REVIEWS Archives - Page 48 of 346

16Nov

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

SuperYou – Lyric Theatre

Katie is a young girl struggling to find her way in the world, overwhelmed by self-doubt, and feeling that her older brother, Matty, a talented comic book artist, is their mother's favourite. Mother is dealing with her own difficulties. Domestic abuse has led to the break-up of the family and frequent house moves. The mother's eventual spiral into alcoholism results in her losing job after job leaving her daughter to care and provide for her. Like her brother, Katie has a talent for art and immerses herself in drawing, in particular developing her own comic book character, Lightning Girl. With her brother's encouragement, she creates a team of superheroines who she literally brings to life. In dealing with life's problems and losses, she learns to love herself and have faith in her ...

La Clique – Spiegeltent, Leicester Square

16Nov

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

London

La Clique – Spiegeltent, Leicester Square

I don’t remember the last time I booed - with disappointment - that a show was over. Such was the sheer joy I’d had watching La Clique, I never wanted it to end. Billed as a cabaret, circus, comedy, music extravaganza, I can vouch that it is. And while it’s based in the tourist heartland of Leicester Square’s festive Christmas market, I can tell you there’s no tourist tat on offer here. What there is, is a madcap world of tomfoolery and off the wall antics that will have you begging for more. Taking place in a big tent – which is warm and comfortable, and set with booths around the outer perimeter (designed for groups of 4-6), there are two stages which the performers make full use of. The atmosphere from the start is frenetic and mad. The music is what I’d call ‘circus hyper...

16Nov

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

Billy Liar – Gladstone Theatre

BDS’s latest production of Billy Liar is a great night out. Director Adam Comer presents a super cast, who bring Waterhouse and Hall’s hit play and film from the 1960’s to life. It still has humour and appeal as a northern working-class classic of its time, even if perhaps a few references are a little dated, which could have easily been cut for contemporary audiences, without losing any flavour of the period. Billy Fisher tells lies which get him into hot water. His wild imagination and storytelling mean his exasperated family don’t believe a word he says and the three young ladies in his life are all being led a merry dance. In the title role, Danny Myers, making his DBS debut, shines as Billy. His natural exuberance and energy was there from the first moment. His cheeki...

Scouse Dick Whittington – Liverpool’s Royal Court

16Nov

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Scouse Dick Whittington – Liverpool’s Royal Court

Let’s get ready to rumble, it’s the start of the festive season at The Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool with this year’s pantomime Scouse Dick Whittington. Written by Kevin Fearon and Directed by Mark Chatterton. In the City of Liverpool, it has all gone array, there are no cats within the city as King Rat (Andrew Schofield) has had them killed. Mayor Bradley Fitzwarren (Liam Tobin) is forced to step down as mayor and his daughter Alice (Hayley Sheen) are wondering who can replace him other than King Rat as Mayor. Meanwhile Holly Head (Lindzi Germain) and her son D*ck Head (Adam McCoy), have just returned from a lovely little holiday. When they see a dead cat in the road all of a sudden with a flash bang a fairy (Paige Fenlon) appears. She brings back Cat (Jamie Clarke) from the dead, but...

16Nov

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Opera North: Falstaff – The Lowry

The rainbow-striped curtain rises on Opera North’s sustainable take on Verdi’s final masterpiece, a comic opera drawn from Shakespeare in director Olivia Fuchs’ re-imagined riotous and rampant romp that serves up satire, slapstick, and stags along the way. Roguish knight Falstaff (Henry Waddington) is down on his luck, residing in the car park of the Garter Inn and reliant upon its Host (Gordon D. Shaw) to keep him in good spirits of any kind! When he informs Bardolph (Colin Judson) and Pistol (Dean Robinson) that he intends to seduce Alice Ford (Kate Royal) and Meg Page (Helen Évora) they refuse to deliver his letters, so he throws them out, turning to his assistant Robin (Robert Gardiner) instead. When the letters are eventually received, Mistress Quigley (Louise Winter), Meg, Alice,...

16Nov

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

The Woman in Black – Richmond Theatre

This is a two-hander play with Malcolm James playing Arthur Kipps and Mark Hawkins the actor and takes place in the early 1950’s. The story is of an older man Mr Kipps living out his disturbing life and telling his story through is younger self portrayed by the enthusiastic Actor. The scene is set; Arthur Kipps is a solicitor advisory on the estate of Alice Drablow in a small town of Crythin Gifford. It starts with the two players clashing over Arthur’s portrayal and mere reluctance to perform and act out his story in preference to speaking it in a monotone fashion, this frustrates the actor, and this is an ongoing theme throughout. There is narration and switches of character which at times leaves you feeling slightly confused and playing catch up on who is who....

Jesus Christ Superstar – Wolverhampton Grand

15Nov

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Jesus Christ Superstar – Wolverhampton Grand

Now on its umpteenth resurrection in fifty or so years, “Jesus Christ Superstar” comes to the Grand in Wolverhampton in this very sombre and earnest production from Regents’ Park. The stark set inevitably dominated by a cross is cloaked in darkest from the outset and peopled with gray and black clad actors. We don’t see a fleck of colour till Act Two. The first ten minutes or so has a feeling of grudging obligation which slowly modulates into something more engaging. Of course, it’s splattered with well-known tunes throughout, and each is dutifully deployed under Michael Riley’s tight musical direction with Hannah Richardson as Mary giving us a beautiful rendition of “I Don’t Know How to Love him”, which, as musical aficionados love to point out, bears more than passing resemblance to Men...

15Nov

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Full Monty – Bradford Alhambra

The Full Monty was one of a group of films shining a light on the traumatic impact Thatcherism had on Northern communities, but unlike the risible Billy Elliot it did it by never pulling its punches. Simon Beaufoy has adapted his movie script for a stage version of how six jobless Sheffield blokes fought back to become unlikely strippers and let it all hang out to pay off their debts. The stage version is far funnier than the film, although it still tackles some big themes including class, suicide, ageism, body shaming, gay visibility, and the utter corrosion of the human spirit when you’re cast on the scrapheap. Beaufoy wisely still holds it together round the core theme that hope can spring from despair in often the most unlikely of ways like getting your kit off. For fans of the ...

I Should Be So Lucky – Opera House, Manchester

15Nov

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

I Should Be So Lucky – Opera House, Manchester

I Should Be So Lucky, penned by Debbie Isitt, is a jukebox musical that takes its audience on a nostalgic journey through the hits of Stock Aitken Waterman. Starring Lucie-Mae Sumner as Ella and Billy Roberts as Nathan, the musical places its primary focus on the music rather than the plot, creating a vibrant but sometimes superficial experience. The story, centred around the rocky relationship between Ella and Nathan, unfolds with Nathan leaving Ella at the altar. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the musical's main draw is its soundtrack, not its narrative. Ella's rapid forgiveness of Nathan in Act 2 seems more a product of the musical's rush to showcase another hit song rather than a thoughtful character decision. The cast, including Kayla Carter as Bonnie, Jessica Daley ...

15Nov

By Hannah WildeNo Comments

North West

Nativity! The Musical – The Brindley

The Brindley Theatre in Runcorn is kicking off their festive programme very strong this year, starting with Nativity! The Musical. Adapted to stage by Debbie Isitt - the director and writer of the 2009 film of the same name - Nativity! The Musical really is festive fun for the entire family. I am always a bit dubious of hit films being adapted for the stage, as more often than not the stage show becomes a carbon copy of the motion picture, often to lesser effect. However, I needn't have worried with Nativity! - This production was the perfect blend of being true to the original source material, while having its own nuances and standout moments in its own right, playing perfectly into the audience's hands. People familiar with the classic Christmas film will be delighted to know t...