Latest Articles - Page 157 of 645

12Sep

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Beautiful Thing – Storyhouse, Chester

Disley Theatrical Productions return for their third production, this time making their debut at Storyhouse, Chester. The Garrett Theatre is usually a bare studio space, so it was nice to see it used in a different way with a set that brought the piece to life. Designed by Phil Cross and built by Mark Disley, the main set is the front of three flats in which the characters live, and the communal area outside the front of the flats is where the story is played out, where issues are aired and dealt with. We are occasionally taken to Jamie’s bedroom where a bed is brought to the centre of the stage area and where some tender scenes take place. Beautiful Thing follows the story of three teenagers struggling with their own issues. Jamie who is being bullied at school for being gay, Ste who i...

12Sep

By Louise KershawNo Comments

North West

I Bought a Flip Phone – HOME Mcr

Have you every stopped to wonder what would happen to you if you dumped your smart phone? No more WhatsApp groups, no social media, no googling, no maps. Just a phone for calls and text and nothing else. This is the question Panos Kandunias asks in his one man show which tells the story of Charlie, an almost 27-year-old gay man who has become sick of shuffling and buys himself a flip phone in an attempt to address his 5 hour a day addiction to his now ditched smart device. I Bought a Flip Phone is a passionate exploration of modern digital burnout and the perpetual feeling that life is on hold. It is the very engaging story of a young man searching for deeper and more personal connections with his fellow humans. The staging is sparse. An empty stage with a simple bench and table a...

The Play That Goes Wrong Celebrates 10 Years of Chaos and Laughter at the Duchess Theatre

11Sep

By Klervi GavetNo Comments

NEWS

The Play That Goes Wrong Celebrates 10 Years of Chaos and Laughter at the Duchess Theatre

Last night marked a special milestone for The Play That Goes Wrong, as the beloved comedy celebrated its 10-year anniversary on the West End. The occasion felt like a family reunion, with former cast members, supporters, and fans gathering for a night filled with laughter and nostalgia. The evening featured the current cast: Jordan Akkaya (Trevor), Daniel Anthony (Dennis), Joe Bolland (Jonathan), Daniel Fraser (Chris), Billie Hamer (Annie), Owen Jenkins (Robert), Jay Olpin (Max), and Hannah Sinclair Robinson (Sandra). Together, they brought the house quite literally down with their chaotic performance of The Murder at Haversham Manor, a murder mystery staged by the fictional Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, where everything that can possibly go wrong just does. The energy in th...

Murder on the Orient Express – The Lowry

11Sep

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Murder on the Orient Express – The Lowry

The current touring production of Murder on the Orient Express, presented at The Lowry in Salford, is a resounding success, perfectly capturing the timeless charm of Agatha Christie’s classic mystery while bringing fresh energy to the familiar tale. Directed by Lucy Bailey and adapted by Ken Ludwig, this version pays homage to the original while offering a modern twist that feels both invigorating and faithful to the source material. It’s no small feat to revitalise a story so well-known, yet this production does so with ease. Set in the 1930s, the plot follows Hercule Poirot as he investigates a murder aboard the famed Orient Express, which has become stranded by snow in Yugoslavia. Michael Maloney delivers a standout performance as Poirot, portraying the detective’s methodical nature ...

Margaret Thatcher: Queen of Soho – Lowry Theatre

11Sep

By Louise KershawNo Comments

North West

Margaret Thatcher: Queen of Soho – Lowry Theatre

Currently playing in the Lowry’s Quays Theatre and following four sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe is the ‘smash hit drag extravaganza’ Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho. This big gay odyssey about LGBT rights and the Section 28 amendment to the Local Government Act of 1988 is pretty much a whistle stop tour of the 1980s and the homophobic battle within the Conservative Party to push the legislation through. Our hero in this battle, the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; our villain, the then MP for Birmingham Edgbaston. Jill Knight. As battle commenced, pantomime style and accompanied by the hi energy hits of the time, a punk Peter Tatchell, the ghost of Winston Churchill, the kids from Grange Hill, The A Team and the Weather Girls, the joyous chaos that followed kept the ...

Lindsay Rodden talks about her new play Jennie Lee for Mikron Theatre

9Sep

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

Lindsay Rodden talks about her new play Jennie Lee for Mikron Theatre

Thousands of people have changed their lives through the Open University thanks to the vision of radical Labour MP Jennie Lee. Her life story is now Huddersfield based Mikron Theatre’s latest production, written by Lindsay Rodden, with original songs and integrated audio description charting the extraordinary life of a pioneering Scottish politician. She was also the first Minister for the Arts, but many people will never have heard of her work that enabled so many to better themselves through the Open University, which only came into being through her sheer doggedness. Lee was also married to NHS founder Nye Bevan, but her achievements make so her so much more than a footnote in someone else’s past. In the classic Mikron tradition four actors/musicians will tour Jennie Lee...

Hugh Panaro: Man Without a Mask – Crazy Coqs

9Sep

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Hugh Panaro: Man Without a Mask – Crazy Coqs

He is not shy about sharing his feelings about the roles he didn’t get before becoming one of Broadway’s greatest stars. This show is perfectly pitched at a level to introduce the Broadway greats of time gone by and bring on ‘The Girls’. In this production Hugh sings with Christina Bianco an American actress, singer and impressionist, best known for her theatre work and impersonations of the stars like Barbara Streisand, Judy Garland and Lady Gaga. She has received acclaim in the role of Fanny Brice in the Paris premiere of Funny Girl. She duets A Little Fall of Rain with Hugh in a touching tribute, followed by a rendition of her unique style of comedic impersonations bringing to the stage; Liza Minnelli, Julie Andrews to name a few. Offering a flavour of true American cabaret to th...

Meet the Essex Girls Who Changed the World

9Sep

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Meet the Essex Girls Who Changed the World

Morley Amateur Operatic Society returns to the stage this month marking their 97th year treading the boards. After the success of their last summer show, ‘My Fair Lady’, they are fast forwarding in time to the swinging sixties. Prepare to be captivated by the incredible story of the Essex girls who sparked a revolution! Inspired by true events, ‘Made in Dagenham’ follows Rita O’Grady as she leads a group of fearless women in a battle for equality at the Ford factory. As tensions rise and sacrifices are made, watch Rita’s determination and courage ignite a movement that changes history. Don't miss this empowering tale of resilience, solidarity and triumph! This show contains language and references considered appropriate for the time. Recommended age 12+ (bad language) 18th- 21...

8Sep

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Brassed Off – Octagon Theatre, Bolton

The Octagon Theatre in Bolton resounds to the sound of beautiful Brass this Autumn as we open their new season with an adaptation by Paul Allen of the iconic 90’s film of the same name, exploring the effect of the Miners’ strike through the prism of the Colliery band. Set a decade after the seminal events of 1984, Director Liz Stevenson has successfully transferred some of the grit of the original to the stage and added wistful musicality to the mix, but the authenticity of working-class culture is missing, sacrificed on the altar of whimsical nostalgia and an inappropriate feel good ending. The set design (Simon Kenny) evokes the disused grandeur of a closed coal mine, the broken Colliery wheel is suspended above a black circular stage, a conveyor littered with coal and acting as a ram...

Blame It On The Bucky – Reconnect Regal Theatre

7Sep

By Susan CohenNo Comments

Scotland

Blame It On The Bucky – Reconnect Regal Theatre

This new play has the potential to become one of Scotland’s classics. It’s advertised as ‘an uproarious comedy’ – that, it most certainly is. It’s billed as ‘a hilarious night’ – oh yes, that’s for sure. However, it’s more – it’s a depiction of family dynamics, of fear and frailty, life and death. The balance between its comedic quirkiness and its unexpected depth is what makes this play so exciting. It affords the great spectacle of farce. Two men, hungover from a night on the ‘rambo juice’, have no memory of what on earth they did with Granny’s corpse when they were on the razz. Well, it must’ve seemed like a good idea at the time … but hurry … the funeral’s fast approaching ... there's a baby on the way … … get a move on … tick tick...