REVIEWS Archives - Page 446 of 548

16Mar

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

SIX: The Musical – Festival Theatre

The musical SIX, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss and directed by Moss and Jamie Armitage, is an 80-minute celebration of 21st-century girl power through the story of the six wives of Henry VIII. In it, Catherine of Aragon (Chloe Hart), Anne Boleyn (Jennifer Caldwell), Jane Seymour (Casey Al-Shaqsy), Anna of Cleves (Aiesha Naomi Pease), Katherine Howard (Jaina Brock-Patel), and Catherine Parr (Alana M Robinson) get to put across their point of view through a glitsy Chicago-esque Cell Block Tango set-up (replace “Pop – Six – Squish – Uh-Uh – Cicero - Lipchitz” with “divorced – beheaded – died – divorced – beheaded – survived). The show first premiered 5 years ago in a hotel conference room at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival performed by half a dozen student actors and has since then re...

16Mar

By Codie WrightNo Comments

North West

Magic Goes Wrong – Storyhouse, Chester

Living up to the company name, Mischief Theatre are back with Magic Goes Wrong - taking their brand of mayhem and madness into the world of illusion. Amazingly, this show was co-written with Penn and Teller and follows the catastrophic attempts of wannabe magician Sophisticato, played by Sam Hill, has he tries to raise money for those injured by magic (which, after tonight’s show, is likely to be many more people.) Hill is cheesy and a little awkward, exactly as expected in a show like this, and there’s something about his slicked-back hair and pained grimace that makes him all-too familiar somehow, as he tries (and fails) to keep control of the doomed show. He’s joined on stage by the Mind Mangler, played by Rory Fairbairn who has some really fantastic comedy moments. Less slapstick, m...

16Mar

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

COCK- Ambassadors Theatre

Written by Mike Bartlett and directed by Marianne Elliott, Olivier-award winning COCK tells the story of one half of a gay couple, known as John, who unexpectedly falls in love with a woman and as tensions rise, he struggles to decide what he truly wants and who he is. Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey leads as the charming yet confused John, the only named character in the show, and stays on the stage for the entire performance (one hour and 45 minutes to be exact). Bailey is incredible to watch as we see John slowly unravel and his internal battle with himself was palpable. Bailey’s acting is stellar as he expertly switches between humorous outbursts and emotional turmoil. Golden Globe Award winner Taron Egerton plays John’s long-term partner M and is mesmerising in every scene he is...

16Mar

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

The Glee Club – Oldham Coliseum

Britain, 1960’s: a decade of change and of course the birth of the swinging sixties. The Glee Club, set in Yorkshire 1962, takes us right back to this era as we follow the story of six miners and their love of music. The Glee Club is a six-man musical group, who come together to escape their daily lives and share their love of music with their friends. They are preparing for the annual gala, but as they do, we begin to see their lives unfold, and change for good. The story, although not action packed, is one of male camaraderie, friendship and troubles. The play begins and ends with narration from Colin: the youngster of the group, with a big voice and bigger dreams of becoming a pop star, but unfortunately doomed to fail as life has other plans for him. Each of the six men dea...

16Mar

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Addams Family – Hull New Theatre

Writing this review, I am happily singing along to just one of the catchy ditties that entertained us at the Hull New Theatre on Tuesday evening, courtesy of The Addams Family’s musical comedy. “Death is just around the corner”, sung by the family matriarch, Morticia (Joanne Clifton of Strictly Come Dancing and The Rocky Horror Show fame), though morbid in content, was sung in such a joyful way, I’ll be humming it for days. From the start, the amazing stage setting held its own with the equally amazing cast, being suitably spooky, with smoke and lightning strikes both adding to the atmosphere. Aided and abetted by wonderful live music emanating from the orchestra pit, we knew we were in for a treat. And as the familiar finger clicks by “The Thing” started proceedings, it was ghoul...

Cherry Jezebel – Everyman Theatre, Liverpool

16Mar

By Kiefer WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Cherry Jezebel – Everyman Theatre, Liverpool

Jonathan Larkin’s new play is indeed a sparkling celebration of everything queer. Set in the world of Liverpool drag, this sharply funny and poignant play focuses on the outrageous diva Cherry Brandy (Mickey Jones) and her friends, rivals and herstory within the queer community. Cherry appears to be in the autumn of her drag life, but she has one thing that most of her rivals don’t really have and that is a passion for life and a big sense of fun; yes she has her low moments (don’t we all) but she is a local icon and we just know that she could easily wipe the floor with all of the pretenders to her diva status. Larkin’s beautifully constructed script is both astute and crisp and never draws breathe with some great one- liners, gobby scouse humour and quite barbed dialogue throughout...

Dreamboats and Petticoats – Palace Theatre

15Mar

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Dreamboats and Petticoats – Palace Theatre

Bill Kenwright’s and Laura Mansfield’s presentation of Dreamboats and Petticoats opened for its one week run of the 2022 tour at the magnificent Manchester Palace Theatre. This juke box musical is written around a compilation of hit songs from the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, the storyline is thin but still noteworthy where we see a group of youngsters trying to make a success of their musical careers. Laura (Elizabeth Carter) the most successful of the group and her beau Bobby (David Ribi) who has taken a backstep from the limelight due to stage fright. The couple take summer jobs Laura alone in Torquay and Bobby in Butlin’s Bognor Region with the rest of the gang. Another significant coupling in the script is Norman (Alastair Hill) a cool and flirtatious lead singer and the mother of...

15Mar

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Kes – Octagon Theatre, Bolton

The most frequent responses to my reviewing this new adaptation of 'Kes' at the newly refurbished Octagon Theatre in Bolton a co-production with Theatre by the Lake, were ' Ooh, I read that at school' or 'I love the film' (often followed by an impersonation of Brian Glover as the PE teacher). Any of the audience attending last night expecting a faithful rendition of the novel, or wanting a staged version of the film, would have been disappointed. What they got instead was an intensely theatrical experience; a story of 'a boy, not a bird', that should be appreciated for its own considerable merits. This northern story of Billy Casper (Jake Dunn) finding and training a kestrel is so embedded in the psyche, that the initial moments of this new adaptation by Robert Alan Evans are disorienta...

15Mar

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

Hairspray – Edinburgh Playhouse

‘Save your personal life…’ instructs Velma Von Tussle ‘… for the camera, Sweetie.’ She, back in ‘62 (OK, John Waters in the mid 80’s) had clearly seen something in a crystal ball about TV beyond the early 90’s. Despite how prescient this observation, it was soon overwhelmed by a production possessing strength, power and above all… rhythm. The dialogue - sharp and indestructible as a diamond – swung perfectly between the songs and vice versa, but where musicals can often find themselves staffed by good actors who can sing and dance a little, or good singers/dancers who can act a bit, this had a cast capable of handling it all. Of a Dick Van Dyke accent catastrophe there was barely a flicker. Not a cue nor a laugh was missed. It’s scarcely believable that this was the professional debu...

Dave Allen… A Journey Through Life… and Death – King’s Arms

15Mar

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Dave Allen… A Journey Through Life… and Death – King’s Arms

Dave Allen was brilliant at pointing out the ironies and absurdities of life... and death. He was a storyteller who loved to poke fun at religion at a time, particularly in his native Ireland, when the church was extremely powerful. His shows were banned by the Irish broadcaster, RTE. He said, “I’m an atheist, thank God,” and he insisted he was not making fun of religion but people’s concept of religion. As a child at a strict Catholic school, even though they tried to scare him with hell and damnation, his natural intelligence and curiosity made him question faith and belief. Kieran Cunningham completely embodied the comedian, who has been called the father of alternative comedy. From the voice to the hand gestures and all his other little mannerisms he brought Allen back to life. W...