Monday, November 9

REVIEWS

English National Ballet: Romeo & Juliet – Palace Theatre
North West

English National Ballet: Romeo & Juliet – Palace Theatre

Few stories have endured quite like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and in English National Ballet’s sumptuous production, Rudolf Nureyev’s choreography proves every bit as timeless as the tragedy itself. Rich in theatricality, romance and dramatic tension, this is a production that wears its classical heritage proudly whilst demonstrating ballet’s extraordinary capacity for storytelling. Across three acts, Nureyev’s choreography brings lovely clarity to the familiar narrative. From the bustling streets of Verona to the intimacy of the lovers’ encounters and the devastation of their final moments, the storytelling remains assured and accessible. Prokofiev’s magnificent score provides the emotional heartbeat, its familiar, rousing passages lending grandeur to the action whilst its quiete...
Cats – Hull New Theatre
Yorkshire & Humber

Cats – Hull New Theatre

After watching Andrew Lloyd Webber’s award-winning musical, Cats, at the Hull New Theatre on Wednesday night, it finally became clear why our cat, Bill, stayed out just the one night of the year, usually in October, for 18 years without fail. He was at the Jellicle Ball - the focal point of this production. The concept for Cats came from renowned poet T.S.Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, a book of playful poems enjoyed by Lloyd Webber as a child. As an adult, he set some of the poems to music and the rest, as they say, is history. As the curtain rose, we theatregoers in the jam-packed venue were treated to the sight of dancers in the most glorious cat costumes. Against the background of a huge full moon encased in a crusted, glittery crescent, they creep out of the shadow...
Dear Evan Hansen – The Montgomery Theatre
Yorkshire & Humber

Dear Evan Hansen – The Montgomery Theatre

Quiet sniffling could be heard from across the audience nearing the end of Splinters Theatre Group’s performance of ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ at the Montgomery Theatre. Despite persistent technical difficulties, the show came together quite nicely, with plenty of pleasing vocals from the cast. Director Kate Parkin has tackled Steven Levenson’s book with grace, ensuring scenes do not just disappear into memory. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s music was in good hands with Musical Director Adam Walker, and Aggie Gryszel’s choreography was satisfactory and suited the musical itself but felt slightly uninspired. ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ is a musical about 17-year-old high schooler, Evan Hansen, who is learning to cope with depression and anxiety by writing letters to himself as per his therapist’s advice. C...
Moment By Moment – Genesis Cinema
London

Moment By Moment – Genesis Cinema

First performed as a concert in 2013, Alexander Sage Oyen's song cycle Moment By Moment has made it to the big screen courtesy of director Louis Rayneau. Following ten different characters in New York City, Moment By Moment explores universal experiences including love, loss, and self-discovery through Oyen’s eclectic score.  The movie features a stellar cast, including Cassidy Janson, Chloe Saracco, and Cleve September, and it starts strong by introducing the ten characters via the titular group number. Featuring frenetic shots of the iconic New York cityscape interspersed between scenes of the characters interacting and dancing, it’s an energetic opening that seems to set the movie up for success. Starting in black and white, moments of colour gradually emerge, and this is a ...
The Car Man – Bradford Alhambra
Yorkshire & Humber

The Car Man – Bradford Alhambra

If you came along to The Car Man expecting a straight dance version of Bizet’s classic opera you would be disappointed but instead buckle up for a dark and raunchy ride through lust and murder. New Adventures Artistic Director Matthew Bourne, who devised and directed this piece, says The Car Man was inspired by Carmen’s heady blend of lust and revenge, but the only real connection was the use of the opera’s familiar 40-minute Shchedrin arrangement as the basis of a dynamic longer score composed by Terry Davies. Instead, this was a production heavily influenced by James M Cain’s 1934 classic noir novel, The Postman Always Rings Twice, later made into a similarly seamy movie starring Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange. Not surprisingly The Car Man started off in a 1950s small garage in t...
Heathers The Musical – Sheffield Lyceum
Yorkshire & Humber

Heathers The Musical – Sheffield Lyceum

A delighted Sheffield audience welcome Heathers to the Lyceum with the now expected cult-like following. Plaid skirts aplenty filled the theatre and we are back to our high school days in this dark tale depicting the social rules of high school life, in its own brutal adaptation of the 1989 cult film by Daniel Waters of the same name. Like the song says - ‘’This ain’t no high school, this is Thunderdome’’. Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe’s (Book, Music and Lyrics) shockingly catchy tunes juxtapose the stark undercurrent of adolescent despair – ‘’We all know what it feels like to be an outsider and a weirdo. Everyone is clueless and scared. And that’s okay’’. Fast forward for a moment to 2020’s, now school shootings are common place; bullying is no longer whispered insinuations and forged...
The Visions of The Lovers of Adonis – Bread & Roses Theatre
London

The Visions of The Lovers of Adonis – Bread & Roses Theatre

As part of the Lambeth Fringe festival The Visions of the Lovers of Adonis had two nights at the Bread & Roses Theatre. This short play explores the timeless complexities of love, desire and power through the lens of Roman mythology. Drawing on Ovid’s Metamorphoses and the mythological world of gods and goddesses, the play brings together a cast of characters whose competing desires drive the narrative. “Venus is in love with Adonis, Diana has sworn off love, Mars seeks power, and Cupid longs to see his parents reunited”. Through these intertwining motivations, the play examines the contradictions of the heart and the often-conflicting nature of human desire. The acting style is reminiscent of Shakespearean tragedy, with elements of soliloquy that heightens the performance. This...
tell me straight / aggy – King’s Head Theatre
London

tell me straight / aggy – King’s Head Theatre

Paul Bradshaw’s debut play, ’tell me straight’ is an effervescent exploration of self in London’s jungle of sexual energy. The unnamed protagonist seems to always be on the cusp of something. Whether that be a new job or a new lover, Him is constantly chasing things that are just about unattainable. Him’s navigation of sexual conquests and intimacy asks us the long-standing question of which is better, the chase or the destination? tell me straight’s answer to this is a vulnerable and biting portrayal of internalised homophobia, balancing the confessional and charming levity. Him recites recollections from his life, detailing an odyssey of sexual encounters. Cheng Keng’s light design contracts the space, assigning each encounter to its own distinctive vignette. Bright spotlights squ...
Twelfth Night – Crucible Theatre
Yorkshire & Humber

Twelfth Night – Crucible Theatre

A shipwreck separates twins Viola and Sebastian – neither knowing whether the other survived. A local Duke is in love with a grieving countess, who in turn is falling for his new emissary. A trio of revellers plot to bring down the steward who seeks to curtail their fun. There is something for everyone in Shakespeare’s 17th century play, which at its heart explores questions of love and identity, all while serving a healthy dose of comedy. This production of Twelfth Night from Sheffield Theatres is brilliantly funny, and director Jamie Glover and his team have led the company to a product that is accessible, and full of energy and interesting character nuance. The maid, Maria (Katie Wimpenny), has an agency and feistiness that I have not seen in previous productions, and which scratc...
Mean Girls – Liverpool Empire
North West

Mean Girls – Liverpool Empire

It is always a challenge when putting a loved classic on stage - although this iconic film feels like it premiered yesterday, it was released in 2004! It is no wonder then that so many in the audience were hit with nostalgia, as the familiar and well-loved characters were brought to life on stage and with song. The story was revisited in film format in 2024, demonstrating that its themes remain as relevant today as they were two decades ago and continue to resonate with a new generation of Mean Girls fan. The musical, based on the book by Tina Fey, follows Cady Heron (Emily Lane), a teenager who is home-schooled in Kenya but wants to experience life with other teenagers. Moving with her mum (Jennifer Ellison) to Illinois, Cady navigates the hierarchy of other students at North Shore Hig...