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Leeds Playhouse becomes foodbank collection point for I, Daniel Blake

21Sep

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

NEWS

Leeds Playhouse becomes foodbank collection point for I, Daniel Blake

As the world premiere stage adaptation of I, Daniel Blake comes to Leeds Playhouse they are turning themselves into a foodbank collection point. The film focusing on the struggles of people on the margins in our country has been adapted by actor and comedian Dave Johns, who won the Best Actor award at the British Independent Film Awards and Best Newcomer at the EMPIRE Awards for his role in the film. The proliferation of foodbanks across the UK is a central theme in the play, so the Playhouse is becoming a collection point for South & East Leeds Food Bank, which is part of the Trussell Trust Network with distribution points in Harehills, Beeston, Gipton, Seacroft, Morley, Hunslet, Halton, Rothwell and Belle Isle. The South & East Leeds Food Bank supported more than 14,000 ...

20Sep

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

North West

Annie – Manchester Opera House

The story of orphan Annie originates from a 1924 comic strip called Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray, lyricist Martin Charnin approached author Thomas Meehan to write the book of a musical, a wise choice considering his many successes since, with awards for co-writing The Producers, Hairspray, also writing the books for the musicals, Elf, and Young Frankenstein amongst others. Meehan created Annie, using some of the characters from the comic strip, but added to them, using Charles Dickens’ orphan characters as inspiration, which worked well with the musical being set at the time of the Great Depression of 1929. Lyricist Charnin, would then work with composer Charles Strouse, using Meehan’s book as the framework for Annie. We join Annie (Sharangi Gnanavarathan) and her frie...

20Sep

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

I, Daniel Blake – Liverpool Playhouse

In 2016 Ken Loach’s groundbreaking film rocked the heart of the establishment, forcing politicians to speak of the issues it raised in parliament and for one to remark it was ‘a work of fiction’. Daniel Blake may have been a fictional character, but the powerful story was anything but fiction. People were trapped in the universal credit system and the poorest in our society were the ones who were forgotten and ignored. The actor who played Daniel, Dave Johns, has now adapted the screenplay for the stage and tiny dragon productions are touring it to appreciative audiences around the country. This play is still relevant and whilst the cost-of-living crisis hits once again the poorest in our society, the message that Daniel Blake is a human being who deserves respect reso...

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet – Festival Theatre

20Sep

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet – Festival Theatre

On its opening night, Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre came alive with the revival of Matthew Bourne's "Romeo & Juliet." Often regarded as a master of family-friendly productions, Bourne's latest interpretation delves deeper into the suppressed passions simmering beneath the surface, offering a fresh perspective on Shakespeare's timeless tragedy. The stage is transformed into the Verona Institute, an institution akin to an asylum for troubled youth, masterfully designed by Lez Brotherston. Its stark, white surfaces, imposing barred doors, and staircases leading to nowhere symbolize the suffocating conformity that envelopes its inhabitants. Yet, within these confines, the characters, clad in white, strive to break free with subtle acts of rebellion—flicks of the head, twitches of the arm...

20Sep

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Rebecca – Charing Cross Theatre

There seems to be no source material nowadays which cannot be turned into a musical. However, Rebecca, having its London musical premiere at the Charing Cross Theatre illustrates that some material is really not suitable for such a treatment. This show premiered in Vienna in 2006 and ran for 3 years. It had original German lyrics by Michael Kunze, translated for this production by Christopher Hampton, and music by Sylvester Levay. It follows the story of the famous Daphne Du Maurier novel closely. An unnamed young woman is swept off her feet by the enigmatic Maxim de Winter in a Monte Carlo hotel and agrees to become his wife and returns with him to his home at Manderley on the Cornish coast. However, the memories of the first Mrs De Winter, Rebecca, are everywhere in the house, kept ...

20Sep

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Sister Act – Hull New Theatre

I was affected by my own Sister Act on Monday evening, when the musical of the same name came to the Hull New Theatre stage. My long-time theatre buddy, my sister Chrissy, deserted me to have fun in the sun abroad, leaving her sisterly gap to be filled by my good pal, Barbs. The story starts in 1977 Philadelphia, US, where wannabe singer Deloris Van Cartier (Landi Oshinowo), witnesses her married lover, the thuggish Curtis Jackson (Ian Gareth-Jones), commit murder. Deloris, realising she has been seen by Curtis, heads for the police station and into the protective custody of my fave character on the night, “Steady” Eddie Souther (Alfie Parker). Later on, Eddie becomes the hero of the hour, bless him. Meanwhile, Deloris is packed off to a nunnery to keep her safe from Curtis’...

20Sep

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

The Mousetrap – Buxton Opera House

The Mousetrap directed by the talented duo of Ian Talbot and Denise Silvey, is an absolute delight for any ‘whodunit’ fan! The production currently touring the UK boasts an outstanding cast, with Rachel Dawson as Mollie Ralston, Michael Lyle as Giles Ralston, Todd Carty as Major Metcalf, Shaun McCourt as Christopher Wren, Catherine Shipton as Mrs Boyle, Leigh Lothian as Miss Casewell, Steven Elliott as Mr Paravicini and Garyn Williams as Detective Trotter. Together, they bring Agatha Christie's iconic murder mystery to life in a way that captivates and entertains from start to finish. First and foremost, it’s currently at Buxton Opera House until Saturday 23rd September and the theatre serves as the perfect venue for this classic ‘whodunit’. Celebrating its 120th anniversary this yea...

Every Brilliant Thing – Theatre by the Lake

20Sep

By Karen Morley-ChesworthNo Comments

North West

Every Brilliant Thing – Theatre by the Lake

Ours is an open society, where we can talk about everything - well almost everything. The final taboos are around death, dying and suicide writes Karen Morley-Chesworth. However, Theatre by the Lake's current production Every Brilliant Thing shines a light brightly on these topics in a way that feels safe, welcoming and supported. From the moment you approach the theatre, things look different - with each brilliant thing people have been invited to share emblazoned across walls, pillars, windows... each with its own unique number. There are warm orange and white fairy lights, a welcome mat and plenty of additional information around the bars and entrance about mental health support and suicide prevention. This one-act one-man play tells the story from a son's perspective of ...

Sorry We Didn’t Die at Sea – Park Theatre

20Sep

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Sorry We Didn’t Die at Sea – Park Theatre

The snug space of Park 90 at Park Theatre is perfect for Emanuele Aldrovandi’s Sorry We Didn’t Die at Sea, translated for a British audience here by Marco Young. Directed by Daniel Emery, who with Young is co-director of Riva Theatre, the intimate setting allows the audience to see every flinch of fear, every brief touch of tenderness and every wince of discomfort in this tense yet darkly comedic piece. The play focuses on three characters attempting to illegally escape the UK for a new life of opportunity across the sea, a thoughtful twist on the current migration situation. The characters, made a foursome by the sinister shipping container owner, never earn names and as their stories gradually unfold through a series of lies, half-truths and stark honesty, each of the ensemble gives a...

20Sep

By Robert BartleyNo Comments

London

The Little Big Things – @sohoplace

As much as we love all of the American musicals that cross the pond to entertain us, there’s a special kind of excitement that comes when a new British creation gets announced. The latest “little” show with “big” aspirations is ‘The Little Big Things’, playing at the @SohoPlace Theatre in London’s West End. Based on the memoir of the same name by artist Henry Fraser, the musical hopes to follow in the footsteps of other British successes like ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ and ‘Six’, and is already capturing audiences’ hearts with its uplifting true story of triumph over adversity, the importance of family, and the strength of the human spirit. When an accident on holiday changes his life forever, Henry Fraser (played in dual roles pre- and post-accident by Ed Larkin and ...