Latest Articles - Page 4 of 653

30Jan

By Anna SmithNo Comments

North West

Girls Night – Heswall Hall

Girls Night by Louise Roche and directed by Helen Roberts is a night of laughter, music and emotions. Five friends meet up for a night at a karaoke night club to celebrate the present, they reminisce about the past and secrets are revealed. Sharon (Becky Harton) died young and acts as the ghostly narrator with angel wings filling in the details about her four closet friends and their lives. Twenty years after her death her four friends gather at the karaoke night club to celebrate the engagement of Sharon's daughter Candy-Rose. Sharon speaks directly to the audience about how she has watched over her friends and gets the audience involved in singing along. Anita (Tia Gill) was picked on at school because of her depressive episodes, but her friends never discussed this ...

29Jan

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Rapunzel – The Montgomery Theatre

A hair-raising riotously risqué ride of a panto that leaves the audience ‘blown’ away. With more hair references and possible related character names than a Vidal Sassoon advert, Handsworth and Hallam Theatre Co give the Sheffield audience plenty of style with its close shaves and outlandishly wild coiffure of a delivery. With a community cast of 45 (including a couple of nits), led by a team of 9 senior ‘stylists’ and a band of six ‘colourists’ under the kaleidoscope Musical direction of Steve Trotter, HHTC embellish the literary locks of Tom Whalley’s creative pantomime script - Rapunzel with flair, panache and artistry. From the nine slick stylists…Will Fairy Dandruff gain her wings? Will King Bouffant ever find his beloved daughter Rapunzel? Will Prince Ryder ever decide which...

29Jan

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

The Ghost of Graves End – Unity Theatre

Step back in time and delve into the creepy yet comedic story 'The Ghost of Graves End’ written by Robert Farquhar and directed by Lucy Thatcher. Poet Charles (Greg Jones) is unknowingly seeking employment via his overly zealous fiance (Georgia Chadwick) when she thrusts upon him a rather intriguing position as a tutor. A new opportunity which Charles soon comes to realise, may be more than he bargained for. A peculiar and strange pupil William (Chadwick), a collection of odd happenings and all too real dreams makes this a collectively creepy watch. However, to keep the show more light hearted and fun, comedy is cleverly interwoven throughout the scenes, characters and storyline. Deliciously dark and wickedly witty, audiences are kept engaged by the frantic atmosphere and ever changi...

Murder at Midnight – Blackpool Grand Theatre

29Jan

By Paddy Darnell-WalshNo Comments

North West

Murder at Midnight – Blackpool Grand Theatre

A New Year's Eve like you've never seen before arrives at the Seaside this week. As the clock strikes midnight, murder and chaos ensue, posing not only the question of whodunnit but who even died? Playwright Torben Betts returns with the follow up to his 2023 hit Murder in the Dark, delivering this murder-mystery satire of cockney gang culture, dark comedy and drama all rolled into one. Promising a thrilling night out, and despite some killer moments, the play was rather lazily written offering nothing unique nor exciting than what we have seen before. The plot, centring around the Drinkwater home on New Year's Eve, was vague at best. That said, it is very easy watching littered with amusing moments throughout. Take the play for what it is, don't take it in any way seriously and it is a...

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical – Hull New Theatre

29Jan

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical – Hull New Theatre

I watched the film, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, on TV over Christmas, so was intrigued as to how a musical version of the story would transfer to the stage. I found out on Wednesday evening when The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical came to the Hull New Theatre. It was great to see theatregoers of all ages crowded into the foyer, pre-show, with the queue to buy merchandise growing by the minute. And at curtain up we were met with an industrial looking set design that mirrored rusty water pipes and concrete tunnels under the city of Los Angeles. A huge, curved, lit-up structure either side of the stage remained for the duration, but the video backdrop changed constantly, and most effectively, with staircases, seating and box-like creations being wheeled on and o...

To Kill a Mockingbird – Sheffield Lyceum

28Jan

By Jo TillotsonNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

To Kill a Mockingbird – Sheffield Lyceum

A man of colour stands accused of a crime he did not commit, and yet he is judged more for the colour of his skin than his words of defence. His white lawyer is judged for representing him. His town is divided along racial lines, and between those who seek progress and those who want to preserve the old way of life. An all-too-common description of events we see in the news in 2026, yes. But also the plot of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, set in 1930s Alabama. An era defined by the struggle for progress, equality and freedom. A story that remains chillingly relevant today. This production of To Kill a Mockingbird, adapted by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Bartlett Sher, uses Sorkin’s extensive screenwriting experience from shows such as The West Wing and The Newsroom alon...

Press to Pulp (WIP) – Augustine United Church

27Jan

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Press to Pulp (WIP) – Augustine United Church

Edinburgh Rep Company kicks off the start of their ambitious 2026 programme with work-in-progress piece Press to Pulp. This noir inspired one act play sees cynical Detective Carmady (Stephen Park) wake up in his office - except this isn't his office... When Carmady's client Lady Broadame (Beth Eltringham) calls round, Carmady already knows every detail of her case and how to solve it - he has been here before. As the play progresses, we uncover three other detectives also stuck in this strange time warp, each thinking this office is their own, each thinking every client who walks through the door is an ex-case of theirs. It is up to them to solve this mystery in order to close the loop, with their main lead being the mysterious typewriter that has been keeping minutes, t...

Jo The Little Women Musical – Theatre Royal Drury Lane

27Jan

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

Jo The Little Women Musical – Theatre Royal Drury Lane

A story known for its bold, vibrant and defined characters, Louisa May Alcott’s beloved “Little Women” are brought to life once more in this new musical adaptation. With music by Dan Redfeld and book and lyrics by Christina Harding and John Gabriel Koladziej, bringing this staged concert to life with its innovative and magical material will be a comfortable task. The orchestra are flawless, and the astonishing arrangements add to the magic of this story. The score elevates the story and encapsulates the underlying themes. Ensemble vocalists are used at times, providing power and elevation to the number. Each sister’s musical parts have been written to reflect their personality and there are beautiful arrangements between the four girls, particularly in the opening number “The Pickwick P...

27Jan

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Masterclass – Brockley Jack Theatre

In a primary school classroom an eminent but ageing actor, Roger Sutherland, is preparing to give an acting masterclass. Unfortunately, only one potential student arrives; a rather brash young Australian Garry Brock and he has forgotten to bring the cash necessary for the class fee. Thus, Tim Connery sets up the scenario for a hilarious and memorable clash between two schools of acting: Sutherland's old school, "learn the words and don’t fall over the furniture" and Brock' s method acting approach of "be who you are". Anyone with any involvement in theatre will recognise the reality between the worlds which are being portrayed here, but it is immediately comprehensible to a wider audience. Connery's script is brilliant. It is extremely funny, full of wonderful one-...

27Jan

By Ralph JeffreysNo Comments

London

Darkie Armo Girl – Finborough Theatre

Darkie Armo Girl is a dizzying one woman show that, despite being filled with incredible details, fails to translate the writer’s experiences into a compelling show. The play is a piece of confessional theatre. Writer and performer Karine Bedrossian takes us through her life experiences which are chaotic and many. We hear of numerous difficult childhood experiences and unsettling summer holidays. She takes us through careers as a receptionist, a singer, a dancer, a model, a bartender and a stripper. There are tales of drug abuse, sexual assault, rehab, and Jerry Springer. Told to you by a friend at the pub, any one of these vignettes would be an incredible story. Put together on a stage, they become a morass. There is far too much here and the result is that the stories bleed int...