REVIEWS Archives - Page 281 of 417

Lord of the Dance: 25 Years of Standing Ovations – Palace Theatre

15Jul

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Lord of the Dance: 25 Years of Standing Ovations – Palace Theatre

It's hard to believe that 25 years have passed since Michael Flatley stepped aside from Riverdance and created Lord of the Dance. In fact, it's now 28 years since that spectacular Eurovision interval act, that I still think to this day is the only interval act to overshadow the song contest itself! Since then, it has gone on to sell over 60 million tickets in over 1000 venues across the world. It puts such a joyous smile on your face to watch these fantastic dancers in action. The audience were clapping along and cheering from the very beginning. I think it's the positive energy the show gives us that makes it so infectious. Gerard Fahy who composed the music for the original show has written some new music for this production. It feels more like an update than brand new material. ...

15Jul

By Klervi GavetNo Comments

London

Patriots – Almeida Theatre

How do you make a grown Russian man sing? Give him a piano and some vodka. How do you make him cry? Take him away from the Motherland. Patriots has all the hallmarks of a good political drama. Court intrigues, outrageous backdoor deals, international conflict, even memorable, poisonous assassinations… It is after all the new play of Peter Morgan, best known for his historical hits such as Netflix’s The Crown, The Audience, or Frost/Nixon. Here Morgan examines the making of oligarchs in post-soviet Russia and the rise of one Vladimir Putin from deputy mayor of Saint Petersburg to President of the Russian Federation, all through the eyes of mathematician genius turned businessman and kingmaker, Boris Berezovsky. Directed by Almeida Artistic Director Rupert Goold, this production often ...

14Jul

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Wedding Singer – Montgomery Theatre

After three long years and three cancelled shows Woodseats Musical Theatre Company finally and joyously make it back to the stage with their production of The Musical Comedy, The Wedding Singer. . so get ready to party like it’s 1985! With the Book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Harlihy, Music by Matthew Sklar and Lyrics by Chad Beguelin, this production is directed by Ian Walker, and I particularly liked the breaking of the 4th wall as the performers used the space on the steps and in the audience – nice touch. The Choreography is by Amber Parry and Lilly Abram and the Musical direction by Dominic Ridler. The 8 strong band sounded great, and the balance of their sound was good. I must note that Ridler is unusually an MD who plays drums, his performance in the pits in itself is very flambo...

14Jul

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Hungry – Soho Theatre

On the face of it, Chris Bush’s new play could simply be viewed as a fresh take on class. In reality, Hungry has more layers than a millefeuille, tackling a diverse range of topics including love, love language, class, culture, ethnicity, sexuality, addiction and, of course, food. The set-up is thus – laidback waitress Bex meets passionate, driven chef Lori. Bex loves chicken nuggets and Pot Noodles, Lori is acutely aware of the difference between a mousse and a marquise. During an hour and ten minutes we move back and forth in time, observing the peaks and troughs in their relationship – two people who find love with someone so unlike them, trying to assimilate and be assimilated into each other's worlds. The time-hopping can be confusing, especially in the earlier scenes as you try to...

14Jul

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Jitney – Oldham Coliseum

Until recently I was only vaguely aware of August Wilson and his 'Pittsburgh Century Cycle' of plays, chronicling the experience of African-Americans in the USA over a hundred year period. Whether this was my fault, or the fact that his work has not been staged as often as his better known contemporaries is moot, but it allowed me to come to this Old Vic/Leeds Playhouse/Headlong production of 'Jitney', with a fresh perspective on the stunning opening night for this short tour. Set in 1977 against the backdrop of declining industrial Pittsburgh, 'Jitney' portrays an unlicensed taxi cab company and its drivers, struggling to make a living on the periphery of society. This is a play of subtlety and nuance which rewards the attention of the audience and subverts their expectations of the ch...

14Jul

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Shake The City – Jermyn Street Theatre

The 1970 unofficial strike by five thousand clothing factory workers in Leeds has been largely forgotten and tends to be ignored by historians and anyone outside the immediate area. At the time though, it had a massive impact in raising the issue of equal pay for equal work, eventually to be enshrined in law in the Equal Pay Act. Millie Gaston's Shake The City looks at the strike and its origins from the perspective of four of the factory workers, exploring the narrative through the lives of the women. Margaret (Rachael Halliwell) has been promoted from the factory floor to supervise the workers, and at times uncomfortable position as she finds herself straddling the worlds of the workers and the management. Lori (Stephanie Hutchinson) is full of desire to fight for equality, w...

14Jul

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Z Arts

Based on the 1831 novel by Victor Hugo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame has been transcribed into a musical with a little help from the 1996 Walt Disney production. The play itself has been written by Peter Parnell, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. The Manchester Musical Youth group have decided to tackle this classic as their latest production. It must be said it’s been a good few years since I’ve seen the Hunchback of Notre Dame and this production is certainly a lot darker than I remember the Disney movie. There’s also the addition of new songs. Even though the play is set in Paris, it almost has a Greek feel to it. The numerous statues and gargoyles almost act as a chorus that is quite typical of many Greek plays such as Suppliant Women. From that point of vi...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream(ish) – International Anthony Burgess Foundation

14Jul

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

A Midsummer Night’s Dream(ish) – International Anthony Burgess Foundation

It is not often that a reviewer becomes part of the show but that is what happened to me as part of this entertaining, engaging and extremely fun one-woman re-telling of Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy. Your humble scribe was plucked out of the audience to play a wall. It took all my theatrical skill to stand on stage holding a plastic brick and it would not be correct to comment on my own performance but the other audience members who were chosen to appear on stage with me were all excellent. Yet, the real energetic, frenetic and comic star of the show was Abey Bradbury. She wrote and performed this whistle-stop tour through the Bard’s classic play with such verve and sheer pizazz it was a joy to behold. Her playfulness and obvious love of clowning were such a treat she really brought...

13Jul

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

A-Typical Rainbow – Turbine Theatre

Research indicates that autistic people have higher rates of LGBT identities and feelings than the wider population. In a 2017 study by the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), 69.7% of autistic participants reported being non-heterosexual. The fact that the author of this review got the autumn of his gay life before learning this fact might suggest that representation and awareness are issues that need addressing. JJ Green’s new play ‘A-Typical Rainbow’ goes some way to tackling ignorance and telling a story from an autistic and queer perspective. This ground-breaking production is currently staged at the Turbine Theatre, which opened in 2019, as part of the regeneration of Battersea Power Station. It’s a cute, bijou space, bringing character and culture to...

13Jul

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

A Pretty Sh*tty Love – Theatr Clwyd

Written by Katherine Chandler, A Pretty Sh*tty Love is inspired by true events that shook Wales and reverberated around the world. A story about dreaming of love, living in fear and finding the strength to pull yourself out. Chandler has written an extremely detailed and honest piece which evokes all sorts of feelings, both good and not so good. It is a good mix of humour and extreme emotion. Perfectly directed by Francesca Goodridge, we are transported from the world of new love and happiness to the dark world of jealousy, control and violence. With an interesting set made of a maze of glass walls with words written on them, designer Lulu Tam has created a world of wonder and confusion which added an extra depth to the storytelling. Lighting by Jess Bernberg was very cleverly used to a...