Thursday, April 30

Latest Articles

Shrek The Musical – Hull New Theatre
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
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...
Hamilton – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
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
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
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
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
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 ...
Bonnie & Clyde the Musical hits the road
NEWS

Bonnie & Clyde the Musical hits the road

The Barrow Gang are now on the run across the country! This week, the principal cast of the first-ever UK & Ireland of BONNIE & CLYDE THE MUSICAL set off on the road in a vintage 1929 Ford Model A Saloon as the tour moves to Wolverhampton Grand from Tuesday 5th - Saturday 9th March 2024. Winner of Best New Musical (What’sOnStage Awards 2023), Bonnie & Clyde The Musical then continues its major tour visiting Wolverhampton, Norwich, Sunderland, Cardiff, Southampton, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Woking, Bath, Manchester, Nottingham, Southend, Belfast, Bradford, Milton Keynes, Blackpool, Edinburgh, Cheltenham, Dublin, Brighton, Birmingham, Portsmouth, High Wycombe, Newcastle, Sheffield, Bromley and Northampton. Credit: Grahame Larte Catherine Tyldesley (Coronation Street, Strictly C...
Noga Ritter to play Manchester Jewish Museum
NEWS

Noga Ritter to play Manchester Jewish Museum

On Mother’s Day, Sunday, 10th March, Manchester Jewish Museum will welcome Noga Ritter, an Israel-born, London-based eclectic singer-songwriter, for a performance in the museum’s 150-year-old Spanish & Portuguese synagogue. Noga’s new album “Ima” (Hebrew for “mother”) is her debut solo album, dedicated to the artist’s mother, “a healer, mover and true artist”. Noga Ritter is an eclectic singer-songwriter, band leader and workshop facilitator whose music fuses Hebrew Jazz with global grooves. Her songs, sung in both Hebrew and English, weave intimate and personal stories into a potent narrative of social-global issues. Her performances, whether in stripped-down formats or her full 9-piece band, are as passionate as they are energetic, getting any audience to dance and join in on her ...
Vanya – National Theatre Live – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse
North West

Vanya – National Theatre Live – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

The latest offering from National Theatre Live screened this evening at Altrincham Garrick Playhouse, and whilst ‘Vanya’ featured an acting performance from Andrew Scott that garnered deserved plaudits during its West End run last year, I found the overall production something to be admired rather than loved. Scott, director Sam Yates and designer Rosanna Vize share equal billing as co-creators alongside writer Simon Stephens, who relocates Chekhov’s tragicomedy to a 20th-century Irish farm, preserving the plaintive sadness of the 1897 original story whilst seeking to shed new light onto the characters through Scott’s inventive interpretation. He plays everyone, differentiating men and women, young and old, with subtle changes of vocal register and body language. His performance is w...