REVIEWS Archives - Page 34 of 548

The Addams Family – Blackpool Winter Gardens

27Aug

By Coral MourantNo Comments

North West

The Addams Family – Blackpool Winter Gardens

The infamous family are back with a spooky spectacular show to delight audiences all over the UK. This musical comedy from Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice is guaranteed to have you howling with laughter, as the beloved kooky clan come to life on stage. Princess of doom and gloom, Wednesday Addams, is all grown up, and much to her own despair, is in love. With a plan to introduce the families and announce their engagement, Wednesday and her sweet-natured betrothed, Lucas, are asking for just “one normal night”. But an Addams Family dinner can’t go by without mischief, betrayal, and more twists and turns than Gomez and Morticia on the dancefloor. Join Pugsley, Lurch, Fester, Grandma and their ancestors, for an evening of freaky family fun. With a score from Tony award winning co...

Reception: The Wedding Present Musical – Slung Low Warehouse, Leeds

27Aug

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Reception: The Wedding Present Musical – Slung Low Warehouse, Leeds

If we could travel back to 1985 and tell David Gedge -the inspirational lead singer and songwriter of indie musical darlings The Wedding Present - that forty years later his songs would be used in a musical theatre production, he would have laughed in your face and maybe kicked you in the balls for good measure. Back then the worlds of musical theatre and guitar-based indie rock were so far apart musically as to be on different planets. Gedge freely admits to not even knowing whether he even liked the format when initially approached by Writer/Director Matt Aston. Thankfully his trademark curiosity won out and he engaged with the project, resulting in the World Premiere of ‘Reception - The Wedding Present musical’ at Slung Low Warehouse in the suitably gritty streets of Holbeck, Leeds, the...

Max Fulham: Full of Ham – The Cellar in Pleasance Courtyard

27Aug

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

Scotland

Max Fulham: Full of Ham – The Cellar in Pleasance Courtyard

This was Maxs last show at the Edinburgh Fringe, and it was a sell-out. A testament to his popularity in his debut run of Full of Ham. First impressions this guy has the comedic spontaneity of Micheal McIntyre with a ventriloquist dummy. Max Fulham is an innovative ventriloquist with originality and flare. For those of you who remember ‘Billy Bear Ham’ growing up, he breathes life into ‘Billy’ in a way that defies logic, but it works. “I’m ham not spam” Characters who appear in Max’s portfolio of puppetry is his very first red-haired hand puppet given to him as child and from here his interest in ventriloquism was ignited. With a nod to the great Keith Harris and Orvil. Be prepared to see ‘Jesus with his sandals’ grandad, and the ‘birthday boy’. Not forgetting a shopping trip at the...

27Aug

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Sweeney Todd – The Famous Spiegeltent

As part of their nine-show lineup at this year's Edinburgh Fringe, Captivate Theatre brings their rendition of Sondheim’s magnum opus Sweeney Todd to The Famous Spiegeltent in St Andrews Square. Humorous and gritty, the in-the-round set-up of The Spiegeltent added a voyeuristic, sinister energy to the production as the cast prowled through the audience, spying on as the action played out. Captivate’s prominence in the Edinburgh amateur theatre scene guarantees a production of consistency and talent, with Sweeney Todd certainly keeping in line with this expectation. Unfortunately for me, I was rather distracted throughout the performance as having arrived later than the general audience, I found myself dejected to a stool rather than a seat - a stool with a mirrored pilla...

Twelfth Night or What You Will – Shakespeare’s Globe

26Aug

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Twelfth Night or What You Will – Shakespeare’s Globe

In the fictional Illyria, most of the inhabitants are enjoying a crazy summer festival, getting drunk, dancing and singing while adored in masks and oversized head-dresses. But not all the Illyrians are so joyful. Olivia, in mourning after the death of her brother; Duke Orsino, desperately in love with Olivia; and the steward Malvolio, who is also in love with Olivia, are too melancholy to take part in the revelries. Into this mix comes shipwrecked Viola, thrown into a world she must quickly come to understand, while still grief-stricken over the loss of her twin brother, Sebastian, who she believes has perished at sea. She disguises herself as Cesario and becomes steward to Duke Orsino only to then fall head over heels in love with the duke. When Orsino sends Cesario to woo Olivia o...

The Ladies of Juliana – Etcetera Theatre

26Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

The Ladies of Juliana – Etcetera Theatre

Taken from historical accounts of ladies who were transported to Australia between 1788-1852, as convicts who had been convicted of petty crimes, and were being used to help to populate the colonies. During this period 24,000 women were transported, and ‘The Ladies of Juliana’ tells the tale of six such ladies, and their experience aboard the ship – The Lady Juliana. The horrendous journey that these ladies suffered is graphically played out in this history play that attempts to draw back the veil of their gruelling treatment at the hands of men. The shocking treatment of these ladies on the ship was so extreme, that they nicknamed the ship ‘the floating brothel’. The six ladies in this play dramatically show their suffering, with Sarah (Lydia Moll) turning to drin...

Wet Dreams with Jesus – theSpaceUK @ Surgeons Hall

26Aug

By Al CarrettaNo Comments

Scotland

Wet Dreams with Jesus – theSpaceUK @ Surgeons Hall

Barefoot in black combats and a pink top, Alice excitedly enters the stage with infectious energy and begins an impromptu audience interaction to launch her story. She’s a waitress, originally from Louisiana, but has now found herself in England. The rapid-fire tour of her young life so far then ensues. Her descriptions allude to a youth spent in a geographically idyllic place. The hum of Cicadas, the presence of fireflies and the all-consuming areas of swampland paint an involved and interesting picture of a home where something is evidently wrong. The facade exists to be dismantled and over the next fifty minutes confident direction from Amber Buttery punctuates the framework of Alice’s story. The mise en scene is simple; key props litter the edges of the small stage, an involved lightin...

26Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Pop Goes The Dollar – The Hope Theatre

As an ex-Investment Manager, this show was a must see for me, as I recall the stressful situations bought on by a stock market crash, and the difficult conversations that I had with clients, when trying to explain why their portfolio valuations had fallen. Set in the run up to the 2008 financial crash, the chair of the Federal Reserve Timohy Geithner (Ayan Philip) is growing increasingly worried that in a bid to grasp short-term profits, investment companies are forgetting to manage risk, and the sub-prime market may collapse. Soon the Federal Reserve hear that the bubble is indeed bursting, and BNP Paribas are closing three of their sub-prime mortgage funds due to an illiquid market, Bear Stearns a major investment bank collapses and is bought by JP Morgan with the Fede...

Kevin Quantum: Unbelievable Magic for Non-Believers – Ballroom at Assembly Rooms

26Aug

By Susan CohenNo Comments

Scotland

Kevin Quantum: Unbelievable Magic for Non-Believers – Ballroom at Assembly Rooms

The audience was intrigued from the moment they were approached by an Assembly assistant in the queue outside the venue asking if each individual was a ‘believer’ or a ‘non-believer’ and issuing a red or blue card accordingly. This was a nice touch – bringing the audience together, before they even became a group. The premise of the show is that it was made for the non-believers, for those who believe in science over magic, the entire audience greeted with the sight of a sparking electrical transformer which stayed in situ throughout the entire performance as a reminder of the show’s narrative. It must be a tall order for a performer to set this kind of show apart from other similar formats, but this angle worked well. Kevin Quantum emerged on stage in a surprisingly ...

Flat 4 – The Outhouse Bar, Broughton Street Lane

25Aug

By Al CarrettaNo Comments

Scotland

Flat 4 – The Outhouse Bar, Broughton Street Lane

The loft space in the Outhouse Bar is a true Fringe venue space. Like Isabel Songer herself, it comes as is. There is no major lighting rig installed and there is no particular definition of the acting space. This is a welcome change to the black box pop-up theatre that defines most show experiences. Chairs encircle the acting area, and the audience gather as if the show were some kind of group therapy session in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Taking the stage in blue silk pyjamas, these ingredients set the stage for Songer to present her unpretentious monologue of university life with passion and gusto. The action is set in a two-bedroom flat. Alex and her best friend Bex are together for the long haul. If that means binge watching television for days and eating greasy take...