Latest Articles - Page 430 of 435

29Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

West Midlands

Othello – Birmingham Opera Company

Shakespeare’s Othello is a tragedy which explores timeless themes of race, trust and fidelity and Verdi’s operatic version adds a mesmerising backdrop of powerful music. Birmingham Opera Company’s production is a unique modern interpretation which immersed its original audience within the action of the story and exposes the darkest elements of the story in shocking detail. The opera is sung in English, with occasional subtitles which turn on and off at seemingly random intervals. The opera is performed in a warehouse, with bare brick walls and a blood red carpet, with a live orchestra conducted by Stephen Barlow. As part of the broadcast we see the bewildered and shoeless audience enter the performance space and merge into the Chorus made up of 250 people. It was clearly the intention ...

Weekly Watch: Souvenir – Up ‘Ere Productions

29Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Weekly Watch: Souvenir – Up ‘Ere Productions

As Pride Month 2020 draws to a close it’s refreshing to see new writing of this calibre reflecting upon the gay experience and how it affects a person and relationships during a set period of time and change. Up ‘Ere Productions are a new Salford based production company working with local talent to create new work. Souvenir tells the story of sixty year old Iain who having lost his friend of many years decides to take one last trip down to Soho from his native Scotland. This was a trip that both Iain and his friend Kip made on regular occasions. They simply wanted to experience and fully appreciate what it meant to be out in a more open and friendlier environment. Matt Gurr’s script is both sympathetic and insightful and takes into account the changing attitudes of being gay in...

28Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Lungs – The Old Vic: In Camera

On a deserted Old Vic stage Claire Foy and Matt Smith give us a fly on the wall insight into their character’s turbulent relationship. Yes, I did say they are standing on a stage, a sight that warms the cockles as the theatre going public have been starved of their beloved live theatre, The Old Vic have given us a chance to submerge ourselves in this tsunami of emotional drama. Due to social distancing requirements, the set is minimalistic and has been painted a dark grey and the designer Rob Howell appears to have co-ordinated the couple’s wardrobe to blend in. The show is directed by Matthew Warchus and is broadcast via good old Zoom which splits the two so that they can be brought together on screen without being too close to each other on stage. This works well with this production...

28Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Primrose Path – Mannequin Mouth online

A show which first made an impact at the Edinburgh Fringe 2018, Primrose Path is the most recent of Mannequin Mouth’s raw and visceral stage productions to be turned into a film, designed to “shock, adrenalize, and confront” its audience. Written by Will Pinhey, and directed and produced by Pinhey alongside India Howland, this play is a challenging, dark, and disturbing piece which looks at love, jealousy, and obsession within a relationship. Chriss (Laura Jackson) and Damon (Michael Hogg) tease, play, and hurt each other in a twisted game of dominance and submission, but who has the upper hand, and where will this game end? Filmed in an empty performance space from a variety of angles to pull the viewer right into the action, this ninety-minute piece has a constant, jittery energy. It...

Talking Heads by Alan Bennett: A Chip in the Sugar – BBC iPlayer

28Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Talking Heads by Alan Bennett: A Chip in the Sugar – BBC iPlayer

Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads made the monologue popular for writers and actors alike, but few manage to capture the magic of this wryly amusing series of short tales set in the grim north. A Chip in the Sugar was originally performed by Bennett himself and this new version created as part of a special series in response to the current lockdown is directed by Jeremy Herrin and stars Martin Freeman as Graham. The majority of the monologue is performed in Graham’s extremely tidy, dingy, grey bedroom, with his single bed and walls decorated with numerous chocolate box paintings and floral plates. Graham lives with his mother, and is devoted to her, but is very upset by their recently bumping into her old flame, Mr Turnbull. The realisation that his mother had a life before he and hi...

Hope Mill Theatre announces online ‘An Evening With Jonathan Harvey’ plus new playwriting prize

28Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Hope Mill Theatre announces online ‘An Evening With Jonathan Harvey’ plus new playwriting prize

Hope Mill Theatre will host an online evening on Saturday 18th July, celebrating the many works of the well-loved writer Jonathan Harvey (Gimme,Gimme,Gimme/ Coronation Street). An Evening With Jonathan Harvey will include an interview with Harvey, hosted by Hope Mill Patron Denise Welch and will feature scenes from his past plays including Beautiful Thing, Hushabye Mountain and The Cherry Blossom Tree as well as songs from musicals that Harvey has written the book for including Dusty: The Dusty Springfield Musical and the Pet Shop Boys musical Musik. The cast performing includes; Katherine Kingsley, Frances Barber, Emma Clarke, Gemma Brodrick, Claire-Louise Cordwell, Joshua Asare, Rose Keegan and Danny Lee Wynter. The evening will also include guest hosts who have starred an...

Talking Heads by Alan Bennett: Her Big Chance – BBC iPlayer

28Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Talking Heads by Alan Bennett: Her Big Chance – BBC iPlayer

Alan Bennett's original Talking Heads was five filmed monologues shown in 1988. At the time they were received with great acclaim and featured prominent and respected actors of the era. A second series was produced in 1998 with five new monologues and was again much lauded. ‘I shot a man last week’ is an unusual beginning for an Alan Bennett monologue and when we see Jodie Comer delivering this line, we may think we are in for an episode of Killing Eve. However, this is Leslie, an aspiring actress describing her latest assignment. Leslie is relentlessly positivity in spite of regularly being cast in roles of fun-loving girls who are at home on a bar stool and for whom serious roles elude her. Leslie prides herself on her professionalism and we see this in her deportment and clear sp...

Hairspray to play rescheduled 2021 season dates at the London Coliseum

28Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Hairspray to play rescheduled 2021 season dates at the London Coliseum

The producers of Hairspray the Musical have announced today rescheduled performance dates for the multi award-winning smash hit musical at the London Coliseum. The production will now begin performances on Thursday 22nd April 2021 and play a strictly limited 19-week season to Sunday 29th August. Until 26th July 2020, all existing ticket holders have priority to move their tickets to a new date. All new ticket purchases can be made from 10am on 27th July. See www.hairspraythemusical.co.uk for all ticket information. The production will star Michael Ball, who returns to his legendary, Olivier Award winning role of Edna Turnblad, alongside one of the UK’s greatest comedians, Paul Merton, who will be making his West End musical debut as Edna’s husband, W...

Talking Heads by Alan Bennett: Soldiering On – BBC iPlayer

27Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Talking Heads by Alan Bennett: Soldiering On – BBC iPlayer

Alan Bennett's original Talking Heads was five filmed monologues shown in 1988. At the time they were received with great acclaim and featured prominent and respected actors of the era. A second series was produced in 1998 with five new monologues and was again much lauded. Harriet Walter is faultless in this remake of a classic monologue first filmed with actress Stephanie Cole. Walter’s performance is enough to convince the viewer that the events are happening now. We meet Muriel Carpenter describing the recent funeral of her husband, Ralph. Clearly, the couple were very well to do, living in an expensively furnished, beautiful home. Muriel is impeccably dressed (all tweed and pearls) and Ralph was very senior in Massey Ferguson. She is matter of fact when talking of the demise of...

Woolf Works – The Royal Ballet at Royal Opera House

27Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Woolf Works – The Royal Ballet at Royal Opera House

Wayne McGregor’s ballet triptych created in 2015 is inspired by the writings of Virginia Woolf and contains an original score by Max Richter – superbly performed by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House conducted by Koen Kessels – with astounding lighting schemes from Lucy Carter and stunning set designs throughout. Woolf Works recreates the emotions, themes, and fluid style of three of Woolf’s novels beginning with ‘I Now, I Then’ inspired by Mrs Dalloway (1925); then ‘Becomings’ derived from Orlando (1928); concluding with ‘Tuesday’, which draws on The Waves (1931). The three pieces stand alone as distinctly as the works that inspire them although there is a chronology with underlying threads that seamlessly bring them together, most notably the central performance from 52-year old ...