REVIEWS Archives - Page 376 of 548

26Oct

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

Blood Brothers – Liverpool Empire

Did you ever the story of the Johnstone twins? And if not, why not? Willy Russell’s Blood Brother’s made a triumphant return to the Liverpool Empire last night and there is nothing better than seeing a musical that ‘belongs’ to a city, in said city. The atmosphere was electric, the cast were excited, and the combination made for a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Blood Brother’s tells the story of Mrs. Johnstone, who has found out she’s pregnant again, with the threat of Social Services taking some of her children, hanging over her head. She has managed to find herself a job, cleaning the Lyons’ house, when she discovers, she is expecting twins. Luckily, Mrs. Lyons, who has had trouble conceiving, comes up with a plan – she’ll take one of the twins, so Social Services doesn’t. Whilst li...

South Pacific – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

26Oct

By Dylan MooneyNo Comments

Scotland

South Pacific – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Chichester Festival Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of South Pacific has found a temporary home in Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre during its 2022 tour. Written by the great Rodgers and Hammerstein and directed by Chichester’s artistic director, Daniel Evans, this production keeps the classic charm of the golden age while also looking visually stunning. South Pacific, as the name suggests, is set on a South Pacific island during the Second World War, showing the struggles of the army and marines as well as the inhabitants of the island. Arguably the strongest of performers is Julian Ovenden, who plays the role of Emile de Becque, the show’s leading man. Ovenden commands the audience’s attention whenever he is on stage, allowing his resonant voice to hit every part of the auditori...

Bugsy Malone: The Musical – Hull New Theatre

26Oct

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Bugsy Malone: The Musical – Hull New Theatre

On Tuesday evening a packed Hull New Theatre sat facing quite a drab stage setting as they waited for “curtain up” for Bugsy Malone: The Musical. Well, drab soon turned to fab as the fantastic setting throughout turned out to be one of the best I’ve seen in any show. The nightclub tables, complete with lit lamps, descending from above, tablecloths billowing out, was just one unforgettable scene. All credit must go to stage designer Jon Bausor, who was also responsible for the amazing costumes throughout. The story, set in 1920s New York, centres around rival gangster bosses, club owner Fat Sam and the smartly dressed Dandy Dan, two small-time “hoods” for whom nothing seems to go right - often with hilarious consequences. Exciting events, often to a backdrop of the rat-a-tat-tat of...

26Oct

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

The Osmonds – The Alexandra, Birmingham

For those in their youth consumed by the 70’s legends the Osmonds last night’s show must have been a heart-warming skip down memory, for those of us who were not it was all a little bewildering. The audience was sharply divided into three camps - whooping, life-long fans, long suffering husbands and bewildered critics. The latter being by far the smaller group. This clearly does what it says on the front cloth. It is the story of the Osmonds from their early days to pretty much now and, had their lives had more dramatic turns, perhaps the story could have been more engaging, but it’s difficult to relate to these successful characters whose only anguish seems to be the dropping off of their TV rating. A later scene of bankruptcy has real bite and dramatic content but arrives for too late in...

26Oct

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Crocodile Rock – Traverse Theatre

Andy McGregor’s Crocodile Rock evokes Elton John and his sexuality through the title, before the actual landmark on Milport in the West of Scotland is overtly referenced. So, the audience is primed to expect a tale with a gay man at the centre. Sexual desire is an old story: as old as time itself. We are not all heterosexual. Some of us don’t fit in. Difference can seem threating. If you stand outside the norm, life can be cruel and folk hard-hearted. Yet, Stephen’s story has a lively freshness that is as unique as Scotland. You can tell that Andy McGregor loves creating stories for wee folk as much as for adults. The sense of fun and his simple rhyming songs appeal to the child in all of us. On this tiny island of Milport, a lost and lonely boy finds his alter ego and his sense of p...

The Sound of Music – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

25Oct

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

The Sound of Music – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

The Altrincham Garrick Playhouse opened the doors for their first musical of season 2022-2023 with the classic musical Sound of Music with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. Artistic Director Joseph Meighan and Musical Director Neil Bennett are no strangers to working together, this fabulous duo have produced and created some magnificent productions in their time both at the Garrick Playhouse and at Pendleton College performing arts. I have been fortunate enough to watch numerous of Meighan’s productions over the years and have often quoted that he has the Midas touch because everything he touches turns into a success, and his 2022 The Sound of Music is no exception. This old classic that marks its 80th anniversar...

24Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Musical Con – ExCel Centre

London’s first ever musical convention opened at the ExCel Centre this weekend. Shanay Holmes not only organised the whole event but impressively hosted the main stage for the whole day. Musical Con was truly for the fans with spaces for fans to perform and show off their creativity with their cosplaying skills! The queue entertainment from West End Musical Choir set the tone for the day with a huge sing-a-long of some favourite musicals. The opening show was great with students accompanying the West End guests. Anyone with VIP passes was allowed near the stage which meant that you did not have to stay at the stage to hold a good spot for the day. There were plenty of photo opportunities throughout the venue. From a musical con sign, to the Delorian from Back to the Future. It was al...

The Met Live in HD: Medea – The Metropolitan Opera

24Oct

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Met Live in HD: Medea – The Metropolitan Opera

Originally written in French in 1797, The Met premiere the later Italian version of Cherubini’s rarely performed masterpiece, based on Euripides’ and Corneille’s tragedies, to open their new season in a co-production with the Greek National Opera, Canadian Opera Company, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. Spurning antiquity, director David McVicar sets the piece somewhere around the time of its original writing with a distinctly Gallic nod towards the French Revolution that would follow, and the straightforward simplicity of the set, which he also designed, is sympathetic to an audience mostly unfamiliar with the work. The breathless overture recedes to introduce Glauce (Janai Brugger), daughter of Creonte (Michele Pertusi), King of Corinth, and her impending marriage to Giasone (Matthew Po...

Les Ballets Trockadero De Monte Carlo – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

24Oct

By H.S. BakerNo Comments

Scotland

Les Ballets Trockadero De Monte Carlo – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Les Ballets Trockadero, or “The Trocks”, is a company of professional male dancers who perform a repertoire of classical ballet, taking both male and female roles to great comic effect. Blokes in tutus dancing en pointe is an amusing concept in itself, but the comedy displayed in the slapstick parody of an art form that sometimes takes itself too seriously is a joy and a chuckle-fest from start to finish. The dancing is excellent; these guys are properly trained disciplined ballet dancers, the spoofs would not be so funny if it were otherwise. A shoulder shrug, a jerk of the head and some wonderfully funny facial expressions enhance the more obvious slapstick in the choreography. The dancers all have ballerina character names, with alter egos such as Colette A...

Doing Shakespeare – Assembly Roxy Theatre, Edinburgh

24Oct

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Doing Shakespeare – Assembly Roxy Theatre, Edinburgh

Doing Shakespeare at the Roxy for one night only sees Northern Comedy Theatre on the road for a whistlestop tour of Scotland and Northern England bringing David Spicer's laddish take on the canon of the Bard. Part of a series of six plays for six actors, written during lockdown and designed for broadcast over zoom, this is an adventurous, playful and to some extent experimental project piece. However, sitting alongside other titles like Doing the Pub Quiz, Doing Whodunnit, Doing the Bookclub, and Doing the business, you have to wonder about the logic of targeting the world’s most revered scribe. Set in the village of Felching, the local am-dram society meet together again after lockdown to put on a Shakespeare play. Unfortunately, due to miscommunication each of the six members has p...