REVIEWS Archives - Page 364 of 550

<strong>Ghost Stories For Christmas – Liverpool Central Library</strong>

17Dec

By Carole BaldockNo Comments

North West

Ghost Stories For Christmas – Liverpool Central Library

'Tis the season to be jolly...well scared by tales of the Supernatural, in the unsettling setting of Hornby Library, And Ramsey Campbell, our foremost horror writer (Stephen King is a fan), crowns the show with Calling Card, originally commissioned by the Daily Post in the 80s. Like the other three tales, it is atmospheric and scary: keeping you on the edge of your seat. And trapped there. The whole evening evokes an insidious feeling of constantly being watched, by something, caught up in an hallucination, or dream, nightmare, rather. Oh, I am going to sleep well tonight. His offering indeed takes place at Xmas, while two of the others could be any time, and any place, worryingly, though locally set is alarming, far too close to home. We open with Strike, read by Samantha Alton, parts ...

<strong>As You Like It – Soho Place</strong>

17Dec

By Khushboo ShahNo Comments

London

As You Like It – Soho Place

Doing absolute justice to the title As You Like It, director Josie Rourke reinvigorates Shakespeare’s classic comedy making it inclusive, accessible, and thus relevant. In the Forest of Arden, characters explore possibilities of not just their individual pursuits but also by who has played them impregnating Shakespeare’s lines with multiple layers and meanings. It's up to the audience to interpret how they like it! While certain parts are played by gender-fluid, non-binary, and trans performers, Celia is played by Rose Ayling-Ellis who is a deaf performer and Rosalind played by Leah Harvey use sign language to communicate. This production is elevated by how it celebrates its casts’ identities and uses them to theatrically add meaning and value to the play bringing it closer to a more real ...

<strong>Realms of Glory – 53Two</strong>

17Dec

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

Realms of Glory – 53Two

As the Christmas Markets and colourful pantomimes take over Manchester’s culture scene, tucked away in a pocket of Deansgate, a seasonal offering from 53two comes in the form of Imaginality Production’s ‘Realms of Glory’, a World War Two-inspired musical. The Manchester Blitz of 1940 sees munitions worker Lizzie entombed in her home at Christmastime by the heavy bombings. Trapped and alone, she reminisces about times gone by. A theatrical festive feast is promised in the show’s synopsis, but a lack of story depth and characterisation leaves little to feed on. The focus is on Lizzie’s ‘love at first sight’ relationship with RAF pilot Robert and their desire to raise a family, with time also dedicated to her friend Mavis, who falls for Jim. What unfolds is simply a series of sombre soa...

<strong>The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan – Opera House, Manchester</strong>

14Dec

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan – Opera House, Manchester

As one would expect from such a prestigious venue, the Opera House’s annual Christmas pantomime was on a truly epic scale. As soon as the curtain lifted to a magical, fluttering Tink (Samara Casteallo), floating high above the enormous stage, the audience sensed it was in for an exceptional evening of festive entertainment with breath-taking special effects and screen graphics. A brief, child-friendly synopsis of the storyline was given by Tink to familiarise the audience with the upcoming plot before a colourful array of high-energy ensemble dancers dressed in jungle costumes stepped up the gears to mark the beginning of a vibrant, action-packed visual extravaganza. The vivid, gaudy artwork of the multi-dimensional stage set was a sight to behold and matched the ostentatiousness ...

<strong>Goldilocks and the Three Bears – Epstein Theatre</strong>

14Dec

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Goldilocks and the Three Bears – Epstein Theatre

I think I’m in love with a pantomime villain. We’ll come to the snake-hipped Von Vippemall in a moment. Firstly, an acknowledgement that in an absolute ocean of Pantos, it can be very difficult to stand out from the crowd. But Regal Entertainment’s offering, directed by Chantelle Nolan, has not so much raised the bar as smashed it into orbit with the perfect blend of music, slapstick and a few fantastic circus acts to literally put a new spin on a well-known fairytale. The familiar plot of Goldilocks gets dispensed with in about two minutes flat so that we can focus on a far more interesting tale – Goldilocks (played by the charmingly bubbly Olivia Sloyan) is now a circus entrepreneur with her mother, Dame Gertie (Britain’s Got Talent favourite, Mama G, from Dame Nation) with the thr...

<strong>Paradise Now! – Bush Theatre</strong>

14Dec

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Paradise Now! – Bush Theatre

Paradise Now! reflects the growing empowerment of women in our society, showing both unity and darker, more toxic aspects. The play begins in Gabriel and her sister’s living room, showing a stark contrast between Gabriel’s depression induced exhaustion and Baby’s post work fatigue. When Gabriel meets Alex who sells essential oils for a company called Paradise, her life is given a new sense of purpose. The two go on to recruit more members of the team, we meet Rose and Laurie. All driven by money and success, they repeat the same spiel about connecting to your inner goddess to drive sales. Some climb up the ladder and others struggle, as they eventually reveal hidden truths about themselves in an intense team building workshop. Shazia Nicholl plays Alex, the forcefully ambitious leade...

<strong>Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol – Southbank Centre</strong>

14Dec

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol – Southbank Centre

Dickens' tale of poverty, inequality and transformation has been a staple of the holiday season since it was first published in 1843. While Dickens was highlighting the terrible deprivation of the London slums, Dolly Parton's new musical takes the audience to the Appalachian Mountains in 1936, at the height of the Depression. As in the original tale, Ebenezer Scrooge owns everything in the town, having taken over ownership of the mine, shop and bank from his partner, Jacob Marley. The inhabitants of the town work all hours for a pittance for Scrooge, struggling, scrimping and saving, but finding joy in their families, and in their hopes and dreams. There's no such joy in Scrooge's life, and he focuses all his time and energy on making and saving money. He has no-one and regards Christmas a...

<strong>Jazz Emu: You Shouldn’t Have – Soho Theatre</strong>

13Dec

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Jazz Emu: You Shouldn’t Have – Soho Theatre

A screen cycles through a mixed bag of tweets sent to the mysterious Jazz Emu (Archie Henderson) as we wait for the show to begin. The elaborate, bright red set designed by Bonson Bonsonson JR matches his grandiosity and has a talk show feel. He parades out in a metallic emu helmet and begins a song about his proficiency and brilliance while his equipment malfunctions. Jazz emu’s eclectic character is like the result of putting a scientist, evil mastermind, superhero and a presenter in a blender. Henderson is a natural performer with his expressive darting eyes, an array of physicality and sharp comic timing directed by Adam Flynn. We are welcomed into his existential, disco-like, jazz-emu-centred world where if he’s not thinking about himself, he’s wondering about how microwaves wo...

<strong>Sons of the Prophet – Hampstead Theatre</strong>

13Dec

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

Sons of the Prophet – Hampstead Theatre

I begin watching any show by giving it my full attention, like any respectful audience member. But how long can one keep the focus if the production doesn’t meet you halfway? Sons of the Prophet, unfortunately, doesn’t do much to keep the audience engaged through story or performance. The production design by Samal Blak is elaborate, with the stage accommodating multiple settings spanning across two levels. Such expanse is more typical to larger shows and musicals that have larger-than-life storytelling. For this story exploring the intimacies of a family in rural Pennsylvania, constantly moving across different spaces in 105 minutes took away from the inner conflict and intricate complexities of the themes being explored. Each scene is titled like a book chapter and takes place in a di...

<strong>Jack And The Beanstalk – Hull New Theatre</strong>

13Dec

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Jack And The Beanstalk – Hull New Theatre

I hate audience participation of any kind but found myself “booing” at the top of my lungs within two minutes of Hull New Theatre’s pantomime, Jack And The Beanstalk, starting. The object of my, and the rest of the fullish theatre’s vocal disapproval on Sunday evening, was Mrs Blunderbore (well done to local girl Chelsea Hall on a memorable panto debut), wife of the fearsome giant who lives at the top of the beanstalk. This age-old fairytale tells the story of simple farmers Jack Trot (Gareth Gates), his brother Silly Simon (Neil Hurst), their mum Dame Trot (Jack Land Noble), and Jack’s love interest Princess Jill (Allana Taylor). Under severe financial pressure and threats from the evil giant and Mrs Blunderbore, the Trots sadly decide to sell their cow Daisy - hopefully to a kin...