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The Ballads of Billy the Kid set for Summer tour

27Jun

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

NEWS

The Ballads of Billy the Kid set for Summer tour

Off the Ground Theatre are taking a trip to the Wild West for the first time this summer, with The Ballads of Billy the Kid. The famous outlaw and desperado who made his name as a gunslinger and fearsome cowboy in Arizona and New Mexico is the hero of this brand new play, from the minds of OTG graduates Mat Oliphant and Connor Wray. Taking in venues across the North West, Wales and Ireland, this summer’s showdown promises to be a barnstorming, darn tootin’ hoedown of drama and delights, hilarity and big characters! An all new piece of writing, this play makes use of different storytelling devices to whistle through the life of one of the West’s most notorious outlaws, Billy the Kid. An ensemble cast of 10 take on all roles across the stories, showing us what happens when unfortunate ...

27Jun

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

Stumped – Hampstead Theatre

How would a game of cricket with two Nobel prizes of literature playing in one of the teams unravel? In Stumped, we get to see a hypothesis about it, with touches of surrealism all around. In this play, written by Shomit Dutta, and directed by Guy Unsworth, the audience finds Samuel Beckett, played by Stephen Tompkinson, and Harold Pinter, played by Andrew Lancel, in a game of cricket and its aftermath, trying to get back home. The slightly outrageous situations that come up, including a ball in the head, and the fear to wait or be alone, make this play an interesting take on a non-naturalistic style of theatre. The stage, beautifully designed by David Woodhead, is like painting. This leads one to think that what we'll see will be a creation, no matter what. The walls on the stage ar...

27Jun

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Triominos! – Liverpool Philharmonic

Triominos! was a collection of piano, clarinet and bassoon trio music, spanning offerings from nineteenth century Ukraine to twentieth century Argentina. The first half featured a trio by Carl Frühling and a world premiere from Liverpool based composer, David Forshaw, and the second half was made up of a selection of Mendelssohn’s Songs without Words and Piazzolla’s Rivirado arranged by pianist, Ron Abramski. The concert opened with Frühling’s Trio for Clarinet, Bassoon and Piano Op.40. Frühling’s work is not well known or regular performed today and it was nice to see this Romantic piece of music performed which was chosen in particular for Frühling’s links with Ukraine. The first movement is haunting and enchanting, with the woodwind frolicking playfully over the piano. Slower section...

27Jun

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Strictly Ballroom – The Lowry

Baz-Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom first ever UK tour hit Manchester’s beautiful Lowry Theatre, full of glitz and glamour this visually stunning adaptation of the 1992 film by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce revolves around a rebellious Australian dancer Scott Hastings (Kevin Clifton). Directed and Co-Choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood with Co-Choreographer Jason Gilkison the coupling has created a masterpiece of dance, glamour, passion, and excitement. Unfortunately, on press night after the opening number the creative team ran into technical difficulties resulting in the show being halted for approximately 10-15 minutes, which must have been very frustrating for them, and the audience did get a little fidgety by the lengthy delay. After the initial hiccup the show went on, telling the...

Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! Returns to Edinburgh Fringe and on Tour

26Jun

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! Returns to Edinburgh Fringe and on Tour

As rehearsals begin today, Francesca Moody Productions, Kater Gordon, Wessex Grove and Fiery Angel announce the full cast and creative team for the new expanded version of Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!, the sell-out smash-hit of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2022, which returns this summer for a four week run at Underbelly at the Edinburgh Fringe from 2nd – 27th August before touring to Bristol Old Vic from 13th – 30th September and HOME Manchester from 5th – 21st October. The acclaimed original cast will reprise their roles in the hilarious murder mystery musical including Bronté Barbé (Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre) as Kathy, Rebekah Hinds (Oklahoma! Young Vic/ West End) as Stella, Jodie Jacobs (Rock of Ages, West End) as Felicia, TJ Lloyd (Guys and Dolls, Sheffiel...

25Jun

By Ely KingNo Comments

London

Mrs. Doubtfire – Shaftesbury Theatre

If there was a musical equivalent of marmite, Mrs. Doubtfire is exactly that. Some audience members were crying with laughter, whilst others were shrinking in their seat with sheer discomfort. Mrs. Doubtfire, originated by Robin Williams, is an old family favourite film, telling the tale of how a divorce leads to immature Daniel Hillard dressing as a woman to deceive his ex-wife in order to see his kids. This is all done under the guise of him doing whatever it takes to see his children, but brushes off the manipulative, inappropriateness of his controlling actions. From the pre-show announcement, the distasteful tone was set, with a voice-over of Daniel (Gabriel Vick) flitting between impersonations to tell the audience to turn off their phones, with jabs at Prince Harry and Megh...

The Orchestra of Opera North: The Pearl Fishers – Hull City Hall

25Jun

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Orchestra of Opera North: The Pearl Fishers – Hull City Hall

On a sweltering Saturday evening in Hull, members of the Opera North company braved warm stage lights when they performed The Pearl Fishers in the magnificent surroundings of the City Hall. The Pearl Fishers is one of Bizet's earliest operas, first being performed in 1863 and lambasted by the critics on its opening night. Well, 160 years later, here in 2023, this critic can't think of anything "lambastable" about the 24-year-old Bizet's efforts, or Opera North's production either for that matter. Mind you, the hall itself could not have provided a better backdrop, with its amazing 1911 organ - all, 5,505 pipes of it - beneath a colourful Baroque revival style ceiling. Arranged in front of this masterpiece were the tenors, mezzos, sopranos and basses of the Chorus of Opera North...

25Jun

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Punch – Hope Street Theatre

Punch, written and produced by Steve Bird, and directed by Elaine Louise Stewart and Bird, is a drama uncovering what happens when two families collide in a shock tragedy that will change their lives forever. Aiming to raise awareness of death and catastrophic injury from single punch injuries, the play uncovers a single example of how one punch can rock the foundations of family life. The set shows two family homes, one with crisp white tablecloths, and a graduation photograph and one with an overloaded clothes horse and a tacky fringed lamp. This serves to illustrate that the two families are from different social classes: one with “a house on the hill” and the other on an ill-reputed estate. These differences are highlighted in the beginning of the play where Charles (Ted Grant) bemo...

Robin Hood: The Legend Re-Written – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

25Jun

By Zara OdetundeNo Comments

London

Robin Hood: The Legend Re-Written – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

This show opened as part of the summer season at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre. It’s lovely venue that perfectly houses a story about a hero that gallivants through the forest. Which is why a retelling of the legendary tale of Robin Hood is the perfect tale for this summer season. This play takes a new twist on the classic story, as we delve into whether the outlaws can defeat the sheriff. Robin Hood is a folktale of the underdog challenging the system, where he takes from the rich and gives to the poor. This new take written by Carl Grose challenges everything we know about the tale. But still pays homage to the various forms the original tale has taken in different ways throughout the play. We have different iterations of Robin Hood eager to save the day, but they only exist to be vi...

24Jun

By Dave SmithNo Comments

Scotland

To The Ocean – The Greenhouse Theatre

When I think of Canary Wharf, I think of tall buildings and architecture and banks and bankers and the ‘city boys’ stereotype. I don’t immediately think of green spaces, cheap beer, wooden huts, classic literature raps (a fun performance from Julian Shakes Story during pre-show entertainment) and fringe theatre. At least I didn’t until now. The Greenhouse has taken over a little piece of Jubilee Park, Canary Wharf and turned it into a magical little space with all of the above! Not only that but it is the UK’s first zero zero-waste performance space, everything gets reused. To The Ocean is staged in the round in a little wooden hut in the park with stones and seashells laid out as set decoration and long pieces of fabric hanging above, the small space brings the audience right up ...