Latest Articles - Page 21 of 684

The Legend of Davie McKenzie – Traverse Theatre

14Mar

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

The Legend of Davie McKenzie – Traverse Theatre

From the duo who brought us Dancing Shoes at this venue before Christmas (and The Scaff prior to that) comes another play providing a comic, tragic and moving portrait of life on the ‘other’ side of the tracks. In their latest offering Stephen Christopher & Graeme Smith bring us Sean and Davie who meet as kids on a housing scheme and, both father-less, hang out together escaping their drab surroundings via their favourite films. Their perspectives on life are betrayed as they frequently play characters set against the world whether it’s Butch and Sundance or Tony Montana. Davie is clearly the more gallus of the two, claiming to have seen every single film ever made. Unsurprisingly his vibrant, imaginative approach to life knows few boundaries. The two end up in prison for ...

14Mar

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Opera North: Peter Grimes – The Lowry

In the week Timothée Chalamet made his ill-advised claim that “no one cares about ballet and opera anymore”, the 1,700 people gathered at the Lyric Theatre in Salford to watch Opera North’s revival of Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes would strongly disagree. Chalamet might revise his opinion were he ever to see this production. Karolina Sofulak’s revival of the 2006 original presents Britten’s music in all its brooding glory while sharply revealing the paranoia and groupthink at the heart of the story. The opera begins in silence. Peter Grimes (John Findon) stands in the dock before an inquest into the death of his young apprentice, William Spode. The townspeople of The Borough are deeply suspicious of Grimes, a loner and outcast in their close-knit and introspective society. His acquitt...

13Mar

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Ancient Grease – The Vaults, London

Few venues could host something as gleefully ridiculous as ‘Ancient Grease’, but The Vaults proves the perfect playground. By taking the familiar DNA of the much-beloved musical Grease and hurling it backwards in time to Mount Olympus, the production, written by Lady Aria Grey, creates a riotous, camp, and unapologetically adult parody that revels in theatrical mischief. The result is a night of theatre that feels mischievous, raunchy, and irresistibly fun. Set at the fictional Olympus Academy, the story “loosely” echoes the structure of the original Grease narrative, but with gods, goddesses and mythical chaos replacing high school antics. Zeus (Peter Camilleri) and Hera (Philippa Leadbetter) find their relationship under the watchful manipulation of the Fates whilst other Olympian...

13Mar

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Iron Fantasy – Soho Theatre

Do you feel strong? Harder? Better? Faster? Stronger? She Goat’s Iron Fantasy is putting in the work to achieve all of the above. Shamira Turner and Eugénie Pastor are a formidable two-woman operation dolled up and scrubbed in to peel back every layer of each other’s armour both literal and metaphorical. A seventy-five-minute romp through song, dance, farmer carrying, tire slinging and fight choreographing, Iron Fantasy is fun and funny. The performers have a beautiful chemistry and obvious ease with each other that enables them to connect with the audience as well but despite the inherent vulnerability of staging the show’s autobiographical themes their bond insulates them from much of the audience’s scrutiny. A testament to the power of female friendship and the strength gained...

13Mar

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

The Marriage of Figaro – The Lowry

Opera North’s 2026 production of The Marriage of Figaro proves that a thoughtful modernisation can illuminate a classic without dimming its original sparkle. Rather than forcing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte’s comedy into a contemporary mould, this staging updates the setting with a light touch, trusting the intelligence of the audience and the resilience of the material. The result feels both fresh and recognisable. Often cited among the greatest operas ever written, the story unfolds over the chaotic wedding day of Figaro, valet to Count Almaviva, and his beloved Susannah, maid to the Countess. Their hopes of marital bliss are threatened by the Count’s relentless pursuit of Susannah and by the arrival of a housekeeper armed with a contract demanding marriage from Figaro...

The Grand Babylon Hotel – Hull Truck Theatre

13Mar

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Grand Babylon Hotel – Hull Truck Theatre

London’s Savoy Hotel became a second home to the famous author Arnold Bennett, who, it is said, based his 1901 novel The Grand Babylon Hotel on the luxury establishment. And on Thursday evening, watched playwright and ex-Coronation Street actress, Deborah McAndrew’s adaptation at the Hull Truck Theatre. McAndrew is a co-founder (along with the show’s director Conrad Nelson) of the Claybody Theatre, based in Stoke-on-Trent, and it’s that venue’s production, in association with the New Vic, that is gracing Hull Truck’s stage this week. Classed as a “rollicking comedy thriller”, my seat in row B afforded me a grand view of the stage setting - a patterned floor in greys, white and black upon which stood a reception desk, table, chairs, suitcases, brass Bellboy trolley and a butler’s s...

One Day: The Musical – The Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh

13Mar

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

One Day: The Musical – The Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh

When a beloved novel arrives on stage, the question is always the same, what can theatre add that the page or the screen cannot? With One Day, The Musical, adapted from the best-selling novel by David Nicholls with book by David Greig and music and lyrics by Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano Ramirez, the answer lies not only in performance but in space itself. When I go to see a musical, I am essentially judging three things, the story, the staging, and the performances. In other words, what is said, how the piece is physically realised, and how convincingly the cast bring it all to life. In this case, all three come remarkably close to full marks. David Greig’s script adaptation works remarkably well, keeping the structure of the original story while translating its episodic nature to...

13Mar

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Ballet Nights – Opera House

Ballet Nights’ first regional tour arrives in Manchester with a programme that celebrates the breadth of dance today, blending styles and artistic voices into an evening that feels both polished and joyfully eclectic. The format - a sequence of short works introduced by founder and artistic director Jamiel Devernay-Laurence - creates a lively atmosphere, allowing audiences to experience an impressive range of talent, from internationally celebrated performers to students making their stage debut. The programme offers a fabulous mix of traditional ballet, contemporary dance and tap, interwoven with pockets of live music that keep the evening feeling fluid and intimate. One highlight is the chance to relive the showcase dance “I Married Myself” from the Netflix series Étoile, danced by...

The Ladies Football Club – Crucible Theatre

11Mar

By Jo TillotsonNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Ladies Football Club – Crucible Theatre

The popularity of women’s football has grown exponentially recently, bolstered by England’s back-to-back European titles. And every good movement has a good origin story behind it. And if you are thinking, “I don’t know anything about football, maybe this one isn’t for me…” then give me a couple of minutes of your time while I try to persuade you otherwise. I am not a football fan, at all. It’s not something I grew up with, and it all feels a bit alien to me. But I am a fan of women being brilliant, women telling stories, and women supporting and promoting other women, and that is what you get here. The Ladies Football Club, written by Stefano Massini and adapted for this production by Tim Firth, takes us back to the first moments of women’s football. It is World War I. Most men are ...

11Mar

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Sugar Daddy – Underbelly Boulevard Soho

Some comedy shows aim simply to entertain. ‘Sugar Daddy’, written and solo-performed by comedian Sam Morrison, does something far rarer, it makes an audience laugh until their cheeks ache, and then quietly reminds them how fragile and beautiful love and life can be, it delivers a comedy punchline and at the same time, leaves an emotional wound. Performed at Underbelly Boulevard Soho, Morrison’s one-man show begins with the easy rhythm of stand-up. He has high energy levels, bounds around the stage with a burst of nervous enthusiasm, the kind that feels wonderfully unpolished and instantly human. You can tell early on that he is deeply connected to his story and wants to tell it. That slightly anxious energy becomes part of the charm of this piece. Morrison does not hide behind the safet...