REVIEWS Archives - Page 286 of 417

27Jun

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

1984 –Thingwall Community Centre

George Orwell’s dystopian novel, originally published in 1949, is a cautionary tale, drawing on the then recent insights into Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany, examining the role of truth and facts within politics and the way in which they are manipulated. This dramatisation is constructed almost entirely from dialogue taken from the original novel. Winston Smith (Zoran Blackie) is in prison, found guilty of Thoughtcrimes against Big Brother. As part of his reconstruction, led by O’Brien (John Maguire), he must re-enact key moments from his past life, with the help of other thought criminals playing key characters including re-enacted versions of himself (John Reynolds) and O’Brien (Kate Mulvihill) as well as Parsons (Michael Silverman) and Charrington (Vicki Griffiths), so that everyo...

Lea Salonga: Dream Again – Bridgewater Hall

25Jun

By Jo TillotsonNo Comments

North West

Lea Salonga: Dream Again – Bridgewater Hall

Dream Again. That was the invitation from Lea Salonga as she opened her show tonight at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. We have all been limited for the last two years in what we have been able to do, and now it is time for us all to Dream Again about what comes next. Using Ms Salonga’s own words, this concert tour is a time to enjoy the gift of music, a recognition of our collective perseverance and resilience, and a celebration of joy; joy which was clear from the moment Ms Salonga stepped onto the stage. When I saw her first UK tour in 2019, I was surprised by the diversity of music in her show. But not this time! One of the things I love about Ms Salonga as an artist is that she is never constrained by the concept of genre. Instead, she moves naturally between musical theatre nu...

25Jun

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

Sad-Vents – White Bear Theatre

Graphic. Gut-wrenching. Bold. Brave. Vulnerable. Vivacious. Lively. A tad too long. Sad-Vents is an avant garde show combining more traditional storytelling with pop technology, directed by Annie McKenzie. As writer-performer Eleanor Hill shares her experiences with trauma and mental illness, her real and virtual worlds collide, opening up the invitation to the audience to also engage virtually through the show’s Instagram page, @sadventsplay. Confined to a cosy set, designed by Constance Villemot, consisting of a bed, a bit of carpet and belongings strewn about, the show quickly draws the audience into not just the bedroom but also the life (and mind) of Eleanor. The technological integration led by Matt Powell is a fun experiment and adds a layer to the show. The rawness of the per...

25Jun

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

The Tempest – Royden Park

Staging their first production since the pandemic, The Hillbark Players transport the audience to a magical, timeless place in their interpretation of The Tempest by Shakespeare. With the bard's magical play being set on a beautiful natural island, where better to see it than outdoors in the natural open-air arena? The setting is serene. Surrounded by historic woodland, the theatre is a rectangular area of grass that has stands around it on three sides. This setting adds a lot to The Hillbark Players somewhat steampunk performance because it places the audience both within the play setting generally and, with the movement of the actors coming in from all areas, within the 'island' itself. There is an immersive element to this production. Directed by Martin Riley, The Tempest provides...

Our Town Needs a Nando’s – Everyman Theatre

25Jun

By Morgan EvansNo Comments

North West

Our Town Needs a Nando’s – Everyman Theatre

Teenage girls deserve epic stories. These girls certainly do. The young cast, many making their professional debuts, look incredibly comfortable on stage. Talented, charismatic, and appropriately self-assured, these girls *did* deserve an epic story. I’m sad to say unfortunately they did not find one in Our Town Needs A Nando’s. Samantha O’Rourke’s script has a great humorous sensibility which is delivered with expert precision by Nadia Anim, Chloe Hughes, Mali O’Donnell, Kalli Tant and Jada-Li Warrican. Its comedy is its strongest asset. Mocking the clichéd banality of GCSE Drama shows about drugs justly earns raucous laughter from the audience. However, whilst it may be funny, O’Rourke’s text is missing too many key components of story to hold our interest. The script meanders thro...

25Jun

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Tick Tock – Hope Street Theatre

A new play was written and performed at Liverpool’s Hope Street Theatre called Tick Tock by Debbie Redcliffe (The Responder, Moving on). Before you ask, no I don’t mean the social media app where you can floss and lip Sync. This play Tick Tock, directed by Margaret Connell (Forgotten Voices and Blood Runs Deep). Follows the story of Sarah, Jenna and Pauline. Sarah (Debra Redcliffe) has dreams to be a mother, she was forever eating healthy, checking her temperature and when it was time to do the deed made sure her husband Danny knew about it. However, whilst trying it became clear that not all seemed right. The tests were negative, and hope was drifting away. Jenna’s life (Lisa McMahon) unfolded where she opened up about the miscarriages she had gone through. Whilst she had a family o...

This Savage Parade – Manchester Collective

24Jun

By Clare ChandlerNo Comments

North West

This Savage Parade – Manchester Collective

The Manchester Collective continue to programme their seasons in a manner that seems remarkably prescient. This evening as inflation rises, industrial unrest unfurls, ice caps melt and war bleeds ever closer to home, they perform a set of ethereal music for voice and string orchestra declaring that ‘in a volatile world, sometimes you just need a good tune to hang on to’. There are many ‘good tunes’, enhanced by the atmospheric backdrop of Hallé St Peter’s, in this final offering of the season from the Collective. Manchester Collective concerts are always a little different, devoid of the pomp associated with classical music their shows feel democratic, and collaborative. Audience and performers meet in the space between the music – even when over exuberant attendees...

24Jun

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

All Shook Up – Rainhill Village Hall

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the story is new and the hits are Elvis as Director and Choreographer Lucy Bradshaw takes us back to the summer of 1955 Midwest America in this heart-warming and feel-good musical, where we find Natalie (Sarah Johnson), a young mechanic, dreaming of love and adventure, without realising best friend Dennis (Ben Evans-Clarke) has a secret crush on her. But things take off when Chad (David Stevens), a hip-swivelling, guitar-playing roustabout, brings more than the jukebox to life in Sylvia’s (Julie Gould) Honky Tonk, putting a spring in the step of Natalie’s father, Jim (Bryan Dargie) and more than a sonnet in Miss Sandra (Dawn Wright). Can it get any better when Sylvia’s daughter Lorraine (Bláthíne Maguire) is told she’s beautiful by Dean (Toby Abb...

A Doll’s House Part 2 – Donmar Warehouse

24Jun

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

A Doll’s House Part 2 – Donmar Warehouse

A dark house lifts off the stage to reveal its interior, and we are drawn into the intimate space. The story follows on from Ibsen’s classic, presenting their world fifteen years later. Nora has found purpose as a famous writer under a pseudonym but returns home to settle pressing legal matters. The set designed by Rae Smith has a cool, clinical feel like it hasn’t been lived in as none of the characters are truly settled and its initial state is mysterious and bleak, like it holds a chamber of secrets. Noma Dumezweni’s Nora is controlled and meticulously crafted. With a fierce moral code and ideals, she is earthy and wise yet there is something indefinable about her. As Nora’s interacts with the other characters, she is fluid and playful yet grounded by her unswerving principles. ...

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World – Theatre Royal, Stratford East

24Jun

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World – Theatre Royal, Stratford East

The brand-new pop musical, Fantastically Great Women is an inspirational and moving celebration of female empowerment. Set to an original, fun, and strong score, this musical demonstrates the importance of being yourself and discovering how you want to change the world. We are introduced to the inquisitive heroine of the show, Jade, who gets separated from her school group on a trip to the museum. She discovers the not yet open Gallery of Greatness, where she meets twelve influential women from history, who help her on her path to discovering who she wants to be. At only eleven years old, Jade is concerned she is running out of time to make a difference, but she soon learns that it is not about when you make history, just that you don’t ever give up trying to. The show opens with the...