre
Yorkshire & Humber

& Juliet – Hull New Theatre

Hull New Theatre’s Autumn/Winter 2024 season got under way on Monday evening with the exuberant musical, & Juliet. After a fantastic run in London’s West End, & Juliet embarks on its first UK and Ireland tour, starting in Hull. We were kept waiting for quite a while before the auditorium doors opened, which meant the 7.30pm start stretched to 7.45pm to allow us all to be seated. The stage setting - a huge, colourfully lit “& Juliet” sign backed by an equally large black and white video screen depicting drawings of London - remained amazing throughout. There can’t be a person on the planet who hasn’t heard of William Shakespeare’s story of star-crossed lovers, Romeo & Juliet. A happy ending it ain’t. But what would happen if the greatest love story ever told t...
Annie – Stockport Plaza
North West

Annie – Stockport Plaza

I think just about everyone will be familiar with the tale of Little Orphan Annie and the rags to riches story which covered the life of this young girl and her friends from the orphanage where she was brought up. The word that often comes to mind when thinking about this musical is “cute”, but this production moved beyond that. There were times when you didn’t realise that you were watching a cast of mostly pre-teens as the maturity and professionalism of these young girls was amazing. I must start by praising the star of the show, the young girl who played the title role of the production. I have seen a number of versions of this show over the years and the performance of Zara Bateson as Annie was up there with the best of them. You knew that this was going to be something out of the ...
Befuddled – Contact Theatre
North West

Befuddled – Contact Theatre

In the surreal world of "Befuddled," two tooth fairies, Olett and Pebbles, find themselves on a mission that takes a dark turn. Instead of the usual setting of a child’s bedroom, they arrive in a grim prison cell, where they observe two grown men, Mason and Lewis. The contrast between the whimsical fairies and the bleak reality of the prison creates an atmosphere that is both unsettling and thought-provoking. Cathryn McDougall and Lily Paton bring Olett and Pebbles to life with a blend of bemused innocence and sharp wit, navigating the strange situation with humour that has a dark edge. Their characters, unaccustomed to the harshness of adult life, are thrown off balance by the unexpected sight of grown men living in such dire conditions. Darren Higham and Jack Hannah deliver str...
War Horse – The Lowry
North West

War Horse – The Lowry

Since its stunning debut on the Olivier stage at the National Theatre in 2007, War Horse has been performed worldwide to over 8 million people at 7,500 plus performances; it is comfortably the most successful show that the NT has ever produced. Now in 2024, new audiences have the opportunity to follow the adventures of Joey, the eponymous War Horse, in a new production that will tour the UK for the next year, and once again, wherever they get to see it, adults and children alike will gaze in wonder at this startling theatrical achievement. Based on the 1982 novel by Michael Morpurgo - a man who disproves the adage you should never meet your heroes - we follow Joey from a Devonshire farmyard foal, through the nightmare of the Somme in 1917 to his eventual bittersweet reunion with Albert ...
The Lonesome Death of Eng Bunker – Omnibus Theatre
London

The Lonesome Death of Eng Bunker – Omnibus Theatre

The story of Chang and Eng Bunker is one of enduring curiosity: two Siamese immigrant twins, conjoined by a band of cartilage and a shared liver, fascinated audiences across the US and achieved an unorthodox version of the American Dream. But on January 17th, 1874, Eng woke up to discover his conjoined twin brother was dead, before passing away himself a few hours later. The Lonesome Death of Eng Bunker, directed by Iskandar R. Sharazuddin, depicts Eng’s final solitary hours through puppetry, music, and striptease. Across an enchanting 60 minutes, writer and performer Tobi Poster-Su is at one with his puppets, bringing each figure — no matter how big or small — to life with a thrumming heartbeat. From the smallest tea bag to the largest human-like puppet, Poster-Su takes an extrao...
Made in Dagenham – Morley Town Hall
Yorkshire & Humber

Made in Dagenham – Morley Town Hall

In the beautiful surroundings of Morley Town Hall, Morley Amateur Operatic Society brought Made in Dagenham to the stage, their last show in the venue for a while due to venue refurbishments. Judging by tonight’s performance they will be missed. Made in Dagenham is a fun musical that will have you laughing, crying and cheering – all in one unforgettable night! Based on the true story of the 1968 Ford sewing machinists' strike, Made in Dagenham is an emotional roller-coaster of a show that celebrates courage, unity and justice. After having their pay downgraded and deemed not to be skilled workers the ladies of Ford rebel against their employers and go out on strike with the aim of having their pay matched to sister factories, and in the end petitioning management for equal pay. Ha...
A Raisin in the Sun – Leeds Playhouse
Yorkshire & Humber

A Raisin in the Sun – Leeds Playhouse

With confidence it can be assured that I was one of many who walked away from this show truly moved, in fact more than that. Inspired. A beautifully dedicated performance to the true beauty of culture and history was portrayed up on that stage, as eyes were opened to the struggles and prejudice that the black community faced in the 60’s. The story meets an aspirational family with finance as the root cause of all their problems, son, and father Walter Lee is power hungry and desperate for a change in funds. With his mother, sister, wife, and son all bundled into one home he feels the pressure to provide a better future for his family, although his chances seem slim the long-awaited cheque from his father’s passing is what keeps his hopes alive. Solomon Israel was truly fascinating in hi...
The Truth About Harry Beck – Cubic Theatre
London

The Truth About Harry Beck – Cubic Theatre

The iconic London Tube Map is known the world over. But what about the man who invented it? Very little is known about Harry Beck, until now. Enter Andy Burden, writer and director, who’s made it his mission to shine a light on this quiet genius who changed the way we see and understand London. It’s funny when you think about it, the Tube map is such a taken for granted thing. Stations are leisurely dotted along coloured lines, circles show how you can change routes, and in one complete and easily digestible format, you can get where you want to go. It’s a remarkable feat of compression and visual ingenuity to distil the London Underground’s 250 miles of track and 272 stations across 11 lines into one handy map. But that’s what Harry Beck did. Photo: Mark Douet Sadly, when he d...
Here You Come Again – Sheffield Lyceum
Yorkshire & Humber

Here You Come Again – Sheffield Lyceum

Dolly gives Sheffield a sprinkling of fabulousness as she comes to town! With 15 for Dolly Parton’s well-known songs used to offer hope and joy even if her genre of music is about tragedy! This musical is a far cry from the expected sprawling life story of the Tennesse Icon but instead is a simple heart-warming story of belief of one’s self and the magic of a ‘cup of ambition’! Written during the 2020 global pandemic and lockdown, writers Bruce Vilanch, Gabriel Barre and Tricia Padluccio (the cast’s very own Dolly Parton) mused what it would be like hunkered up at that time with Dolly Parton and thus the idea was born. Directed by Barre and primarily a two-handed piece of theatre, Kevin is a 40 something whose life is a mess, he is on an enforced ‘break’ from his partner Jeremy and subs...