REVIEWS Archives - Page 277 of 418

The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe – Gillian Lynne Theatre

29Jul

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe – Gillian Lynne Theatre

“It’s all in the wardrobe like I told you” The story of The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis has been engrossing all readers, both young and old, for over 70 years. Selling over 85 million copies and in 60 languages, this book has been one of the ten best-selling books of all time and will continue to enchant readers and now viewers. As the audience arrive, they are immediately transported back in time to World War II as we are welcomed by a solo pianist playing on stage. Starting the show with the piano and a rendition of “We’ll Meet Again” is an emotional opening, reminding audiences of past turmoil and loss, while setting the scene for where the story and the opening of The Wardrobe. Music is tremendously important throughout the show and the choice to have the ens...

29Jul

By Kiefer WilliamsNo Comments

North West

No Place Like Home – Unity Theatre

This energetic solo performance from Alex Roberts & Co. explores issues surrounding violence and hate crimes within the LGBTQ+ particularly referencing the nightlife culture. The question is whether there are any safe places to be queer in our towns and cities, especially at night-time. With the increase of violence within our community, I found this a timely and pertinent piece of work. It would be so easy to stand up and rant on about the many ways that society fails to acknowledge violence and hate crimes towards the LGBTQ+ community but Alex Roberts & Co. have produced a meaningful and honest show that is far more subtle and thoughtful in its approach and appeal than most others of a similar theme. Cleverly fusing both spoken word, video art, dance, and music we are...

Not Drunk But Disorderly – The Empty Space

29Jul

By Louise KershawNo Comments

North West

Not Drunk But Disorderly – The Empty Space

As part of the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival, Liverpool based Hindley and Amos presented their comic murder mystery to a supportive audience at The Empty Space in Salford. Brimming with energy, this fast paced, devised piece of theatre entertained us as we were introduced to Howard and Geoffrey, two local police officers, and the various residents of the fictional Newpool as they investigate a sudden murder on their patch. Hindley and Amos took on all the roles with skill, imagination and great comic timing. Strong physical theatre skills combined with a video backdrop helped set the scenes and present their many characters and situations with much humour and an excellent rapport between the two performers. At 45 minutes long, this is a short piece of well-crafted slapstick ...

Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy – Eventim Apollo

28Jul

By Clare ChandlerNo Comments

London

Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy – Eventim Apollo

This latest revival of Alan Menken, Glenn Slater, Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner’s divine comedy has been a long time coming. Initially conceived as an opportunity to return Whoopi Goldberg to the role she created in the hit nineties film, the planned second coming fell foul of the pandemic. So, two years after its planned debut Beverley Knight is rocking the habit, and the Eventim Apollo, in Bill Buckhurst’s revised production. The production is not short of spectacle with Knight and the singing nuns bringing enough glitz to hold their own amongst the long list of performers who have graced the Eventim Apollo stage over the years. The musical is fairly faithful to the film’s plot - having witnessed a murder Deloris Van Cartier is forced to hide out in a convent helping her ‘s...

28Jul

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Jersey Boys – Leeds Grand Theatre

“If you’re from my neighbourhood, you’ve got three ways out – you could join the army, you could get mobbed up, or you could become a star.” So says streetwise minor hoodlum and guitarist Tommy DeVito opening the show as he creates the Four Seasons as a quartet of blue-collar Italian Americans who force their way out of New Jersey on the back of a string of hit singles If you have the radio in the car tuned to any of the classic hits stations then you don’t have long to wait for a Four Seasons record to come on from an early smash like Sherry to Frankie Valli’s comeback hit Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. Frankie’s unique powerful falsetto might not be to everyone’s taste, but it proved to be their unique selling point. At their height they outsold the Beach Boys and the Beatle...

27Jul

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

School of Rock – Sheffield Lyceum

Sheffield was raising the decibels into the stratosphere last night with the England Women’s Team winning the Semi Final against Sweden in the Euro22 competition at Sheffield Bramall Lane ground and the School of Rock opening at the Sheffield Lyceum, Sheffield really was the place to be! The city was euphoric – Sheffield Rocked! School of Rock is written by Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey fame with Lyrics by Glenn Slater, the dialogue is both topical and sassy and extremely funny on numerous occasions. The music by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber is as expected, catchy with some great songs such as Top of Mount Rock, Stick it to the Man and If Only you would listen. Anna Louizo’s sets are compact, yet well designed to move fluently and at speed between the Horace Green school rooms, Ned Schne...

<strong>Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Winter Gardens, Blackpool</strong>

27Jul

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Winter Gardens, Blackpool

A magical evening at The Winter Gardens Blackpool. Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is in town this week. I have seen the show previously but even if this is the case for you, this performance was a whole new experience. This is the perfect show to bring the children to, it’s short energetic, engaging and full of fun. The performance started at 7.30pm and was over by 9.30pm with a short interval. With a mesmerising score form Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice this musical never fails to fill the theatre. It was so nice to see The Winter Gardens so busy. The cast and creatives have done a superb job putting this tour together and keeping the piece fresh. Choreography by Joann M Hunter, Direction from Laurence Connor and Musical Director John Rigby, a winning team. ...

A Bunch of Amateurs – Frinton Summer Theatre

27Jul

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

South East

A Bunch of Amateurs – Frinton Summer Theatre

In a world where everything is so complicated and heavy with subtext, there’s something to be said of a play that offers light hearted relief. ‘A Bunch of Amateurs’ by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman is a disarmingly simple comedy ripe for community theatres and a summer where we all need a bit of a lift. Fading Hollywood star Jefferson Steele (Nigel Barber) has been duped by his agent to thinking he’s taking a gig at the infamous birthplace of Shakespeare. Only when he arrives from the USA, he discovers he’s playing the lead role of King Lear at a tiny Suffolk village called Stratford-upon-nowhere with a bunch of am dram characters trying to save their village theatre from developers – while Jefferson is trying to save his career. Dorothy the director/ driver/ fool/ insert multiple roles...

Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em – Regent Theatre

27Jul

By Angela KellyNo Comments

West Midlands

Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em – Regent Theatre

Fans of the original sit com in the 70’s, when we only had three channels on the TV, will be intrigued to observe the stage version of ‘Some Mothers do ‘ave ‘em. With some vague recollection of a time when Michael Crawford was the very accident prone, hapless ‘Frank’, with his facial expressions that often required no words, any stage version certainly has a lot to live up to. Written by Guy Unsworth and Raymond Allen and directed by Unsworth himself, the delivery of the comedy itself must be applauded. The writers ensure that there is a consistency to the energy in the entire performance and jokes come fast and are plentiful. Occasionally it felt as though there was almost ‘too much’ to laugh at as there were so many comedic lines delivered by all the cast throughout the entire perform...

Mother There Art Thou – King’s Arms, Salford

27Jul

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Mother There Art Thou – King’s Arms, Salford

Most plays, essentially, are about families and that age-old conflict between kids and their parents. If you go back to ancient Greek drama and myth Oedipus and Electra have complexes named after them. A child’s view of the world is created by their parents. They can, if they want, make it seem to be a scary place their kids should hide from, or they can say it is wonderful and should be embraced and enjoyed. The set-up for this darkly comic play is that a domineering rule-setting, brutal, mother has died, and her son and daughter are left to ponder how they want to live their lives. There is no mention of a father in the piece, so it is assumed the mother brought up the children on her own. Within the family dynamic son Charlie is clearly willing to follow the rules and is extrem...