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Titanic the Musical – Birmingham Hippodrome

19Apr

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Titanic the Musical – Birmingham Hippodrome

Thom Southerland’s impeccably directed production dropped its anchor into harbour at the Birmingham Hippodrome tonight and took us on a fascinating voyage though, let’s admit it, well charted and much sailed waters. This story has been told many times before not least of which in the famous 1997 film from James Cameron. This incarnation tells the well-worn story not through the eyes of two lovers or, indeed, any single character, but from the point of view of multi-protagonists. Therein lies the flaw in its structure. Through Jack and Rose in the movie we empathise with them as they epitomise the struggle, the anguish and the loss of all the victims of the disaster. Here we have innumerable characters we meet only for moments before we are introduced to others, and it proves difficult to i...

Hal Cruttenden: It’s Best You Hear It From Me – The Stand, Edinburgh

19Apr

By Ella CatherallNo Comments

Scotland

Hal Cruttenden: It’s Best You Hear It From Me – The Stand, Edinburgh

Hal Cruttenden, a regular feature on the UK comedy circuit, returns with his new show centred around his recent divorce which is currently touring the UK. I saw posters for Cruttenden’s show around Edinburgh during last year’s Fringe and was very close to buying tickets but didn’t end up going. It was for this reason that I was so excited to get another chance to see it. This show walks a number of fine lines with ease. For example, ample audience interaction meant that the show never felt over-scripted or over-rehearsed, but it was also always apparent that Cruttenden was decidedly in charge of the narrative. Tangents that seemed off-the-cuff at the time ended up being worked seamlessly into overarching throughlines, giving a sense of both spontaneity and well-thought-out craft. Crutte...

Sean and Daro Flake It ‘til They Make It – Traverse Theatre

18Apr

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Sean and Daro Flake It ‘til They Make It – Traverse Theatre

Director, Robert Softly Gale shows that disability is no impediment at all for making great theatre and scoring a five-star hit. The current artistic Director of Glasgow based, disability centred, Birds of Paradise theatre, teams up with The Traverse theatre to bring the gallus patter of Glasgow to the more refined East coast for this World premier of a show which could easily become a classic of the Scottish theatre circuit for many years to come. Fearless acting talent, Sean Connor as Sean (handy) and Cameron Fulton as Daro give truth to Laurie Motherwell’s brilliantly hilarious script which follows the fortunes of the two likely lads as they double-handedly take on the world from behind the ice cream van counter. As if to make even more room, in what is a packed theatre, the stage...

National Theatre Live: Good – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

18Apr

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

NEWS

National Theatre Live: Good – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

The latest offering from National Theatre Live arrives at Altrincham Garrick Playhouse on Saturday 29 April, offering northern audiences an unmissable opportunity to witness the CP Taylor play 'Good', filmed earlier this year at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London. David Tennant (Doctor Who) makes his return to the West End stage in this powerful political drama, playing John Halder, a 'good German' who gradually finds himself being drawn into the Nazi ideology in the years leading up to the outbreak of the Second World War. His innate liberalism and tolerance is gradually corrupted, eventually leading to the betrayal of his Jewish best friend, Maurice (Elliot Levy), his embracing of fascism and facilitation of the Final Solution and the Holocaust. A show with such intensity and with a ...

Katherine and Pierre – Hope Street Theatre

18Apr

By Gill LewisNo Comments

North West

Katherine and Pierre – Hope Street Theatre

A fast and lively ride through the many shades of love and passion, blended on a cheerful palette of music, clowning, mime, drag, and queerness, well and truly served through its impactful choreography. Bringing together an enjoyable fresh piece of original physical theatre which leaves you satisfied and entertained. Performed and created by TalkSmall, a duo made up of East 15 graduates Bobbie Twaddle and Ellie Begley, we’re introduced to Katherine (Twaddle) and Pierre (Begley), whose story of entanglement is told through the back catalogue of Katy Perry. Fondly known as the “Queen of Camp”, Perry’s music and aesthetic is emulated nicely by TalkSmall through their bright and bold energetic performance, replicating the fast-paced cheekiness of Perry’s pop hits. Lip synching their w...

Der Rosenkavalier – MET Opera Live in HD

16Apr

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

REVIEWS

Der Rosenkavalier – MET Opera Live in HD

Paula Suozzi’s revival of Robert Carsen’s 2017 production, which moved the setting from the cusp of revolution in the 18th century to the brink of World War I in 1911, the year in which it premiered, remains eerily evocative with its tale straddling three generations, the imminent collapse of the old order, the uncertainty of what is to come, and the maturity to accept both. The Marschallin (Lise Davidsen) is having an affair with the young count Octavian (Samantha Hankey) whilst her country cousin, Baron Ochs (Gunther Groissböck) is engaged to Sophie (Erin Morley), the young daughter of a nouveau-riche arms dealer, Faninal (Brian Mulligan). When Ochs meets Octavian, hastily disguised as a chambermaid to avoid discovery, he makes advances towards ‘her’ and the Marschallin is appal...

This is Merseybeat – The Tung Auditorium

16Apr

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

This is Merseybeat – The Tung Auditorium

This is Merseybeat, compiled by Cavern Club resident band, The Shakers, is a fun, musical trip down memory lane, showcasing the songs performed by a selection of bands and solo artists on Mathew Street from 1962 onwards. The first half of the show features a projection of the interior of the original Cavern Club, as host, Paul Codman introduces the venue, year and sound of Liverpool which changed the lives of a generation. The Shakers are wearing the suits and ties associated with the era and begin a high energy performance of Merseybeat songs from the early sixties. One left-handed guitarist and body language reminiscent of The Beatles recorded performances add to the aesthetic of a different time. Lead guitarist, Liam Mannion’s vocals on a Quarrymen style cover of That’ll Be The Da...

Martha, Me and My Family – Unity Theatre

16Apr

By Carole BaldockNo Comments

North West

Martha, Me and My Family – Unity Theatre

A lot of us dream of becoming rock stars, and Saphena Aziz, half Guyanese, half Indian, a wholly talented and original writer and performer, gets the chance to become a Vandella. That story is the hook but what reels you in is her family’s history, coupled with her ability to bring to life the different characters, from Martha, to her friends, to her redoubtable, valiant mother. At so many points, the audience was nodding in recognition, whether the volatility of family relationships or the fakeness of a telephone voice. As for history - we do not know the half of it: slavery may have been abolished throughout the British Empire in 1833 - it was simply replaced by the insidious practice of indenture. But we all dream of escape, making it to a better life. Yet for too many people, it ...

16Apr

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Private Lives – Donmar Warehouse

Michael Longhurst's revival of Noel Coward's classic play downplays the lightness and wit of Coward's dialogue and emphasises the violence of the relationship between the two main characters. Elliott and Amanda. The plot is familiar: two honeymooning couples happen to occupy adjoining balconies in their seaside resort, and unfortunately one of the members of each of the couples used to be married to the other. When they discover this and overcome their initial shock and horror, they realise that their underlying love for each other is much stronger than they have for the nonentities whom they have recently married. The first scene takes place on the two balconies and the rest of the play takes place in a Paris apartment, to which Elliott and Amanda have escaped from their new spouses...

The Spongebob Musical – Birmingham Hippodrome

15Apr

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

The Spongebob Musical – Birmingham Hippodrome

I’m not too familiar with Mr Squarepant’s portfolio of work but it seems his previous incarnation was as a wildly successful children’s animated cartoon television series and that, it seems, was what a lot of today’s audience were expecting. Springing from the mind of marine biologist Stephen Hillenburg, Spongebob premiered on Nickelodeon way back in 1999 and, unlike a real person, hasn’t aged since. I’m not going to Google this, but I think we can safely assume he has also appeared as varying dolls, toys, games and nameless and endless merchandising tie-ins. Originally named SpongeBoy, and we can only imagine the days of sweat and toil put in at various board and focus meetings to revise that name, he has proved himself a nice little earner over the years. So, what are we to make of the l...