REVIEWS Archives - Page 364 of 402

26May

By Angela KellyNo Comments

South East

The Preacher – Brighton Fringe

‘Philospohical’, ‘existential’ and based on the ‘Biblical book of Ecclesiasticus’ are not common descriptions you would associate with a stand up comedian but these descriptions can certainly be attributed to David ‘Dave’ Davidson in his stand up performance ‘The Preacher’, performed as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival. It’s true that many of us challenged ourselves during the various lockdowns of the past year or so but performing stand up, based on a book of the bible to no live audience was certainly up there with the strangest of challenges. Adapted by Anthony Noack and now performing on line, David ‘Dave’ Davidson was one comic who chose to carry on with stand up whether there was a live audience or not. Perhaps something a Preacher may also do in times of the Bible and spea...

Decades: 1970s/1980s/2000s – Leeds Playhouse

26May

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Decades: 1970s/1980s/2000s – Leeds Playhouse

To kick off their delayed 50th birthday celebrations the Playhouse team commissioned both experienced and newer creatives to create short monologues boldly trying to meld the history of Leeds and events across the north over six decades since they opened their doors.. They are offering all six as the King Lear of monologues, or two lots of three like tonight’s offering spanning three decades. There may be some obscure artistic reasoning behind this but it seems odd to run them out of sequence as doing so might have added to their power. As a veteran of the eighties Leeds anarchist and squat scene it must have tempting for Alice Nutter to offer a sugar-coated version of that scene, but typically in Nicer Than Orange Squash she offers an often funny indictment of the hypocrisy an...

Monday Night at the Apollo – Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue

25May

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

London

Monday Night at the Apollo – Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue

One positive that has come out of theatres being closed? Line ups like this evening that probably wouldn’t have happened had we not had lockdown and the closing of theatres. It’s about the only good thing I can think of – that and the streaming of shows, such as this one, that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to get to! This powerhouse quintet is enough to cheer anyone up after a miserable Monday and worth the ticket price alone. Billed as an intimate evening of conversation and song filled with an eclectic mix of music from the performers’ favourite genres, the night definitely did not disappoint. The first act felt like it got off to a slow start and that it was going to be an evening more about the talking than the singing, but after each performer had sung once and chatted with host G...

24May

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

CRUISE – Duchess Theatre

Having reviewed the online stream of CRUISE during the last lockdown back in April, I was super excited to see how this intimate piece would translate from the screen to the stage, and believe me it did not disappoint. CRUISE is a lyrical celebration of queer culture, a musical and spoken word tribute to the veterans of the AIDS crisis written and performed by Jack Holden. In every way it is a perfectly crafted piece of queer theatre and whilst the online version was deeply personal in its storytelling, the on the stage narrative hits you with full force square between the eyes. A brilliant, beautiful and yet gut wrenchingly brutal piece of theatre. Poetic. Artistic. Honest. One man’s memory of a horrific period in the gay culture of ‘80s London. CRUISE is the true story of what shou...

The Callaway Sisters: Side By Side (Online)

24May

By Chris HughesNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Callaway Sisters: Side By Side (Online)

Following successful previous collaborations, multi-talented sisters, Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway join forces again for their delightful live-streamed concert-‘Side By Side’. In addition to starring on stage in the likes of ‘Evita’ and ‘Cats’, Liz has provided the singing vocals for animated characters such as Jasmine in ‘Aladdin’ and the titular role in ‘Anastasia’. Ann, who has extensive credits as a composer, appeared in the Broadway musical, ‘Swing’ and the film, ‘The Good Shepherd’. Both are prolific recording and cabaret artists. The Tony-nominated pair have performed around the world together to great acclaim in their shows: ‘Sibling Revelry’, ‘Boom’ and ‘Broadway The Calla-way!’ The joy felt by both at their reunion after a 14-month pandemic imposed separation has b...

24May

By Amanda HodgsonNo Comments

North West

C-O-N-T-A-C-T – Salford Quays

A young woman, Sarah (Chloe Gentles), goes about her day in silence, troubled by erratic thoughts and a pain in her sternum that won’t go away. When she sits on a park bench, lost in thought, a stranger (Cellan Scott) tries to strike up a conversation which she initially spurns. But all is not as it appears, and soon she is propelled on an emotional journey that will change her life forever. The idea behind this production from C-O-N-T-A-C-T theatre is intriguing. Set entirely outside, the audience follows the actors around an outdoor environment, watching their movements whilst listening to voice-over and music provided by a digital app on their smart phones. This is both a refreshing change from more traditional theatre experiences and a timely approach in the context of the pandemic ...

The Show Must Go On – St Luke’s Bombed Out Church

24May

By Anne PritchardNo Comments

North West

The Show Must Go On – St Luke’s Bombed Out Church

Mark Chatterton and Sarah Nixon, writers of the infamous Rock-n-Roll panto at the Liverpool Everyman, staged every year, have adapted to the COVID pandemic by writing this new theatre show. The production is a specially scaled down version of a full musical the husband-and-wife team were working on with composer and musician Ben Beer when the pandemic struck. Because theatres are not currently allowed to open, it is being staged outdoors at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church, in the heart of Liverpool. Luckily for the audience, it had been a surprisingly warm, sunny day, after a few previous days of torrential rain and gusty winds. But, at the start of the performance the sky was still blue and the late evening sun was edging its way into the makeshift amphitheatre, through t...

23May

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Theatreland – Theatre Royal St Helens

Curtis Productions bring Theatreland to the Theatre Royal in St Helens. After numerous tries and a desperate change of plans through no fault of their own at the 11th hour, the Theatre Royal stepped up and brought their theatre opening date forward to help produce this spectacular piece. And what a show it was. If this is how live theatre is going to burst back in to our lives then I'm so excited to see what's to come. Direction from Adam and Charlie Curtis and Musical Direction from Adam Curtis, what this company have managed to bring in such a short time in a new venue is something to be extremely proud of. From the minute the lights went down and the first couple of notes started, the magic was there. The show burst to life and it continued to impress and wow us right through to t...

22May

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

REVIEWS

Child’s Play by Mark Davoren

I have had the pleasure of watching several of Mark Davoren’s monologues. He wrote North West End UK’s series ‘Home Schooling’, which was very popular, and his short play ‘Child’s Play’ is part of the LightNight 2021 Festival. Davoren seems to be particularly good at writing short pieces, and herein lies the challenge, to create an interesting storyline in such a short space of time. Filmed on location by Daniel Lewis Wilson at Lowlands, home of West Derby Community Association, the scenic back drop adds a vibrancy of colour from the beautiful magnolias set off by the background of the white walls. The location was well chosen as within the play, the story moves locations, and the four different backdrops create a feeling of a four-scene play. The narrat...

22May

By Julia PanovaNo Comments

REVIEWS

Cyber Labyrinth Online Experience

Journey through a wide spectrum of graphic, futuristic visionaries all on your own terms including but not limited to video art, music video, performance art and animation. Immerse all thoughts into your machine with the radiant colours and hypnotic music sure to seep its way into one’s sense of reality. This techno-heavy playground is one waiting for travellers. Game starts in three, two, one, zero... Your expedition of gadgetry fortune begins surrounded by purple as far as the eye can see. Once the audience gets to grips with the surroundings using the easy to navigate ‘point and click’ system, a roundup of the experimental works to be shown can be accessed. This gives you a sense of what you are to experience shortly, right before you get to the entrance point of the labyrinth. On...