REVIEWS Archives - Page 316 of 417

Dave Allen… A Journey Through Life… and Death – King’s Arms

15Mar

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Dave Allen… A Journey Through Life… and Death – King’s Arms

Dave Allen was brilliant at pointing out the ironies and absurdities of life... and death. He was a storyteller who loved to poke fun at religion at a time, particularly in his native Ireland, when the church was extremely powerful. His shows were banned by the Irish broadcaster, RTE. He said, “I’m an atheist, thank God,” and he insisted he was not making fun of religion but people’s concept of religion. As a child at a strict Catholic school, even though they tried to scare him with hell and damnation, his natural intelligence and curiosity made him question faith and belief. Kieran Cunningham completely embodied the comedian, who has been called the father of alternative comedy. From the voice to the hand gestures and all his other little mannerisms he brought Allen back to life. W...

15Mar

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

Chicago – The Regent, Stoke

Originally directed by Bob Fosse, based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins and with music by John Kander, ‘Chicago’ graced the stage of the Regent Theatre in Stoke on Monday night. Directed originally by Walter Bobbie and with a recreation of the original direction by Stacey Haynes, ‘Chicago’ was set in the decadent 1920s and tells the story of the flamboyant ‘Roxie Hart’ (Faye Brookes) whose lover is murdered when he threatens to leave her. The story unfolds as she is desperate to avoid conviction. With several well-known names in this particular cast, the surprise of the night was the role of classical tenor, Russell Watson. Whilst his vocals were never in doubt, his acting was unknown but from his performance with ‘the Girls’ to ‘All I care about’ it was evident he would not disap...

Figs in Wigs: Little Wimmin – Southbank Centre

14Mar

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Figs in Wigs: Little Wimmin – Southbank Centre

Pitched somewhere between anarchic performance art and chaotic high-concept mockery of theatrical and literary analysis, the Figs in Wigs' satirical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" veers from Greek chorus, avant-garde dance to groan-ful puns and visual humour. Alcott's work, given an unnecessarily deep and pretentious analysis of the text can, the Figs suggest with tongues stuck firmly in cheeks, be linked to climate change, astrology, the future of humankind and the patriarchy. And cocktails. The five Figs in Wigs (Alice Roots, Sarah Moore, Suzanna Hurst, Rachel Gammon and Rachel Porter), rounding out the Southbank's Women of the World Festival in recognition of International Women's Day, give the show their all in their various roles, with impeccable chore...

14Mar

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

RENT – Carriageworks Theatre

It’s a tribute to Jonathan Larson’s genius that his quirky offbeat rock musical about a bunch of New York outsiders is the eleventh highest grossing Broadway show of all time and this is a pretty faithful recreation. The claim that it’s a reworking of Puccini’s opera La Bohème has always seemed to be a bit overblown, but it remains a powerful ode to artists as outsiders based on Larson’s own experiences when he was struggling to get work made. The narrative and dizzying array of musical styles is held together by aspiring director Mark making a gonzo documentary about his friends living in and around a New York squat, many of whom have AIDS when that for many was still a death sentence. Paul Lonsdale’s Mark is a touch on the mature side, but he sings and acts well. Rent continues ...

The Musical Comedy Whodunit: Curtains – Rotherham Civic

14Mar

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Musical Comedy Whodunit: Curtains – Rotherham Civic

Maltby Musical Theatre group founded in 1949 bring to Rotherham’s Civic Stage the lesser known Kander and Ebb Musical, Curtains which was nominated for 8 awards at the 2007 Tony Award’s including Best New Musical. Well, it’s 1959, and the Colonial Theatre in Boston is to premier a new musical. Cue the mayhem, as it’s ’curtains’ for the leading lady and the entire cast and crew are now suspects. Enter stage left, the musical theatre fan of a detective, to solve the crime. With several more murders and attempted murders along the way, love stories and a stage mother with attitude and the perpetrator is finally brought to justice. But we are warned in the encore, it will be ‘Curtains’ for us if we disclose the killer, so that is a very good reason to catch the show whilst you can. The script...

13Mar

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Sweeney Todd – Hope Street Theatre

Sweeney Todd opened his shop in Liverpool’s Hope Street theatre. A show by Off Topic Productions, a northwest based company. The state that “their style is experimental and attempts to put new spins on classic forms of theatre.” It starts with Mr Todd (Ioseph Myrddin) coming home from imprisonment after being held for a crime he didn’t commit. He’s a new man, a man who will now act revenge on those who wronged him. Mr Todd is reunited with his razors from Mrs Lovett (Elisa Edwards) and has a competition to be the best barber. After taking solace in the room above Mrs Lovett’s bakery he welcomes customers to his barbershop. It is here where his killing spree begins. He and Mrs Lovett become lovers and decide to use the dead corpses for meat in her pies to avoid the meat crisis. Incidenta...

13Mar

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Opera North: Alcina – The Lowry

The staging of Handel’s Alcina presents a challenge and from what I saw tonight, the jury is still out; if we focus instead on the delivery of some of the finest vocal writing ever written and all-round musicality, then this performance should be considered a success. Searching for her fiancé Ruggiero (Patrick Terry), Bradamante (Mari Askvik) arrives on an island belonging to the enchantress Alcina (Sky Ingram). Bradamante has adopted the disguise of her own brother, Ricciardo, and is accompanied by her protector, Melissa (Claire Pascoe). Alcina’s sister, Morgana (Fflur Wyn), instantly falls in love with ‘Ricciardo’ despite already being in a relationship with Oronte (Nick Pritchard), whilst Bradamante is distraught when she discovers Ruggiero and Alcina are lovers. Within this medle...

13Mar

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Ghosts of the Titanic – Park Theatre

The play is set in New York six months or so after the Titanic sank, and interest in the tragedy is waning. A young lady, who describes herself as the fiancé of one of the musicians, arrives trying to resolve some of the unexplained questions about the sinking. Why was there confusion about which tunes the band were playing as the ship went down? Why were the lookout's binoculars locked away? Why were the original distress calls ignored? Why did the ship set sail with a fire on board? Her questioning leads to issues surrounding the construction of the vessel, and even more sinister motivations for wanting the ship never to complete her maiden voyage. Playwright Ron Hutchinson has inventively used this most enduring of disaster stories to raise questions about conspiracy theories. These ...

ADHD The Musical – Royal Court, Liverpool

11Mar

By Clare ChandlerNo Comments

North West

ADHD The Musical – Royal Court, Liverpool

ADHD The Musical is an enjoyable and informative show that explores the realities of life when your brain is ‘differently made’. Written and performed by Dora Colquhoun the show is part musical parody, part stand-up and part ADHD infomercial. Colquhoun is an incredibly engaging performer who is ably supported by the excellent Karl LLorca (who provides BSL interpretation). Indeed, Llorca was gifted a show stealing moment when Colquhoun’s mic pack malfunctioned, and he and musical director Luke Thomas, were required to entertain the sold-out Royal Court studio. Given the huge diagnosis gap between men and women with ADHD, with men almost three times more likely to be diagnosed, this is an important topic and one that Colquhoun, with collaborator Izzie Major, str...

11Mar

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Opera North: Carmen – The Lowry

Carmen is stuffed full of well-known arias and melodies, or as one audience member put it as she left the theatre, “I was surprised by how many songs I already knew.” From the Toreador’s song to the Habanera and the Seguidilla the music is easily recognisable by most people even if they have never been to an opera. This boisterous production by Opera North updated events from 19th century Sevilla to a border town in the late 1950s early 1960s. This was a clever idea as this was a time of rebellion, of counter-culture, where young people wanted to be free and do their own thing. To live and love on their own terms. For the character of Carmen love is transitory. She is open and honest in saying that she falls in and out of love with ease. She just wants freedom and is unconcerned with...