REVIEWS Archives - Page 394 of 417

29Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Pirates of Penzance – Palace Theatre

Of all Gilbert and Sullivan's works, Pirates of Penzance is probably the best known and one of their most popular, having been a hit since it first opened in New York in December 1879. Since then, it has been interpreted and re-interpreted - and Sasha Regan 's award-winning production is one of the very best. The "men playing women" trope has, of course, been around for many centuries, in Shakespeare and in panto. It depends on the talent of the actors to make the conceit work. And work it does, the all-male cast adding an additional layer of whimsy to what is already a marvellously funny operetta. The story hinges on its subtitle "The Slave Of Duty". After a miscommunication leads young Frederic to be indentured to the dastardly Pirates of Penzance, he delights in his freed...

24Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Dick Whittington – National Theatre

It’s always a courageous move to update a traditional piece of theatre but it’s especially courageous to update a pantomime when generally the audience have an ‘inkling’ of what to expect. However, this is what Jude Christian and Cariad Lloyd had in mind for their production of The National Theatres 2020 version of Dick Whittington. Having first premiered at The Lyric Hammersmith in 2018, the production had been updated for 2020. Filmed following only its fourth preview performance on 15th December this year due to Government lockdown restrictions, the National Theatre pulled off an incredible feat in filming the pantomime. With some work still in progress, their wish to share the panto for free was based on acknowledging that all components of theatres have been massively affected by t...

Prince Charming’s Christmas Cracker – Hull Truck Theatre

24Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Prince Charming’s Christmas Cracker – Hull Truck Theatre

On Tuesday evening, when I hit the YouTube button at 7pm to watch the premiere of Prince Charming’s Christmas Cracker, coming from Hull Truck’s stage, I settled back, coffee in one hand, mince pie in the other, to watch live theatre - something I’d experienced little of since the dreaded coronavirus resulted in the closure of theatres nationwide. The fun began after 10 minutes of festive faves played by DJ Ratty (cast member Joanna Holden), against a video backdrop of Christmas lights in and around the city of Hull.. Ratty introduced the Prince Charming of the title, with the words “he’s handsome, he’s rich and he’s a bachelor” - as the Prince (Laurie Jamieson) took to the stage, which was bedecked by a huge Christmas tree, presents and a “Groove Machine”. A bag of nerves - this w...

A Christmas Carol – Leeds Playhouse At Home

22Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

A Christmas Carol – Leeds Playhouse At Home

The Playhouse’s annual festive spectacular was just one of hundreds of productions forced to switch online just before curtain was about to go up and as good as this recorded version is it will always lack the yuletide magic of gathering in a shared space. This is a reworking of a production that began at Hull Truck Theatre, going on to be a big hit last year when the theatre’s ensemble brought it to life in the pop-up theatre used when the Playhouse was refurbed. The Playhouse’s associate director Amy Leach cleverly invokes the legend that every theatre has a ghost, but she deploys a team of them as they emerge from their offstage pods. They have gathered round the traditional ghost light that burns when a theatre is dark, and once they discover a puppet of Tiny Tim they decide to d...

22Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Railway Children – YouTube

E Nesbit’s The Railway Children is a lovely story of community, togetherness and unity, set against a backdrop of the dangers of prejudice and assumptions. Adapted for stage by Mike Kenny and directed by Damian Cruden, this interpretation is an exciting piece of theatre, complete with steam train rolling along the stage surrounded by the audience. From the opening choo choo, cry of “all abroad” and accompanying whistle, the world of the Railway Children is created in beautiful and immersive detail. There is no fourth wall as an adult Bobbie (Rozzi Nicholson-Lailey), Peter (Izaak Cainer) and Phyllis (Beth Lilly) directly address the audience to tell their story. Bringing to the fore the issue of unreliable narrators, the three argue about their recollections of their childhood, but all e...

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Creation Theatre

22Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Creation Theatre

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a story of imagination, friendship and family set in the surreal world of Oz. Creation Theatre have taken this up a notch in this new adaptation directed by Gari Jones, and put this extraordinary world into a retro video game plagued by a wicked witch whose loyal followers keep up with her via the messy and fickle lifestyle of an online influencer. The Company have fully utilised the online format of this show, and by using green screens and other technology, have created a show which they can present live while maintaining all social distancing guidelines to keep their cast and crew safe. The live format means that improvisation is possible, and the conspicuous absence of Toto allows the company to include some light audience participation so that th...

22Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

December – Old Red Lion Theatre

Bag of Beard Collective in conjunction with ORL Theatre serves up this quirky, sometimes sinister but ultimately highly enjoyable show written and directed by ORL artistic director Alexander Knott. The play is basically another take on the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol but instead of Scrooge taking centre stage, Knott cleverly focuses on the ever put upon and downtrodden Bob Cratchit (Ryan Hutton). Knott imagines him taking a journey to possible futures ahead, through encounters with vagabonds, spirits and ghosts. For fans of the Dicken’s characters there is definitely some fun to be had in this inventive adaptation and even though it has its very dark and sometimes quite surreal moments (think disco sparkle flairs, Bowies Fashion and Cuban heels) you cannot deny the sheer energy...

21Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Snow Queen – Iris Theatre

One of the post popular festive tales, Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, is brought into your homes from the Iris Theatre, in their first livestreamed production. We are trying to get to the right destination to begin the story Holly wants to read to Pip. The audience are asked to find magic ingredients, and to help thaw a frozen book. The story of the Snow Queen, left out in the cold by her sisters of the spring, summer and autumn, is well known. Stuck in her ice palace, her heart is frozen solid and closed to friendship or compassion. This is a complex story but has been adapted well for pre-schoolers. Leda Douglas keeps the interest throughout as she infuses the young audience with her joyful enthusiasm. Participation is requested at every turn, from changing the weathe...

A Christmas Carol, The Festive Audio Experience – Harrogate Theatre

20Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

A Christmas Carol, The Festive Audio Experience – Harrogate Theatre

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is as much a part of Christmas as tinsel and mince pies. A festive tale that people often forget is a ghost story, Adam Z Robinson’s adaptation, performed by him and Olivia Dowd, utilises Robinson’s expertise as a ghost story writer to bring the spirits and apparitions littering Dickens’ classic tale front and centre, creating a creepy and memorable version of this beloved tale of greed and redemption. Before the show starts, ominous ticking and a crackling fire create the atmosphere before the performance begins. The audio play has a very creepy opening, which makes it clear from the start the style that this version of A Christmas Carol is going to take. Robinson’s narration is warm and gives the story the feeling of an old friend you see every Ch...

20Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Scotland

Cosi fan Tutte – Scottish Opera

Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte is an ideal opera to be performed in today’s climate. A small leading cast, and a relatively light-hearted plot, Scottish Opera’s production, directed by Roxana Haines with musical direction by Stuart Stratford, brings the comedy into the modern world in a socially distanced performance exploiting the world of reality TV. The piece opens with exuberant music played by a masked orchestra behind screens, as the Chorus sit in the theatre’s boxes, making up the various audience members of the reality show which our couples find themselves competing in. The Chorus revel in their roles throughout the piece, creating some excellent emotional reactions from wistfulness, to excitement, to boredom, creating a real sense of a live studio audience to the television show we a...