REVIEWS Archives - Page 359 of 548

<strong>Mamma Mia – Wolverhampton Grand</strong>

19Jan

By Robert BartleyNo Comments

West Midlands

Mamma Mia – Wolverhampton Grand

The brainchild of creator/producer Judy Craymer, “Mamma Mia” is a thundering juggernaut of a success. Running on the West End for over 20 years (and 14 on Broadway), it boasts audience figures in the multi-millions, two movie spin-offs, and grossing over £3billion in its near-quarter-century lifetime. “Mamma Mia” translates to “Mega Money”, and this doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, as theatregoers continue to flock to it in their droves. For anyone wanting to banish the January Blues and escape to a Greek island for a fraction of the price, the current UK tour is playing right now at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre. “Mamma Mia” sees bride-to-be Sophie (Jess Michelmore) needing answers around her father’s identity which has remained a secret for 20 years. On ...

<strong>Girl from the North Country – Sheffield Lyceum</strong>

18Jan

By Zara OdetundeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Girl from the North Country – Sheffield Lyceum

For Bob Dylan fans this production is a delight. Boldly written and directed by Conor McPherson this powerful production uses Dylan’s back catalogue ranging from 1965 to the present day. With songs such as ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ and ‘Make You Feel My Love’ (recently covered my Adele) sitting alongside less obvious choices, Dylan’s music is used not to progress the storyline as in most musical theatre but to give the story an ambience, a mood, a feel. The lyrics are not used to tentatively tie the plot together but instead almost transcend it and have an almost supernatural feel to them. The cast do much to aid this by singing directly to the audience into a microphone, breaking down the 4th wall and giving the audience a real insight into the characters private and internal thoughts and st...

<strong>George Takei’s Allegiance – Charing Cross Theatre</strong>

18Jan

By Zara OdetundeNo Comments

London

George Takei’s Allegiance – Charing Cross Theatre

A fantastic production, heart-warming and fulfilling, grounded in a real historic period. It highlights the strength of the human spirit against all odds and shows how things can bloom even through adversity. After the success of productions of Allegiance in San Diego and on Broadway it has arrived at the Charing Cross theatre, London. This musical is the story of Sam Kimura and his family who, like 120,000 other Japanese Americans during World War Two were forced into internment camps. Evicted from their homes and shipped across the country for the crime of being of Japanese descent during a war where Japan was considered the enemy. You could feel the love of the people involved; George Takei considers it his ‘legacy project’. The characters were inspired from his personal experi...

<strong>The Cher Show – Liverpool Empire</strong>

18Jan

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

The Cher Show – Liverpool Empire

Tonight, I had the privilege of watching the dazzling new musical, ‘The Cher Show’. Having been exposed to this musical flooding social media for months, I was eager to see what the hype was all about. Some may believe this is a niche market - Jukebox musicals - therefore I was intrigued to find out if this one can appeal to a mass audience. To give a brief synopsis, The Cher show takes us on the journey of Cher’s life, and the creators have crafted this cleverly using three different performers to symbolise the three stages of her life. We are introduced to prominent characters in Cher’s life and are shown the relationships with each person and how they develop. From the moment we entered the Empire’s grand auditorium, the energy was electric. We were greeted with an intricate set o...

<strong>The Varna International Ballet & Orchestra: Coppélia – Hull New Theatre</strong>

18Jan

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Varna International Ballet & Orchestra: Coppélia – Hull New Theatre

Thank you Hull New Theatre for starting your 2023 theatre programme with one of my favourite genres - ballet. Celebrating its 75th anniversary, the Varna International Ballet Company brought Coppélia to the stage, to delight and cheer us on a cold, icy night. Performing in the UK for the first time, Coppélia heralds the start of a week of ballet by this Bulgarian company, who will also perform Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Giselle. The theatre was far from full - maybe ballet fans had opted to buy tickets for the more well-known productions there later in the week. At curtain-up, the stage backdrop looked very muted colour-wise, but it soon became obvious the hues were purposefully chosen so as not to clash with the gloriously colourful costumes worn by all and sundry on stage....

<strong>The Importance of Being Earnest – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse</strong>

17Jan

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

The Importance of Being Earnest – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

The third week in January traditionally brings 'Blue Monday', reportedly the most depressing day of the entire year. So, in an attempt to pull the audience away from the warmth of hearth and home in the depths of Winter, Altrincham Garrick Playhouse have updated Oscar Wilde's enduring masterpiece of misunderstanding and deception for a modern audience. First staged on Valentine's Day 1895, the plot of 'Earnest' revolves around the wooing of Gwendolen Fairfax (Antonia Whitehead) and Cecily Cardew (Lauren Robinson) by John Worthing (Jamie Sloan) and Algie Moncrieff (Chris Shoop Worrall), abetted by the usual farcical misunderstandings and enough outrageous plot twists to make Charles Dickens blush. What lifts the play above mere buffoonery is the quality of the writing, the genius 'bon mo...

<strong>Fedora – Metropolitan Opera Live in HD</strong>

16Jan

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

REVIEWS

Fedora – Metropolitan Opera Live in HD

All artistic organisations need to make money to survive, and New York’s Metropolitan Opera is no exception, with its more recent challenge being that of an audience turning from the renowned classical productions to newer, more modern operas, despite these often lacking the depth in both libretto and orchestra of the established repertoire. The return of Giordano’s exhilarating Fedora – a new production directed by David McVicar rather than a revival – after a 25-year absence may reflect the perfect balance in its appeal to audiences old and new; it was certainly one of the most enjoyable productions I have seen and which at the time of its own writing would have been considered very modern and radical. Princess Fedora Romazoff (Sonya Yoncheva) has only just arrived at the home of her ...

<strong>Nerubashenko Ballet presents Swan Lake – Richmond Theatre</strong>

14Jan

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Nerubashenko Ballet presents Swan Lake – Richmond Theatre

I should start this by qualifying up front that while I enjoy the ballet, I am by no means a seasoned or knowledgeable audience member. I find ballet staggeringly impressive in terms of the talent and physical/athletic demands and beautiful as an art form while still thinking things like “I wonder if her feet hurt” and “I hope he doesn’t drop her”. With that in mind, we continue… The story of Swan Lake is the stuff of fairy tales – prince falls in love with enchanted swan-woman, is tricked by evil magician into falling for an evil look alike; it’s all very Disney. The musical score will be recognisable event to those who have never been to the ballet before, so it’s one of my ‘entry level’ ballet suggestions for people who are keen to go. I’ve always thought of a trip to the ballet a...

<strong>Snow White – The Atkinson</strong>

14Jan

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

Snow White – The Atkinson

Once upon a time in a lovely little fishing village called Southport, Snow White and the seven…..elves took to the stage at The Atkinson, in an all singing, all dancing spectacular pantomime. All Souls Dramatic Club have once again taken a classic tale and added their own modern spin, bringing together a wealth of local talent and an eclectic musical score. Writer and director Cliff Gillies, alongside choreographer Katie Palfrey and Musical Director Chris Rimmer, together are a dream team. If anything, it was a little long, particularly the first half, this wouldn’t matter so much on a matinee, but it was a school night and I had brought along my nephew. The show opened at 7.30 and the interval didn’t happen until 8.50pm, I saw from the programme song list that a song had actually...

<strong>Iphigenia – The Hope Theatre</strong>

14Jan

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Iphigenia – The Hope Theatre

This take on a Greek classic directed by Elsie Yager focuses on how a woman may submit herself to a brutal ending. Set in a bedroom designed by TK Hay with all white props, against a red and black floor, it hints at the drama and tragedy, but the intimacy conveys the feeling of a lived experience. We enter the space with Iphigenia (Karen Barredo) sat incessantly brushing her hair solemnly. The chorus members manifest as real people in video interviews projected onto the bed and wall. Without an introduction to the people in the videos, I searched for the link between them and Iphigenia. I eventually understood that those interviewed were foreshadowing and reflecting upon Iphigenia’s experiences as a woman but throughout different eras. Alongside these, Iphigenia passes through the stage...