REVIEWS Archives - Page 361 of 548

<strong>Jack and the Beanstalk – Hope Street Theatre</strong>

22Dec

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Jack and the Beanstalk – Hope Street Theatre

Jack and the Beanstalk is an all singing, all dancing pantomime, full of Scouse humour, original and fun musical numbers and all of the interactive jokes that make pantomime a great festive experience for all of the family. Written by Christopher Jones and directed by John Garfield-Roberts, assisted by Kazia Cannon, this is a great pantomime to introduce children to the theatre or continue an existing festive tradition with children who are already familiar with the annual showcases. The stage, with set design by Amy Le Dain, is outlined in bright green cheerful beanstalks and features a cute house that has been taken straight from a fairy tale. This is the home of Jack Trott (Joe Owens) and he, as Mother Nature (Lesley Butler) tells us, is the reluctant hero of our tale. Jack however i...

Stocking Fillers – Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio

21Dec

By Hannah EsnoufNo Comments

North West

Stocking Fillers – Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio

Stocking Fillers – Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio December 2022 If you need something to make you feel Christmassy, look no further. Amongst the wholesome decoration of the studio, Emma Bird has allowed these short plays to shine. With a drunken Santa, a police investigation, and a church flasher, laughs were not running short. As a collection of short plays provided by the new writer's scheme at the theatre, it was a fantastic collection of tales. Rachel Hunter’s Derby Day Domestic was a lovely way to open. Pip was a highlight and the comedy timing was sharp. Tendency was had to verge on playing for a laugh, but it was minor and didn’t distract from the story. White Christmas Lies by Wallace Charles was a highlight for me. Performed with conviction and warmth, this monologu...

<strong>The Nutcracker – Leeds Grand Theatre</strong>

21Dec

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Nutcracker – Leeds Grand Theatre

Northern Ballet’s festive spectacular is their annual thank you to the city which they call home and has supported them to become a world class company. It’s also had the feel of an onstage office Xmas do where the dancers, creatives, musicians and technical teams really let rip in a production that is always epic in scale, and often gloriously over the top. The Nutcracker with its surreal, dreamy narrative, and Tchaikovsky’s familiar score, is the perfect vehicle as naïve young rich girl Clara is given an introduction into another world by a mysterious magician Drosselmeyer, who gives her a toy nutcracker that in classic fairy tale fashion turns into a handsome prince. Charles Cusick Smith’s massive sets from an opulent country house to a wonderfully realised winter fantasy...

<strong>The Ocean at the End of the Lane – The Lowry</strong>

21Dec

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

The Ocean at the End of the Lane – The Lowry

When a reviewer is compiling their list of 'Best Shows of the Year', it is advisable to wait until the end of December until they make their final decision. Tonight, having attended the packed press night for 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' at the opening of its extensive UK tour, I have had to rip up my list for 2022 and start again. As with many of the classic stories aimed at a younger audience, we begin our tale with loss and grief. A man (Trevor Fox) returns to his family home to bury his Father, an event that acts as the stepping off point, evoking his childhood memories of a series of strange and wonderful adventures for his boyhood self (Keir Ogilvy) and best friend Lettie Hempstock (Millie Hikasa). A more detailed summary of the plot is superfluous, suffice to say that au...

<strong>Mr Charles Dickens presents A Christmas Carol – Greenwich Theatre</strong>

20Dec

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Mr Charles Dickens presents A Christmas Carol – Greenwich Theatre

I’ve been struggling with this review since I left Greenwich Theatre last night, unsure of whether I’d just witness a masterclass in stage performance or a relatively dry rendition of a festive favourite. I shall expand; the clue is in the title, and ‘Mr Charles Dickens presents’ means exactly that. For an hour and 35 minutes, John O’Connor in the role of Charles Dickens narrates and performs A Christmas Carol solo on a static stage, as the author himself would have in the mid-1800s. Sound and lighting are used sparingly to create effects such as the weighty chain Marley forged in life, but otherwise this the epitome of a pared back performance. On the one hand, O’Connor as Dickens is superb. Alone on stage for the duration of the play, O’Connor’s Dickens is jovial and charming and deli...

<strong>Potted Panto – Apollo Theatre, London</strong>

19Dec

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

London

Potted Panto – Apollo Theatre, London

I’m always sceptical when a show claims it can cater for ages six to 106, but this is Panto season, so I let myself go for the festive ride – and thank the jingle bells on high I did, because ‘Potted Panto’ is the funniest panto I’ve ever seen. From the start you’re not really sure how the dashing duo of Dan (Daniel Clarkson) and Jeff (Jefferson Turner) will turn out seven pantomimes in 70 minutes, until you realise the sheer creative power this pair have. Incisive and utterly brilliant they take the panto punchline and regale the tales in the most madcap funniest display of wit and fun. Their energy and enthusiasm are boundless and infectious. I laughed until my teeth hurt. I know some people aren’t fans of the panto genre, but to call this Olivier Award nominated festive celebr...

<strong>Sofokles Oidipus – Štátne divadlo Košice</strong>

18Dec

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

REVIEWS

Sofokles Oidipus – Štátne divadlo Košice

Great theatre stands the test of time and so it is with this production, translated by Vojtech Mihálik, and which in the capable hands of director Anton Korenči, crossed all barriers with ease, a testament to the professionalism and craft of its creative team and cast. Plague and war are raging in Thebes and the people (chorus: Martin Stolár, Beáta Drotárová, Katarína Horňáková, Lívia Michalčík Dujavová, Juraj Zetyák, Adriana Ballová, František Balog and members of the ŠDKE Opera Choir) are desperate, and they look to their ruler, Oedipus (Matej Marušin), for help. When his brother-in-law, Creon (Jakub Kuka), returns from consulting the priest (Róbert Šudík) at Delphi to tell him that it is because the murderer of Laius, the former king, has never been found, Oedipus takes it upon himse...

<strong>The Rat Pack at Christmas – Cadogan Hall</strong>

18Dec

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

The Rat Pack at Christmas – Cadogan Hall

I’m not sure who the target audience for The Rat Pack at Christmas might be, but as an ex-acid house raver who likes experimental theatre, it probably isn’t yours truly. However, ‘tis the season to embrace cheesy fare, flashback nostalgia and family entertainment. Unsure of what to expect, the lure of hearing a big band in Cadogan Hall proved enough to park chilly misgivings and hand myself over to the festive spirit. The Manhattan Swing Orchestra were tight and glorious. The acoustics of Cadogan Hall are superb for live music and the setting is on brand and perfect, a Byzantine Revival style ex-church by architect Robert Fellowes Chisholm. Stephen Triffitt plays Frank Sinatra and gets away with it. As long as one doesn’t focus on the detail, it’s a faithful rendition. He’s got...

<strong>Picture Perfect Christmas – National Gallery</strong>

18Dec

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Picture Perfect Christmas – National Gallery

While I’m a cynical native Londoner, even I buy into the idea that there’s nowhere quite like the big city at Christmas. So, when I arrived at Trafalgar Square and saw the Christmas market and the (slightly sad, granted) Trafalgar Square tree, my Christmas spirit began to peak. I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t even realise there was a theatre in the National Gallery, much less visited it, but it’s a neat and spacious auditorium that I’d definitely return to. The stage for Picture Perfect Christmas is set to resemble Hendrick Avercamp’s wintery painting and set designer Jill Wilson has done an incredible job of creating something that’s both magically beautiful and pleasingly functional. Writer and director Francesca Renèe Reid uses the painting as the inspiration for the production...

<strong>Rumpelstiltskin – Park Theatre</strong>

17Dec

By Khushboo ShahNo Comments

London

Rumpelstiltskin – Park Theatre

Offie Award Winner Charles Court Opera presents an action-packed pantomime Rumpelstiltskin this festive season at The Park Theatre written and directed by John Savournin. The classic tale by Brothers Grimm breaks into a unique plot tracing the adventure of a greedy Rumpelstiltskin as he journeys towards reclaiming his identity after having forgotten his name to Dreamcatcher’s vicious ploy. On this journey, this consumeristic little goblin comes across several interesting characters in different places, offshoots of different classics at the mercy of the Dreamcatcher. Some help him, some ditch him. How does he reclaim his identity and what changes in him? The Panto opens with a delightful musical track ‘Once upon a time’ performed by Emily Cairns, Tamoy Phipps and Lucy Whitney dramatisin...