REVIEWS Archives - Page 352 of 549

Spitting Image Saves The World – Birmingham Rep

17Feb

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Spitting Image Saves The World – Birmingham Rep

A healthy dose of dissent blended with bucket fulls Hogarthian vulgarity has provided the basis of British satire for many a year and there is nothing more vulgar and satirical and, indeed, British than “Spitting Image” which has been speaking the truth to power without remorse, consideration and, as times, tact since its inception in 1984. Produced at Central TV Studios which used to exist almost exactly opposite the theatre which houses its current incarnation. In its time it was subversive, naughty and very, very controversial these days every other TV show seems to aim and achieve that - so reviving it on stage may seem a bit of a risk. And it is one which Sean Foley as director together with co-writers Al Murray and Matt Forde take to with elan. Photo: Mark Senior Twelve buoyant...

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Theatr Clwyd

17Feb

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

Wales

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Theatr Clwyd

Go, Go, Go Tip Top you’ve done it again! Tip Top Productions has brought an incredible version of Joseph to Theatr Clwyd and within the first five minutes I know this is going to be something special. With Direction and Choreography by Rob Stevens, we are treated to a show that would not look out of place on a West End stage and as bold a statement as this may be, this has got to be the best version of this show I have seen. Ever. The direction is clear and precise, bringing out the best in the cast members on the stage, taking us through many emotions and eventually leaving the whole audience on our feet, cheering, clapping, and dancing along. The choreography is incredible. It’s inventive, clean, slick and uses many assorted styles. The cast take hold of every move and deliver it with...

Standing At The Sky’s Edge – National Theatre

16Feb

By Chloe StallibrassNo Comments

London

Standing At The Sky’s Edge – National Theatre

Where to begin. Upon entering the theatre you're met with an ominous set of a building standing as tall as it can be, with the famous artwork of the "I Love You Will U Marry Me" sign, bringing you straight into the location of the show: Sheffield Park Hill. The musical follows three individual families living under the same roof throughout various timelines, telling the story of the occupants in the flat and covering family troubles and dilemmas. The music for this show fits in so perfectly. The music styles vary from soft and loving all the way to repressed and angry, without taking the audience aback the music had the power to knit the whole show together beautifully. A couple of songs really reached out to strike the hearts of the audience and received a very loud round of applause, ...

16Feb

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

Bring It On – Pleasance Courtyard

Setting the tone, pennants representing the rival schools of the story (Truman and Jackson) adorned the walls of this hallowed hall. But one sported a shamrock and the word ‘Leprechauns’. The penny dropped in humorous fashion later… Before it did, we were treated to a show of energy, conviction and commitment that belied the fact it was a - on paper - non-professional production. The Edinburgh Footlights is clearly blessed with talent, Amy Stinton (Director) excellently harnessing the many elements of a musical but leaving room for it to flourish. One wouldn’t have guessed some of these characters were studying things like Maths, Politics or Economics (despite the close relationship between politics and acting). A swift pre-show peruse of the programme read like the introduction to ...

16Feb

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Graceland – Royal Court Theatre

Graceland by Ava Wong Davies and directed by Anna Himali Howard and Izzy Rabey features the character Nina a British Chinese woman in her mid-20 who falls in love with a wealthy white man who captivates her attention at an ‘optimistic’ Barbecue. Nina is played by Sabrina Wu who gives a convincing performance as she engages with the audience and addresses the absent other people depicting her up and down relationship with her ‘man’, which ends badly for her. The setting, an attic based room with minimal light, bed, duvet and pillow within an earthy mud filled space that Nina moves into throughout the play which creates moments of drama, when acting out the unfolding conflict and her sheer tenacity in what is, ever changing life events. Her turbulent relationship and self- depreciating b...

16Feb

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Wasteman – Vault Festival

Attended Wasteman at the Vault Festival on the same day it was announced that the subterranean performance jamboree is currently under threat. Having run in the formerly derelict tunnels in Waterloo since 2012, VAULT Festival has helped build the reputation of The Vaults over the past 11 years, bringing over 3,000 shows to more than 400,000 people. It’s like having an intense, bijou Edinburgh Festival in the depths of the capital and one might argue, it’s a tad more affordable and easier to manage. According to the Urban Dictionary, ‘wasteman’ is what ‘you call a boy who’s a waste of space and is gonna be nothing in life’. British MC and rapper, Lady Leshurr extended the insult to a former Prime Minister in Queen’s Speech 7, "Who stood up when Grenfell? Where's all the money we raised t...

16Feb

By Hannah EsnoufNo Comments

North West

Dead Funny – Hope Street Theatre

From the multiple awards that this show has previously won, my expectations were relatively high. I was pleasantly surprised when the curtains rose as Chamber’s had transformed the intimate space into a quirky 90s living room. In my opinion, the show is a slow starter but worth the wait. As a young audience member, many of references to comedians went over my head. However, if you’re up to speed with the likes of Benny Hill and Frankie Howard, then the recreations of their sketches in this performance will live-up to their comedic value. That said, the commitment to these personas brought to life by these actors, specifically Steven Arnold and Adam Perrott, still brought a smile to my face. Perrott’s performance was a highlight. His character Brian brought an exuberance to the stage ...

16Feb

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Henry V – Leeds Playhouse

This is not a production for the purists as the traditional opening chorus is ditched in favour of a dying Henry IV handing over the crown to Prince Hal. It is typically challenging rethinking of the traditional text by dramaturg Cordelia Lynn who offers a smartly edited dark version that is a million miles away from the jingoish of Olivier’s technicolour movie version. That propaganda piece focused on Henry as a selfless warrior for a nation and empire in its greatest peril, but Lynn’s king is a conflicted man who reluctantly embraces the relentless brutality displayed by monarchs of that period, and familiar to Shakespeare’s audiences who had often fought in bloody campaigns. This is co-production with Headlong whose artistic director Holly Race Roughan places the uniformly excelle...

The Mirror Crack’d – Alexandra Theatre Birmingham

16Feb

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

The Mirror Crack’d – Alexandra Theatre Birmingham

Miss Marple first surreptitiously ambled onto the crime scene in 1927 and she was very old even then. Since her first appearance in “The Tuesday Night Club” she has solved more murders than is normal for one petite detective to encounter in a lifetime and all without forensic tools, magnifying glass or DNA. “A Murder at the Vicarage” saw her first appearance in a full length novel, which, suspiciously, is the very novel on which your current reviewer is embarked. Spooky and perhaps a tad revealing. But I mustn’t mix up my murders! Miss Marple would not approve. The first actress to play our erstwhile spinster was (interesting fact for detective fans) our very own Gracie Fields in a 1956 episode of “Goodyear TV Playhouse” and many notable actresses have followed in her tiny footsteps - A...

15Feb

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

Aida – Floral Pavilion

What better way to spend an evening than with a story of love, betrayal and heartbreak against a backdrop of war in Ancient Egypt? Composed by Giuseppe Verdi and performed by the Ukrainian National Opera, Aida takes the audience on an expedition of emotion. Picture the stage lit and an air of anticipation. Conductor Puchkov Ihor pops his head above the pit with a lively smile before gently bringing the orchestra to life. The curtains lift. Upon the stage, Egyptian General Radames (Oleksii Srebnytskyi) is quietly hoping that he will be chosen to lead his country in war against Ethiopia that the counsel, Ramfis (Maksym Ivashchuk) has just informed him about. The King confirms it - Radames is joyous! However, the woman he is besotted with, Aida (Olena Dolhina) just happens to be the ...