REVIEWS Archives - Page 96 of 578

14Jul

By Harry AltyNo Comments

North West

Patience – Social Refuge

July in Manchester means the return of the Greater Manchester Fringe - an opportunity for a variety of comedic performances to grace the many stages within the area. As part of the festival, Chip Slap Comedy brings this production Patience to the quirky venue of Social Refuge. This two-person comedy piece stars Rachael Dennis as a doting Mum trying to secure a spot at the local state school for her son. Her co-star is Marianne Walsh, takes on the increasingly difficult and unhelpful assistant to the headteacher, and is also the writer of the play. Both show impressive character work as they quickly bring reality and authenticity to their characters - for better or for worse, these are both characters you can picture in real life. The duo has great comedic chemistry, and it is clear ...

Kaleidoscope Festival 2025 – Alexandra Palace

14Jul

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Kaleidoscope Festival 2025 – Alexandra Palace

Perched high above the city, on a glorious July summer day, with the most breathtaking panoramic views stretching across the city of London, Alexandra Palace once again played host to the Kaleidoscope Festival, a one-day celebration of music, art, food, comedy, and local community that’s as much about the atmosphere and vibe as it is about the on-stage acts. In its sixth edition, the 2025 festival delivered a packed programme and an unmistakable summer spirit. It must be said that very few London venues rival “Ally Pally”, and very few can compete for the perfect festival setting, with the Palace itself presiding over the main stage, while the surrounding green and luscious parkland offered space to relax, stretch out, dance, and soak up the sun. With the city skyline sparkling in the d...

14Jul

By Kathryn GortonNo Comments

North West

Magic and Sex – The King’s Arms

I didn’t know what to expect walking into Magic and Sex — a one-woman stand-up, magic, and improv show by Australian comedian Kathryn Haywood — but I was more than pleasantly surprised. Even on a very, very hot and stuffy night in the upstairs room of the King’s Arms, Haywood’s boundless energy and zany charm kept us all laughing, chuckling… and then laughing some more. From her entrance in sparkly tail coat, top hat and deck of card leggings and tap shoes she bounded round that space and sucked us in, immediately. She is a very engaging performer. Part stand-up, part magic show, with a cheeky (but not over-the-top) nod to the title’s promise of “sex,” Haywood’s performance is a joyful, chaotic romp. She has a knack for creating an easy rapport with the audience, she read them well ...

14Jul

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Wink – 53two

In the dimly lit arches of 53two, an unsuspecting audience is about to receive an almighty gut punch, courtesy of Phoebe Eclaire-Powell’s darkly funny and unsettling play, Wink. Updated from its 2015 debut with the latest social media and cultural references, Wink is brutal in its timeliness, holding a mirror to the worst excesses of online culture - from toxic ‘alpha male’ influencers through to the horrendous consequences of Catfishing. Photo: Shay Rowan Despite the heavy source material and a worryingly long list of trigger warnings, the play remains hugely compelling and crackles with humour. We meet 16-year-old Mark who idolises his too-cool-for-school French teacher, Mr Martin. Unbeknownst to him, Mr Martin is struggling with his own frustrations, particularly around his cru...

The Liverpool Scratch Network – Leaf on Bold Street

13Jul

By NewsdeskNo Comments

North West

The Liverpool Scratch Network – Leaf on Bold Street

This was the sixth Liverpool Scratch Network, a monthly event in collaboration with RBA Management and Liverpool Film Academy, showcasing new work written and performed by both industry professionals and up and coming creatives, with each scene being workshopped a few hours prior to performance with the help of an allocated director. An eclectic evening kicked off with Leather Apron written by James Orford and directed by Thomas Goodison-Fearns. An exploration of the infamous double event murders committed by notorious killer Jack the Ripper. Featuring an array of characters including Abberline (Ray F. Beard), Jack (Rory Gillan), Watkins (Tasia Rhodes), Diemschutz (Sam Prior), Packer (Matty Dwyer), and a Woman in Crowd (Beth Rosebrook), one can certainly imagine this as an audio drama. ...

13Jul

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Penguin – Unity Theatre

Opening this year’s Liverpool’s Arab Arts Festival, Penguin is a timely piece which connects strongly with the recent Refugee Week – the UK-wide celebration of arts, culture, and community – as it tells the story of one man’s extraordinary journey from a village in the Syrian mountains to a new life in the North-East of England. Directed with a suitably light touch by Amy Goulding, the wonderfully charismatic Hamzeh Al Hussien relays his life in just over an hour with a combination of music and physical theatre and liberal doses of humour throughout. Performed predominantly in English, there is some Arabic with surtitles provided in both languages. Jida Akil’s staging and costume design is rightfully kept simple with an array of clothes rails to the rear allowing Hamzeh to seamle...

Pat Goldsack: How to Flirt Well into Your Grave – The King’s Arms

13Jul

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Pat Goldsack: How to Flirt Well into Your Grave – The King’s Arms

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if your nan discovered TikTok and decided to audition for Love Island, Pat Goldsack might be your fever dream come true. Created from the mind of award-winning Kiwi actress, Katie Boyle, tonight the octogenarian granny is here to dish out her decades of expertise in the game of flirting and relationships. Greeting her audience as they trickle into the cosy side room of the Kings Arms, Pat’s repartee instantly harks back to the warm and genteel comedy of Dame Edna Everage and Mrs Merton – where even the most stinging observations somehow feel like a warm hug. As we ramble through the highly interactive show, peppered with parodies of modern hits (accompanied on the pub’s piano by Nino Raphael) and regular bursts of ‘Bingo was his Name-O...

13Jul

By Zandra OdetundeNo Comments

London

Lil.Miss.Lady – Brixton House

If early 2000s UK grime is in your bloodstream, if you grew up on pirate radio, Nokia polyphonic ringtones, and Channel U, then Lil.Miss.Lady at Brixton House should be on your watchlist. This production isn’t theatre in the conventional sense, it’s part rave, part memory lane, part cultural reckoning. Like a reload-worthy set in the middle of a sweaty basement rave, it demands your full attention. The cast aren’t just actors, they’re MCs, lyricists, hosts, ravers. Hypez (Alexander Lobo Moreno) spun with serious dexterity, blending narrative with nostalgia, and Lil.Miss.Lady (Lady Lykez) herself was magnetic: part MC, part griot, part survivor. The bars were sharp, the energy relentless. And DJ Rat (Aliaano Elali)? Deserves his flowers, no question. His ability to hype the crowd while s...

Pride and Prejudice – Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre

13Jul

By Miranda GreenNo Comments

North West

Pride and Prejudice – Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre

The annual open-air theatre at Grosvenor Park has, of late, sidestepped Shakespeare, both to bring in new audiences and because they’ve “done all the good ones.” Instead, they are showcasing new and edgy productions such as last year’s sell-out Gangs of New York and this year’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Twenty-twenty’s production of Pride and Prejudice has therefore been revived for 2025 presumably to fulfil the heritage quota. Happily, this chimes with Austen’s 250th birthday. Photo: Mark McNulty However, this is not to say that it will only appeal to a vintage audience. Indeed, the youngest member in last night’s was only about 2 months old. Admittedly she did sleep through most of it… Not so the rest of us, teens through to antique relics, because matters of love, with...

The White Chip – Southwark Playhouse Borough

13Jul

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

The White Chip – Southwark Playhouse Borough

Sean Daniels’ semi-autobiographical play ‘The White Chip’ has arrived in London for its UK premiere at Southwark Playhouse Borough. Having enjoyed a successful 2019 stint Off-Broadway, directed by Matt Ryan, and produced by Danielle Tarento and Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford, ‘The White Chip’ is a cleverly constructed play, widely noted for its darkly comic take on painful realities. It chronicles the painful descent and recovery of Steven, a high-functioning alcoholic US theatre director, presented through fast-paced, vignette-driven, and monologue heavy script that, whilst offering insightful clarity to the character’s journey through addiction, at times sacrifices any real depth and dynamic, and as a result this production doesn’t quite land the emotional punch it clearly aims for....