Yorkshire & Humber Archives - North West End UK

Paranormal Activity – Grand Opera House York

30Sep

By Adam CraddockNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Paranormal Activity – Grand Opera House York

Last night I had the pleasure to be invited along to the press night for the UK tour of “Paranormal Activity”, the new play by Levi Holloway inspired by the Paramount Pictures movies. I love a horror play, I think the dim lighting and cold air of a historic theatre is perfectly suited to an unnerving horror experience and Paranormal Activity more than delivers on these expectations. We follow an American expat couple James and Lou, recently moved to London for James’ work, as they deal with some mysterious happenings from an unwelcome spirit in their house. I won’t spoil any major plot points but more generally I have to say the way the supernatural elements were delivered in this production were quite frankly masterful. For me this is the gold standard of horror theatre that I have seen.&...

29Sep

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Jersey Boys – Hull New Theatre

Having seen the musical Jersey Boys several times now, both as a reviewer as well as a paying theatregoer, this recent production at the Hull New Theatre shows just why the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons is still filling theatres, 20 years after it was first staged. The group’s music needs no introduction - hit followed hit with the likes of Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Walk Like a Man, My Eyes Adored You, Beggin’, Rag Doll and many more. And on Monday night in Hull, we in the full-ish theatre were treated to all these songs with plenty of their other hits thrown in. Classed as a “musical biography”, we were not only treated to the most wonderful music and singing, but also to the story of where it all began - in Noo Joisey, oh sorry, got carried away there, I mean Ne...

A Brief Case of Crazy – Hull Truck Theatre

18Sep

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

A Brief Case of Crazy – Hull Truck Theatre

On Thursday evening, I sat for an hour at the Hull Truck Theatre, watching three performers who never uttered one word - and I laughed from start to finish. The three - writer, director and producer Rowan Armitt-Brewster as Thomas, Samuel Cunningham as Simon and Lennie Longworth as Daisy - mimed all the way through a production of A Brief Case of Crazy; I never knew miming could be so energetic. Their shenanigans took place in the theatre’s small Godber Studio amidst a stage setting featuring a large orange filing cabinet, orange seating on wheels, a static painting of colourful buildings on the right, plus a huge round light centre stage which I took to be a railway tunnel, as a lot of the action takes place in and around what could be the Tube (that’s how I saw it, anyway). Not for...

18Sep

By Natalia PrucnalNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Mamma Mia! – Sheffield Lyceum Theatre

Take a chance on the fantastic touring production of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ ‘Mamma Mia!’, which features, what I would argue to be, the most phenomenal vocal talent I’ve had the pleasure of seeing live this year. Under Phyllida Lloyd’s watchful direction, this is certainly a show you shouldn’t let slip through your fingers! Mamma Mia! is set on a Greek island and follows Sophie Sheridan and her mother Donna as they prepare for Sophie’s wedding to Sky, with a soundtrack based on ABBA. What Donna doesn’t yet know is that, in Sophie’s desire to find out her father’s identity, she invites 3 of Donna’s lovers from years ago to her special day. Will this end in a long-lost love being reignited, or a shipwreck, when all is said and done? Jenn Griffin as Donna Sheridan was certai...

17Sep

By Adam CraddockNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Fences – Leeds Playhouse

Last night I had the delight of being invited along to the wonderful Leeds Playhouse to review the press night performance of “Fences”, a play by August Wilson directed by the brilliant Daniel Bailey. Fences is a brilliantly real story. Set in 1957 we follow the character of Troy Marxson and his family in a changing world. We see the ups and downs for the family, from Troy receiving a promotion to his infidelity getting discovered and all the emotional twists and turns in between. Photo: Tyler Fayose Ray Fearon leads the cast as Troy Marxson. Fearon is phenomenal in this role. He is wonderfully real, with real emotions manifesting themselves in real ways. He had just a touch of menace to his portrayal but completely appropriate for a father in this period. The monologues Fearon...

The Ballad of Johnny & June – Leeds Grand Theatre

16Sep

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Ballad of Johnny & June – Leeds Grand Theatre

The Man in Black. Very few artists are instantly identified by a simple description, but country legend Johnny Cash was one of that select group. Given the quality of his back catalogue The Man in Black was probably long overdue for a jukebox musical, so it came as no surprise that Jersey Boys director Des McAnuff was behind this show. Like that smash hit, this was a warts and all tale of Johnny’s rock and roll lifestyle where his substance abuse masks the pain of losing his beloved brother, and his tempestuous marriage to country royalty June Carter. It’s all narrated onstage by their son John Carter Cash who noted that like all fairytales there was both light and plenty of darkness as Johnny and June battled their own demons. Whilst we didn’t really learn anything new abou...

11Sep

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Dear Evan Hansen – Hull Truck Theatre

On Wednesday evening, the Hull Truck Theatre audience gave Hessle Theatre Company’s production of Dear Evan Hansen well-deserved thunderous applause at the show’s end; with the leading actor getting a standing ovation. The young actor in question, Liam Hatt, in his debut with the company, took the part of Evan Hansen, giving a mesmerising performance. Dear Evan Hansen revolves around a socially anxious teenager, desperate to belong. Set in modern times, social media plays an enormous part in proceedings and the amazing stage backdrop portrays moving images relating that. It’s social media that causes heartache, tragedy, shock, sadness, regret and shame when Evan inadvertently prints out a letter to himself, part of his assignment given by his therapist who charges him to wri...

Operation Mincemeat – Leeds Grand Theatre

9Sep

By Adam CraddockNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Operation Mincemeat – Leeds Grand Theatre

Last night I had the pleasure to be invited along to the always wonderful Leeds Grand Theatre to review the latest leg of the UK tour of “Operation Mincemeat”. I was very much looking forward to this one, I’m a massive World War 2 history buff and I have always found the story of “Major William Martin” fascinating but didn’t know too much about some of the background players in the story so this was definitely right up my street. My only holdup going into it was how it was going to translate as a musical and now seeing the program littered with ex members of Mischief Theatre I have to say… it translates perfectly. The plot follows a struggling MI5 trying to come up with a plan to invade Sicily. We see various plans to kill Hitler thrown out until an unbecoming scientist pitches “O...

9Sep

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Annie – Hull New Theatre

Some productions are so effortlessly professional and polished, it’s easy to forget they are that way because of all the hard work put into them, by everyone concerned - on stage and off. Effortlessly professional and polished perfectly describes the West End smash hit, Annie, which started its run at the Hull New Theatre on Tuesday night. Long before the 7.30pm start time the stage was set for us to view, giving us a glimpse of beds sparsely covered and over-lit with industrial-type lamps. This cold, prison-like scene is home to the world’s most famous orphan, Annie, and six of her chums, all under the “care” of the oft inebriated Miss Hannigan, in a New York orphanage. The year is 1933, during America’s Great Depression, and 11-year-old, red-haired Annie (the absolutely amazi...

7Sep

By NewsdeskNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

King Lear – The Crucible, Sheffield

Widely regarded as one of the greatest pieces of literature of all time, King Lear triumphantly took to the Crucible stage this weekend just gone and is preparing to enjoy a further two weeks playing to packed out audiences. If tonight is anything to go by, a trip to the theatre will be a worthwhile one. Director Titas Halder, supported by Vicky Moran and Marc Small in associate and assistant director roles respectively, makes it so much of this show is only as good as its actors – arguably aptly Shakespearean – which is welcome. That is also not to say they are shy of imposing bold, abstract creative conceits. Halder leans on imagery of eclipses, using the sun and the moon’s veiling involvement with one another to draw parallels to the familial discontent that cannot escape orbit and i...