REVIEWS Archives - Page 271 of 549

5Sep

By Jo TillotsonNo Comments

North West

42nd Street – Liverpool Empire

“Think of musical theatre,” says Julian Marsh, “The most glorious words in the English language!” And in the hands of director Jonathan Church, choreographer Bill Deamer and designer Robert Jones, this musical theatre production is a feast for the eyes. The transitions between scenes are impeccably planned and executed, and I love the way that the cast used the space in creative and interesting ways. The set transforms from rehearsal room to backstage to magical opening night with ease. The costumes perfectly fit both period and characters. And the clever and sumptuous lighting, designed by Ben Cracknell, is the icing on this cake! 42nd Street follows the story of Peggy Sawyer, a chorus girl from Pennsylvania who is newly arrived in New York City with dreams of joining a new producti...

4Sep

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

LIZZIE The Musical – Hope Mill Theatre

On a late Summer Sunday afternoon when the sun had finally decided to grace Manchester with its presence, I forfeit the chance of barbeques with friends (or beers in the pub garden) to attend the UK rebirth of 'Lizzie', billed as 'A True Crime Rock Musical'. Some two hours later, I emerged blinking into the light having witnessed a 'tour de force' of musical theatre with powerhouse performances and cracking choreography. A production which will stay with me for a very long time, I definitely made the right decision. 'Lizzie Borden took an axe, And gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, She gave her father forty-one.' This nursery rhyme is as well known to American children as 'Ring a Roses' or 'Three Blind Mice' is to their British counterparts, and it...

3Sep

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

As You Like It – Shakespeare’s Globe

Heading back to the Globe for what seems like the last summery evening of Shakespeare this year left me slightly underwhelmed and fidgety. As You Like It directed by Ellen Mcdougall runs with a gender fluid rendition, flouncy costumes filled with frill and colour with flicks of modern song. The classic has been done countless times in the past few years however maybe we have a hit a wall with what else can be done. The cast enter the stage with the unfortunate news that one cast member has fallen ill and an actor will be stepping in with script. I’m devastated to have not caught the name as this wonderful actor breathed a real freshness into the atmosphere that felt drier when they exited. The story itself is relatively easy to grasp as a couple are in love however Rosalind being ban...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Brockley Jack

3Sep

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Brockley Jack

Bear in the Air Productions have produced a fresh traditional retelling of one of Shakespeare's most famous plays without resorting to gimmicks. It has been adapted brilliantly by Heather Simpkin to be performed by a cast of only six. This of course required very rapid costume changes, and placed great demands on the cast as they shifted within seconds from one character to another. All this was accomplished with great professionalism. The setting was minimal in the Brockley Jack's limited theatre space, with only a rudimentary bower, a statue and a few pieces of platform to represent the leafy bank. But the space was excellently used by the director, Conor Cook, although the need for cast members to leave the playing area to change rapidly into other costumes made for...

The Tragedy of Dorian Gray – Ukraine Fringe

3Sep

By Donna M DayNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Tragedy of Dorian Gray – Ukraine Fringe

Blue Devil Productions’ The Tragedy of Dorian Gray is an original reinterpretation of Oscar Wilde’s classic novel, which takes the hedonism and debauchery of Gray’s character, amplifies it, and spreads it across a cast of characters who are deliciously unlikeable. Written and directed by Ross Dinwiddy, this unique take on the memorable horror begins in London during the swinging sixties, and unveils a dark world of celebrity, corruption, drugs, alcohol, and scandals. The play opens during an exhibition of the work of artist, Basil Hallward (Christopher Sherwood). The cynical and vulturous Mavis Ruxton (Heather Alexander) and Harry Wotton (Kace Monney) survey the room with wry amusement analysing where the best gossip will come from. Observing the shy and socially anxious Alan Campbell (...

30Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

REVIEWS

Read to Me – Ukraine Fringe

Covert Firmament’s Read to Me is a criminal drama exploring how far someone would be willing to go for love. Directed and written by Dan Horrigan based on a story written by Horrigan in collaboration with Sarah Jennings, it tells the story of Rollin who has dyslexia and has recently been imprisoned at Strangeways. The piece is narrated by Rollin and shows him and two other prisoners in a voluntary talking therapy group. He is the first to share the story of how he ended up in prison and frequent asides which break the fourth wall, show the complexity of his character. History like that of the other prisoners allow the three men to bond over common ground. Flashback scenes show Rollin meeting the woman he fell in love with and reading her Tarot cards. Parallels between the languag...

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood – Ukraine Fringe

30Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood – Ukraine Fringe

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, based on Atwood’s novel of the same name, is a feminist retelling of The Odyssey, from the point of view of Penelope, Odysseus’ wife and her twelve maidens. Directed by Frederique Michel, this stage interpretation of Atwood’s book takes full advantage of the traditional Greek chorus, bringing together an ensemble cast and creating a strong reflection on the well-known and celebrated myth. The play opens with haunting bells and Penelope, alone, walking onto the stage. The action takes place in Hades and Penelope is taking the opportunity to tell her side of the Odyssey story, but it is of course difficult to overwrite an established myth. Her maidens appear on the stage, with their arms tied while they laugh hysterically. Penelope begins to tell the ...

30Aug

By Annette NuttallNo Comments

West Midlands

Noises Off – The Rep Birmingham

This entertaining theatrical farce comes to Birmingham as part of a nationwide tour. Although first presented over 40 years ago, Noises Off by Michael Fray, proves a timeless classic. It is crammed full of laughs and delightful character performances. We join a touring theatre company in their final rehearsal of “Nothing On”, it is clear all is not as polished as it could be and already the director is showing the strain. The second act is set a few weeks later when we see the same play. This time our view is from behind the scenes as the company take the stage in front of an audience. The third act is at the end of the tour, and it is clear the company have not fared well on the road. Pamela Raith Photography This whole play is well observed. The way time and actions effect a ...

30Aug

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Mousetrap – Leeds Grand Theatre

North West End UK has a strict no spoilers policy. That’s handy as giving away the twist at the end of this theatrical warhorse would break a solemn pledge made by generations of Agatha Christie fans over the last seven decades. The Mousetrap has been pulling in tourists to its West End production since 1952 just after our late Queen was finding her feet as a monarch, and now it’s out on a national tour celebrating its 70th anniversary. Its record-breaking longevity is even more remarkable as it doesn’t feature Christie’s supersleuths Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot, but it is the classic Christie set up where a group of strangers assemble on a boat or a train and - shock horror - one of them is a murderer. In The Mousetrap our cast of strangers assemble in a rambling country house ...

Hi, I’m Zoë… – Laughing Horse @ Eastside

29Aug

By Anna ChiariNo Comments

Scotland

Hi, I’m Zoë… – Laughing Horse @ Eastside

It's challenging to write about Hi, I’m Zoë, this one-woman show that attempts to be a satire of the world of online dating but ends up feeling like mundane barroom chatter, devoid of wit and bite. Anyone in the audience could have something more interesting to say about their personal life than Zoë, who also lacks any significant stage presence. The show's crux is meant to revolve around Tinder (already a tired and overused topic these days) and the absurd cast of characters one encounters online. However, there's hardly anything grotesque or genuinely amusing about it. In Hi, I’m Zoë, everything feels like a parade of clichés that have been seen and heard before, lined up like a shopping list without any narrative construction or structure. It is an hour that's difficult to end...