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Tannhäuser – Sofia Opera and Ballet, Bulgaria

3Dec

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

REVIEWS

Tannhäuser – Sofia Opera and Ballet, Bulgaria

This summer’s Sofia Opera Wagner Festival was bookended by performances of Richard Wagner’s Tannhäuser so it was fitting to see a winter revival from director Plamen Kartaloff and a lovely prelude to next summer’s Wagner Festival where it will once again feature alongside Der Ring des Nibelungen. Tannhäuser (Martin Iliev) awakens in Venus’ (Radostina Nikolaeva) embrace at her cave where she reveals to him the wonders of her kingdom, but when he utters the name of the Holy Mary, her spell is broken. The pilgrims’ hymns echo through the valley of Wartburg as the men travel towards Rome and Tannhäuser decides to join them and beg for forgiveness for his sins. Herman (Petar Buchkov), the landgrave of Thuringia, arrives accompanied by many of the most famous minnesängers. Wolfram (Ventses...

3Dec

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Freaky Friday – HOME Mcr

Disney’s Freaky Friday has had several incarnations over the decades, yet this musical version manages to feel lively, warm, and surprisingly moving. Rather than leaning on nostalgia, it approaches the familiar story with modern humour, heartfelt character work, and two central performances that elevate the entire production. At its heart are Katherine, played with effortless comedic timing by Rebecca Lock, as Ellie, portrayed with sharp wit and authentic teenage exasperation by Jena Pandya. Katherine is a single mum trying to hold together her business, her upcoming wedding, and a household on the brink of chaos. Ellie is equally overwhelmed, navigating friendship politics, crushes, and the intense importance of her school’s annual scavenger hunt. When a heated argument erupts between ...

2Dec

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Beyond Monet – Royal Highland Centre

There’s something delightfully odd about stepping into one of the colossal cattle halls of the Royal Highland Centre and finding yourself transported into Monet’s luminous world of haystacks, lily ponds, and steam trains. Edinburgh’s Beyond Monet is the smaller sibling of last year’s Glasgow Beyond Van Gogh installation, but size, as it turns out, is only part of the story. The Royal Highland Centre, by contrast, offers a more contained, unified volume. Here, the projections encircle you on all four walls with complete synchronicity, transforming the experience into something more cohesive. Instead of moving through fragments and competing tableaux, you sink into a single visual world. Oddly enough, the smaller building produces a bigger emotional effect. The room becomes womb-like, dar...

2Dec

By Susan CohenNo Comments

Scotland

Baltic – Cumbernauld Theatre

Well, this is a panto full of creative Christmas joy! The word BALTIC is the jokey Scottish colloquialism for the word FROZEN, so the audience arrived in anticipation of being treated to a narrative which involved at least some of the much-loved characters of the Disney movie. It turns out that they weren’t to be disappointed. According to the promo blurb, brave young Elspeth, with magical powers still to be unleashed, lives in the snowy village of Glenfrost. When her brother Kai is kidnapped by the wicked Snow Queen Chilblain and her slippery sidekick Jack Frost, she sets off on a daring rescue mission. She’s joined by her hilariously cheeky pal Sammy the Slush, her snow-stopping mammy Dame Agnes Avalunch, and a whole host of frosty new friends, including a talkin...

2Dec

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

Bee Asha – Traverse Theatre

As part of The Soundhouse Winter Festival we’re treated to a vibrant set from poet, spoken-word, rap, jazz, dance, multi-faceted artist Bee Asha, but more of that in a minute… Support is no less than erstwhile keys player for The Vaselines, Carla J Easton, playing a clutch of songs from a forthcoming album that started life in a small recording booth in Nashville. With Brett. Dignifying a Fender Mustang (ok, could’ve been a Jaguar or Jazzmaster), peppering the set with anecdotes ranging from buying said guitar from Glasgow’s salubrious West End, to adventures halfway up a Norwegian glacier with Mr Hefner himself, Darren Hayman, she’s accompanied by ‘the best-dressed man in music’, Paul Kelly on acoustic. He was well-attired but a touch of glitter wouldn’t have gone amiss. What reall...

Cinderella: A Fairytale – Royal Lyceum Theatre

2Dec

By Dylan MooneyNo Comments

Scotland

Cinderella: A Fairytale – Royal Lyceum Theatre

Deck those halls as it’s Christmas time once again in Edinburgh with Royal Lyceum Theatre’s annual festive show, this year Sally Cookson’s and Adam Peck’s Cinderella: A Fairytale. A classic story known and loved by many, holding on to its original charm alongside modernisation, making this play a stand-out for family festive fun. We follow Ella (Olivia Hemmati), recently orphaned and ‘looked after’ by her stepmother (Nicole Cooper) and tormented by her wicked stepsiblings (Christina Gordon and Matthew Forbes). In this production, Ella has a deep connection with birds and, when finding some needed solace from her awful living conditions, she meets a fellow bird enthusiast (Sam Stopford), who just so happens to be a prince. As the story goes, Ella is invited to a royal ball but will every...

Jack and the Beanstalk Adult Pantomime – Kings Head Theatre

2Dec

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Jack and the Beanstalk Adult Pantomime – Kings Head Theatre

As the festive season approaches, so does the beloved tradition of pantomimes, and this year the King’s Head Theatre adds its own cheeky twist with Jack and the Beanstalk. The production offers two versions, one family-friendly and one strictly for adults, and it was the adults-only performance that truly pushed the boundaries in the most hilarious way. This late-night rendition revels in adult humour, packed with innuendos and outrageous character names including the wonderfully provocative Fairy Flick My Bean. Elliott Backer-Costello as Jack and Joseph Lukehurst as the villainous Nightshade showcased brilliant chemistry throughout, especially during their more risqué physical comedy moments. Their playful, exaggerated antics, sometimes ending up in hilariously compromising positions, ...

Cinderella: The Rock n Roll Panto – Theatr Clwyd

2Dec

By Gill LewisNo Comments

Wales

Cinderella: The Rock n Roll Panto – Theatr Clwyd

Snowflakes tumble across a freshly snow-drenched stage as Theatr Clwyd unveils its first-ever panto production inside the brand-new Theatr Moondance — a beautifully refurbishment of the old Anthony Hopkins Theatre with new plush seating and glorious legroom. It’s a grand, sparkling space, ideal for a show bringing plenty of festive magical moments to Mold, serving up wonders for audiences of all ages. What continues to set Theatr Clwyd’s pantomime apart is the depth of panto experience and expertise of its creative team. Writer Christian Patterson, back for his eighth outing, once again fires out rapid-fire gags, cheeky innuendos, and that unmistakable Clwyd charm. Daniel Lloyd returns to direct, pulling together a production that shows off the artistic muscle of everyone involved. And,...

2Dec

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

A Christmas Carol – Leeds Playhouse

The festive extravaganzas at Leeds Playhouse have become a must see for Yorkshire theatre fans, and this year for A Christmas Carol they have thrown their big guns at yet another version of this hoary old favourite. This is director Amy Leach’s fifth go at Dickens’ classic tale of a damaged man’s redemptive journey, and it’s her biggest yet. She joins forces for the 22nd time with set and costume designer Hayley Grindle as they cleverly move the action from Victorian London to the cotton mills of Leeds. That works really well as it’s a reminder this great city’s wealth was also built on ruthlessly exploiting the working class. Unusually for a Playhouse festive show we are not in the round on the huge Quarry stage. Leach’s typically dynamic and witty direction makes the most of Grindl...

30Nov

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

The Grim – Southwark Playhouse

There are some of us who aren’t enthusiastic supporters of the supposed joy, goodwill and generosity which accompanies the season of Christmas. Whether this cynicism stems from resistance to consumerism, despair at an absence of spirituality or justified fear of family, one soon learns to limit such sentiments. Especially around children. This minority of Yuletide miseries tend to be cheered enormously when the usual cavalcade of schmaltz and plastic tat gives way to tales of horror or paranormal happenings. For the dark-hearted, the macabre is a comfort. With that in mind, three cheers for whoever commissioned The Grim for a run at Southwark Playhouse. First performed at Underbelly, Edinburgh Festival, the play enjoyed a sell-out season, before a critically acclaimed run at the Old Red...