Latest Articles - Page 444 of 688

1Nov

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Commitments – Hull New Theatre

I spent Hallowe’en in Dublin, Ireland - not literally, I was at the Hull New Theatre on Monday evening watching The Commitments, a story set in the Emerald Isle. The production, part of a nine-month UK and Ireland tour, had me hooked from the opening scene of a disparate bunch of pub regulars, in the run-up to Christmas. Based on the 1991 film of the same name, it tells of local working-class music-lover Jimmy (James Killeen) who persuades a number of his compatriots to form a band with him. Amazed to be asked, they all agree; three girl singers and a very experienced trumpeter, Joey the Lips (Stuart Reid), also sign up. Deco (Ian McIntosh) is equally amazed to be asked to be the lead singer, only having sung in public on a drunken night out, which he had no recollection of. Wh...

1Nov

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

The Shawshank Redemption – The Lowry

The 1994 screen version of 'The Shawshank Redemption' consistently tops the IMDB rankings as their most popular movie of all time, but this tale of Andy Dufresne, a banker wrongly convicted of killing his wife was a slow burner on its initial release, only achieving the preeminence it now enjoys in cinematic history over the ensuing thirty years. A similar glacial timeframe forms the backdrop to the story, being set over a two decades in the hellish surroundings of Shawshank prison in Maine and following Dufresne through his suffering and eventual vindication; a story of hope and a triumph of positivity under the most trying of circumstances. The film, based on the 1982 novella by Stephen King has become so pervasive in modern culture, that there will have been few attending the caverno...

Aphra Behn – spy, writer and female libertine – a one-woman show

31Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Aphra Behn – spy, writer and female libertine – a one-woman show

It's 1677 and an audience getting ready to watch Aphra Behn’s The Rover are in for a surprise. For the show has been cancelled and, in its place, Aphra herself recounts the extraordinary tale of her time as a spy for King Charles II in the Dutch Wars, and how she became the first professional female writer. Complete with excerpts from Behn’s letters, poetry and plays, this vivid and thought-provoking one-woman show brings one of theatre's most brilliant raconteurs back to life. The A is for Aphra campaign is currently fundraising for a statue of Aphra Behn, attracting attention from the BBC and national press. To aid these efforts we’re bringing back our successful show about Aphra, which premiered at the Women and War Festival prior to going on a national tour, taking in regional th...

Jasmin Vardimon Company: ALiCE – Sadlers Wells

31Oct

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

Jasmin Vardimon Company: ALiCE – Sadlers Wells

Jasmin Vardimon Company's modern retelling of 'Alice' is arresting, illuminating and inspiring. As you settle into the auditorium, there is a clock turning, and you notice the countdown to the start of the performance. Then it dawns on you to observe closely that it's a group of super flexible dancers telling the time with their bodies. With this stopping of time, as we wait for the time the show begins, we are grasped by the captivating 3rd Movement of Vivaldi's Summer. A rendition that evokes goosebumps. That is Jasmin Vardimon's choreography for you, beauty in the details, on-point music, arresting images and thought-provoking choreography. 'Allice in Wonderland, a classic, has been an inspiration for so many movies, theatre, sketches and dance ballets. This production literall...

31Oct

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Doing Whodunnit – Hope Street Theatre

The souvenir programme should have been the first clue of how tonight’s proceedings were going to go. Stretched headshot pictures and typos hint at the lack of finesse that has undone what could have been an excellent concept for a parody of the classic ‘Whodunnit’. Developed from what was a very well-received online piece during lockdown, tonight’s show from the Northern Comedy Theatre is based around the premise of a world-weary acting troupe whose schtick of putting on murder mysteries for corporate teams and parties is starting to test everyone’s patience, especially when 28 of the expected 30 punters from a local conservatory installation firm have failed to show for the latest outing. Soon a genuine murder occurs and anyone and everyone is a suspect. Unfortunately, the transiti...

You are invited to a dinner like no other at Sale Waterside with Junior Stage 80

29Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Interviews

You are invited to a dinner like no other at Sale Waterside with Junior Stage 80

A family like no other are moving into Sale Waterside next month to host a dinner like no other which changes lives forever, and you are all invited. Junior Stage 80 (JS80) are back after a Covid enforced absence following their critically acclaimed, sold-out production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat way back in 2019. JS80 is a Jewish society with a mixed membership of all ages from those at primary school year 5 onwards with no upper age limit. Our very own editor Paul Downham is once again directing The Addams Family following his 2019 directorial debut with the same show at The Met in Bury which gained multiple NODA and ACT Nominations and awards. We sat down with Paul to discuss all things Addams ahead of next month’s opening night. What has made you return to di...

29Oct

By Ella CatherallNo Comments

REVIEWS

Scene Unseen – Online

‘Scene Unseen’ is a new song cycle written by Jessica Walker and Joseph Atkins exploring the former’s life story and her journey towards self-acceptance. It is presented entirely online, having been filmed in a single room, with footage of Walker performing being interspersed with some really beautiful animations. Undeniable is that Jessica Walker is an incredible performer, particularly with regards to her vocal ability and ability to engage an audience, even if they’re only present through a screen. Despite the fact I was taking notes throughout, and my phone kept pinging with notifications, I never felt distant from the story. Another massive achievement of this production is that even though it appeared to have only been filmed in a single room, it was always interesting to look ...

29Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

MJ The Musical heading to the West End

Producers Lia Vollack Productions and The Michael Jackson Estate announce today that the multiple Tony Award® winning Broadway musical MJ will open in the U.K. at the Prince Edward Theatre, London from March 2024. For more information and to be first in line for tickets, go to www.mjthemusical.com Tickets will go on sale in Spring 2023. Full booking details will be announced in due course. He is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Now, Michael Jackson's unique and unparalleled artistry is heading to the West End in the Tony Award®-winning new musical. Centred around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour, MJ goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Jackson into ...

Heathers the Musical is back on the road

29Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Heathers the Musical is back on the road

Following two record-breaking seasons at London's The Other Palace and West End transfer to the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2018 and having won the WhatsOnStage 2019 award for 'BEST NEW MUSICAL', Heathers the Musical will embark on a highly anticipated UK tour from 2023. Produced by Bill Kenwright and Paul Taylor-Mills, this high octane, black comedy, rock musical based on one of the greatest cult teen films of all-time starred Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, is back with a bang! The 2023 Class of Westerberg High and the full tour timetable will be announced shortly. Greetings and salutations! Welcome to Westerberg High, where popularity is so very a matter of life and death, and Veronica Sawyer is just another of the nobodies dreaming of a better day. Photo: Pamela Raith ...

28Oct

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Daddy Issues – Seven Dials Playhouse

I really, really wanted to love Daddy Issues. I envisaged finding it funny, but challenging, and thought provoking; it sounded right up my street and at 75 minutes with no interval, it felt like a perfect Thursday evening activity to accompany a late dinner with a friend. And don’t get me wrong, there was much that I did enjoy. The height of this was Bebe Cave’s performance as Imi, our protagonist, who held the audience spellbound for the whole of this one-woman show. She is, frankly, flawless – with her portrayal taking us on an emotional journey that borders on exhausting. Friendly and full of self-deprecating humour one minute and genuinely unsettling the next, Cave is bubbling over with talent and is undoubtably the best thing about this production. Also deserving of a mention is...