REVIEWS Archives - Page 43 of 406

19Jul

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

The Defamation – Riverside Studios

Presented as part of the Riverside Studios Bitesize Festival, this is an intriguing piece of theatre written by Zen Tucker. Said to be inspired by the events of the Depp versus Heard defamation lawsuit in the US, it is situated in a liminal space between life and death. Five of Shakespeare's best-known female characters are obliged to spend interminable time awaiting the decision of an afterlife court as to whether they should be dispatched to heaven or hell. The setting is a library with somewhat irregular shelves and two small tables. The characters are Desdemona, Lady Macbeth, Hermione, Ophelia and Hero. For those not familiar with Shakespeare, the character sheet provides a useful summary of their roles their respective plays. The play, which is written in blank verse, involves the ...

Les Misérables: School Edition – The Renaker Theatre, Z Arts

18Jul

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Les Misérables: School Edition – The Renaker Theatre, Z Arts

This is the second staging of Boublil and Schoenberg’s Les Misérables School Edition for the fabulous Manchester Musical Youth theatre company during its ten years of producing award-winning youth theatre. With a cast of sixty-two talented young performers and directed by the phenomenal Dave Holden they have brought this sensational musical score to life at its finest. Les Misérables: School Edition is based on Victor Hugo’s humongous historical novel of 1862 that covers the twists, turns and tales of the French Revolution. Despite its inherent theme of adversity and misfortune along with the weight of the title, Les Misérables it is not all misery and no-joy-show rather it beautifully brings to stage the profound realities of our deep dark history. This well-known epic story follows...

Midsummer Night’s Dream – Shakespeare North Playhouse

17Jul

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Midsummer Night’s Dream – Shakespeare North Playhouse

I have seen the famous Shakesperean comedy “Midsummer Night’s Dream” numerous times, several of these in the wonderful Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot. Every time I have seen this play it has been delivered with a different view, a different perspective – in a different way. Although the story remains the same, the journey and the players take on various routes. I have also seen the amateur touring group the Handlebards do this very play, at this very theatre, before in 2023 but knew by seeing this innovative and unpredictable group, that the journey this evening would be unique and refreshing. And it was!! The cast consisted of four females, which in itself was a unique stance in theatre. The cast intermingled with the audience (which disappointingly was only around 60 peo...

17Jul

By Louise PennNo Comments

London

Knives and Forks – Riverside Studios

In Danielle James's ambitious but uneven play, Iris and Thalia live in a flat share. Firm friends who share a life of carefree partying and fun. But Iris is hiding a catastrophic secret that will rip their world apart. Knives and Forks, directed by Annah Calascione, has a strong story at its heart, one of love and acceptance in the face of the ultimate ending. Where it becomes a little problematic is in the additional elements utilised to tell this story. Both Iris and Thalia have shadows, or 'psyches' who dress like them and express themselves through movement and words or art, added to a huge canvas backdrop. Now and again, it is a clever shorthand to highlight what is not being said. But as both an emotional device, and a practical one to tell us where we are in the non-linear...

17Jul

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Conversion – Lion & Unicorn Theatre

Precarious Theatre is taking its shot at proselytizing without any precarity to it. In both the writing and staging of its new play, Conversion, there are shockingly few risks taken and very little grit for audiences to sink their teeth into. As promised in its advertising, the play, written by Precarious Theatre founders Liam Grogan and Marc Biasioli covers an excerpt from the life and times of St. Augustine of Canterbury (David Allen). Beginning with his dispensation from sunny Rome and following his journey to the strange and savage land of Britain, this play is not shy of including multitudes of characters in its opening scenes. With more the aura of a school pageant than a fringe theatre production its cast galumphs and galivants across the stage in mock pagan revelry before...

16Jul

By Paddy Darnell-WalshNo Comments

North West

Sister Act – Blackpool Opera House

Grab your habits and rush down to the Opera House, because the nuns are in town! Based on the Whoopi Goldberg classic from 1992, the musical version of Sister Act largely stays true to the movie plot. The story follows wannabe singer Deloris Van Cartier’s escape from her gangster boyfriend, as she inadvertently witnesses a murder. Where does she go? Into hiding, as a nun, in a Philadelphia convent – of course! When she struggles to adapt, annoying Mother Superior in the process as she leads her fellow sisters astray, she is tasked with improving the woeful convent choir. Wonderful music from composer Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast), and lyrics by Glenn Slater (School of Rock, Love Never Dies), breathe fresh life and vibrancy to the story. The production boaste...

Kaleidoscope Festival – Alexandra Palace Park

16Jul

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Kaleidoscope Festival – Alexandra Palace Park

The Kaleidoscope Festival, set in the lush Alexandra Palace Park with stunning views across the London skyline, offered a vibrant array of activities, music, and performances throughout the day. The festival was exceptionally well-organized and maintained, providing ample space for attendees to enjoy the grounds, views, and diverse performances. One of the standout features of the festival was its cleanliness. There were plenty of bins and garbage bags strategically placed around the venue, ensuring that the festival remained mostly clean throughout the day. Additionally, the festival provided a large number of portable toilets, which were sufficient to accommodate the crowd without long queue times. Inside the building, where the Fringe Stage was located, there were also indoor toilets...

16Jul

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Paranormal Activity – Leeds Playhouse

All of us have a personal deep, dark fear – mine is enclosed spaces – we’d run a million miles from, but it says something about human nature that most of us volunteer to be scared half to death watching horror movies. When the Courtyard theatre went totally dark there was a deep sense of both excitement and unease as we waited for this theatrical adaptation of the classic horror movie Paranormal Activity. There are two types of horror – splatter or psychological – and life long fan of the macabre Levi Holloway’s adaptation was most definitely on the creepy side, messing with our minds rather than splashing us with blood. Fans of the wildly successful Paranormal Activity franchise will enjoy this, but there’s plenty for people who never saw them at the flicks to enjoy as Holloway had...

14Jul

By Louise KershawNo Comments

North West

Dear Eliza – The King’s Arms, Salford

Barbara Diesel’s Dear Eliza, currently touring UK fringe festivals, is a powerful and raw piece of theatre that explores the fear of the effects of mental ill health upon friendship and delves into the conversations that most people find too difficult, too upsetting, too challenging to have. This one woman show presents as a live video recording of responses to letters from one friend to another. Except the letters were never sent; never received. The letters are found hidden away following the suicide of the sender. The impact on Eliza, the recipient, is recorded in response; ironically, never to be received by its intended beneficiary and cleverly pulling the audience into that role. The structure of the piece allows a linear narrative which depicts the friendship between the two y...

Fine Line: A GreySpace Production – The Fitzgerald

13Jul

By Amelia PhillpottsNo Comments

North West

Fine Line: A GreySpace Production – The Fitzgerald

When the stylistic choice is made to produce a play with minimal set, a small cast and a character driven storyline, the pressure of the show falls almost solely on the actors’ ability to work realistically within the space and present a believable yet fascinating relationship to entice the audience. Fine Line: A GreySpace Production manages to excel in its stylistic choice and create a realistic dynamic without crutches of realistic set. The play follows teenager Mil and her counsellor Josie reconnecting by chance after 2 years. This rekindling is inter-spliced with flashbacks to their initial relationship, which constantly blurs the lines between a professional relationship and a deeper emotional connection. As they reminisce about the past, you watch how thei...