REVIEWS Archives - Page 76 of 548

12Jun

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Pride and Prejudice – Octagon Theatre

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is celebrated for its wit and insight into gender and class. Kate Hamill’s stage adaptation reframes Austen’s story through a fast-paced, farcical lens — one that’s lively and inventive, if not always emotionally resonant. The plot is familiar: Elizabeth Bennet is one of four unmarried daughters in a financially precarious household. Her sharp wit and scepticism about marriage bring her into conflict — and ultimately connection — with the aloof but wealthy Mr. Darcy. Meanwhile, younger sister Lydia throws herself into romantic entanglement with the roguish Mr. Wickham, while Jane, the eldest, quietly pines for Mr. Bingley. Hamill’s script leans heavily into broad comedy and slapstick. Some choices are entertainingly bold; others verge on caricature. ...

Thick and Tight: Natural Behaviour – The Lowry

12Jun

By Helen JonesNo Comments

North West

Thick and Tight: Natural Behaviour – The Lowry

Thick and Tight were established in 2012 by Rambert trained friends Daniel Hay-Gordon and El Perry. Since then their combination of LGBTQ+ friendly dance, mime and cabaret performances have been wowing audiences across the UK and into Europe. Now out with their latest show Natural Behaviour, they have put together a collection of performed portraits of both human and non-human life forms. They open with a short five minute piece entitled The One Horseman of the Apocalypse, Here Daniel and El share the stage as a bright orange pantomime horse with a blond combover and a red tie. Light-hearted, surreal and fun, it will be impossible to listen to the seventies track Disco Inferno in the future without picturing this horse. Annie Edward’s segment Ode to the Last Nightin...

Only Fools and Horses the Musical – Liverpool Empire

11Jun

By Kevin EcclestonNo Comments

North West

Only Fools and Horses the Musical – Liverpool Empire

From the creative minds of Paul Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan emerges a vibrant musical adaptation of the beloved classic TV sitcom Only Fools and Horses. This production is packed with clever humour, nostalgic charm, and entertaining performances and opened at Liverpool Empire on 9th June to a packed audience and runs until Friday 21st June. Under the adept direction of Caroline Jay Ranger, the show boasts a charming cast that forms a solid foundation for the narrative. The central trio is particularly well-cast, embodying the quintessential Cockney charm that fans adore. Sam Lupton shines as Del Boy, effortlessly channelling his character's cheeky wit and relentless ambition. Tom Major portrays the endearing and somewhat hapless Rodney, injecting delightful warmth into the role, while P...

11Jun

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Scouts! The Musical – Hope Mill Theatre

Scouts! The Musical returns to the beautiful Hope Mill Theatre in the heart of Ancoats, after its huge successful tour in 2023 its back even bigger and better! Scouts! The Musical is the creation of Sam Cochrane and David Fallon of Gigglemug Theatre in partnership with The Scouts. Sam Cochrane wrote the book and lyrics, directed the show, and provides the musical direction. David Fallon provided the music and lyrics, Rob Gathercole serves as the musical director all creating a magnificent family musical for all ages. Gigglemug was established in 2018 by a group of Warwick university students, and as a company their aim is to create entertainment which will leave audiences grinning for the rest of the day! Their goal has certainly been achieved with this wonderful creation of Scouts! ...

11Jun

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

London

The Ticking – Drayton Arms Theatre

Brought to the Drayton Arms Theatre by the Cellar Door Theatre Company, The Ticking explores the manic cocktail of emotions, questions and chaos that arises when 4 friends wake up after a night out with a mysterious ticking briefcase in their possession. As I’m sure you can guess, the briefcase contains a bomb. The 70 minutes that follow are just as absurd as the opening premise, and not only allow for some great moments of comedy, but also a discussion of blame, responsibility and climate change. The issue is that while these themes are undeniably important, they’re also well-trodden, and The Ticking does little to explore them from a new angle. We’re presented with a situation, a political message, and characters we’ve all seen before, which consequently makes it hard to emotionally inve...

STARS: An Afrofuturist Space Odyssey – Brixton House

11Jun

By Holly SewellNo Comments

London

STARS: An Afrofuturist Space Odyssey – Brixton House

STARS: An Afrofuturist Space Odyssey fulfils and surpasses every inch of its title. It’s the odyssey of one woman’s life on Earth and her need to go beyond, and encompasses everything from Monday mornings at the laundrette to primordial, ancestral spirits from the stars. It is asintimate as sex and as enormous as the cosmos. It made me feel seen, uplifted and part of something bigger than myself, and I cannot recommend it enough. When her husband dies, Mrs (Debra Michaels) decides to take matters into her own hands and have her first orgasm. She’s not sure where to start, but space travel seems as good a place as any. Woven into the first half of the play is the story of the Nommo, an ancient hermaphroditic people from a star called Sirius B, beautifully illustrated by Candice Purwin. M...

10Jun

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Chicago – New Wimbledon Theatre

This production has Sass, Pizzazz, and whole lot of Jazz. Chicago originated from America and has become one of the most renowned musicals to hit Broadway and the West End; created by Kander and Ebb with the original choreography by the amazing Bob Fosse. The UK tour has begun, and it hit the New Wimbledon theatre with a bang. It showcases Strictly’s Jeanette Manrara as Roxie Hart like you have never seen her before. There is a cast of favourites from screen and theatre Darren Day who plays Billy Flynn and Brenda Edwards as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton. The story of Roxie Hart the devious chorus girl has its origins in the real gangster Chicago of the early 20th Century. When a junior reporter for the Chicago tribune was assigned to cover the trials of women accused of murder. So, it ...

10Jun

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

Our Cosmic Dust – Park Theatre

Written and directed by Michinari Ozawa and translated by Susan Momoko Hingley, the critically acclaimed Our Cosmic Dust tells the story of Shotaro, a young boy who believes his recently deceased father has become a star. Originally a Japanese play performed in Tokyo, Our Cosmic Dust kicks off its UK premier at the Park Theatre in London. The story is an enchanting blend of puppetry, animation and acting, exploring the concept of death and what happens after we die. The play begins with Shotaro running away from his mother, Yoko (Millie Hikasa), in her desperate attempt to find him, she meets some colourful characters along the way. Hikasa does a great job of playing a grieving mother struggling to cope with her recent loss as she feels her quiet son slipping away from her. Pho...

10Jun

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

Restless Natives – Leith Theatre

The Clown (Kyle Gardiner) and the Wolfman (Finlay McKillop) ride again, not from Wester Hailes, but tonight (and for the next two weeks, a combination of matinees and evenings) in the stunning setting of a Leith Theatre slowly – but steadily - resurrecting itself. The plot is gently turned from the original celluloid version now standing as one pillar of that mid-80’s quartet (Gregory’s Girl, Comfort & Joy, Local Hero); there’s humorous context given to the situation influencing Ronnie and Will’s decision to head to the Highlands - upon a Suzuki 125 of questionable integrity - in pursuit of rich, vulnerable tourists. As important to the original film as the script, scenery, plot and characters was Big Country’s music and it’s given a shivers-down-the-spine-pitch-perfect acknowle...

7Jun

By Codie WrightNo Comments

North West

Improv on Demand – The King’s Arms

The second show of the evening for me was Improv on Demand, another short-form game-based show, using various television show formats as a vehicle for classic games. This was a really fun take on classic games, many of which played on nostalgia to their success. We were led through the games by the captivating hosting of James Monaghan who kept the show’s pace, gathered ideas from the audience, and added in dry wit and humour between each game. He really was a very likeable and watchable host. Many of the shows were based on familiar games, interspersed by theme music (thanks to Kath Marvelle on tech), and with a well-thought-out TV twist. For example, the Alphabet Game (where each sentence had to start with the next letter of the alphabet) being the game for Sesame Street, teach...