REVIEWS Archives - Page 384 of 550

Tough Old Bird – Shakespeare North Playhouse

10Oct

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Tough Old Bird – Shakespeare North Playhouse

The dulcet tones of Michael Parkinson wouldn’t normally invoke a collective eye roll. But when it’s delivering the familiar lines of a certain advert touting the advantages of buying a pre-payment funeral plan you can perhaps understand why a shudder runs through the audience. It’s a perfect example of the frustrations of how society views aging. And, with ‘Showbusiness and Gin’ running through her veins, Nana Funk (AKA Angie Waller who wrote the show) along with the ever-silent Val (a marvellously restrained Claire Jones, who composed tonight’s songs), is here to hold court on the indignities of it all. Inspired by her own mum’s experience, Tough Old Bird, directed by Margaret Connell, looks at how people can, with the best of intentions, patronise and infantilise our older friends ...

10Oct

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

The Coral – Finborough Theatre

Collide Theatre’s adaptation of The Coral originally written by Georg Kaiser is as direct as it is puzzling. The Millionaire, cleverly represented with a red face, and a portrait covering his face in red, makes him synonymous with other powerful, rich men like Trump or Elon Musk. He sets up monthly meetings with struggling individuals, listening to their cases before donating generous amounts. Yet this is done to ease his conscience, as he still holds onto insurmountable wealth to protect him from the horror of poverty that he experienced as a child. Kaiser’s political stance soon becomes clear as the antagonistic Gentleman in Grey confronts the Millionaire, asking him to sign a treaty that ends the divide between rich and poor. Hints at a stylised, expressionistic world are conveyed on...

10Oct

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Nine Night – Leeds Playhouse

As part of a large Irish family, I am only too aware of how tense a wake can get so it’s reassuring to know the same flashpoints can happen at a traditional Jamaican Nine Night. Great art takes you into worlds you have no experience of, and I had no idea that Jamaicans send off their dead off with nine nights of mourning, which is what one extended London family are doing for their mum Gloria It’s still that this funny and often emotionally raw play was Natasha Gordon’s debut, which a strong cast bring to life informed by a deep understanding of its meaning, and the Playhouse has revived it part of their Out of Many Festival that celebrates 60 years of Jamaican independence. Smartly Nine Night starts before the death as the seemingly saintly single mum Lorriane (Shereener B...

Vaughan Williams’ Fifth Symphony – Liverpool Philharmonic

7Oct

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

Vaughan Williams’ Fifth Symphony – Liverpool Philharmonic

Marking the 150th anniversary of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ birth, this concert combines the magical with the majestic, and drama with the delicate. Engaging but not overpowering, it provides a wonderful evening of music. The concert is of two halves, with the second half being dedicated to Vaughan Williams. Opening with Edward Elgar's Froissart overture, the room bursts into life. Making use of the full orchestra, Elgar's first large-scale work permeates the atmosphere. As the music gathers pace, the enthusiasm from Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Manze, is tangible. His mesmerising movements ooze wizardry. All eyes are on him as he leads the orchestra, almost dancing - you can't help but enjoy watching the craft of conducting. Followi...

The Caucasian Chalk Circle – The Rose Theatre, Kingston

7Oct

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

The Caucasian Chalk Circle – The Rose Theatre, Kingston

The first major London production of Bertolt Brecht’s for 25 years, The Caucasian Chalk Circle tells the story of a young woman, Grusha (Carrie Hope Fletcher), who risks everything to save the Governor and his wife’s abandoned child, Michael (Daniel Aiden Matembe), in the midst of a bloody revolution. Years later, the child’s mother (Joanna Kirkland) demands custody of Michael and Grusha is faced before the corrupt Judge Azdak (Jonathan Slinger) who is in control of Michael’s fate. As the audience file in, they are met with the set of an industrial warehouse, forming the base of a refugee camp. Bunk beds are present on stage which become clever, prominent and multi usage props throughout the show. The actors are on stage before the show commences, intriguing the audience. Beginning i...

7Oct

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Much Ado About Nothing – Birmingham Rep

I always approach Shakespeare tentatively. Not that he’s not good. In fact, I’ve heard many reports that’s he’s one of the best, but I just don’t have the ear for his words. I have trouble keeping up. So, being a thoroughly professional reporter and not wanting to lose the thread or the point or the plot, I chose to bone up prior and read up in the plot. I needed have bothered. Robert Hastie’s production made the entire plot easily and clearly accessible with a proliferation of signing, signage and surtitles designed to include just about everyone in this all-inclusive, highly-accessible, disability-friendly production. Despite some of the bard’s more esoteric images and clunky metaphors the notions, ideas and thoughts came over crystal clear easily vaulting the Shakespearean language b...

Are You As Nervous as I Am? – Greenwich Theatre

6Oct

By Akshay RahejaNo Comments

London

Are You As Nervous as I Am? – Greenwich Theatre

‘Are you as nervous as I am?’ Peggy asks the audience before she sings her last song of the evening. Directed by Phoebe Barran, the play looks at the life of two strong women, Peggy and Janet as they find their ways in the world into the world using music, love and compassion. The play essays the journey of two sisters- Peggy and her older sister, Janet who are forced apart by their abusive mother. The play traces the journey of the reconnection of the sisters which empowers them both in different ways. As the play unfolds, the lead character, Peggy Starr comes to accept herself as she is. Her music articulates her freedom and her experience of using her music to come to terms with her life is quite powerful. The musical subtly communicated the therapeutic superpower of musi...

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula The Sea Witch – Sheffield Lyceum

6Oct

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula The Sea Witch – Sheffield Lyceum

(Warning :- this is NOT a children’s show, it is firmly and deliciously an Adult Parody with vulgar, blue jokes and imagery – leave the kids at home with a babysitter!) I have always found the Disney princess’ lacking personality and in a word… boring! Now, the Villians, that’s a different kettle of fish and none did I identify with more than Ursula from Hans Christian Anderson’s and later Disney’s - The Little Mermaid. A strong, larger than life female with sass, attitude and in three words… big, brash and bold! Ursula is unconventional and superbly bucks the norm with an independent style and flair that any young woman would do well to have in their armour. So, why must she be a baddie because she doesn’t fit the stereotypical images of what a women should look like and be...

6Oct

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Macbeth – Epstein Theatre

Now I’ve never been a person to like Shakespeare or even understand it but the beauty about this job is my mind is open to all theatre. So, I went to watch Macbeth (otherwise known as the Scottish play) at Liverpool’s Epstein theatre. It was a Daniel Taylor productions piece directed by Daniel Taylor himself. With local Liverpool actors and actress’s making up the cast. In case you are not familiar with the story. Macbeth (Tomas Loftus) comes in to contact with 3 witches/weird sisters (Gillian Hardie, Kaitlin Howard and Helen Jeffery) who tells Macbeth that he is to be King. When his wife Lady Macbeth (Tracy Spencer) hears of this tale she encourages Macbeth to kill the current King Duncan so that the tale becomes a reality. Which almost gave the impression that lady Macbeth is the v...

The Boy With Two Hearts – National Theatre

6Oct

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

The Boy With Two Hearts – National Theatre

My second visit at the National this week tells a true story of a refugee family fleeing the Taliban after they call a death warrant on the mother, Fariba (Houda Echouafni) after speaking out in public against the violence against women. Within days, the family sell their items and flee, with the UK in mind mostly to access the NHS to save their eldest son Hussein (Ahmad Sakhi) who suffers from an undiagnosed heart condition. We journey through Moscow to Vienna to France and finally make it to the UK all through the eyes and bodies of this family and as they face every possible curb, we sit nearing the edge of our seats wanting to catch them each possible fall. Above us hang coats and jackets, layering the ceiling ranging from all sizes and ages. My eyes kept catching one of the smaller...