REVIEWS Archives - Page 41 of 406

25Jul

By Amelia PhillpottsNo Comments

North West

NeuroChatter – The Fitzgerald

Three personalities, one body, one actress, one act. One great performance. Written and performed by Sara Harvey is a one woman show following three personalities all inhabiting one body, all battling for control. Along with the unnamed Host of the body, broken by an undisclosed previous trauma, alters Mike and Elliott constantly bicker. Mike acts as the egotistical intellectual, attempting to use psychological academia to understand the three’s collective situation. Elliott is the complete opposite, as the foul-mouthed artist, who leads with their heart and prioritises emotional freedom. As the show develops, the individual relationships between the three personalities grow, revealing each character’s main motivation to help Host in the best way they know how. Despite the deeply tragic st...

24Jul

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

FANGIRLS – Lyric Theatre Hammersmith

Welcome to the world of Boy Band mania, FANGIRLS is set within a time when girls dream about love romance and yes their pop idols. “Its journey started in 2015 when Zayn Malik leaves One Direction” and Yve Blake is inspired to capture this moment in a book describing the feelings of young girls in a crazy tumultuous time in their lives, as young teenagers. Now it is a musical premiering in London and has hit the scene with a bang. This vibrant cast bring to life the tunes, the funny and the serious side to ‘growing up’ as young teens, idolising ‘pop icons’ peer relationships and the need to feel love, being pivotal milestones. In between the mayhem and madness is a message that ‘young people’s feelings’ should not be underestimated. This production...

24Jul

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

A Chorus Line – The Lowry

In 1975, choreographer Michael Bennett turned taped interviews with Broadway dancers into a pioneering musical by giving a voice to those historically-unsung background performers. Having enjoyed a return to Curve, Leicester, A Chorus Line begins its summer tour at The Lowry. As part of the final audition stage for an upcoming production’s ensemble, seventeen hopefuls pitch themselves- and their talent- to director Zach (Adam Cooper) whose final casting decisions will cut their number down to eight. The pieces runs without an interval to mimic the real-time duration of the audition. Collective ambition is energetically established thorough the opening song I Hope I Get It. Sitting through every auditionee’s introduction (name, age, a bit about themselves) after this may border on ted...

24Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

& Juliet – Opera House, Blackpool

Ever wondered what might’ve happened if Juliet hadn’t died? Well, there’s life after Romeo! With a hilarious script from David West Read (Schitt’s Creek), the story offers Juliet a new beginning, and a second chance at love, as it explores what might’ve happened if she hadn’t ended it all over Romeo. Intertwined with pop hits by song-writing juggernaut, Max Martin, & Juliet feels fresh, fearless and an awful lot of fun. The opening number, ‘Larger than Life’, set the tone for the evening. Everything about this show, indeed, felt larger than life! The set design from Soutra Gilmour was epic, using a very clever blend of moving furniture and projections to bring the stage to life. Video designs and animations, from Andrzej Goulding, were similarly superb. Paloma Young’s costume design...

24Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

West Midlands

Cluedo 2 – The Alexandra, Birmingham

Based on the popular board game of the same name and the successful original Cluedo play, Cluedo 2 arrives in Birmingham in its mysterious glory. Fading rock star Rick Black is trying to relaunch his career. He’s invited his entourage (with very familiar names) to his multi roomed mansion for the first play of his new song. However, someone in the house has other ideas and chaos soon ensues. Is everything as it seems? Who did what to who where and with what? A “spoof” like this has a style of performance that is unlike a serious play, everything is exaggerated a little more than normal, overly dramatic poses and reactions, adding to the comedy. The whole cast (including the bear) worked together to bring the game and story to life with strong characterisations throughout. Ev...

The Winslow Boy – Frinton Summer Theatre

24Jul

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

South East

The Winslow Boy – Frinton Summer Theatre

Is winning at any cost really worth it? This is the central question posed in Terence Rattigan’s ‘The Winslow Boy’. The year is 1908 and thirteen-year-old Ronnie Winslow (Bertie Ketterer) has been accused of petty theft. It is alleged he stole a five-shilling postal order and is then expelled from Osborne Naval College. However, Ronnie insists his innocence. His father, Arthur Winslow (Clive Brill) stands by him and vows to fight to clear his son’s name by instructing the best and most expensive barrister. The battle ‘to have right done’ commences – but the fall out has far reaching consequences. At this point one may expect some court room drama, but this is a firmly family-drama based affair with the esteemed barrister Sir Robert Morton (Will Harrison-Wallace) visiting the home and...

Lord of The Dance: A Lifetime of Standing Ovations – Hull New Theatre

24Jul

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Lord of The Dance: A Lifetime of Standing Ovations – Hull New Theatre

From its official debut on July 2nd, 1996, in Dublin, Ireland, Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance has enchanted more than 60 million people worldwide. And on Tuesday evening a packed Hull New Theatre added to that figure when Lord of the Dance: A Lifetime of Standing Ovations came to town. It was a thrill for me to review the 25th anniversary of Lord of the Dance, back in 2022 - a production I was “astounded” and “mesmerised” by. Would Flatley’s revival have the same effect on me in 2024? The answer is yes, with the prefix “more” added. As in 2022, the show opens and closes with on-screen performances from Flatley, who is still definitely the Lord of the Dance. The huge video screen played a very important role throughout, with fantastic scenes of forest fires, flower-fi...

Sunny Girl – New Adelphi Theatre, Salford

24Jul

By Gill LewisNo Comments

North West

Sunny Girl – New Adelphi Theatre, Salford

Bringing plenty of sunshine and humour, Rain Man’s counterpart, Sunny Girl, is just an autistic girl living in a neurotypical world. Written and performed by Beth Westbrook ‘Sunny Girl’ tells the story of Erin, which is closely based on Westbrook’s own experiences of navigating through the five categories that make up the intensive assessment for Autism. The plays depicts the process in which an individual, with support from their family, needs to recall past feelings, experiences, and behavioural traits in order for a specialist to determine whether they meet the criteria for Autism. Sunny Girl takes a look at each category and the related memories, which are recalled within the safety of Erin’s ‘Mind Palace’, an explosion of colours, textures and objects which are used to help repr...

24Jul

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

The Hot Wing King – National Theatre

Directed by Roy Alexander Weise, Katori Hall’s Pulitzer Prize winning comedy makes its London debut in the relatively modest Dorfman Theatre. Set in Memphis, Tennessee and playing out in the interior of a particularly well-endowed suburban home expertly designed for the stage by Rajha Shakiry, this is no minimalistic kitchen sink drama. With running water coming from the taps, steam rising from the pots, and marinade dripping from big wooden stirring spoons, this is a theatrical experience with all the trimmings. Head chef and hopeful hot wing competition champion, Cordell (Kadiff Kirwan), plates up scrumptious chicken and sizzling drama in his boyfriend Dwayne’s (Simon-Anthony Rhoden) illustriously decorated middle-class kitchen. Circumnavigating the colossal counter island where Co...

Madame Chandelier Saves Opera – King’s Arms, Salford

22Jul

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

Madame Chandelier Saves Opera – King’s Arms, Salford

As part of Greater Manchester Fringe Festival 2024, The Kings Arm in Salford welcomes the flamboyant, some would say ‘Diva’, Madame Chandelier, aka Delea Shand. With her one woman show, it’s safe to say this performance certainly does what it intends – Madame Chandelier, and her bright pink very high wig, single handedly throws her heart and soul into her mission to ‘save Opera’. Shand is a proud Canadian and full of charisma. She has many accolades to her name and previous sell out shows at The Edinburgh Fringe. She was also nominated for best newcomer in the 2019 Manchester Fringe and is clearly master of her craft which was instant as she performed as ‘Madame Chandelier’, immediately captivating the audience. Shand is open with the audience from the beginning in a most comedic wa...