REVIEWS Archives - Page 382 of 549

13Oct

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Fame Whore – King’s Head Theatre

‘Fame Whore’, written and directed by Tom Ratcliffe holds up a morality mirror (and light ring) to modern societies desperate desire for attention, relevance, and the ultimate goal, “followers”. It highlights the lengths that people will go to achieve fame, and the pitfalls for some once they achieve this, as well as the ever-evolving cancel (or call-out) culture that is growing within many online communities, that can leave some entirely ostracised from their friends and fans. Part one-man play, part cabaret and part social narrative, ‘Fame Whore’ introduces the world to Becky Biro (Gigi Zahir), a hard-working drag performer, with a modest social media following, but a wild desire to be the next Drag Factor contestant. Beck feels she “deserves” fame, and having been rejected from Drag ...

13Oct

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Vincent River – Hope Mill Theatre

The dark space between grief and prejudice is at the heart of this play. Indeed, this piece is replete with dimly lit spaces, the dingy, drab, bedraggled places that are falling apart. Those secret areas of the soul where people hide their true lives and loves. Existing in these shadows can be dangerous and also fatal. Set in the East-End of London this two-hander centres on Anita, whose gay son was murdered, and Davey, the young lad who found her son’s body. She suspects he had something to do with it and they start to talk. As a grief-stricken, angry mother she wants answers. It could be said the start of the play is almost too intense and dramatic as she is full of antagonism from the very first line. Davey has his own family issues to deal with and as they start to interact the i...

12Oct

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Sister Act – Pendle Hippodrome

North West End UK reviews both professional and amateur shows, but when reviewing Basics Junior Theatre School production’s, it is hard to distinguish which one it is as the talent and delivery is that of a professional performance year after year. Sally Murtaugh and her late husband Dennis founded Basics 35 years ago and the theatre group has delivered an annual performance since 1987 to present day, this is the first time Basics have produced Sister Act. Andy Cooke has been the principle at Basics for ten years and I have had the honour of reviewing several of his shows, one of the most striking themes throughout the years of watching the performances is the sense of pride and belonging to a family which ripples from the students to each and every member of the production team. And...

The Cher Show: A New Musical – Edinburgh Festival Theatre

12Oct

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

The Cher Show: A New Musical – Edinburgh Festival Theatre

An electric, energetic and cleaver show, the Cher Show has come to Edinburgh to educate audiences on the life of musical icon Cher. The music loud and brilliantly executed, the lights bright and the costumes are absolutely dazzling. Cher has been around for what may feel like forever, an ever-constant voice through the lives of most of us living, and through the ages neither her voice, power or face has changed all that much. For such an individual voice it takes real skill to be able to impersonate and do the legend justice, the Cher Show takes the challenge of finding one skill filled actress to fill the role and multiplies it by three, separating Cher into the three main stages of her career: the naive rising star (Babe played by Millie O’Connell) , the confident woman freeing hersel...

German Cornejo’s Tango After Dark – Peacock Theatre

12Oct

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

German Cornejo’s Tango After Dark – Peacock Theatre

Tango after dark lingers on the notes of passion from the first beat. Arriving in London after a world tour, it delivers, as promised, a show of technique and unbelievable craftsmanship. The performance expresses nostalgia and melancholy, dripping with sensual passion. Produced at Peacock Theatre by Sandra Castell Garcia with a limited run until 22nd October 2022. The brilliance of nimble, trained bodies that do not tire by the non-stop dancing have one transfixed by the agility, flawlessness and rhythm. The sustained and palpable chemistry all the dancers can create on stage transports us to Buenos Aires. From a marketplace where a chase ensues, breaking into an energetic group dance to a dimly lit bar where the slowness of each poised swish and matching notes takes one's breath away. ...

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – Palace Theatre

12Oct

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – Palace Theatre

Behind every record-breaking, chart-topping hit is a songwriter with poetical flair to spare. This jukebox musical pays homage to 60s icon Carole King, the multi-talented musician and composer of timeless classics from ‘The Loco-Motion’ to ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’. ‘Beautiful’ follows the musically-rich career of King (Molly-Grace Cutler) as she pursues a dream to enrich people’s lives with her original songs. As an autobiographical piece, Douglas McGrath’s book reveals how King’s life experiences are reflected in her far-reaching creations. The story itself may be thin, but the versatile cast proves that there is no need to overembellish a straightforward narrative when it’s the soundtrack that takes centre stage. Carole’s pop tunes are interspersed with soul and so...

The Importance of Being Earnest – Liverpool Playhouse

12Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

The Importance of Being Earnest – Liverpool Playhouse

Avant-garde, adventurous, audacious – and yes, artificial, but brilliantly witty, Oscar Wilde lives on in this hugely entertaining production. The cast introduce themselves by waltzing on, immediately conveying the merry-go-round of their lives with ever changing tableaux of laughter and posturing, voguing almost, and dance, like a visual representation of those many scintillating one liners which accurately skewer so much of Society - then and now. Its trivialities and shallowness are wonderfully exposed. This takes place chez Algernon, walls garnished with portraits, as well as frames which serve as portals and hatches, although strangely sparse when it comes to furniture, but for one elegant chaise longue (of course). We then move outside, into the garden of Ernest's country pile, an...

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo – Hull New Theatre

12Oct

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo – Hull New Theatre

With names such as Helen Highwaters (aka Duane Gosa), Vavara Laptopova (Takaomi Yoshino), Maria Clubfoot (Alejandro Gonzalez) and Olga Supphozova (Robert Carter), in the programme, it was going to be difficult to take anything seriously at the Hull New Theatre on Tuesday evening, when Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo brought their male-only troupe to the city. But we in the decent-sized audience soon realised this extremely talented bunch were deadly serious when it comes to their art - ballet dancing, with a difference. Men in tutus may not sound appealing, but I can promise you there wasn’t a hairy chest, no huge biceps or a five o’clock shadow to be seen - these “ballerinas” were graceful, toned, ultra-fit and had the best legs in the business. And they danced en pointe fo...

The Proclaimers – Liverpool Philharmonic

11Oct

By Anne PritchardNo Comments

North West

The Proclaimers – Liverpool Philharmonic

Identical twin brothers, Craig and Charlie Reid are strikingly individual in the flesh. Born in Leith in 1962, they list their influences as being early rock ‘n’ roll and country artists. After playing in punk bands they formed The Proclaimers in 1983; their first big break came in 1986 when they were invited to tour with The Housemartins. In January 1987 they appeared on Channel 4’s The Tube, singing in regional accents about Scotland, its emigration and its politics, they became a phenomenon almost overnight and the rest is history. They walked onto the stage without fuss or ceremony, both dressed similarly in black tops and jeans with the audience giving them a welcome cheer and launch into their first song, ‘Dentures Out’. Immediately that unmistakable, instantly recogni...

Daniel Sloss: Can’t – Liverpool Philharmonic

11Oct

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Daniel Sloss: Can’t – Liverpool Philharmonic

Daniel Sloss is a man on a mission. Dubbing himself the ‘Steve Irwin of comedy’ he’s on the lookout for the ‘Stingray’ joke that is going to end his career. It won’t be the one we’d expect he says, it will be something innocuous, that starts off about wallpaper. Nevertheless, he’s clearly relishes the opportunity in front of him to test the audience’s limit. In Sloss’ firing line are the death of the Queen, progressive liberals, magicians, and people who get travel sick. He loves the idea of us discovering that our fellow audience members absolutely hate him; that their discomfort will only serve to make the experience even funnier. Two Netflix specials have help Sloss hone his act, but he remains a man of two sides; one minute perching on a bar stool like he’s about to break into a ...