Yorkshire & Humber Archives - Page 7 of 43

To Have and To Hold – Hull Truck Theatre

8May

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

To Have and To Hold – Hull Truck Theatre

The stars shone brightly over the city of Hull on Wednesday evening, but none shone brighter than those gracing the Hull Truck Theatre stage, when they brought to life Yorkshire playwright Richard Bean’s bittersweet comedy To Have and To Hold. The star-studded cast did a marvellous job with a wonderful script, on a magnificent stage setting. Before “curtain up” and from my vantage point on the front row, I was able to admire the stage setting of comfy Dralon-covered sofa, recliner armchairs, Ercol-type tables, corded phones and stair-lift - obviously a well-loved, but dated home of an elderly couple. The pair - Florence (Paula Wilcox, star of 1970s sitcom Man About The House), and 91-year-old Jack (Ian Bartholomew, of Coronation Street fame) - bicker their way through their twilig...

Into the Woods – University of Sheffield Drama Studio

1May

By NewsdeskNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Into the Woods – University of Sheffield Drama Studio

Sondheim’s 1987 Broadway classic reinvented Grimm tales, and whilst this production from the Sheffield University Performing Arts Society needed not to reinvent, it certainly sought to invoke the classical quality of the musical and succeeded in doing so to great effect. Jamie Stephens’ and Rory Violet’s direction was fantastic. Scenes were carefully considered, and the conveyer-belt qualities of the work were well understood, bringing about an amusing and potent sense of urgency and slickness. I got a strong impression there was some really useful time put into fine-tuning the actors’ performances also, as there was evident depth and a real freedom and aliveness that can often only be wrought out by a director-actor working relationship. The layers of these performances are arguabl...

30Apr

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Bat Out of Hell – Sheffield Lyceum

Book, Music & Lyrics by Jim Steinman, this rock spectacular crowd pleaser directed by Jay Scheib, roars into the Sheffield Lyceum with a pulsating bass line and a sound quality that hits the heights at every perceivable moment. It could be said that this show is a hybrid – part Musical Theatre experience and part Rock concert – this new reimagined version of Bat Out of Hell feels to be moving more towards the latter, as the music is the unquestioned star of the show. Much of the dialogue has been removed from its initial conception and now only sporadically links Jim Steinman’s extensive back catalogue to form a convoluted storyline that is ‘undefined’ to say the least. But that said it doesn’t seem to matter… we can vaguely follow the plot – a cross between Peter Pan and Romeo and Jul...

30Apr

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

An Inspector Calls – Bradford Alhambra

Only yards away from this historic theatre is a statue of local boy made good J B Priestley so it’s fitting that it’s a full house for this revival of his spooky masterpiece. Still a GCSE text An Inspector Calls was revived by Stephen Daldry for the National Theatre and since then Priestley’s combination of the supernatural and socialism has become a staple of the touring circuit. Posh industrialists the Birlings are having an engagement party for their self-absorbed daughter in their mansion at the turn of the last century when a mysterious police inspector arrives to ask them questions about the suicide of a young local woman. Piece by piece Inspector Goole reveals the complicity in the death of these smug people, whose only concern is for themselves, but is their inquisitor all th...

30Apr

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Ghost The Musical – Hull New Theatre

When your goosebumps get goosebumps you know you are experiencing something extraordinary. I was affected by the bloomin’ eruptions at least twice while watching Ghost the Musical at the Hull New Theatre, on Tuesday evening. I’ve been spouting off to whoever would listen that no theatre production would come close to the 1990 movie, Ghost, starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore in the lead roles. Well, dear reader, I was totally and utterly wrong. This production of Ghost the Musical is definitely on a par with the hit movie. The theatre was packed on the night and, as the words “Oh my love, my darling, I’ve hungered for your touch” appeared on a huge star-lit screen, I bet every audience member started mentally singing those lyrics made famous in the song Unchained Melody,...

23Apr

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Dear Evan Hansen – Hull New Theatre

Some productions are so special that theatregoers can get the gist of the story from the get go. I certainly did when Dear Evan Hansen came to the Hull New Theatre on Tuesday evening. Ryan Kopel in the lead role as troubled high school kid, Evan, brought the gawky, angst-ridden, awkward, nerdy, coy, friendless teen to life so perfectly, words can’t begin to describe just how talented this young actor is. Everything about Kopel’s performance kept us, in the packed theatre, spellbound, as we followed his accidental journey of lies, lies and more lies. Evan lives with his mum Heidi (Lara Beth-Sas), whose busy work schedule often means her son is left alone for long stretches of time. He’s old enough, so no big deal. Or is it? Undergoing treatment from his doctor for his social anx...

10Apr

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Shirley Valentine – Leeds Playhouse

If King Lear remains the biggest challenge for actors of a certain vintage, then the 15000 word solo monologue that is Shirley Valentine represents a similar mountain to climb for an actress. Unlike playing the mad king this is one woman setting off on a two hour monologue, whilst also being asked to cook eggs and chips from scratch in front of a live audience. Playing frustrated housewife Shirley who finally breaks free of her shackles requires strong technique and iron nerve as there is nobody to pull you out of the mire if it goes wrong, and thankfully Mina Anwar has both. Willy Russell’s greatest creation is a lonely eighties and frustrated Liverpool housewife who is reduced to having a running conversation with her kitchen wall before she bins her dim sexist husband. She heads o...

9Apr

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Legally Blonde – Hull New Theatre

Having never seen the 2001 movie Legally Blonde, I deliberately kept myself in the dark re its storyline. I know from past experience that the talented performers of the Hessle Theatre Company would expertly bring the Legally Blonde musical to life, when performing it at the Hull New Theatre. And that’s exactly what this amateur group did on Tuesday evening, the first of a five-night run. The story follows love-sick UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles - I Googled) student, Elle Woods and her quest to hang on to the love of her boyfriend, Warner Huntington III. Elle is a frothy blonde, who loves to dress in pink - shoes and bag included - and former law student Tanya Sewell plays her to perfection. Warner, meanwhile, has his eye on his future statesman role, and Elle’s appear...

Les Misérables: Let the People Sing – Leeds Grand

4Apr

By Adam CraddockNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Les Misérables: Let the People Sing – Leeds Grand

It was an absolute pleasure to be invited along to review “Let the people sing!”, The UK amateur premiere of Les Misérables at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House. Presented by Leeds AOS, in collaboration with Buttershaw St Paul’s AODS, Leeds Insurance Dramatic Operatic Society and Wakefield West Riding Theatre Company, this production is a true community project, showcasing the very best talent that West Yorkshire has to offer. Directed by Louise Denison and Musical Direction by Jim Lunt, this production seemed more like a full professional production in terms of scale and budget than an amateur show. “Let the people sing” features two fully independent principal cast, the “red” team and “blue” team. I was lucky enough to watch the red team. Robert Durkin starred as Jean Valjean, the h...

28Mar

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Magic Flute – Hull New Theatre

As I made my way to the VIP entrance (a welcome reviewers’ perk) at the Hull New Theatre on Thursday evening, I had to navigate my way through throngs of queuing theatregoers. Opera lovers abound in the former City of Culture, and they were certainly out in force when Opera North’s production of The Magic Flute came to town. Mozart composed the music for this fairytale-type opera that premiered on September 30, 1791- just two months before his death. Originally penned by Emanuel Schikaneder, Opera North’s version was written by British theatre director, composer and lyricist, Jeremy Sams. Directed by James Brining and performed in the English language, the opening scene showed a young girl in her bedroom while, next door, drunken grown-ups, in evening wear, partied. The youngst...