REVIEWS Archives - Page 364 of 549

<strong>Who’s Holiday – Southwark Playhouse Borough</strong>

11Dec

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Who’s Holiday – Southwark Playhouse Borough

The Ru Paul Industrial Complex continues its imperial sashay to every corner of the globe. This franchise mission creep can be viewed as a be-wigged beacon of tolerance or a toxic cash machine that bleeds underground culture. Drag Race alumni find themselves yanked from skanky obscurity to meet-and-greet mania in a matter of weeks. For the truly talented, this can offer a unique chance to shine and earn some coin after decades of thankless graft. Miz Cracker was a popular contestant on Ru Paul’s Drag Race Season Ten and made the final 5. She came back for RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season Five and was placed in the top 3. Since then, she has been deservedly busy; podcasts, academic seminars, YouTube channel, one-woman comedy TV specials and a cookery show. Cracker has c...

<strong>The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan – The Regent Theatre</strong>

11Dec

By Angela KellyNo Comments

West Midlands

The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan – The Regent Theatre

Pantomime has been a British tradition for about 200 years and in many ways, despite some avid theatre goers 'rolling their eyes' at such a genre, ‘panto’ remains incredibly popular. This Christmas, the Regent Theatre welcomes the magical ‘Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan’ to a very excited Stoke- on -Trent audience. Directed by cast members Jonathan Wilkes and Kai Owen and produced by ‘Crossroads Pantomimes’, ‘The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan’ is essentially a story of enabling Peter Pan to fly again and involves another trip to the magical ‘Neverland’. Stoke-on-Trent's very own Jonathan Wilkes plays the part of ‘Smee’. This man sure loves a Panto and its clear he loves his hometown of Stoke just as much. Having performed panto for over a decade Wilkes clearly has it running t...

Grandad, Me and Teddy Too – Polka Theatre

11Dec

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Grandad, Me and Teddy Too – Polka Theatre

Encouraging children to experience theatre at a young age can be difficult, as parents and grandparents know, asking a child to sit in a restrictive environment to watch a pantomime or similar, which can be two hours long, is not ideal. Polka Theatre in London offer the chance to combine theatre and play in their building which is especially dedicated to children. The theatre combines a café, playground, garden with access to books, colouring-in and dressing up. Grandad, Me and Teddy Too has a target audience of 2–5-year-olds and is performed in the Adventure Theatre. This space allows children to sit on the floor or sit around the edge of the theatre in seats. The feeling is of informality and provides a less stressful environment for parents and children alike ...

<strong>Harry’s Christmas – King’s Head Theatre</strong>

11Dec

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Harry’s Christmas – King’s Head Theatre

One could say that it is a brave choice to put on a play about mental health at Christmas whilst the populous spreads festive cheer, and shops, bars and restaurants play Christmas music on a loop. But I guess this IS the time to put on such a play, as many people struggle with loneliness and isolation, feelings that are magnified at Christmas. Threedumb Theatre offer their second Steven Berkoff play of the year, having performed Dog/Actor at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. When Berkoff wrote this play which was first performed at the Donmar in 1985, he received responses from many people who felt similarly, that this time of year overwhelmed them and exaggerated feelings that during the rest of the year, they could just about cope with. Harry (Stephen Smith) lives al...

<strong>Wickies: The Vanishing Men of Eilean Mor – Park Theatre</strong>

11Dec

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Wickies: The Vanishing Men of Eilean Mor – Park Theatre

Park Theatre have teamed up once again with the team that gave us ‘When Darkness Falls’ in 2021. This play delves into the mystery of the disappearance of three ‘wickies’ (lighthouse-keepers), who were staffing a lighthouse on one of the remote islands in the Outer Hebrides called Eilean Mor in December 1900. Their task was to keep the light always working to aid ships in the hostile seas and severe weather. Eilean Mor was uninhabited apart from the lighthouse keepers. As the play explains, this is the bleakest place on earth to do your wickie shift, and the weather was particularly bad when the men went missing. Their disappearance was discovered after a particularly bad storm hit Eilean Mor, and the supply vessel managed to reach the island after being de...

<strong>Quatuor Danel – Manchester Jewish Museum</strong>

11Dec

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Quatuor Danel – Manchester Jewish Museum

The University of Manchester’s internationally acclaimed string quartet in residence, Quatuor Danel, brought their lively repertoire to Manchester Jewish Museum’s historic synagogue with two quartets from composers of Jewish descent, who despite living a century apart, shared a complex yet strong relationship to their Jewish faith, as well as writing pieces in memory of lost sisters. Following an introduction from The University of Manchester’s resident Mendelssohn expert, Professor Thomas Schmidt, the first piece was Felix Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No.6 in F Minor, Op.80, which was the composer’s last major piece, completed just two months before his death in 1847. It was written in tribute to his sister, the composer Fanny Mendelssohn, who herself died earlier that year. Mendels...

<strong>Newsies – Troubadour Wembley Park</strong>

11Dec

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

Newsies – Troubadour Wembley Park

One of Broadway’s biggest hits in recent years, Newsies has finally landed in London for the first time ever. Set in New York City at the turn of the century, the show is based on the true story of the Newsboys Strike of 1899 a group of working-class boys who fought for better working conditions, standing up against the exploitation of wealthy publishing tycoons. The story was made into a Disney film starring Christian Bale before being adapted for the stage, becoming a Broadway sensation With no expense spared, Morgan Large has truly transformed the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre for Matt Cole’s fresh version of the show. From the huge gangways to the West Side Story-style scaffolding, this production means business from the moment you step inside the auditorium. The cast emerges from...

<strong>Snow White and the Scouse Queen – Hope Street Theatre</strong>

11Dec

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Snow White and the Scouse Queen – Hope Street Theatre

Panto is a tricky beast to get right. Audiences come armed with expectations of organized chaos, cheesy jokes and lots of interaction. City Theatre have aimed to turn the formula a little bit on its head, modernizing the tale of Snow White (played by Molly Riley) and bringing it away from some unknown Fairy Tale kingdom, into the heart of Liverpool. City Theatre’s ethos is about opportunity for those with a passion for performing arts to have a space to develop their ability and confidence. This is evident in the show as we certainly have heaps of enthusiasm but a bit of a mixed bag in performance craft. Strong turns come from Elisha Mai Curry as Fairy Hope, with her powerhouse vocals, an energetic Denise Collins as Billy Shine and a warm, charming Lucy Walters as the ironically depr...

<strong>A Christmas Carol-ish – Soho Theatre</strong>

11Dec

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

London

A Christmas Carol-ish – Soho Theatre

I’ll say it now: I love a good Christmas Show. I don’t consider myself over-the-top when it comes to festive feelings, but I do like the spirit of Christmas – the warmth, good tidings and all that razz the season brings. And so it was with much excitement I got myself down to Soho Theatre for ‘A Christmas Carol-ish’ by Mr Swallow (aka Nick Mohammed). I was not disappointed. ‘A Christmas Carol-ish’ is loosely based on a musical retelling of Dicken’s festive classic ‘A Christmas Carol’. And when I say loosely, I mean basically think of the story outline: three ghosts turn up to change a man to be a better person, and that’s as close to Dicken’s as this show gets. And it’s all the better for it. The writing on this show in insanely clever, funny, relevant and on the pulse of current eve...

<strong>Dick Whittington – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse</strong>

10Dec

By Helen JonesNo Comments

North West

Dick Whittington – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

Pantomime season is once more upon us, and the Garrick Playhouse in Altrincham is joining in the fun once more. This year’s offering is Dick Whittington, the age old tale of a young man, seeking his fortune in London. The Garrick have kept to the basics of the story with their own adaptations and as with any panto lots of modern and local references The staging of the show is well done with a simple but effective design, excellent lighting effects and stunning costumes. There are some sound issues with actors being hard to hear, especially when singing, but that could be first night technical hitches. The actors are enthusiastic and generally perform well. Shining stars are Dan Ellis, who also directs, as Idle Jack and Phil Edwards as Sarah the Cook. &nbs...