REVIEWS Archives - Page 445 of 549

The Pirates of Penzance – King’s Theatre, Edinburgh

23Mar

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

The Pirates of Penzance – King’s Theatre, Edinburgh

The Edinburgh Gilbert and Sullivan Society are back with a production of The Pirates of Penzance, directed by Alan Borthwick and David Lyle and starring Keegan Siebken as Frederic, Lorna Murray as Mabel, Sebastion Davidson as the Pirate King and Colin Povey as Major-General Stanley, the latter being responsible for perhaps the show's most famous aspect, the Major General’s Song (“I am the very model of a modern Major-General”), basically the XIXth century Alphabet Aerobics in terms of tongue-twisting at speed. Fittingly for a comic opera, the show's very title is humorous on several levels. On the one hand, Penzance was a docile seaside resort at the time, and consequently not the place one would expect to encounter pirates in, and on the other, the title worked as a jab at the theatric...

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Liverpool Empire

23Mar

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Liverpool Empire

Striking in its complexity, modern in its production and exceptional in its execution, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time provides a theatre experience like no other. Full of sensory elements and pacy dialogue, the audience is fully drawn into the mindset of the lead character and remain relentlessly so for the whole show. This stage adaptation by Simon Stephens of the renowned best-selling book by Mark Haddon did not disappoint. A National Theatre production, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is centred on Christopher Boone (David Breeds) a 15yr old teenager that is describes himself as having "some behavioural difficulties". It is an emotionally charged journey from childhood into independence; naivety to an awareness of being in the world. Opening...

Father Brown The Murderer in the Mirror – Blackpool Grand

23Mar

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Father Brown The Murderer in the Mirror – Blackpool Grand

Amongst the array of great literary detectives, Father Brown, the ‘hero’ of GK Chesterton’s short stories is something of an antithesis of the larger-than-life personalities we have become accustomed to. The usual rock-solid confidence in one’s own genius that is the hallmark of many of our famous sleuths is contrasted sharply by the unassuming way Father Brown will sit back and quietly observe, letting his companions talk themselves into confessions of malcontent and murder. Rumpus theatre company have woven one such story into the classic theatrical ‘whodunnit’ formula to present ‘The Murderer in the Mirror’ starring John Lyons - well-known to audiences thanks to his TV work as DS George Toolan, sidekick to the great Sir David Jason’s DI Frost. In this tale, a well-known actor and ...

23Mar

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Shrek the Musical – Hull New Theatre

I haven’t a maternal bone in my body, but, on Tuesday evening when a seven-year-old Shrek was cruelly abandoned by his parents, I actually felt stirrings of sorriness for the poor little mite. This tear-jerking scene heralded the start of Hessle Theatre Company’s production of Shrek the Musical at the Hull New Theatre and, heartstrings firmly tugged, I settled down to see how the green baby-ogre fared. In 2020, Covid wreaked havoc with the original release date of this amateur show so, out of mothballs, would it still have the same allure? Well, don’t let the word “amateur” put you off - this crew are as good as any professionals I have seen. The energetic cast, dressed in the most wonderful costumes, sang beautifully, danced and acted their hearts out, keeping a well-attended the...

The Ghost Train – The Little Theatre, Birkenhead

23Mar

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

The Ghost Train – The Little Theatre, Birkenhead

To many people Arnold Ridley will always be the impeccably polite Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army, but before he made the catchphrase, ‘May I be excused sir?’ famous, he wrote more than 30 plays of which only The Ghost Train, penned in 1923, achieved notable success, running for 665 performances at St Martin’s Theatre and being adapted for cinema three times. Almost a hundred years on, The Carlton Players under the direction of Jen Henry resurrect this delightful comedy thriller, importantly set in 1925, where a group of passengers are stranded in a Cornish railway station waiting room on a dark and stormy night. They have missed their connection because the ‘daft as a brush’ Teddie Deakin (Mark Prescott) pulled the communication cord on their train after losing his hat out of the window....

22Mar

By Chloe StallibrassNo Comments

London

School of Rock – New Wimbledon Theatre

School is in session at New Wimbledon Theatre as The School of Rock invites you to be 'in the band' until 26th of March. The story follows Dewey Finn (Jake Sharp) struggling to stay a member of a rock band whilst living with his old high school band mate Ned Schneebly (Matthew Rowland). He poses as Ned to undertake a position as a teacher in a prestigious school to pay his rent and to help boost his chances of winning The Battle of the Bands, leading to him creating his own band made up of the talented and gifted children of Horace Green. As always, I'm keen eyed towards the sets on the shows I see. This set was gorgeous for its transitions and used clever tricks to set the scene and create the key locations within the storyline. I particularly loved the giant sliding and rotating do...

Dreamboats and Petticoats – The Alexandra, Birmingham

22Mar

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Dreamboats and Petticoats – The Alexandra, Birmingham

“Petticoats and Dreamcoats’” first incarnation arrived in theatres over eleven years ago and happily and squarely hit their target demographic straight in the bulls’ eye. It was preppy and fun and joyous and brought back many memories for those who lived through the years portrayed. This latest re-incarnation is ten years on as is its target audience and perhaps a little less eager to jump to its feet. This is a show holding great memories for those who were there - particularly Butlins’ and a youth club - but holding little else for the rest of us. The plot is scant and characters merely cyphers - but what holds it together is the music and, though the choices are not the most memorable of the period, there are a few great tunes to bop to. If you can still bop. “Lipstick on Your Collar...

18Mar

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Rice – Unity Theatre

Rice, written by Michele Lee and directed by Matthew Xia, is a fun two woman show which explores the roles of gender, race and class in today’s world, against a background of the migrant experience and how different generations are impacted by it. Nisha (Anya Jaya-Murphy) is a young executive officer at Golden Fields, Australia’s largest producer of rice. The fashion of alternatives such as cauliflower rice and quinoa are impacting business in a big way, but Nisha has her eye on a deal which would make the company the national distributor of rice in India. Long hours and long phone calls with the Indian Agricultural Minister’s irritating PA, Gretel are taking their toll and Nisha soon finds herself conflicting with office cleaner, Yvette (Angela Yeoh). Yvette is part of a new cleanin...

18Mar

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Red – Original Theatre

I’ve been a fan of comedian Marcus Brigstocke for a while, so I was very excited at the chance to review his hour long two hander, The Red. The concept of the play is beautifully simple - Benedict’s dad has passed away and amongst his last will and testament is a letter for Benedict, inviting him to visit the family’s well stocked wine cellar and enjoy an extra special bottle of red wine with which he shares a birthday. The problem is, Benedict is an alcoholic and has been in recovery and sober for 25 years. The drama was originally commissioned for BBC Radio 4 and the intention for this to be an aural experience stands out in the writing. The dialogue feels genuine, familiar and comfortable as Benedict and his father paint a picture of a life lived together, of other family members and...

17Mar

By Khushboo ShahNo Comments

London

Gulliver’s Travels – Unicorn Theatre

Gulliver’s adventures come to life with the bizarre and delightful production of Gulliver’s Travels playing at the Unicorn Theatre for age 7+. Directed by Jay Woodcock-Stewart, Lulu Raczka’s rendition of Jonathan’s Swift classic brilliantly uses form to share Gulliver’s narrative to a vivacious audience of young people accompanied by adults. Leah Brotherhood, Mae Munuo (Gulliver), Sam Swann, and Jacoba Williams make an energetic entrance to hip-hop music with a camera and a portable spotlight on a whitewashed stage with multiple tables set at a corner. They set the tone of the play, dancing and celebrating, interacting with the audience, and playing with the camera as their movements are projected on the white backdrop. Photo: Marc Brenner The narrative seamlessly begins as the da...