REVIEWS Archives - Page 327 of 548

All England Theatre Festival Northern Semi-Final 2023 – Valley Community Theatre

2May

By Gill LewisNo Comments

North West

All England Theatre Festival Northern Semi-Final 2023 – Valley Community Theatre

The northern semi - final proudly showcases its dramatic offerings in this penultimate round of the All England Theatre Festival with the north proving its standard of community theatre has the potential to be a strong contender to win, as groups battle for a spot in the final. The Valley Theatre Netherley, known as the ‘little theatre with a big heart’, serves as host for this weekend of local theatrical talent in a diverse programme of one act plays under the watchful eye of adjudicator Christopher Baglin. The Valley Theatre is spacious and adaptable, just right for this type of event. The following review covers the first day of the semi-finals and judging by the standard of the performances, it looks to be a weekend of fabulous theatre. Saltburn ’53 Drama Group...

2May

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

The Retreat – Finborough Theatre

Jason Sherman's The Retreat follows the dreams of Rachel (Jill Winternitz), a Hebrew school teacher whose passion for writing was re-enlightened from a dare to try one more time. After being accepted on a writer's retreat led by an independent film production studio, David (Max Rinehart) falls in love with her script about a false Messiah but upon her arrival falls in love with her too. David's business partner Jeff (Michael Feldsher) is wrapped up in the current obsession of slashers knowing it'll help expand their business but David can't get behind work he doesn't feel passionate about and walks away from Jeff to help produce Rachel's script. In an effort to bring David back, Jeff meddles with Rachel's script to see if she is a wannabe writer or a true writer at heart. Rachel becomes vi...

Betty Legs Diamond Show – Stockport Plaza

2May

By Philip EdwardsNo Comments

North West

Betty Legs Diamond Show – Stockport Plaza

Tonight was a night at the theatre for enjoyment, not to write reviews, yet here I am clacking the keyboard at 11am!!!! Fact is, I want to share news about the confection of a show I have just seen at the always lovely Plaza Theatre, Stockport. Drag is being, pardon the pun, dragged through the hedge backwards by right wing politicians who find it, well, subversive I guess, but as has always been the case, subversion can be a power for good. That is exactly the case with The Betty Legs Diamond show, currently touring. Betty was the legendary host of Funny Girls club in Blackpool and, cutting a long story short, she/he/they are now taking the show on the road. With a talented cast of six dancers Ms Diamond has filled the stage with movement and comedy that remind us that the...

30Apr

By Hannah EsnoufNo Comments

North West

The Manopause – Hope Street Theatre

As a new piece of writing, it has promising prospects. I will firstly highlight those aspects that I thought went well. The actor who played Pete, was a solid standout. His way of demonstrating the slouched apathy of life post-50 felt the most natural and was therefore the most comedic. Michelle Parker’s set worked well as your typical pub, but I wanted more, especially between Act 1 and Act 2. Having no change of set, or costume, or position of actors was jarring and begs the question why there was an interval in the first place. Having said that, the audience found the performance and some of the dialogue very funny and relatable (from what I heard!), which is always a good start. To get this play to the next level, it needs some editing. Paul Daley’s writing had great...

A Thong for Europe – Liverpool’s Royal Court

30Apr

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

A Thong for Europe – Liverpool’s Royal Court

One of the biggest things to happen to Liverpool is that Eurovision is coming to the city and because of this shows are popping up with the Eurovision theme. The Royal court was no exception. A Thong for Europe written by Johnathan Harvey and Directed by Stephen Fletcher. Set in Waterloo the show opens with Lulu (Lindzi Germain) giving a eulogy at her mum’s funeral Steph (Eithne Browne) who loved Eurovision. But was sadly taken to the other side by a death trap of a hanging basket. Steph came to Lulu, and requested her ashes be scattered on the Eurovision Stage. Lulu and her son Terry (Andro Cowperthwaite) opened their home so that they could get a bit of extra cash and even maybe tickets to Eurovision it's self so that they can forfill the wish of their dear mother and grandmother. Som...

Twice Nightly – Royal Court Studio Liverpool

30Apr

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

Twice Nightly – Royal Court Studio Liverpool

‘We do it twice nightly, it’s exhausting quite frankly.’ With a name like Twice Nightly, this was a show that needed to live up to the double entendre suggested from the title and it sure didn’t let us down! Showing us Liverpool’s variety theatre scene in 1931, Don and Madge, a comedy song and dance double act are loving their lives, until things suddenly take a drastic turn. They need to remember, and alcohol fueled evening to allow them to get to the theatre in time for their second show of the night, but that is proving more difficult than it sounds. Will they make it in time? Written by and starring Michael Alan Bailey and Maria Lovelady as Don and Madge, it is clear that these two really get on, as the best friend energy coming from the characters is obviously evident. They’ve w...

30Apr

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

Richard III – Rose Theatre

What is the right way to do Shakespeare? Is there a right way? Is there only one way? How are his characters seen today, and what do they mean for today's audiences? Adjoah Andoh takes a bold swing at one of Shakespeare's most hateful villains, and strikes the audience with wit. This staging of Richard III, coproduced by Rose Theatre and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatre, toys with the idea that the non-able bodied title character is being judged by his appearance more than his actions. All the historical explanations notwithstanding, it is interesting to think about discrimination and marginalization based on physical appearance. It's just… well… according to the text, Richard did order the murder of two children who were in his way, amongst several other people. The question ...

David Walliams’ Demon Dentist – Liverpool Empire

28Apr

By Anne PritchardNo Comments

North West

David Walliams’ Demon Dentist – Liverpool Empire

David Walliams is now a well-known author and his children’s books have become infamous for their comedy and down-to-earth themes; he is probably classed as one of the most contemporary influential writers of children’s books at the present time, his characters are both endearing and outrageous whilst he also touches on the plights of unhappy and unloved children and their escapades. Demon Dentist is a stage adaptation of his latest book following on from Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy. This production is directed and adapted by Neal Foster of the Birmingham Stage Company. This story centres on Alfie (Sam Varley), a boy who has cared for his disabled dad since his mum passed away. After an unpleasant experience at the dentist six years prior to where this story ...

28Apr

By Hannah WildeNo Comments

North West

The Witches – The Brindley, Runcorn

With the storyline hinging on magic, mayhem and turning children into mice, I wasn’t sure how Roald Dahl’s much-loved classic The Witches would translate onstage, especially when performed by an amateur dramatic group whose budget wouldn’t stretch to fancy pyrotechnics and feats of theatrical excellence. The staging was simple, to be sure - perhaps a little too simplistic to really set the scene - but most of the ensemble within Encore Productions were strong enough to cast and maintain the spell over the audience for most of the performance. For me, the standout performers were Alfie Okell as the pre-pubescent protagonist The Boy and Julie Lord’s striking portrayal of The Grand High Witch. Special mention should also be given to Hannah Smith as Mrs Jenkins, whose deliberate o...

The Marriage of Figaro – Royal Opera House

28Apr

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

London

The Marriage of Figaro – Royal Opera House

Mozart’s classic four-act comic opera, an adaptation with Da Ponte of Beaumarchais’ banned 1778 play about warring masters and servants, is delightfully brought to life in director David McVicar’s own revival of his 2006 production, again conducted by Antonio Pappano, of this satirical and deeply human drama. As the day of Figaro (Riccardo Fassi) and Susanna’s (Giulia Semenzato) wedding arrives, it becomes clear that their master, Count Almaviva (Davide Luciano), is keen to exercise his ‘droit du seigneur’ – his right to bed a servant girl on her wedding night – and they conspire with the forsaken Countess (Federica Lombardi) to outwit her husband and teach him a lesson in fidelity. Plans however are thrown awry when Bartolo (Henry Waddington), seeking revenge against Figaro for thwarti...