REVIEWS Archives - Page 413 of 549

14Jul

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Z Arts

Based on the 1831 novel by Victor Hugo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame has been transcribed into a musical with a little help from the 1996 Walt Disney production. The play itself has been written by Peter Parnell, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. The Manchester Musical Youth group have decided to tackle this classic as their latest production. It must be said it’s been a good few years since I’ve seen the Hunchback of Notre Dame and this production is certainly a lot darker than I remember the Disney movie. There’s also the addition of new songs. Even though the play is set in Paris, it almost has a Greek feel to it. The numerous statues and gargoyles almost act as a chorus that is quite typical of many Greek plays such as Suppliant Women. From that point of vi...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream(ish) – International Anthony Burgess Foundation

14Jul

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

A Midsummer Night’s Dream(ish) – International Anthony Burgess Foundation

It is not often that a reviewer becomes part of the show but that is what happened to me as part of this entertaining, engaging and extremely fun one-woman re-telling of Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy. Your humble scribe was plucked out of the audience to play a wall. It took all my theatrical skill to stand on stage holding a plastic brick and it would not be correct to comment on my own performance but the other audience members who were chosen to appear on stage with me were all excellent. Yet, the real energetic, frenetic and comic star of the show was Abey Bradbury. She wrote and performed this whistle-stop tour through the Bard’s classic play with such verve and sheer pizazz it was a joy to behold. Her playfulness and obvious love of clowning were such a treat she really brought...

13Jul

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

A-Typical Rainbow – Turbine Theatre

Research indicates that autistic people have higher rates of LGBT identities and feelings than the wider population. In a 2017 study by the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), 69.7% of autistic participants reported being non-heterosexual. The fact that the author of this review got the autumn of his gay life before learning this fact might suggest that representation and awareness are issues that need addressing. JJ Green’s new play ‘A-Typical Rainbow’ goes some way to tackling ignorance and telling a story from an autistic and queer perspective. This ground-breaking production is currently staged at the Turbine Theatre, which opened in 2019, as part of the regeneration of Battersea Power Station. It’s a cute, bijou space, bringing character and culture to...

13Jul

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

A Pretty Sh*tty Love – Theatr Clwyd

Written by Katherine Chandler, A Pretty Sh*tty Love is inspired by true events that shook Wales and reverberated around the world. A story about dreaming of love, living in fear and finding the strength to pull yourself out. Chandler has written an extremely detailed and honest piece which evokes all sorts of feelings, both good and not so good. It is a good mix of humour and extreme emotion. Perfectly directed by Francesca Goodridge, we are transported from the world of new love and happiness to the dark world of jealousy, control and violence. With an interesting set made of a maze of glass walls with words written on them, designer Lulu Tam has created a world of wonder and confusion which added an extra depth to the storytelling. Lighting by Jess Bernberg was very cleverly used to a...

Ladies in Lavender – Frinton Summer Theatre

13Jul

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

South East

Ladies in Lavender – Frinton Summer Theatre

To any newbie visiting Frinton Summer Theatre for the first time there are some particularly quaint English traditions that will mark out this experience as something different to the norm. The first being the national anthem is played before the performance commences (and you must stand). The second is the raffle after the interval where a lucky ticket holder can win anything from a bottle of gin to a gift voucher. Frinton Summer Theatre is now in its 81st year and started the season with ‘Ladies in Lavender’, a play adapted from a star-studded 2004 film, which was originally based on a 1908 short story by William J Locke. With such a heritage you may wonder if over 100 years later the message has got confused, but I’m pleased to report the themes of love, loss, desire and jealousy are...

13Jul

By Peter RuddickNo Comments

North West

In The Plus – Lock 91, Manchester

Imagine a world obsessed with cabbage. Arguably defined by cabbage. Poets and oil painters are inspired by the vegetable as they create their great works. The problem is you don’t care for cabbage. It might sound bizarre. But swap cabbage for sex and suddenly it’s an incredibly accessible way of explaining how some people experience their asexuality. The idea is one of the highlights of James Reilly’s deeply personal one-man show In The Plus. Reilly’s ambition is clear. Celebrate one of the identities and orientations represented by the plus in LGBTQ+. He absolutely achieves that and will surely educate his audience at the same time. However, there’s also potential here for something greater and more powerful. Potential that isn’t quite met. The show opens with an audio montage of...

The Play That Goes Wrong – Sheffield Lyceum

12Jul

By Jo TillotsonNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Play That Goes Wrong – Sheffield Lyceum

The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society cordially invites you to enjoy its production of ‘The Murder at Haversham Manor’, a witty, dramatic retelling of a classic murder mystery… until it all goes a bit wrong. Disasters with the set, actors who can’t remember their lines, accidents incapacitating members of the company… Nothing goes right for this daring troop of amateur actors. But we all know that that’s not the real synopsis of this brilliant play. Mischief Theatre created the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society as a vehicle for their particular brand of comedy, with every actor essentially playing two roles: their Cornley persona and then the character played by that persona in the production of the day. In today’s theatre landscape of nuanced drama and technological wizardry, thi...

12Jul

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Arcadia 87 – Salford Arts Theatre

In this Manchester Fringe Festival production in the heart of Salford, we’re transported back to an 80’s era Brighton Pier. Live a Little perform their debut show Arcadia 87. The company consisting of 5 MA graduates from The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA); 3 Brits and 2 Americans, who endeavour to create new, innovative devised theatre that connects their stories. The story sees 4 strangers brought together when a storm hits the pier: when they become locked in an arcade to hide from the rain, things move very quickly, and they find themselves spilling their deepest, darkest secrets in order to be released. The script is a bit rough around the edges, it lacks cohesion, moving rapidly through the plot whilst never giving enough to develop characters, relationsh...

Do you remember the first rhyme? – Gullivers Lounge

11Jul

By Peter RuddickNo Comments

North West

Do you remember the first rhyme? – Gullivers Lounge

There’s no shortage of fringe shows exploring how and when people find their creative outlet. At first glance, Lisa O’Hare’s one-woman show on her mid-life epiphany (it’s not a crisis), and her re-discovery of poetry, might feel like it’s covering well-trodden ground. That doesn’t make it any less valid, though. An empathetic and enigmatic performer can help an audience enjoy anew a familiar story. That’s exactly what’s achieved in Do you remember the first rhyme?. Part monologue, part poetry performance, O’Hare transitions effortlessly between prose and verse. The show might take a little while to get going but as soon as the first self-penned rhyme is performed the audience relax in the knowledge they’re in the hands of a fabulous performer of spoken word. In some ways, the show...

10Jul

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

The Great Gatsby – Hope Street Theatre

The Great Gatsby is an infamous tale of hedonism, debauchery and some of the most deeply shallow people ever created in American literature. While some people raised eyebrows over this burlesque version at Liverpool’s Hope Street Theatre, skilfully directed by Tom Martin, there probably isn’t actually a better story to inject with some sequins, ostrich feathers and the sophisticated glamour that burlesque brings to the stage. The play opens as it means to go on, with lots of dancing. Decadence is apparent from the outset with beautiful period costumes and shining masques concealing the identities of the revellers from each other, their husbands and wives, and the audience. The choreography is excellent, and the entire cast flawlessly come together as one group. Nick Carraway (Jordan Bar...