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Girl from the North Country – The Lowry, Salford

21Sep

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Girl from the North Country – The Lowry, Salford

The term 'jukebox' musical conjures up images of women of a certain age cavorting to Abba tracks in the Greek sunshine or the high pitched falsetto of Franki Valli in 1960's America. However, despite emanating from this rather dispiriting genre, 'Girl from the North Country' is a very different beast from 'Mamma Mia' and 'Jersey Boys', proving that this type of musical can have literary and artistic merit as well as providing first class entertainment. The first surprise is that it is based around the music and lyrics of Mr Robert Zimmerman, a.k.a Bob Dylan, the poster boy of the 1960's counter culture being the last person you would expect to see lending his name to such an ostensibly commercial enterprise. Curiosity is piqued even more when Conor McPherson is added to the mix as write...

The Habit of Art – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

21Sep

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

The Habit of Art – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

The Altrincham Garrick Playhouse welcomes ‘The Habit of Art’, a play by Alan Bennett who certainly needs no further introduction. With many accolades to his name including the fabulous ‘History Boys’ and ‘The Lady in The Van’, this particular play that premiered in 2009 and is perhaps lesser known than others was a brave undertaking. Directed by John Cunningham and stage managed by Mark McEwan, Vi Pope and Karen Foster it is clear that The Altrincham Garrick are well equipped to take on this multi-layered play. It is essentially a story about a fictional meeting between Benjamin Britten and W.H. Auden. The meeting takes place twenty five years after they had disagreed and damaged their friendship, seemingly irrevocably. It centres on the characters Fitz (Bill Platt), Henry (Jonathon Bla...

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Season Opening Concert – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

20Sep

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Season Opening Concert – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

Domingo Hindoyan’s second season as Chief Conductor started in fine style with a programme of Central European masterpieces, with Janáček’s mighty orchestral Sinfonietta paired with Mahler’s heavenly song-symphony to herald – with trumpets and sleighbells respectively – the musical delights to come, including the Liverpool debut of the brilliant Czech soprano, Kateřina Kněžíková. Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) composed his Sinfonietta in 1926 with its first performance on 26th June of that year in Prague. A passionate and deeply patriotic Czech, he was thrilled when his homeland achieved independence at the end of World War I and dedicated the piece to the new Czech Army in celebration of ‘contemporary free man, his spiritual beauty and joy, his strength, courage, and determination to fight f...

20Sep

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

The Snail House – Hampstead Theatre

A new play written and directed by Richard Eyre is something to look forward to. Neil Marriot an eminent paediatrician and recent scientific adviser to the government during the pandemic, think Chris Whitty or Patrick Valance, is preparing to celebrate both his birthday and his elevation to a knighthood. Unfortunately, the meticulously planned celebrations are marred by the internecine warfare between the members of his dysfunctional family and the revelation of a historic medical misjudgement with appalling consequences. There are topical themes aplenty in this piece: management of the pandemic, enduring class divisions, the incompetence of contemporary politicians, Brexit, race, the inequalities of private and public education, north/ south divisions and even referen...

The Incomplete Works of Shakespeare – Shakespeare North Playhouse

17Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

The Incomplete Works of Shakespeare – Shakespeare North Playhouse

I was very excited to visit the Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot, being from Liverpool and usually having to travel down to Stratford – upon- Avon or London to see these fine performances. It is such a joy to have this on my doorstep. The building is on the original site of the Shakespearean theatre that was originally built by Richard Harrington from 1597-1603. This rebuild was under the Prescot 1597 Project and was funded by the Lottery Heritage Fund. A great opportunity to have a modern building on the grounds of such a prestigious site. Today the theatre was presenting the “incomplete works” in the small outdoor theatre known as the Sir Ken Dodd Memorial Gardens and again this felt very fitting, as I was a great fan of this wonderful Liverpudlian comedian. The gard...

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Series 3 Tour – M&S Bank Arena

17Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Series 3 Tour – M&S Bank Arena

It's too conformist. It's not political enough. There's a diversity problem. The drag debate began long ago and won't be settled anytime soon. But surely, if a show has talent and is attracting a new audience then it's doing something right? If so, there's very little to debate: RuPaul's Drag Race UK Series 3 Tour is bloody brilliant. The latest season of RuPaul on the BBC boasted a stellar line-up. But it's not until each queen is given an equal time to shine that it's clear just how stellar. There are no weak links, everyone is bringing their a-game and the result is mainstream drag at its very finest. A black and white-themed runway opener gives the up-for-it-audience a first glimpse of what's in vogue. The looks are predictably incredible. This review will focus on the performanc...

Queenz: The Show With Balls – The Clapham Grand

17Sep

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Queenz: The Show With Balls – The Clapham Grand

Following a very successful run at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, ‘Queenz: The Show With Balls’ has strutted into London at the Clapham Grand before heading out on a UK Tour. Advertised as a trailblazing, life affirming drag extravaganza, the production features a cast of five phenomenally gifted, and sequin-clad divas who make up the ultimate ‘drag queen super girl group’. The five are fierce, and they clearly mean business, performing a jam-packed list of hits and the full spectrum of pop classics from across the decades, including The Spice Girls, Lady Gaga, Little Mix, Marilyn Monroe, Beyonce, and Shakira, as well as their own original remixes of show tunes and diva anthems arranged by Alex Turney (Musical Supervisor & Arrangements). The show offers up drag on a big scal...

Chris Jack talks about why Noughts and Crosses matters as it goes back on tour

16Sep

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

Chris Jack talks about why Noughts and Crosses matters as it goes back on tour

Books for young adults tackling some tough issues are big business now and Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses is a work that has touched millions of teenagers. In Blackman’s dystopian world Sephy is a Cross, and Callum is a Nought, in a world with strict racial and social divides. As violence breaks out Sephy who is the daughter of the Home Secretary, and Callum draw closer, but this is a romance that will lead them into terrible danger. The genius of Blackman’s vision is that racial power dynamics are flipped on their head asking us to think about how hatred destroys lives in a different way. Pilot Theatre commissioned Sabrina Mahfouz to adapt it for the stage before taking it on tour just before the pandemic closed theatres, where it was seen by over 30,000 people on tour with ...

16Sep

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

The P Word – Bush Theatre

Waleed Akhtar’s new play is sharp as it combines the warmth of friendship with the brutal reality of life as a refugee in the UK. The story follows two gay Pakistani men as we watch their lives unfold in London. Zafar is seeking asylum, fleeing from the danger he would face as a gay man in Pakistan. He attends counselling sessions and lives in a constant state of unrest as he waits to hear about his application. Bilal, who goes by the name Billy, has been brought up in London and as he enters the stage, we are given the lowdown on his Grindr status. The pacing is gentle and gradual as the parallels between their lives are established, assisted by Max Johns’ minimalistic stage design; it is a rotating circle platform split in two. Each character sticks to his own side of the circle, whic...

Kofi Dennis takes a trip down the Road at Oldham Coliseum

16Sep

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

Kofi Dennis takes a trip down the Road at Oldham Coliseum

Not many debut works are voted as one the best 50 British plays of all time, but anyone who has seen Lancashire playwright Jim Cartwright’s searing indictment of deprivation on one northern street in Margaret Thatcher’s Britain knows exactly why. It’s still a powerful play that has been revived countless times. and now Oldham Coliseum are staging it starring Coronation Street legend Paula Lane, who was Kylie Platt in the Street, and ironically plays the equally feisty Lane in Road. She is joined by Coliseum regular Richard J Fletcher playing the well-oiled Scullery, who takes the audience on a riotous and ramshackle trip down the eponymous road. It’s a road that could be anywhere in the north where there’s no jobs and little hope, which sadly sounds very familiar in foodbank Britain ...