Yorkshire & Humber Archives - North West End UK

My Brother’s a Genius – Sheffield Playhouse

30Jan

By Natalia PrucnalNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

My Brother’s a Genius – Sheffield Playhouse

‘My Brother’s a Genius’ is a comedic but equally incredibly moving and heartfelt play and deeply raw spoken word performance. It’s splendidly written by Debris Stevenson and expertly crafted and directed by Eleanor Manners, with rhythmic music composed by Jammz. A co-production between Sheffield Theatres, The National Youth Theatre and Theatre Centre brings a bewitching ‘indigo’ tone to the Sheffield Playhouse. We follow the story of twins Daisy (Jess Senanayake) and Luke (Tyrese Walters) from childhood to adult life as they navigate neurodivergence, the class system and familial relationships. We watch how their friendship flies, falls and drowns throughout. They experience the world through different lenses: Daisy is named an “idiot” and goes to Circus School, while Luke is labell...

29Jan

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Rapunzel – The Montgomery Theatre

A hair-raising riotously risqué ride of a panto that leaves the audience ‘blown’ away. With more hair references and possible related character names than a Vidal Sassoon advert, Handsworth and Hallam Theatre Co give the Sheffield audience plenty of style with its close shaves and outlandishly wild coiffure of a delivery. With a community cast of 45 (including a couple of nits), led by a team of 9 senior ‘stylists’ and a band of six ‘colourists’ under the kaleidoscope Musical direction of Steve Trotter, HHTC embellish the literary locks of Tom Whalley’s creative pantomime script - Rapunzel with flair, panache and artistry. From the nine slick stylists…Will Fairy Dandruff gain her wings? Will King Bouffant ever find his beloved daughter Rapunzel? Will Prince Ryder ever decide which...

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical – Hull New Theatre

29Jan

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical – Hull New Theatre

I watched the film, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, on TV over Christmas, so was intrigued as to how a musical version of the story would transfer to the stage. I found out on Wednesday evening when The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical came to the Hull New Theatre. It was great to see theatregoers of all ages crowded into the foyer, pre-show, with the queue to buy merchandise growing by the minute. And at curtain up we were met with an industrial looking set design that mirrored rusty water pipes and concrete tunnels under the city of Los Angeles. A huge, curved, lit-up structure either side of the stage remained for the duration, but the video backdrop changed constantly, and most effectively, with staircases, seating and box-like creations being wheeled on and o...

To Kill a Mockingbird – Sheffield Lyceum

28Jan

By Jo TillotsonNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

To Kill a Mockingbird – Sheffield Lyceum

A man of colour stands accused of a crime he did not commit, and yet he is judged more for the colour of his skin than his words of defence. His white lawyer is judged for representing him. His town is divided along racial lines, and between those who seek progress and those who want to preserve the old way of life. An all-too-common description of events we see in the news in 2026, yes. But also the plot of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, set in 1930s Alabama. An era defined by the struggle for progress, equality and freedom. A story that remains chillingly relevant today. This production of To Kill a Mockingbird, adapted by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Bartlett Sher, uses Sorkin’s extensive screenwriting experience from shows such as The West Wing and The Newsroom alon...

22Jan

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Miss Saigon – Hull New Theatre

The musical, Miss Saigon, has been watched by over 33 million worldwide. You can add probably a few more thousand on to that figure, if Wednesday night's attendance of the show at Hull's New Theatre is anything to go by. The place was packed. Miss Saigon is in the city as part of a major UK and Ireland tour and relates to events during the last days of the Vietnam War, in 1975, exactly 50 years ago. As soon as the opening stage screen, depicting a huge sacred bird, rose, it was non-stop drama all the way. Many theatre productions now have glorious video backdrops which, brilliantly, showcase much of the story that there would be no time to explain in words. And this production was no different with opening images of bombing, fighter aircraft et al showing us the horrors of w...

21Jan

By NewsdeskNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Top Hat – Sheffield Lyceum

Irving Berlin’s classical romantic spectacle ‘Top Hat’ slides its away across Sheffield Theatres’ stages with pomp and playfulness, marking a highly respectable and enjoyable musical instalment to the current season of live entertainment in the heart of the city. Matthew White & Howard Jacques author the piece, based on the 1935 film of the same name starring icons Fred Astaire and Ginger Roberts. Their script is almost a clean emulation of the original work, the plot unchanged bar some superficial rearrangements, with even many of the lines mirrored. This is both admirable and unavoidably slightly kitsch. It is inescapably of its time which lends itself to nostalgic and historic appreciation, but in 2026 it draws few parallels to our days. The show functions as glitzy escapism, whi...

Dick Whittington – Montgomery Theatre Sheffield

17Jan

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Dick Whittington – Montgomery Theatre Sheffield

Wales Community Theatre Players give the Montgomery Theatre - Sheffield audience a heart-warming pantomime that is traditional in every way with a fast moving script, detailed direction and some excellent performances. Dick Whittington by arrangement with Stage Right Creative Ltd and written by Alan P Frayn takes us on Dick’s quest to make his fortune with the lure of London’s streets paved with gold, but after meeting Tom, who becomes his travelling companion ,he finds more rotten rats than glistening gold on his journey. But, with the help of his new found friends (the horde of traditional panto characters) much laughter, a sprinkle of fairy stardust and panto magic, a voyage on the seas, a 3D shipwreck, a funny, fantastical frolic is had by all…. except the rats of course! The we...

16Jan

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Lear’s Shadow – Hull Truck Theatre

On Thursday evening, a really bizarre thing happened to me in my long theatre reviewing career. I was at the Hull Truck Theatre to watch a one-man, one-night production - Lear’s Shadow - and, searching out my seat, E4, I found it occupied by - wait for it - an Avatar. Urged to “get rid of it!” by my theatre buddy sister, I gingerly picked it up and deposited it on the row behind. During the 70+-minute performance by lover of all things Shakespeare, actor Colin Hurley (who also devised the production), the Avatar presence became clearer for I noticed several more occupying red chairs on the stage - a stage adorned only with the chairs, a bench, two tables and a small suitcase, as well as Mr Hurley, of course. A banner stating “Lie here and rest awhile” hung as a backdrop. The...

14Jan

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Rocky Horror Show – Sheffield Lyceum

Sheffield waited with antici……….pation and at last the Rocky Horror Show crash landed into the Sheffield Lyceum. With a well versed and non-virginal Rocky audience there were more sparkly tailcoats and top hats, green surgical gowns, heavy rocker leather jackets and more basques, corsets and suspenders than you can find in Ann Summers and this production did not disappoint. After first seeing Richard O Brien’s Rocky Horror Show on its original UK tour in 79/80 (as a 14-year-old schoolgirl with a music teacher who didn’t do his research homework very well and was subsequently horrified he may lose his job!) I am somewhat of a connoisseur it could be said, and after sampling over 60 visits to Frank’s castle the question was - could this production still fill me with the amazement of my first...

Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker in Havana – Sheffield Lyceum

9Jan

By Jo TillotsonNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker in Havana – Sheffield Lyceum

The Nutcracker is inextricably linked to the Christmas season; a young girl, Clara, receives a gift of a nutcracker doll and as she sleeps, the doll transforms into a handsome prince and draws her into a world of adventure and fantasy. This version of that classic tale, Nutcracker in Havana, is transported into a Cuban setting by renowned Cuban ballet dancer Carlos Acosta, here serving as artistic director and choreographer. The show opened with a swirling video-projected tour of the streets of Havana which really helped to set the scene and highlight the changes from the off. However, as someone who suffers with quite severe motion sickness, I did struggle a little and I would have liked to have known that before it started! Acosta has cleverly woven aspects of Cuban culture and dan...