Latest Articles - Page 236 of 645

Northanger Abbey – Octagon Theatre, Bolton

6Mar

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Northanger Abbey – Octagon Theatre, Bolton

The first months of 2024 have brought a plethora of fresh writing to our region and following hot on the heels of new works by Jim Cartwright, Emma Rice and Phoebe Eclair-Powell comes an absolute gem by a little known writer from Hampshire called Jane Austen… Of course, we know that Northanger Abbey was published over two centuries ago, and Austen is so famous that she adorns every ten pound note in England, but this radical and stylised adaptation from Zoe Cooper allows us to see the story as almost freshly minted, the result is a startlingly fresh and inventive take on the mores of Regency England. Subverting Austen’s own omniscient narrator, we hear the story from the perspective of Cath (Rebecca Banatvala), reenacting her life and recent adventures with Iz (AK Golding) and Hen (Sam ...

And Then There Were None – The Alexandra

6Mar

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

And Then There Were None – The Alexandra

When first I read “And Then There Were”, a novel sensibly shorn of its original title, I closed the final page convinced that no one for a thousand pounds could work out how the murder was done. The explanation was so profoundly improbable and bizarrely unlikely as to warrant a well-deserved grunt and a huff and a sigh of incredulity from this reader. However, despite my lowly opinion, the book has found its place as a (if not “the”) best-selling crime novel of all time. Quite a claim in such a packed genre with everyone from Richard Osman to Alan Titchmarsh having a crack. We love murders! We love detectives - be they little old ladies, vain Belgians or high-functioning sociopaths in deerstalkers. This tome by the indisputable monarch of murder, Agatha Christie, (Dame of the British Empir...

6Mar

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Work It Out – HOME Mcr

“Five, six, seven, eight - step right, swimming motion, move like Jagger, turn and again!” Exercise is good for us. We all know that. It is beneficial not just because it helps to shed a few pounds, it also gives a much-needed boost to our mental health. Progress over perfection is the key to success. Writer Eve Steele has produced a play so full of heart you can hear it pounding like the ticker of an unfit beginner at their first exercise class. This finely judged play is polemical when it needs to be, veers on the right side of sentimentality and brings together a wonderfully disparate group of characters. Together they become their own little mini community. They all have their problems including drug addiction, alcoholism, hoarding and overeating. Damaged and defeated they com...

6Mar

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Shrek The Musical – Hull New Theatre

Imagine being thrown out of your house and told by your parents to make your own way in life - at the age of 7! That’s exactly what happened to a young Shrek, the green ogre whose story is told in Shrek The Musical which started its run at the Hull New Theatre on Tuesday night. But that was the only sad-ish part of the whole rip-roaring production. On the stage, a huge arc of lights surrounded by a backdrop of falling snowflakes and a massive Shrek story book, plus a soundtrack of croaking frogs, greeted us as we took our seats. Within minutes of curtain up, Shrek, now a giant, broke wind, then used a skunk as a deodorant under his armpits. That’s what ogres do. Shrek (Antony Lawrence) had us in the palm of his hands from that first window-rattling trump. But his world is...

One Man, Two Guvnors – The Eccleston Theatre

6Mar

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

One Man, Two Guvnors – The Eccleston Theatre

Pendleton School of Theatre continues with its season of shows with their latest production of ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’, which is a hilarious slapstick play infused with a wonderful medley of stunning 1960’s songs. The play is based on ‘The Servant of Two Masters’ by Carlo Goldoni and has been adapted by Nicholas Hytner to move away from the original setting of Italy in the 18th Century to Brighton in 1963 - in collaboration with Richard Bean the award-winning playwright and composer/musician Grant Olding. Pendleton School of Theatre has stayed mainly true to the successful adaptation that ran in the West End and Broadway commencing in 2011, however they have altered and added to the wonderful script and characters. The bands ‘The Magic Five’ and ‘The Pendies’ were situated above th...

6Mar

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Hamilton – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

The hype over Hamilton is spot on. This show tells the story of a political man, ambitious to make his mark in a time long gone and it does so with incredible spectacle, drama, humour and pathos. Currently touring the UK and Ireland, I was lucky enough to catch it at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh. The set is a work of art by acclaimed designer, David Korins. It enables the bold, powerful dancers to tell their story on every level. As the auditorium fills, the empty stage is beautifully lit with a rich, almost visceral palette and Howell Binkley’s lighting design lends nuance and substance to every musical note throughout the evening. Howell Binkley deserves his award for lighting this show. The entire cast did their director, Thomas Kail, and his associates proud. It’s a word-hea...

Multi Award Winning Come From Away flies into Liverpool

5Mar

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Multi Award Winning Come From Away flies into Liverpool

When the airspace over North America was closed on 9/11 and planes were grounded, the town of Gander in Newfoundland suddenly found itself playing host to more than 6,500 passengers and crew. With all airborne planes forced to land at the nearest airport and inbound flights from Europe diverted to Canada, a total of 38 planes carrying 6,579 people and 19 animals touched down in Gander, almost doubling its 10,000-strong population. On the northeastern tip of a province nicknamed The Rock by locals, these ‘come from aways’ (as the locals call people not born there) were welcomed with open arms. They were fed, clothed, housed and entertained - most notably at a ‘screech-in’ ceremony where kissing a cod earns you the title of honorary Newfoundlander - in and around Gander before aircraft...

Shifting Perspective, Breaking Boundaries: Introducing Unbound Dance Theatre

5Mar

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Shifting Perspective, Breaking Boundaries: Introducing Unbound Dance Theatre

A brand-new dance company launches in Leeds, created to break down barriers and nurture a dance culture where everyone feels recognised. Founded by Dance Artist and Choreographer, Sandrine Monin, the company sets out on a mission, ‘to champion inclusivity, connection and expression’ and make dance more accessible. Sandrine Monin and her company of dancers, both professional and creative collaborators from the Blind and Visually Impaired community, will be delivering a series of new workshops in the coming months. Dates include London, Leeds and Bradford, as the company works towards the premier of a new performance, to be toured nationally in 2024-25, entitled Feathers. An innovative & inclusive new dance piece, Feathers takes audiences on an emotional journey, ...

Stick Man to open in Salford and London this Christmas

5Mar

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Stick Man to open in Salford and London this Christmas

What starts off as a morning jog becomes quite the misadventure for Stick Man: a dog wants to play fetch with him, a swan builds a nest with him, and he even ends up on a fire! How will Stick Man ever get back to the family tree in time for Christmas? This much-loved adaptation from Freckle Productions, the team behind Zog and Zog and the Flying Doctors, features a trio of top actors and is packed full of puppetry, songs, live music and funky moves. Casting for both venues will be announced later this year. Executive producer Jennifer Sutherland said, “We are so excited that our beloved Stick Man – a perennial festive family favourite – will have sit down seasons in two major cities this Christmas. After twelve years at the Leicester Square Theatre, we’re so excited to move to a new ...

Ushers, The Front of House Musical returns to London to celebrate 10th anniversary

5Mar

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Ushers, The Front of House Musical returns to London to celebrate 10th anniversary

Returning to London after sell-out runs at West End’s Arts Theatre and Charing Cross Theatre, homegrown British musical smash hit, USHERS: The Front of House Musical, will run at The Other Palace (Studio) from 10th April to 19th May 2024. Set in a West End theatre, USHERS: The Front of House Musical follows a working shift in the lives of the stagiest people in the theatre - the front of house staff - who portray the hilarious, ridiculous and moving stories of ice-cream and programme sellers who dare to dream... A preview performance of a new jukebox musical is due to take place, a three-year workplace romance is on the rocks, an untrained newbie is working her first shift, and the amorous manager is under pressure to cut costs. What could possibly go wrong? USHERS: The Front ...