REVIEWS Archives - Page 32 of 548

Annie Get Your Gun in Concert – Theatr Clwyd

4Sep

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

Wales

Annie Get Your Gun in Concert – Theatr Clwyd

Tip Top Productions have come bounding back to Theatr Clwyd with full force, bringing a concert version of Annie Get Your Gun to the newly renamed Theatr Moondance. Although this is no ordinary “in concert” as it comes with wonderful staging, fantastic choreography, brilliant projections and a whole lot more. Steve Davies as Producer and Director has put together a highly professional show with a stellar cast and staging that makes you forget you are watching a concert version and allows you to immerse yourself into the full musical. The stage is set with chairs across the centre with a gap in the middle and cast bring on five microphone stands across the front section of the stage which ties in the concert vibe of the show but also helps when it comes to spacing and lighting. Such a cl...

The Pitchfork Disney – King’s Head Theatre

3Sep

By Holly SewellNo Comments

London

The Pitchfork Disney – King’s Head Theatre

“Through indiscriminate suffering men know fear / and fear is the most divine emotion.” Zora Neale Hurston’s sermon-like words, which open The Pitchfork Disney’s epigraph, paint fear as a sacramental rite in the pursuit of wisdom. Fear allows us to know truth; it is holy because it is the realest thing there is. Pitchfork’s characters live in the realm of dreams, but their words are devastating precisely because they touch the darkest knowledge each of us carries in our gut: we are afraid, and we are right to be. Philip Ridley’s debut play is often credited for sparking the ‘90s ‘in-yer-face’ British theatre movement. Its influence extends to the likes of Sarah Kane and Jez Butterworth: the blood, guts, sex and violence that is so unflinchingly depicted in Ridley’s script carries over i...

3Sep

By Charles PipeNo Comments

London

Cascando – Jermyn Street Theatre

Cascando was written by Samuel Beckett as a radio play, originally in French. It was first broadcast in English in 1963. Now, it has been boldly reimagined by Pan Pan theatre company as a promenade piece. Listeners arrive at Jermyn Street Theatre where they dump their bags, before being issued with hooded black cloaks, iPods, and headphones. They are lined up single file, the audio track is begun, and they are led in procession around St James’s. With their hoods up tp conceal their headphones, they appear to onlookers like some kind of strange, anachronistic cult or monastic order. Should the weather turn foul, umbrellas are provided, but audience members should bring their own layers for if the weather is chilly, and of course wear comfortable footwear. If you’re a lover of Beckett...

3Sep

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Blood Brothers – Buxton Opera House

It’s powerful, heartfelt and bursting with unforgettable songs; Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers is a timeless classic that continues to resonate with audiences – and the recent production on tour and currently at Buxton Opera House is no exception! Directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright, this production retells Russell’s poignant tale of nature versus nurture through the lives of twins separated at birth. It’s a story filled with humour, warmth and inevitable heartbreak, delivered here with an emotional punch that keeps you gripped right to the final moments. At the heart of the show is Vivienne Carlyle as Mrs Johnstone, whose moving portrayal of a mother torn between desperation and love carries both strength and vulnerability. Her vocals soar with passion, particularly during the...

3Sep

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Calamity Jane – Alhambra Bradford

When the town drunk picks out the notes of the Deadwood Stage on a banjo in front of the curtain, and the audience without thinking starts singing along, you can see why Calamity Jane has been such a successful old school musical revival Most of the people here when they think of Calamity Jane would be immediately thinking of Doris Day’s rollocking performance in the classic 1953 movie. This warm hearted and often very funny show offers a more folky version as a team of actor/musicians stroll and dance around Matthew Wright’s Golden Garter saloon set playing all the show’s familiar numbers. Rootin’ tootin’ tomboy Calamity Jane lives up to her name causing mayhem everywhere she goes in gold rush town Deadwood shooting her mouth off and telling tall stories much to the disgust of Wild ...

The Glamification of Loki – Southwark Playhouse Elephant

31Aug

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

The Glamification of Loki – Southwark Playhouse Elephant

The gods must be crazy. Thor, Odin, Freya, and the rest are mad as hell. The cause? Loki. This new musical depicts the god of mischief according to tradition — which is to say, as unpredictably as possible. With a surprising and scintillatingly clever script by writer, composer, and lyricist Eden Tredwell, British Youth Music Theatre has a runaway hit on their hands, as much as the Norse pantheon has a runaway deity on theirs. Director Grace Taylor ably weaves a great variety of performances into a compelling and refreshingly easy-to-digest plot, despite an overwhelmingly large cast of young performers. Every actor has their chance to shine, and this production does, in fact, sparkle. Photography: Leanne Dixon The winning combination of Steven Moore’s choreography and Cory Ship...

The Trials – Southwark Playhouse Borough

31Aug

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

The Trials – Southwark Playhouse Borough

Southwark Playhouse Young Ensemble is a brand new theatre company comprising of young people 19-25yrs from South London; with the aim of giving young people an opportunity to take the next steps into a performing career. The Trials is a revival of Dawn King play previously staged in 2022 which takes you into the future and a lookback at the catastrophic effects of climate change. This play is not only thought provoking its hard hitting, but you also cannot hide away from the consequences. The serious impact of climate change on future generations, “the ones most affected by it” and planet earth is laid out clearly in Trials. The play focusses specifically on three people the ‘Dinosaurs’ the older defendant’s explaining within 5 minutes their actions as to why they ‘personally’ co...

Mark Guest: Believe – Calder’s Bookshop and Theatre

31Aug

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Mark Guest: Believe – Calder’s Bookshop and Theatre

Mark Guest’s evening of magic and mentalism promises wonder, laughter and a touch of the inexplicable, all in support of an important cause: raising funds for cancer charities. On that front, it succeeds, the show is engaging, slickly delivered, and full of impressive routines that had much of the audience gasping in delight. Guest himself is a charismatic performer with natural showmanship, blending classic sleight-of-hand with modern psychological trickery in a way that feels fresh and accessible to all. The evening included a variety of complex pieces: card tricks performed with apparent ease, mind-reading demonstrations that seemed uncannily accurate, and larger sequences involving multiple audience members, adding both energy and scale. These moments showcased Guest’s undeniabl...

Eireann: A Taste of Ireland – Peacock Theatre

31Aug

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Eireann: A Taste of Ireland – Peacock Theatre

Brent Pace's Eireann: A Taste of Ireland takes the audience on an exhilarating journey through the length and breadth of Irish history, from the arrival of the Vikings to the present day, while not avoiding the dark periods of Irish history, such as the Great Famine and the Easter Uprising. It's not all serious though, with a good deal of light-hearted and comedic moments and overall a feeling of warmth and joy. The dancing can only be described as spectacular. Led by principal dancers Gavin Shevlin and Brittany Pymm, the company's impressive energy and talent make every step look easy and light as air. The footwork is so fast, the athleticism and precision so perfect, it's hard to believe that the performers are actually human. There is the traditional, Riverdan...

31Aug

By Codie WrightNo Comments

North West

Cbeebies House Party – The Lowry

The moment you enter the theatre space at the Lowry, for the Cbeebies House Party, you are immersed in the world. The set is colourful, with huge jellies flanking the stage, an intriguing door and a screen playing fun party songs - the perfect way to keep wriggling children patiently waiting for the start. Our party was hosted by Cbeebies presenters Rhys Stephenson and Evie Pickerill who are two of my absolute favourites. I was worried that the magic might be lost on stage but actually they completely blew me away. The speed at which Rhys ran around the theatre, ensuring that he said hello to the children in the upper tiers as well as in the stalls, was incredible! Evie is an absolute delight to watch on stage - her energy and enthusiasm doesn’t waver for a second and it’s clear tha...