Latest Articles - Page 269 of 675

28Feb

By Emma LambeNo Comments

North West

Stranger Sings! – Floral Pavilion

Fans of the Netflix sensation Stranger Things will love this tongue in cheek parody of the hit show. Mainly focusing on Season 1 as the source material we get an ensemble cast all of which playing different well-loved characters. It begins with an instantly recognisable set by Justin Williams, consisting of fairy lights and 80's decor in what doubles up as Mike's and Joyce's house. The boys are playing dungeons and dragons and being set in Hawkins, a town where nothing happens, was perfectly normal to cycle back home without supervision. Ahh what a decade. If you've seen the show you will know that Will ends up missing, but is really in the upside realm, a creepy alternative reality. If you haven't watched Stranger Things yet then I would say watch it first, as this is a parody musical ...

Pretty Woman – Palace Theatre Manchester

28Feb

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Pretty Woman – Palace Theatre Manchester

The Palace Theatre Manchester opened its doors to ‘Pretty Woman the Musical’ as a part of its UK tour, derived from the book by Garry Marshall and J.F. Lawton with Music and Lyrics from Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. The 1990 romantic comedy was a huge success on screen starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts and was directed by Garry Marshall which received several awards during its time, so I was intrigued to see how it would transfer onto a musical theatre stage. The storyline is based on a billionaire corporate raider businessman Edward Lewis (Ben Darcy) who finds himself in Hollywood whilst working on his latest deal, when lost in the city he meets Vivian Ward (Paige Fenlon) a street worker, the confident prostitute manages to win his attention with her cheeky charm and her knowl...

Lettice & Lovage – Little Theatre Birkenhead

28Feb

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Lettice & Lovage – Little Theatre Birkenhead

Director Mike Sanders has Peter Shaffer’s super witty script to work with but whether a mix of first night nerves and learning curves, this production from the Carlton Players doesn’t really take full advantage of its snappy pacing and eye rolling bon mots. Lettice Duffet (Katy Downes), an expert on Elizabethan cuisine and medieval weaponry, is an indefatigable but daffy enthusiast of history and the theatre which she combines in her role as a tour guide at Fustian House, one of the least stately of London’s stately homes. As she theatrically embellishes its historical past, much to a mix of surprise, consternation, and pleasure from visiting tourists (Phyllis Brighouse; Lynda Critchley; Richard Isles; Rebcca Williams; Lucy Ashdown; Sallyanne Nelson; Gareth Crawshaw), she ultimately com...

An Officer and a Gentlemen – Alexandra Birmingham

28Feb

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

An Officer and a Gentlemen – Alexandra Birmingham

Like “Dirty Dancing” before it, yet another of the screen to stage transmutations which seem to proliferate currently, “An Officer and a Gentlemen” has a single, vibrant choreographic image around which all else might be considered mere dressing. He lifts her up (presumably where she belongs) and carries her from the factory surrounded by applauding workers and colleagues. So ingrained is that image in my mind I can recall it without any research 42 years after its release! Such is the power of screen, but what of stage? In the highest grossing movies of 1982 only ET and Tootsie* elbowed “An Officer and a Gentleman” into third place just above Rocky III - which, I’m sure, would make an excellent ballet - proving itself a huge success for Richard Gere, Debra Winger and the very shouty Lo...

The Vicar of Dibley – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

27Feb

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

The Vicar of Dibley – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

Altrincham Garrick Playhouse’s The Vicar of Dibley transported audiences back to the quirky charm of the beloved TV series, delivering an evening of uproarious laughter and heartwarming moments. Directed by Pete Brassington, the production showcased the talents of a remarkable cast of amateur performers who breathed new life into the iconic characters. Meg Brassington shone as the irrepressible Geraldine Granger, infusing the role with wit, warmth, and a touch of sass. Opposite her, Hugh Everett embodied the pompous yet endearing David Horton, while Dan Ellis captured the bumbling charm of Hugo Horton. Helen Swain charmed as the sweet-natured but somewhat dim-witted Alice Tinker, eliciting plenty of laughs with her comedic timing. Christine Perry brought Letitia Cropley to life w...

The Merchant of Venice 1936 – The Criterion Theatre

26Feb

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

The Merchant of Venice 1936 – The Criterion Theatre

Relocated from the traditional Venice of the 16th century, to 1930’s East End of London, this thoroughly re-worked and re-freshed version of The Merchant of Venice, uses a different period in history to tell its story. The outline of the story remains unchanged. Antonio (Raymond Coulthard) hopes to assist his friend Bassiano (Gavin Fowler) who wishes to court the wealthy Portia (Hannah Morrish); by obtaining a loan from Shylock (Tracey-Ann Oberman). Antonio suffers financial setbacks, and cannot repay the loan, unfortunately, the penalties for this are not financial, Shylock wants her pound of flesh. And yes, you noticed that Shylock is a woman! Oberman imagined a Jewish matriarch, inspired by her grandmother who fled an antisemitic country to arrive in Lon...

26Feb

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

Musclebound – Camden People’s Theatre

Very niche and very funny! Rosy Carrick ruminates about the eroticised torture of bodybuilders in mainstream films of the 1980s and her personal sexual exploration through the years. Having co-hosted the poetry stages at Latitude and Glastonbury festivals for the last decade, Rosy has the gift of gab and will have your attention immediately after 'coming' into the room. It is not often that we have one-woman comedy take centre stage shamelessly about their first explorations around sex as a child, a teen, an adult, a mother of a teen, or an older woman pursuing exactly what she fancies. This new show is asking a lot of questions about the politics of female pleasure and untangling the creepers of shame, power, and torture around ideas of sexual exploration. Rosy has created a bra...

26Feb

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

The Offies Awards 2024 – The Winners

Celebrating the best and supporting inclusiveness The Offies celebrate the best of independent, alternative and fringe theatre – across Greater London and at selected fringe festivals around the UK. Their 2023 ceremony, on the evening of Sunday, 25th February, at the Woolwich Works, gave out over 50 awards across an exciting range of categories and to a hugely diverse range of recipients. Over 850 people attended to participate in the second live Offies ceremony since March 2020. This year, the winners from 2023 were invited to return to present the awards to this year’s winners, creating a sense of continuity and community. Other presenters included Linda Marlowe, actor and OffWestEnd Patron, Paul Roseby OBE, Director, National Youth Theatre, Ronnie Le Drew, Puppeteer and P...

Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 3 returns to Park Theatre

25Feb

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 3 returns to Park Theatre

Returning for a third installment, the hugely popular Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] will see over 45 famous faces take on the role of the Inspector in a murder mystery fundraising spoof. Without ever seeing the script and only hearing their lines via an earpiece moments before speaking, one celebrity from a star-studded line-up of comedians, actors, presenters and musicians will take to the stage to perform the lead role. Who it will be each night is the greatest mystery of all, and only revealed when the curtain goes up. New faces in this year’s line-up include award winning actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Beverley Knight, Adrian Lester and Jodie Whittaker who will be attempting to solve a series of grizzly murders aboard a train. The voice of Richard Kind joins Ian McKellen in providing the na...

Greenwich Theatre Announces 2024 in-house productions

25Feb

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Greenwich Theatre Announces 2024 in-house productions

The premieres of four new Greenwich Theatre productions are announced today. In its 2024 season, the company will present Greenwich Theatre productions of Bryony Lavery’s Frozen and Jez Butterworth’s The River alongside new family shows Beauty and the Beast in the summer and Dick Whittington and his Cat premiering for Christmas 2024. Greenwich Theatre’s 2024 productions feature acclaimed actors including Kerrie Taylor (Hollyoaks, Where The Heart Is, The Bay), Paul McGann (Withnail and I, Doctor Who, Luther), and James Bradshaw (Endeavour, Hollyoaks) whilst emerging talent is propelled behind the scenes including Beauty and the Beast writing duo Sidonie Welton and Brad Tutt. • Greenwich Children’s Theatre Festival (29th March – 14th April 2024) in its 17th year • Bryony Lavery’s Fr...