REVIEWS Archives - Page 9 of 428

27Nov

By Anne PritchardNo Comments

North West

The Signalman – Thingwall Hall

ArtsGroupie CIC presents this retelling of Charles Dickens’s classic ghost story which was written after Dickens himself survived a train crash; adapted and directed by David Griffiths, it is performed by John Maguire and Zoran Blackie. This haunting story is performed in almost total blackness, the only lights being the signalman’s two signal lamps which are used throughout, sometimes blinding the audience and at other times utilised to uplight the performers faces or to help portray large shadows on the stage backdrop. The only other lighting is a red coloured lamp depicting a fire in the corner of the signalman’s hut. The production opens with the stage in pitch darkness, eerie background music playing with a stark set consisting of two wooden boxes serving as seating for the play...

Zoraida di Granata – Teatro Sociale, Bergamo

27Nov

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

REVIEWS

Zoraida di Granata – Teatro Sociale, Bergamo

Director Bruno Ravella excels with a stunning interpretation of Donizetti’s 1824 version of his two-act heroic opera in this new production by the Fondazione Teatro Donizetti in co-production with Wexford Festival Opera, that resonates strongly with events currently unravelling in Ukraine and the Middle East. Based in the Moorish kingdom of Granada in Andalusia, Almuzir (Konu Kim) has killed the king of the city by usurping his throne and would like to marry his daughter, Zoraida (Zuzana Marková), who is in love with Abenamet (Cecilia Molinari), head of the Arab aristocratic clan of the Abencerragis. Having declared war on the Spaniards, Almuzir entrusts the command of the army to Abenamet, ordering him to return with the flag. He has however set a trap for his rival by arranging for...

Roberto Devereux – Teatro Donizetti, Bergamo

27Nov

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

REVIEWS

Roberto Devereux – Teatro Donizetti, Bergamo

Director Stephen Langridge delightfully breathes new life into Donizetti’s three-act lyrical tragedy in this new production by the Fondazione Teatro Donizetti in co-production with the Teatro Sociale di Rovigo, and which, in spite of its title, is all about two women: one loved and one scorned, and the resulting danger that ensues. In late 16th C London, Elizabetta I (Jessica Pratt) feels neglected by Roberto Devereux (John Osborn), Earl of Essex, with whom she is madly in love. Two of the Queen’s advisors, Lord Cecil (David Astorga) and Raleigh (Ignas Malnikas), Essex’s enemies, ask her to charge him with treason for his lenient behaviour in the war against Spain. Elisabetta receives Roberto, who is detached and reserved. The Duke of Nottingham (Simone Piazzole) is concerned by the ...

Don Pasquale – Teatro Donizetti, Bergamo

27Nov

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

REVIEWS

Don Pasquale – Teatro Donizetti, Bergamo

Director Amélie Niermeyer has bravely adopted a modern interpretation of Donizetti’s classic comedy opera in this new production by the Fondazione Teatro Donizetti, but at the end of the day, there’s just too much going on which becomes a distraction and disrupts the singing. In Rome, the old and rich Don Pasquale da Corneto (Roberto de Candia) has decided to disinherit his nephew Ernesto (Javier Camarena), guilty of having refused the hand of a rich spinster because he is in love with Norina (Giulia Mazzola), a poor young widow. Despite his age, and in order to have an offspring, Don Pasquale therefore decides to marry and instructs Doctor Malatesta (Dario Sogos) to find him a wife. Malatesta, who is actually a close friend of Ernesto’s, extols the virtues of his ‘sister’ Sofronia, who...

26Nov

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Hairspray – Bradford Alhambra

Hairspray is one of those rare musicals that can happily combine big, breezy show tunes with a clear political message, but still easily fill big theatres like this. It’s 1962, Tracy Turnblad is a plus size teenager with an enormous beehive living in racially segregated Baltimore, who has a dream of becoming a star of the Corny Collins TV dance show despite limited talent, which certainly feels familiar in our reality TV obsessed world. Along the way Tracy who is mocked by the 'cool' white teens finds she has much in common with her black friends, and leads an assault on Corny’s show to try and unite the races through the medium of song and dance. Hairspray was the creation of transgressive cult filmmaker John Waters who brought together a gang of misfits in his home city to cre...

26Nov

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Chicago – Regent Theatre

If you’re a fan of musical theatre, Chicago at the Regent Theatre in Stoke is an absolute must-see. This iconic production, currently on tour, is nothing short of sensational. From the moment the overture begins, the packed theatre buzzes with excitement, setting the stage for a night of pure theatrical magic. Set in the roaring 1920s, Chicago plunges audiences into a world of jazz, scandal, and sensationalism. Against the backdrop of Prohibition and a media frenzy that transforms criminals into celebrities, we follow Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly—two women locked up for murdering their lovers. The show’s gritty glamour, sharp wit, and intoxicating music transport you straight to the heart of Jazz Age Chicago. A minimalist yet striking set design instantly captures attention. A lone cha...

25Nov

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

A Christmas Carol (Ish) – Soho Place

A new Christmas themed show is in town! Written by and starring Nick Mohammed alongside Martha Howe Douglas, Kieran Hodgson and David Elms. Come for the stars, stay for the foot tapping music, earnest performances and imaginative set and expertise of the ensemble. Ten years in the making, Nick Mohammed in the avatar of Mr. Swallow/ Mr. Scrooge/ Santa Claus is a talented actor subverting all our understandings, memories and assumptions around Christmas. One need not be familiar with the character Mr Swallow to enjoy his quirks. They are able to incorporate Pantomime elements of repetition with crowd work, choreography and musical extravaganza. Complete with their shiny costumes, references to present events it is a laugh riot. Nick Mohammed, most popular for his portrayal of Na...

Scottish Opera’s The Puccini Collection – Usher Hall

25Nov

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

Scottish Opera’s The Puccini Collection – Usher Hall

As a lifelong Puccini fan, there’s nothing quite like hearing his music live, and Scottish Opera’s The Puccini Collection at the Usher Hall did not disappoint. This was a moving and celebratory tribute to mark the centenary of Puccini’s death, with Stuart Stratford conducting the Orchestra of Scottish Opera and a stellar line-up of soloists. The programme was brilliantly chosen. Alongside famous excerpts from Tosca, La Bohème, and Turandot, we were treated to earlier works like Le Villi and Edgar—pieces that are seldom performed but give insight into Puccini’s evolution as a composer. The decision to include extended scenes, not just standalone arias, made the performance feel more immersive, as though we were being drawn into the emotional worlds of the operas themselves. Stuart Str...

All’s Well That Ends Well – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

22Nov

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

All’s Well That Ends Well – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

All's Well is a tricky play for both performers and audience as the plot is rather implausible, and the characters can be interpreted in numerous different ways. It has never been one of Shakespeare's most popular plays and is performed relatively infrequently. Director Chelsea Walker and the cast are to be congratulated on a lively and comprehensible new production in the Sam Wanamaker's beautiful candle lit theatre. The director chose to present the play on entirely bare stage with no stage furniture or scenery and minimal props. The costumes were modern and simple but appropriate with colour coordination to indicate the location of the scenes. It was accompanied by beautiful musical interludes under the direction of Louise Duggan, with Angela Hicks as the soprano whose voice provided...

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto 2024: Rapunzel – Everyman Theatre

22Nov

By Hannah WildeNo Comments

North West

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto 2024: Rapunzel – Everyman Theatre

Especially at this time of year, you can’t beat a panto. The beauty of this kind of theatre is that you always know what you’re going to get: tongue-in-cheek jokes, slapstick humour, outlandish costumes… and of course, the token “man in drag”. There is an element of the formulaic about pantomimes - something familiar, something comforting, something inherently festive. However, this particular show was different. Yes, it still had all the hallmarks one comes to expect from a panto - but in this case, it had something unique. Over the years, we’ve all seen hundreds of pantomimic retellings of classic stories like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, with only small deviations from the main story we all know and love. But Rock ’n’ Roll Rapunzel was a version of the fairytale as we ...