REVIEWS Archives - Page 70 of 548

The Rocky Horror Show – New Wimbledon Theatre

2Jul

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

The Rocky Horror Show – New Wimbledon Theatre

Richard O Brien’s Rocky Horror Show is rolling on through time, like you are in a Time Warp. It premiered in London in 1973 and after 52 years, the newest stage production has hit Wimbledon theatre. Presenting Jason Donovan as the iconic Frank-N-Furter and a modest cast. A cast change for this performance of Janet saw Stacey Monahan take to the stage. It is important to know that the Rocky Horror Show has a vibrant following, this performance was no exception. O’ Brien’s writing was inspired by late night B movies and his own experiences as a ‘troubled teenager’ and his writing was a way of entertaining himself. This show is unique, unmatched and is a campy tribute to science fiction with a touch of B movie horror. Narrated by Nathan Caton with the style and quips to get any audience going...

The Death of Dr. Black – The Fitzgerald, Manchester

2Jul

By Peter RuddickNo Comments

North West

The Death of Dr. Black – The Fitzgerald, Manchester

For how long have we been fascinated by magic and murder mysteries? In a way, what’s more extraordinary is not the exact length of time, but the continued ability for creatives to refresh and reinvent both. Take The Death of Dr. Black. This isn’t necessarily breaking new ground in murder mysteries. There’s candlesticks and ropes, there’s a study. It feels familiar. The magic, too, is relatively recognisable. Some prediction, some mentalism, one assumes a smattering of sleight of hand. And yet, Andrew Stannard’s one-man immersive theatre show still feels fresh. It is also smart, fun, lovingly put together and really enjoyable. Dr. Black is dead. That much is obvious before the audience arrives. What’s soon clear, also, is that everyone in attendance is under suspicion. De...

2Jul

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

The Croft – Liverpool Playhouse

Returning to the stage for a second life after its original run, under the direction of Philip Franks, was curtailed due to the pandemic, revival director Alastair Whatley successfully oversees changes to the original cast and script in this intriguing and intelligent piece of theatre from writer Ali Milles based on a true story. Beginning in the present day, Laura (Gracie Follows) has brought her lover, Suzanne (Caroline Harker), to the Highlands to stay in her parents’ holiday home, a former crofter’s cottage, primarily to focus on their burgeoning relationship, but where the challenges of its remoteness and isolation from the modern world play on Suzanne’s need to stay in touch with an ex-husband and two teenage children, and the nature of their relationship provides much consternati...

One Man Poe – Shakespeare North Playhouse

1Jul

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

One Man Poe – Shakespeare North Playhouse

Described as a 'marathon of the macabre' by director and performer Stephen Smith, this performance of some of Edgar Allan Poe's most renowned stories is captivating from start to finish. Although, I was only fortunate enough to see the abridged version of the show featuring two of the four main stories, I would relish to see the remaining stories and urge people to take a dive into the grisly, dark world of One Man Poe. How one man can thoroughly engage an audience so that you are able to hear a pin drop is a great achievement and Smith should be so incredibly proud. The portrayal and delivery of the lines was done with such passion, clarity and perfection, that the audience felt every lurid and desperate emotion within each story. The minimalist set and the fantastic use of the prop...

1Jul

By Leanne RushtonNo Comments

North West

Bat Out of Hell – Regent Theatre, Stoke

The streets around stoke were graced with a huge roaring sound as the pavements were lined with Harley Davidson’s and excited musical theatre fans alike in honour of the Meatloaf inspired musical Bat out of Hell speeding on to the Regent theatre stage. Having grown up with a father who loved Meatloaf’s iconic music I knew the power of the songs I was about to hear but I didn’t know the extent of just what an electrifying show I’d let myself in for. The auditorium on entrance was hazy and dystopian setting an eery ambience of what was to come. The set upon entrance was striking. Gloomy but engaging. The show used a mix of traditional and virtual set which really added to the futuristic tones in the show. I must compliment the lighting in the show too it was unbelievable some ...

1Jul

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Chicago – Hull New Theatre

Ten very talented musicians, led by fun-loving maestro Neil MacDonald, opened Chicago the Musical at Hull New Theatre on Monday evening – or at least, one of the three trumpeters did. But all ten played an enraptured audience out at the show’s end, with the aforementioned maestro encouraging us to wave our arms in the air to the music. Such talents are often hidden away in a theatre’s orchestra pit, so for these musicians to be on stage for the duration was a joy. All the action takes place in 1920s Chicago, Illinois, mostly in the women’s block of the Cook County Jail, after unfaithful housewife and nightclub dancer Roxie Hart (Janette Manrara, of Strictly Come Dancing fame) is held there pre-trial for murdering her lover. The stage designers of this amazing production cleverl...

The Liverpool Songbook: A City’s Soundtrack Brought to Life – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

30Jun

By Kevin EcclestonNo Comments

North West

The Liverpool Songbook: A City’s Soundtrack Brought to Life – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

From timeless Merseybeat anthems to enchanting synth-pop classics, The Liverpool Songbook emerged as more than just a concert; it was a fervent celebration of the city’s pulsating musical spirit, artfully presented within the resplendent architecture of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Under the skilled direction of conductor Richard Balcombe, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra enveloped the audience in lush orchestral textures and intricate arrangements that breathed new life into Liverpool’s most cherished songs. Each familiar melody was elevated to soaring heights, imbued with a cinematic quality that transported listeners on an emotional journey through the city’s rich musical legacy. The evening was graced by a dynamic vocal trio—Graham Bickley, Patrick Smyth, and ...

This is a Gift – Pitlochry Festival Theatre

30Jun

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

This is a Gift – Pitlochry Festival Theatre

In a continuation of Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s 2025 Summer programme, This is a Gift brings a fresh contemporary take on the legend of Midas. Rather than a King being the one granted with the gift of the midas touch, it is a working class shopkeeper from Leith - the Father of Zoe, the narrator of this one-woman show. Written by Kolbrún Björt Sigfúsdóttir, This is a Gift subverts from the original tale and puts the gift in a position where it is wanted out of need not greed. But is money the root of all evil - is it worth the sacrifice? This play asks us how far we will go to provide for the ones we love. The one hour-and-twenty run time flew by thanks to Sigfúsdóttir’s fast-paced writing and Blythe Jandoo’s (who plays Zoe) punchy performance. And with th...

A Moon for the Misbegotten – Almedia Theatre

29Jun

By Sadie PearsonNo Comments

London

A Moon for the Misbegotten – Almedia Theatre

Tonight, at the Almeida, A Moon for the Misbegotten lands like a blow wrapped in poetry—a raw, heartfelt collision of booze‑scarred souls, human flinches, and a moonlight that enthrals as much as it devastates. Leading the charge is Ruth Wilson as Josie Hogan, delivering a performance that’s fiercely grounded, physically charged, and impossible to ignore. Set on a rundown Connecticut farm in 1923, A Moon for the Misbegotten follows tenant farmer Phil Hogan and his strong-willed daughter Josie as they face the looming threat of eviction. In a calculated gambit, Phil hatches a plan to use Josie to manipulate their landlord, James Tyrone Jr. But as night falls and moonlight casts its harsh glow, the façade of strategy gives way to something deeper—unspoken grief, buried longing, and a frag...

The House, The Boys and The Trial – Parr Hall, Warrington

29Jun

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

The House, The Boys and The Trial – Parr Hall, Warrington

Soup Productions presented The House, The Boys and The Trial at the stunning Parr Hall in Warrington. Written by the talented Michael Pirks the play depicts the true story from 1806 where twenty-four men In Warrington and surrounding areas were arrested for homosexual offences. Where five men were convicted of buggery who regularly assembled at the home of Isaac Hitchin (Andy McQuoid), where they engaged in sex and called each other ‘Brother’, and kept assignations at the shop of Holland, a well-off pawnbroker. The ‘Hitchin’s House’ allowed men to be free from judgement and engage in sexual activity and companionship from the eyes of the law where sodomy was deemed as illegal and punished by death! It is clear that Pirks has done extensive research on the trial and displayed this exquis...