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Impromptu Shakespeare – New Wimbledon Theatre

18Jun

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Impromptu Shakespeare – New Wimbledon Theatre

"The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral; scene individable, or poem unlimited." Polonius (Counsellor to King Claudius in Hamlet) would likely be itching to be involved in Impromptu Shakespeare if he was around now. This talented troupe of improvisers take random words from the audience - acrobat, gaolers, window, rift - and weave a complex, chaotic and bonkers tale of love, castles, self-loathing, lobsters and twirling. As it's shaped by audience intervention, every performance is different, the cast of five (from a company of thirteen) taking on a variety of roles, whatever is required to create the Shakespeare-esque tale. Producing a Sh...

18Jun

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

King Lear – Shakespeare’s Globe

An epic event overtakes The Shakespeare’s Globe this season in King Lear as the long-awaited return of director Helena Kaut-Howson, 25 years after debuting Kathryn Hunter in the role of King Lear the duo have reunited to place the production in the grandest of arenas. And even more of a treat is to spot Artistic Director, Michelle Terry as the Cordelia/ Lear’s Fool as she handles the text beautifully- we are watching a piece where masters of this craft manoeuvre us through a very complex tragedy with grace and fine tuning to each line spoken. It was a pleasure to see the excitement of the cast- the energy of the space was heightened by the meaning of placing this production back on a stage 25 years on. I wonder how the creatives tackled this piece differently, which parts hold different me...

18Jun

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

The Kid – HOME, Manchester

Charlie Chaplin is one of those iconic movie characters that I am embarrassed to admit I've never seen on screen until Manchester Camerata's live orchestral accompaniment of The Kid. The beauty of his movies is that a story can be followed without the use of dialogue. At first, I thought this would be screened on one of the cinema screens at HOME, however it took place in their main theatre space. The movie is projected onto a screen at the back of the stage. Given the movie was originally released in 1921, the person who managed to digitally restore and bring it up to viewable quality should be applauded. The movie, as you can imagine, is silent. Yet it is filled with humour from beginning to end. Obviously for the movie to work without any dialogue it does rely quite heav...

18Jun

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Les Misérables – Hull New Theatre

I was not surprised when the applause rang out at the Hull New Theatre on Friday evening for the spectacular that is Les Misérables. What did surprise me, however, was that the applause from the audience in the jam-packed theatre started before the show had even begun after a disembodied voice reminded us to turn off our phones and enjoy the show. Let me start my review by showing my appreciation for the amazing stage setting which brought to life the uprising by the poor of Paris, in 1832. Marvellous costumes, dramatic lighting, sounds and rousing music from talented musicians conducted by Ben Ferguson, all helped to create a production that took my breath away. But all the above would be nothing without actors who, to a man, woman and child (or children in this case, stars of...

The Show Must Go On For Something About George After Cast Injury

17Jun

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

NEWS

The Show Must Go On For Something About George After Cast Injury

In true show style and gusto, the show must go on for brand new show Something About George in Liverpool this weekend after its lead cast member sustained a serious injury. Something About George – The George Harrison Story comes to Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre (names after Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein) for two nights this weekend to coincide with Father’s Day, playing the city centre venue this Saturday and Sunday (18th and 19th June). However, lead cast member Daniel Taylor – who plays guitar throughout the show – has this week broken his shoulder when he fell while jogging. But in true showbiz style and after much deliberation, the show must go on with producers of the show bringing in musician Jonny Darnell on acoustic guitar to perform alongside a determined Daniel, t...

Ten Days in a Madhouse – The Brockley Jack Studio Theatre

17Jun

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Ten Days in a Madhouse – The Brockley Jack Studio Theatre

This multimedia adaptation by Douglas Baker is based upon the real-life account of Nellie Bly of her spell in New York’s notorious Blackwell’s Island Asylum in 1887. It documents her initial unsuccessful attempts to be employed as a journalist by the misogynist editor of the New York World, John Cockerill, who, taking advantage of her youthful enthusiasm to pursue investigative stories, sent her undercover to be committed to the asylum as a patient. The abuses of patients that she uncovered were published in The World and led eventually to the closing down of the asylum, as well as to a surge in young female investigative journalists. Although there are many characters in this story, there is only one actor, playing the role of Nellie Bly. Most of the other characters are portraye...

16Jun

By Amanda HodgsonNo Comments

North West

Blood Harmony – The Lowry

Blood Harmony (written by Matthew Bulgo, directed and choreographed by Jonnie Riordan and Jess Williams) is a melange of styles and ideas, brought together to tell a seemingly simple story. Three sisters Chloe (Eve de Leon Allen), Maia (Keshini Misha) and Anna (Philippa Hogg) re-unite after the death of their mother to sift through the detritus of their past and present lives, sorting out regrets, grudges and grief, while charting a course to the future. If that sounds like heavy weather, don’t worry there are plenty of sitcom laughs and laughter at recognisable archetypes along the way. The play feels like the offspring of Friends and Chekov’s Three Sisters, with a reassuringly cosy atmosphere to take the edge off the emotional sharpness of the dialogue. The performances by the three a...

Playboy of the West Indies – The Rep, Birmingham

16Jun

By Annette NuttallNo Comments

West Midlands

Playboy of the West Indies – The Rep, Birmingham

This new musical has its world premiere taking to the stage as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival which is part of the Commonwealth Games Cultural programme. Based on an old Irish 3 act comedy (Playboy of the Western world), this reinvented play by Mustapha Matura has taken on another lease of life in this upbeat, but sometimes dark musical. Matura came to the UK from Trinidad as part of the Windrush generation and wrote about life in the West Indies. Set in a rum shop in a quiet village on Trinidad, we meet Peggy who is resigned to a life of routine and work and a marriage to a man her father has chosen for her. When a stranger comes to the village the whole place seems to come alive. Who is this man and is he all he really seems? The music (composed by Clement Ishmael) transpo...

Alex Getting Better – Bread and Roses Theatre

16Jun

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

Alex Getting Better – Bread and Roses Theatre

Set in the United States, Alex Getting Better explores the story of re-emergence of old trauma and how it can affect people in different ways. The playwright, Audrey Lang, describes the play as a play about strength, moving forward and learning to deal with the present and the future. Written from Lang’s own experiences, the principal character, Alex, navigates her past and sexual assault through speaking with her therapist and reconnecting with her old friends from middle school. The friends visit their old stomping grounds, talk about their previous experiences of sexual assault, and carry out activities reminiscent of their youth. As the audience enter the theatre, Alex (Erin Maria Walther) and her therapist (Alice Gold) are on stage. While not conventional for the performers to b...

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice – Blackpool Grand

16Jun

By Coral MourantNo Comments

North West

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice – Blackpool Grand

Jim Cartwright's 90's hit “The Rise and Fall of Little Voice” tells the story of one talented girl and her reluctant rise to stardom in her local Northern town. It feels fitting to be back in Blackpool, surrounded by cabaret bars and illuminations, and this production deserves to be bringing in all the crowds here. This Olivier award winning play has had many revivals including a film starring Jane Horrocks and Michael Caine. It’s easy to see why, as the story of Little Voice is a charming tale of family, humour and small town dreams. At the heart of the play is LV herself; a young recluse who constantly listens to her late father's record collection. Overheard imitating the divas she adores, LV is forced to perform and struggles to find her own voice in the chaos and noise. The s...