REVIEWS Archives - Page 274 of 549

27Aug

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Candy – Park Theatre

Candy is the story of a bloke who falls in love with the drag alter ego of one of his school mates. Knowing the premise, I expected a knockabout comedy with a few torch songs and a dazzling turn from a wig-wearing man in stilettos. Drag Race meets La Cage Au Folles. It’s not that. At all. Essentially, it’s a skilfully performed monologue from Michael Waller as Will, who reflects on his life and this unlikely assault on his heart. It’s a testament to Waller’s performance that he manages to paint a vivid, emotional picture which is often quite moving, but more importantly, utterly believable. Waller is so committed to the performance that the audience can’t help but feel his pain and empathise with his predicament. Many drag performers would love to catch the eye of their straight mate...

Doctor Dolittle – St Paul’s Church Covent Garden

27Aug

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Doctor Dolittle – St Paul’s Church Covent Garden

The mythical tales of Doctor Dolittle has been watched on screen and stage for many years. Written by Hugh Lofting, over 100yrs ago and depicting talking animals who communicate with humans, Doctor Dolittle realises over time that he is able to understand them and therefore changes from being a medical doctor to an animal doctor and dedicates his life to the welfare of all animals. The production company (The Tethered Wits) performed a short animated play based on the story of Doctor Dolittle and his relationship with the animals as part of their Theatre in the Garden tour. This story includes a plot where the animals help him uncover an injustice and solve a dispute between a brother and sister of the neighbouring manor. This is a simple but enchanting story wh...

26Aug

By Hannah WildeNo Comments

North West

All Shook Up – Norton Priory

What do you get when you mix the storyline of Footloose (a totalitarian mayor who bans music and frivolity in a small, rural town) juxtaposed with the themes, sentiments and love triangles of Shakespeare’s most famous plays - all set to the upbeat medley of Elvis hits? The answer is: All Shook Up, a jukebox musical written for Broadway in 2005 featuring songs by the king of rock’n’roll himself, Elvis Presley. The play unfolds in 1955 and centres around Chad, a crude caricature of Elvis, who uses his hip-swivelling, lip-curling sex appeal to turn a rural town upside down. Drawing parallels to the Shakespearean quasi-romantic-comedy Twelfth Night, there's undercurrents of forbidden love, unrequited love, and the notably Shakespearean device of girl-meets-boy-but-pretends-to-b...

Nick Everritt: The Quiet Man – Aces & Eights

26Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Nick Everritt: The Quiet Man – Aces & Eights

Time for some comedy down at Aces & Eights, and from Nick Everritt who calls himself, The Quiet Man. Not an ideal trait in a comedian I hear you say, but Everitt has his quiet man routine down to a fine art. This is routine with a defined structure, and at the outset, we are introduced to this shy man persona, with a couple of impersonations, and jokes, which are ‘joke-splained’. Getting the crowd involved is a big part of Everritt’s act, which is reliant upon being able to pull in a reasonable size audience, or the audience may feel that they are too large a part of the routine. Luckily, our small audience is willing to participate, and offers up the repartee that a comedian depends upon. Everritt’s Quiet Man persona is purposefully creepy, a weird, sociall...

26Aug

By Robert BartleyNo Comments

London

Next To Normal – Donmar Warehouse

Cult favourite ‘Next To Normal’ has taken 15 years to reach our shores, and while it’s relatively unknown over here, it arrives on the back of a wave of adoration from its devoted fanbase, not to mention the critical acclaim (Tony Awards a Pulitzer, no less). The show comes from the mind of composer Tom Kitts, who along with Brian Yorkey (book and lyrics), tells a story of a family dealing with a crippling mental health problem which has governed their lives for the best part of 2 decades. News of the show’s UK premiere was met with massive excitement, with its limited run selling incredibly well. But was it worth the wait? Wife and mother Diane Goodman (Caissie Levy) is struggling with bi-ploar disorder, and the toll it's taking on her family, daughter Natalie (Eleanor Wort...

26Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

The Two Horsemen – Aces & Eights

Whenever I am ‘fringing’ (yes, let’s make it a verb), I like to go along to see some improv. The quick-witted repartee, the verbal jousting is exciting, and watching The Two Horsemen saddle up, mount, and strap on their jousts, I know that we are in for a helluva ride. Liam Brennan and Tom Jacob-Ewles are the two riders that make up The Two Horsemen, and these two fablers tour, playing the medieval tavern circuit, with the aim of making it big in showbiz weaving fantasy tales assisted by suggestions from the audience. Below is a selection of the happenings that went on:- The intro came from Bubonic Bobby who oozes infection from every pore, and then duo begin with a suggestion of a fable about The Ugly Duckling who is secretly Macbeth, Brennan relished the role of the ugl...

Some Sonnets and a Bit of Bach – Greenside @ Infirmary Street

26Aug

By Marcelina KruczyńskaNo Comments

Scotland

Some Sonnets and a Bit of Bach – Greenside @ Infirmary Street

Passionate about William Shakespear and Johann Sebastian Bach, or better yet wondered what these two historical figures have in common? Then you are in for a treat. Performed by the enthusiastic Sebastian Michael, performing his first spoken word solo at the Edinburgh Fringe. This spoken word program will take you back to the past delving into the lives of Bach and Shakespear. Michael not only discusses Bach and Shakespear but adds a personal touch to the performance where he talks about his own artistic journey and how he encountered his love of these two artistic legends. The simplistic staging and clear color theme (since everything is in the color black) all eyes are on Michael, making the performance all the more intimate. Michael’s passion shines through in the moments when he...

26Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Bluebeard’s Castle – Churchill Theatre

The collaboration between director/librettist, Daisy Evans, and conductor/arranger, Stephen Higgins, to create a dementia tale from Bartók’s only opera, Bluebeard’s Castle, is startlingly clever and beautifully produced. The set by Adrian Linford is simple, yet effective. The lighting is perfect for a castle where the sun never shines. The Hebrides Ensemble play like angels. And the two voices: Michael Mayes and Charlotte Hellekant - superb! Gone is the gothic horror and the manipulation of the male/female power dynamic of the original to be replaced by the less blameworthy machinations of memory loss through dementia. In reality, dementia is equally as frightening in its thievery, but not so terrifying in its conscious malice. In this version, Bluebeard and his wife, Judith, rev...

25Aug

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Frozen Jr – Z-Arts

Z-arts Renaker Theatre hosted Manchester Musical Youth’s (MMY) latest production of Frozen Jr, the show is unfortunately only running tonight and tomorrow evening with a matinee in the middle as it is a show not to be missed. This Disney family favourite did not disappoint the audience, it is hard to believe that the cast only had four rehearsals following their weekend residential and junior festival earlier in the year to produce such a well-polished production. This is MMY’s third show in a space of a month and the standard never ceases to amaze me, it is evident that the production is a team effort involving many family members supporting the process with their super talented youngsters. The auditorium and front of house was a buzz of super proud relatives and friends rightful...

Call Mr Robeson – Edinburgh Fringe Online

24Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

Scotland

Call Mr Robeson – Edinburgh Fringe Online

Call Mr Robeson is a one-man show telling the story of the life of Paul Robeson, singer, actor, and political activist. Written and performed by Tayo Aluko and directed by Olusola Oyeleye, it is an interesting exploration of the early civil rights movement in America, against a background of Hollywood films, theatre performances and concerts, with live performances of Robeson’s songs sung by Aluko, accompanied by Michael Conliffe on piano. The piece opens with Aluko singing Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen while carrying a chair, which is used to symbolise the weight of the events of Robeson’s life on him. Aluko has a strong and operatic voice and performs the songs throughout the piece brilliantly, and often, particularly in the case of Old Man River, with dramatic flair and action w...