REVIEWS Archives - Page 360 of 416

25Aug

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

All Above Board – Gladstone Theatre

The World Premiere tour of Nigel Planer's All Above Board came to life at the Gladstone Theatre in Port Sunlight this week before heading off around the North and Midlands. It was wonderful to be back at the Gladstone theatre after such a long time of it being closed due to Covid and it was as homely and welcoming as ever. Nothing is too much in this theatre and that is why people continue to return time and time again All Above Board is a hilarious farce where a good deed ends up going as horribly wrong as it possibly could but with much wit and laughter along the way. Set in the living room of a flat, it had a feeling of Not Going Out with a hint of Fawlty Towers and a huge nod to The Young Ones, the show that writer, Planer, is so well known for. Robert Stuart-Hudson in the ...

25Aug

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

When Darkness Falls – Park Theatre

If you have a liking for ghost stories, then make your way to the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park. James Milton and Paul Morrissey have written and directed a modern take on the genre, which is intriguing, well-acted and excellently presented. The staging is the disorganised office of John Blondel, a teacher and historian, on the island of Guernsey. For his weekly Vlog on the subject of paranormal events on the Channel Islands he has invited a young man to recount some of the extraordinary tales of the supernatural, for which the islands are apparently renowned. Although an avowed sceptic, as the stories unfold, he becomes increasingly involved in a series of stories which become more than fiction. Apparently based upon true events, the five stories which were told by the visitor, know...

25Aug

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

The Rocky Horror Show – Opera House

If ever a show epitomised how happy people are to be back in theatres, it’s this one. You can’t move for corsets, sequins and high heels. And that’s just the men. For those unfamiliar with the nature of the show, perhaps having no more than a vague recollection of the 1975 film, it’s like being taken on a joyride on a high-powered motorbike and has an atmosphere more akin to a rock gig than a theatre show. The cheering and enthusiastic audience participation is in full throttle from the moment the strains of ‘Science Fiction Double Feature’ start and the curtain twitches open. It’s a fantastic atmosphere for our cast to bounce off, which they do with gusto. Philip Franks, in a role a billion miles away from his stuffy Darling Bud of May character, is outstanding as the Narrator, g...

What’s Love Got To Do With It? A Tribute to Tina Turner – Regent Theatre

25Aug

By Angela KellyNo Comments

West Midlands

What’s Love Got To Do With It? A Tribute to Tina Turner – Regent Theatre

If you are a star that is known instantly by your first name ‘Tina' and have a musical career that spans more than 50 years, then you really don’t need much of an introduction. However, one lady who should be applauded is the one and only Elesha Paul Moses, performing songs by Tina Turner. Brought to the stage by the producers who brought us the fabulous ‘Whitney, Queen of the Night’, this show was a celebration of Tina Turner’s career. ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’, is certainly the perfect return to the theatre for most audiences post lockdown. Jam packed with Tina’s hits it provided the audience with an uplifting, extremely energetic, feel-good show that is undoubtedly a wonderful tribute to the great Tina Turner. There are often strong opinions one way or another about tribute...

Act Your Age New Writing Festival – Hope Mill Theatre

24Aug

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Act Your Age New Writing Festival – Hope Mill Theatre

In a youth obsessed culture such as ours it was nice to see some plays written for actors over forty. This new writing festival, we were told, had been in the planning for 18 months and now, thankfully, it was here. It was the first of three evenings of new short plays that will be taking place at the Hope Mill Theatre over the next few weeks. The first play was Paper Crown by Laura Harper. It was partly about how we imagine the lives of others to be better than our own. This two-hander was an intriguing take on the familiar trope of the errant husband and the vengeful wife. Hell hath no fury… At first, we think we are watching a play about class. A working-class couple are in their pyjamas getting ready for bed. His are stained by ketchup, hers are cheap and tasteless. She ido...

24Aug

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

Heathers the Musical – Empire Theatre

How very anticipated. You could feel the excitement and anticipation in the air upon arrival at the theatre. Whilst it was a week later than planned, you could tell for the majority of the audience, it was their first return to the theatre since they were shut last year and boy where they excited to see this cult classic on stage. You couldn’t tell that the cast had been off unexpectedly the week before, the energy and joy of them being back on stage was met with the reactions from the audience. It was difficult to tell who was more excited to be there, the cast or the audience. The show, based on the film of the same name, is a dark comedy about how a ‘nobody’ Veronica Sawyer becomes friends with the popular girls at school, who are coincidentally all named Heather (Chandler, Duke a...

24Aug

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

The Woman in Black – Palace Theatre

Theatre is back! The Palace Theatre in Manchester swung open their doors for the first time since March 2020 to welcome theatregoers to The Woman in Black. A bit of a dark show for the first one back! Prior to this evening I had never seen The Woman in Black. I didn’t know what to expect, other than the promotional material that made me think it would be a thriller. I was actually pleasantly surprised to discover it was quite humorous in places. Fun fact - The Woman in Black is the second longest running show on London’s West End after The Mousetrap. It is said to be the most terrifying live theatre experience in the world - but I’ll leave that open to interpretation. This is a stage production based on the novel written by Susan Hill. In the beginning we are in a rehearsal studio...

24Aug

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Groan Ups – The Lowry

Mischief Theatre Has had what could be described as its own residency at the Lowry theatre in the past few weeks; with productions; ‘The Play that Goes Wrong’ and ‘Magic Goes wrong’ all delighting audiences returning to live theatre. Their third production to frequent the Salford Quays theatre this Summer is Groan Ups and it’s a departure from their usual escapades and calamity-laden gags - this is play, with no sets falling down, no props inadvertently missing, it’s something very different. Groan Ups follows the lives of five children as they grow into adults, highlighting three different chapters of their lives on stage. The production opens with the characters being 6-year-olds in the second year of primary school then developing into teenagers and lastly as 30-year-olds at a sch...

The Day the Devil Came to Tea – Edinburgh Fringe

24Aug

By Nicky LambertNo Comments

Scotland

The Day the Devil Came to Tea – Edinburgh Fringe

Presented by Mermaids, ‘The Day the Devil Came to Tea’ (written by Charles Vivian) is a clever play with just enough darkness to be chilling but well balanced with an occasional light touch of humour. Three flatmates are in the aftermath of bereavement as the fourth flatmate, Phil, died two months ago. His death has triggered changes in each person’s life. One day, the Devil arrives, ingratiates himself into their flat and demands an Earl Grey with five sugars. He announces that by the time he has finished his drink, one of the three will be coming with him....and if they can’t decide which one, he will make the decision. (Rather an extreme version of the parachute debate!) Sarah (Molly Luckhurst), Tanya (Isabella Zeff) and Caroline (Catriona Ferguson) are initially adamant that n...

Bette Davis Ain’t for Sissies – Edinburgh Fringe

24Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

Scotland

Bette Davis Ain’t for Sissies – Edinburgh Fringe

Bette Davis Ain’t for Sissies, written and performed by Jessica Sherr, and directed by Karen Carpenter relates the turbulent career of Bette Davis against the background of her relationship with her parents, her four marriages and numerous affairs, and bitter feuds with other actresses in Hollywood. The set is busy, filled with pictures, memorabilia, dresses and a half drunk bottle of whisky. From the moment Sherr bursts onto the stage she embodies Davis and her vibrant personality through a series of flashbacks and flashforwards which loop around to relate her entire life in miniature. It is the night of Vivian Leigh’s Oscar win for Gone with the Wind, and Bette Davis has left the ceremony in a temper. Using the excuse of needing to be up early to begin filming for Juarez in order t...