REVIEWS Archives - Page 331 of 548

The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Festival Theatre

19Apr

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Festival Theatre

If it’s the Stranger Things style poster that caught your attention or simply the usual high standard that comes with productions by the National Theatre one thing is to be sure you will not be disappointed when going to see the spooky phenomena that is The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Based on the best-selling novel by Neil Gaiman (also known for Coraline, Stardust, Good Omens and many more), you are bound to expect to be taken on a journey through the strange and wonderful but at times frightening. The National Theatre have managed to take Gaiman’s story of a young lad both coming to terms with the suicide of their family lodger due to money as well as learning to deal with the monsters (or should I say flees) he had no idea where lurking at the edges of his world and stamp it onto t...

Wyrd Sisters – The Little Theatre, Birkenhead

19Apr

By Gill LewisNo Comments

North West

Wyrd Sisters – The Little Theatre, Birkenhead

An enjoyable and charming romp through an enchanted world where 3 powerful witches stand on a dark, lonely heath conjuring up a magical plan which will see them use their witchcraft and sorcery within the realms of fate, time and destiny. Evil Lord Felmet murders the King of Lancre and takes over the throne. The 3 witches, Granny, Nanny and Magrat who have hidden the real heir to the throne must find a way of overthrowing Lord Felmet to make room for the true heir. Terry Pratchett’s 6th offering from the Discworld series is brought to life admirably by The Carlton Players. This fantastical tale pulls on a range of accessible references, mainly Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Hamlet. Adapted by Stephen Briggs and directed by Barry Prescott, this humorous...

The Makings of a Murderer – Adelphi Theatre

19Apr

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

London

The Makings of a Murderer – Adelphi Theatre

I’m currently reading a crime fiction book about a serial killer who chops up their victims and keeps souvenirs. Ears, tongues and hands are kept as trophies. It’s a grisly read. But it’s a story, and I know (hope) in the end the good cop will catch the baddie. Listening to David Swindle, the detective who brought serial killer Peter Tobin to justice, I was unnerved to realise just how true, my story book was. The true crime scene has exploded in recent years. The evil amongst us has always been a source of fascination, and with so many podcasts and programmes to choose from, it’s amazing that the Adelphi theatre was packed out to listen to The Scottish Detective. In a whistle-stop tour of the most notorious murders and investigations, Swindle does well to remind us of the victims...

19Apr

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

The Beekeeper of Aleppo – The Lowry

Christy Lefteri’s 2019 bestselling novel was inspired by her work over two summers at a refugee centre in Athens. She felt that no one would tell their story, so she decided to humanise the tale of the asylum seeker and created a heart-breaking tale of love and loss. In a world where politicians implore people to “Stop the Boats” this dramatization brings to life the fractured life of the refugee in those dinghies. It tells the story of Nuri and Afra who have to flee the bombed-out city of Aleppo in Syria. He, along with his cousin Mustafa, was a beekeeper living in harmony with nature until the civil war tore everything apart. The story is told in a fragmentary way on an ingenious set which enables the action to move effortlessly from scene to scene. We are taken backwards and forwa...

19Apr

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Snowflakes – Park Theatre

What is the logical end game of ‘cancel culture’ and digital pile-ons? In many ways, the ongoing culture wars indicate that society has barely moved on from villagers with pitchforks and crowds of cheering peasants at public executions. We might not be buying rocks to stone the condemned, instead, we’re doing it with clicks and retweets. Robert Boulton’s Snowflakes tackles this unsightly quirk of human nature with a dark satire that is gripping, provocative and grimly entertaining. Dissident Theatre’s first production has elements of Sartre’s No Exit coursing through its veins. Three characters are holed up in a room together and the audience are invited to relish their discomforts and work out what brought them together in this way. ‘Hell is other people,’ the infamous quote from Jean-...

19Apr

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Our House – Hull New Theatre

Hull New Theatre was very well-attended on Tuesday night, in anticipation of Hessle Theatre Company’s production of Our House. I know from past experience this amateur company can produce some very professional work; and I gladly gave top marks to their versions of Shrek the Musical and Made In Dagenham. Would Our House elicit the same response from my reviewer’s pen? This award-winning West End musical featuring hit songs from the band Madness, begins with Kath Casey (Katherine Fitzgerald) informing her boyfriend (Neal Edlin) that she is pregnant. Fast forward 16 years and their boy, Joe (Connor Wilson) is at a crossroads in his young life. On the one hand he wants to make something of his life and not end up like his good-for-nothing (in his eyes) Dad; but on the other, he is...

Titanic the Musical – Birmingham Hippodrome

19Apr

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Titanic the Musical – Birmingham Hippodrome

Thom Southerland’s impeccably directed production dropped its anchor into harbour at the Birmingham Hippodrome tonight and took us on a fascinating voyage though, let’s admit it, well charted and much sailed waters. This story has been told many times before not least of which in the famous 1997 film from James Cameron. This incarnation tells the well-worn story not through the eyes of two lovers or, indeed, any single character, but from the point of view of multi-protagonists. Therein lies the flaw in its structure. Through Jack and Rose in the movie we empathise with them as they epitomise the struggle, the anguish and the loss of all the victims of the disaster. Here we have innumerable characters we meet only for moments before we are introduced to others, and it proves difficult to i...

Hal Cruttenden: It’s Best You Hear It From Me – The Stand, Edinburgh

19Apr

By Ella CatherallNo Comments

Scotland

Hal Cruttenden: It’s Best You Hear It From Me – The Stand, Edinburgh

Hal Cruttenden, a regular feature on the UK comedy circuit, returns with his new show centred around his recent divorce which is currently touring the UK. I saw posters for Cruttenden’s show around Edinburgh during last year’s Fringe and was very close to buying tickets but didn’t end up going. It was for this reason that I was so excited to get another chance to see it. This show walks a number of fine lines with ease. For example, ample audience interaction meant that the show never felt over-scripted or over-rehearsed, but it was also always apparent that Cruttenden was decidedly in charge of the narrative. Tangents that seemed off-the-cuff at the time ended up being worked seamlessly into overarching throughlines, giving a sense of both spontaneity and well-thought-out craft. Crutte...

Sean and Daro Flake It ‘til They Make It – Traverse Theatre

18Apr

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Sean and Daro Flake It ‘til They Make It – Traverse Theatre

Director, Robert Softly Gale shows that disability is no impediment at all for making great theatre and scoring a five-star hit. The current artistic Director of Glasgow based, disability centred, Birds of Paradise theatre, teams up with The Traverse theatre to bring the gallus patter of Glasgow to the more refined East coast for this World premier of a show which could easily become a classic of the Scottish theatre circuit for many years to come. Fearless acting talent, Sean Connor as Sean (handy) and Cameron Fulton as Daro give truth to Laurie Motherwell’s brilliantly hilarious script which follows the fortunes of the two likely lads as they double-handedly take on the world from behind the ice cream van counter. As if to make even more room, in what is a packed theatre, the stage...

Katherine and Pierre – Hope Street Theatre

18Apr

By Gill LewisNo Comments

North West

Katherine and Pierre – Hope Street Theatre

A fast and lively ride through the many shades of love and passion, blended on a cheerful palette of music, clowning, mime, drag, and queerness, well and truly served through its impactful choreography. Bringing together an enjoyable fresh piece of original physical theatre which leaves you satisfied and entertained. Performed and created by TalkSmall, a duo made up of East 15 graduates Bobbie Twaddle and Ellie Begley, we’re introduced to Katherine (Twaddle) and Pierre (Begley), whose story of entanglement is told through the back catalogue of Katy Perry. Fondly known as the “Queen of Camp”, Perry’s music and aesthetic is emulated nicely by TalkSmall through their bright and bold energetic performance, replicating the fast-paced cheekiness of Perry’s pop hits. Lip synching their w...