West Midlands Archives - North West End UK

5Nov

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Come From Away – Wolverhampton Grand

From its first thumping, stomping almost tribal driving rhythms at the top of the show “Come From Away” sets out its stall clearly and emphatically not giving an inch and not compromising on its passionate message. As we probably all know by now, the show tells the tale of the little town of Gander in Northeastern Newfoundland, which threw open its doors and hearts to 7000 passengers who found themselves diverted from US air space on that notorious date September 11th 2001. Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s book, music and lyrics summarises the event and epitomise the humanity with panache, respect, dignity and kindness. 38 planes landed unexpectedly in Gander and everyone had to be accommodated. And they were as the entire community came together to help, support and care for hundreds of ...

2Nov

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Cirque du Magique – Wolverhampton Grand

I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of the great Philip Astley who, in 1770, gathered together a disparate band of acrobats, unicyclists, tight rope walkers and stunt performers to entertain the crowd in the gaps of his horse-riding show inadvertently creating what we know today as circus. Over the years the format has grown and evolved with clowns thrown in and a ringmaster added to offer some semblance of authority until it has become today what Barnum bombastically described as “The greatest show on Earth!” and after two hundred and fifty years it continues to grow - and today we welcome its latest incarnation into the ring! For those of you who thought Richard Cadell was first and foremost the right-hand man of one of the most iconic characters in British entertainment - a chara...

Dear Evan Hansen – Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

23Oct

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Dear Evan Hansen – Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

If you were born in this new century and nestle within the demographic that favours “Glee” “Big Bang Theory” then “Dear Evan Hansen” seems designed just for you. For those of us outside that very slim group it remains an anomaly. The show itself has an undoubted pedigree having opened on Broadway in 2016 with music and lyrics by Benji Pasek and Justin Paul (whose credits include the glorious “The Greatest Showman” and the awful sounding “Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz”) with a book by Steven Levenson, produced by Marc Platt and starring Ben Platt - note the shared surname making lesser critics wonder if that nepo-element may go some way to explain the show’s weaknesses, but, hey, it won nine Tony Awards! The show has toured endlessly, had a long West End, a badly received film - and people love...

16Oct

By Annette NuttallNo Comments

West Midlands

Becoming Nancy – The Rep, Birmingham

This musical is staging it’s UK premiere at The Rep in Birmingham. Becoming Nancy is based on the novel of the same name by Terry Ronald. With choreography and direction by Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde, Kinky Boots, Pretty Woman: The Musical and many more) and music and Lyrics by Geroge Stiles and Anthony Drewe you can be assured you are in safe hands for a great evening of entertainment. Set in 1979, Becoming Nancy tells the tale of schoolboy David Starr. In his room decorated with posters of 70’s icons, he dreams of being a star. He has a talent that is spotted by his drama teacher who casts him as a surprising role in the school play. What will happen if he takes the role? How will his family and the kids at school react? His decision will start a chain reaction that ensures nothin...

The New Real – The Other Place, Stratford-Upon-Avon

11Oct

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

West Midlands

The New Real – The Other Place, Stratford-Upon-Avon

David Edgar’s 10th premiere at The Other Place follows on from The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde (1991), Written on the Heart (2011), and A Christmas Carol (2022), and continues his relationship with the RSC following on from his appointment in 1989 as an Honorary Artist. The New Real, is a bringing together of Headlong, the RSC and David Edgar to produce a new political drama, staged in the RSC’s studio theatre, The Other Place. Set in a former communist country in Eastern Europe, two American political strategists are working for competing candidates and predict that they will teach the East how to do elections, but the tables are turned… Globally, we witness diplomacy a time when the Right competes with populist politics, as seen in Britain’s recent election wit...

8Oct

By Robert BartleyNo Comments

West Midlands

& Juliet – Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

The name ‘Max Martin’ doesn’t immediately ring a lot of bells for most people, but the chances are you actually know him pretty well. Martin is the writer and producer of a mammoth number of hit songs over the last three decades and is a huge driving force behind the careers of global acts including Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Backstreet Boys, Pink and countless others. Seeing the theatrical potential in this catalogue of iconic bangers, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ writer David West Read was enlisted to adapt one of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays, and so, ‘& Juliet’ was born. 90s boybands and star-crossed lovers may not seem the most obvious pairing at first, but ‘& Juliet’ made it work, gaining an adoring fandom in its Manchester and London runs. Now it’s the...

5Oct

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Wonderboy – Wolverhampton Grand

With the astoundingly talented and acclaimed Sally Cookson at the helm and a script by Ross Willis, Wonderboy exploded out of the Bristol Old Vic back in 2022 and recently embarked on a national tour already nabbing the Writer’s Guild Award for Best Play 2023. It’s a hotly anticipated ticket with a huge reputation behind it. But many shows with a tidal wave of hype rarely live up to the noise - will this one? Captain Chatter is the comic book superhero who helps our own hero, reclusive Sonny, with his self-conscious stammer which constrains him from making small talk, sharing thoughts and ideas and most of all speaking to an audience. And then he finds himself cast in the school production of Hamlet! 90 minutes whizzes by and for all those minutes the teenage audience (the demographi...

Pretty Woman the Musical – The Alexandra, Birmingham

21Aug

By Annette NuttallNo Comments

West Midlands

Pretty Woman the Musical – The Alexandra, Birmingham

Following a successful run last October, Pretty Woman the musical returns to the Alexandra until Saturday 24th August. Based on the classic 1990s film Pretty Woman, this show tells the same Cinderella love story, but with a sprinkling of original songs. Vivian is struggling to make ends meet on the streets of LA when she has a chance encounter with the business focused Edward. She is transported to a different world, but will she fit in? How long can the fairy tale last? Fans of the film will be very familiar with the story and the key scenes. This production does not disappoint, the majority of iconic moments are there. Alongside these however are musical numbers, written by Bryan Adams and Jim Valance. These allow the characters to express their thoughts and emotions in a ...

10Aug

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Pericles – Swan Theatre

We all have our off days and I think, amongst learned academics, we can safely agree Shakespeare was having one when he wrote “Pericles”. Not only is it a ramshackled, riotous romp of a plot with some unfathomable coincidences, it also seems Bill is not the only name on the poster. George Wilkins, who I’m sure I don't need to remind you, was a victualler, panderer (Google it), dramatist and pamphleteer, who dripped his quill in the ink pot, too. People better informed then I seem to think the Bard was responsible for the first half before handing over his parchment. Rarely is the play performed, so it’s a gamely director who’ll have a stab at it and the director on this occasion is new RSC co-AD, Tamara Harvey who, eighteen years after the previous production, clearly thought it was time t...

1Aug

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

The Wizard of Oz – Wolverhampton Grand

“There’s no place like Wolves!” Well, there certainly isn’t as Dorothy Gale and her little dog, too, land their wooden house on the stage of the Grand Theatre which they’re calling no place like home for the next few days. “The Wizard of Oz” is, undoubtedly, an iconic, kaleidoscopic, psychedelic trip into the mad and inventive mind of L. Frank Baum who, eager to create a new style fairy tale for a new, burgeoning nation, let his eyes drift to his library index cards one day where the letters O-Z jumped out and he was off down his yellow brick road to literary success. His unstoppable quill knocked out a dozen or so Oz titles within a few years with further volumes being penned by other authors. Baum, being no slack capitalist, exploited his work in all media - books, stage and film. Way...