REVIEWS Archives - Page 365 of 578

6Apr

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

East Midlands

Annie – Alexandra Theatre

No One Cares For You a Smidge When You’re In An Orphanage Well, that’s the first production of “Annie” I’ve seen that ended with the theme tune to “Blankety Blank” - and for very good and poignant reasons. Read to the end to find out why… Like the Allied Carpets sale which never ended “Annie” is out on tour as if it were ever not on tour. Endless generations of kids have been weened on the show and the demand never seems to wane. It’s a staunch Broadway warhorse which has been inflicting its schmaltz on unsuspecting and, indeed, suspecting audiences since 1977 when it was wrenched kicking and screaming from a newspaper comic strip and thrust upon the Broadway to wild, unstinting and, it seems, endless acclaim. We gave them “Oliver!” they reupholstered him, changed his sex and gave hi...

6Apr

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Sap – Soho Theatre

Originally performed at Edinburgh Fringe, I was eager to know why this show was a consistent sell out during the festival. Writer, Rafaella Marcus has brought us a retelling of the Greek myth ‘Daphne’ sought after by Apollo and to escape him turns herself into a tree. Often used as a device exploring sexual assault and violence however in this story, Daphne is Bisexual who is desperately ashamed and would much rather lie than confront the people she loves. With one lie, a seed is planted and from that a dark and tragic path is laid out. Only a 70 minute piece and every second completely enchanting to watch, two actors (Jessica Clark and Rebecca Banatvala) swerve through the space like seasoned pros with every click, move and nod perfectly synchronised with the lights and sound. Moving a...

National Theatre Live: Life of Pi – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

5Apr

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

National Theatre Live: Life of Pi – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

In the week that 'Standing at the Sky's Edge' deservedly won the Olivier award for Best New Musical, another show that started life at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre, then went on to win Olivier's galore and wow the West End and Broadway. premiered on the National Theatre's streaming service. If 'Edge' has half the success that this beautiful metaphorical production has so far achieved, the producers will be well rewarded for their risk. Based on the best selling novel by Yann Martel and adapted for the stage by Lolita Chakrabati, 'Life Of Pi' tells the extraordinary story of 17 year old Piscine Molitor (Hiran Abeysekera) and his survival for 227 days in the Pacific Ocean, after a shipwreck which killed his entire family and everyone on board. Following his rescue, he is questioned as to ...

5Apr

By Codie WrightNo Comments

North West

Mog the Forgetful Cat – The Lowry

Bother that cat!" Finally, after 50 years of delighting readers on the page, Mog leaps off onto the stage, in a show that feels like catnip to the soul and engaged my 4 year old and 1.5 year old throughout the entire thing. Some children's book adaptations have a tendency to be a little self-indulgent. To take themselves a little too seriously and to drag a bit too much for the young ones in the audience. Thankfully, The Wardrobe Ensemble adaptation of Mog doesn't fall under that curse and is a warm celebration of children's theatre, that stays true to the Mog we know and love, but with colourful chaos and a pacy plot. We start with the classic, Mog the Forgetful cat, where Mog foils a burglar (although if I'm being picky, she gets a lot of credit for simply miaowing at the window an...

Ocean At The End Of The Lane – Bradford Alhambra

5Apr

By Bo WarnerNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Ocean At The End Of The Lane – Bradford Alhambra

“Somehow it was personal for them as well… people who, when they were children, found books safer than other people…” – Neil Gaiman Ocean at the End of the Lane was adapted for the stage by the National Theatre from the magical, surrealist book by acclaimed fantasy author Neil Gaiman, reaching the West End in 2021. After its critically-acclaimed run in the West End, Ocean is now on its first national tour around the UK, and I was privileged to catch it at the Bradford Alhambra. This is a story following a Boy’s relationship with the three strange women that have occupied Hempstock farm for as long as anyone can remember. He encounters strange creatures on the edges of reality, and soon finds that he can no longer tell where imagination stops and real life begins as an intruder begins...

5Apr

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

When All is Said – Unity Theatre

Fuel Theatre’s When All is Said is a collection of five short plays, that are written by Black Trans people, in their own voices and performed over the phone. Each play lasts approximately 30 minutes and tells a different story about what life is like, if you are considered ‘different’ from the people around you. I heard ‘Home is where your heart is lying on the open roads’ which was written by the Curator of the pieces, Travis Alabanza and was performed by Alexis Meshida. It is a taxi journey that journeys into the past and shapes us and the places we live/are from. Meshida was able to convey compassion, empathy, anger and was able to take you on the full journey through the telling of the story. The piece was well written and made you think about your own interactions and actions. The...

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide – Apollo Theatre

5Apr

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide – Apollo Theatre

The buzz around this play got fizzing when it first landed at the New Diorama Theatre in 2021. By the time it transferred to the Royal Court the following year, it had a grass roots momentum that grew without the help of critics or reviews. It became a sell-out sensation long before the big nods and nominations that are currently adding to the wild applause from enthusiastic audiences. For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets to Heavy by Ryan Calais Cameron has just transferred to the Apollo in the risk-averse and cheesy West End. It’s shaking up the quo and breaking down barriers with dizzying skill and gusto. Before the curtain went up, it was thrilling to note that it felt like an EVENT. The air crackled with excitement and anticipation. This was a largely blac...

Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story – Online

5Apr

By Louise PennNo Comments

REVIEWS

Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story – Online

Awkward Productions’ latest show streams across the world by popular (and very possibly, Royal) command following a successful run at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe and at the Pleasance in London. Linus Karp’s earlier work has been of the Jellicle kind, but here he brings another icon to the stage in the person of Diana, Princess of Wales. With the help of his trusty PowerPoint, and his partner Joseph Martin’s sound design, Diana comes to life to tell her tale. A cast of many is briskly performed, as are many costume changes. This show revels in its irreverence. This is Diana as you have never seen her, as we join her in heaven for her own, hilarious, autobiography. Karp looks the part with the downcast eyes and part-pout, and in bringing Diana’s ‘story’ to the stage, has pre-...

5Apr

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

Lucrezia Borgia – Storyhouse, Chester

Oozing intrigue, darkly dramatic and set against a backdrop of 14th century Italy, English Touring Opera bring all they have to the party in this production. Composed by Gaetano Donizetti - whose opera works are often overlooked in the canon - this 1833 offering focuses on historical figure, Lucrezia Borgia. Surrounded by myth and misadventure, the opera provides an interpretation of her life. Is this femme fatale wrongly recorded in the history books? Or is she as scheming and murderous as the archives make out? Directed by Eloise Lally and conducted by Gerry Cornelius, this Lucrezia Borgia quickly absorbs the audience. The curtain rises to show what initially looks like a simple set, with a full moon in the distance and a decorative gondola in the foreground. However, you soon r...

We Wish You Long Life – Synagogue Scratch at Manchester Jewish Museum

4Apr

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

We Wish You Long Life – Synagogue Scratch at Manchester Jewish Museum

Performing as part of Manchester Jewish Museum’s inaugural Synagogue Scratch season, We Wish You Long Life, written by Amy Lever and directed by Helen Parry, explores cultural integration, shared memory, and family ties, when Steven (Robin Simpson), raised Catholic, is brought begrudgingly by his wife, Mary (Orline Riley), to a Jewish house of mourning for a person he doesn’t seem to remember. Father and daughter, David (Danny Ryder) and Katie (Lever), await the arrival of the Irish Catholic side of their family whilst food caterer Karen (Tilly Sutcliffe) begins to wonder if this is the strangest event ever. A Q&A session with the writer, director, and cast followed which provided useful background on the piay which began life as a ten-minute piece as part of a short play festival ‘...