REVIEWS Archives - Page 463 of 548

Christmas Dinner – Edinburgh Lyceum Theatre

10Dec

By Melissa JonesNo Comments

Scotland

Christmas Dinner – Edinburgh Lyceum Theatre

They say a child first encounters theatre at Christmas. This year, the jewel in Edinburgh Theatre’s crown, The Lyceum lends its vast cavernous stage and stunning auditorium to Catherine Wheels Theatre Company, one of Scotland’s and possibly the UK’s best theatre company for Children. Armed with stories galore and a never-ending costume box they set to work to entice another hoard of children into the theatre. Writer Robert Alan Evans has dished up an eccentric celebration of why theatre is so important. In fact, it should come with a content warning: this production may make your child fall in love with theatre. The premise is … simple? Lesley (Elicia Daly), a tired and harangued stagehand has had a terrible past two years. Who hasn’t? Grief stricken, she wants nothing more of her Chris...

Doctor Who: Time Fracture – Unit HQ, London

10Dec

By Coral MourantNo Comments

London

Doctor Who: Time Fracture – Unit HQ, London

17 different worlds, 43 live actors, around two hours and one mission; to save the universe. You've been selected by the Doctor to join the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, also known as UNIT, to investigate the time fracture. The rift in time and space is becoming out of control. There's not long left before it destroys all of existence! In this story there needs to be a hero, and this time, it's you. The Doctor Who experience, presented by Immersive Everywhere, is a masterpiece of promenade theatre. Whilst similar types of production exist, you have never seen one on this scale before. Catering to a beloved fanbase who know the details and expect perfection, I think what they get is pretty close. From the outside it looks like an ordinary warehouse, but, predictably, the building is...

9Dec

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Oliver Twist – Storyhouse Chester

The Christmas season is back and with it brings the next instalment in the ever-popular Storyhouse Originals, Oliver Twist. Adapted by Alex Clifton, Storyhouse have worked their magic once again to bring this classic story to Chester with the added extra something special that Storyhouse always manage to inject. With the auditorium set out in the thrust configuration, the intimate setting it perfect to transport us to the streets of London, with a huge house at the back of the stage as the focal point. The use of the space is creative and transitions from scene to scene with such ease that you go from a London Street to Fagin’s Lair to Mr Brownlow’s House in a blink of an eye. With pieces opening out in to shop fronts, to secret ‘entrances’ for Fagin, including tiny details like a life ...

The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart – Royal Exchange

9Dec

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart – Royal Exchange

At Christmas the Royal Exchange usually stages a classic musical to bring us some festive cheer with Sweet Charity, Guys and Dolls and Gypsy being recent successful offerings. It is therefore something of a radical departure this year to find the new team of Artistic Directors (Bryony Shanahan and Roy Weise), plumping for a play based around Scottish folk ballads to entice theatregoers away from pantomime, hearth and home. As I made my way to my favourite theatre, braving monsoon conditions, drunken office parties and the questionable attractions of the Manchester markets, I was intrigued by this quirky choice. I left three hours later, exhilarated, charmed and slightly confused by this uneven but undeniably captivating piece of theatre. We are presented with the eponymous Prudencia Har...

Tom’s Midnight Garden – Theatre by the Lake

8Dec

By Karen Morley-ChesworthNo Comments

North West

Tom’s Midnight Garden – Theatre by the Lake

Nothing heralds the start of Christmas like the family production at Theatre by the Lake - and this year they added some festive sparkle to the children's classic Tom's Midnight Garden, writes Karen Morley-Chesworth. Not a traditional Christmas story, but one loved by all ages, making this the ideal family visit to the theatre. Director Liz Stevenson has brought some real drama to this tale, where time past and present come together on the stroke of 13 from the grandfather clock in the hall. The characters from across time create an eerie image in a beautifully choreographed scene at the opening of the production. The minimalist set crates the moves through time and into the midnight garden with flying flowers and a greenhouse. However, it is the snowfall in the second part of thi...

8Dec

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

The Last Nativity – The Actor’s Church

“Now’s the perfect time for the nativity. They’re drunk enough that they’ll be forgiving but not so drunk that they’re falling asleep.” Thus, siblings Laura, Blake and Mia begin the performance of the nativity play that Laura scripted when they were just children. Now all grown up, and having grown apart, the three return home for Christmas to discover that the last minute addition of Nana Sue to the family celebrations means their Secret Santa exchange is a gift short. Younger sister Mia (they never say she’s the youngest, but you can always tell, can’t you?), an actor struggling for work, devises the idea of giving Nana Sue the gift of a performance of a much loved nativity play, complete with badly aged songs (Santa Give Me A Kiss For Christmas would definitely have attracted the att...

8Dec

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Algorithms – Soho Theatre

Every so often you come across a show that is pure theatrical brilliance. Witty, hilarious, sad, relatable and performed with delicious tragicomic timing, Sadie Clark's "Algorithms" is quite simply one of the best shows of 2021. It's not surprising that the play had a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019 and went on to win the TV Foundation's 'Stage to Screen' New Voice Award in 2020. Brooke is facing the milestone of her 30th birthday amid the debris of the sudden failure of her relationship, leaving her with nothing but Amira's dying succulents. She wants and desperately needs a new person in her life - hopefully hooking up before her birthday party so she can show her mother she has a date - and uses the services of the online dating company she works for as...

Heathers the Musical – Edinburgh Playhouse

8Dec

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

Heathers the Musical – Edinburgh Playhouse

A toe tapping dark comedy, Heathers will have you laughing out loud at subjects in which you should really keep a straight face. Based on the cult classic 80s movie Heathers (Starring Christian Slater and Winona Ryder), Heathers the musical draws a very fine line between satire and serious subjects such as rape, suicide and of course murder, fortunately it does so very well indeed. Veronica Sawyer (Rebecca Wickes) is a student trying to survive life in high school, who just happens to have a talent for forging people’s writing. When this talent gets her noticed by the popular girls/ the Heathers (Maddison Firth, Merryl Ansah and Lizzy Parker) she finds herself entangled in a life of popularity, sex and one mysterious new boy: Jason Dean (Simon Gordon). One thing leads to anothe...

8Dec

By Nicky LambertNo Comments

REVIEWS

Cinderella – UK Cinemas

In 2020, in response to the closure of theatres due to the pandemic, Peter Duncan (former Blue Peter presenter and legendary pantomime Dame) decided to produce Jack & The Beanstalk in his own garden to be streamed online as Christmas entertainment for families. It was so popular that it achieved cinema release. This year he has followed it up with “Cinderella” and I have to say, it surpassed my expectations. The pantomime is filmed in a house (Hardup Mansion), garden and surrounding woodland and also on location at a lavish stately home type property. It took a little getting used to at first as an outdoor pantomime is unusual, plus it was filmed in the summer, but I soon got used to that and enjoyed the different settings and imaginative way it was staged. The house was a per...

7Dec

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Eric and Ern – The Lowry

Anytime there is a poll on the public’s favourite comedy act, or a look back at the TV of yesteryear, one double act will feature, without fail – Morecambe and Wise. Icons of their era, they’ve left a legacy of classic comedy that is adored to this day. So, whilst modern-day comedians may attempt to push boundaries with their material, it’s a brave soul that attempts to re-visit the most-loved sketches of these titans of British comedy. Ian Ashpitel (as Ernie) and Jonty Stephens (as Eric) are those souls, having developed tonight’s variety show from their stage play of the duo’s enduring partnership. But it is quickly obvious that even the most die-hard fans will be breathing a big sigh of relief that the material is in very safe, and very funny hands. Soaking the audience with a ...