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Hope Mill Theatre announce full programme for Turn On Fest 2021

18Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Hope Mill Theatre announce full programme for Turn On Fest 2021

Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre announces today an exciting programme of live and online content for their annual LGBTQIA+ theatre festival Turn On Fest which will return between 18th and 31st January 2021. Headlining the festival will be an evening in conversation with Hope Mill Theatre patron Russell T Davies which will be streamed live on Saturday 23rd January 2021. The evening will be hosted by actress Julie Hesmondhalgh and will look at Davies’ incredible career writing for film and television, including the ground-breaking Queer As Folk, most recent Years and Years starring Russel Tovy and his newest Channel 4 drama, It’s A Sin which premieres on Friday 22nd January 2021. Another festival highlight will be Queer Musical Theatre Cabaret: All That Drag, a celebration of both Drag ...

Love is in the air as York Theatre Royal re-opens on Valentine’s Day

18Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Love is in the air as York Theatre Royal re-opens on Valentine’s Day

York Theatre Royal will open its doors again on Valentine’s Day 2021 with The Love Season, a season of plays from around the world embracing love in its many forms. Chief Executive Tom Bird said: “The Love Season is designed to remind us that human connection – love, sympathy, kindness, mutual understanding, warmth, equality – is what makes us the wonderful human beings we are. In 2021 we want to celebrate humanity, our own community and a sense of togetherness. We want to do that with words, music, dancing, film and even food! It’s going to be fun and we can’t wait.” The theatre will re-open on February 14th with a special event York in Love, currently being finalised. That will be followed by The Love Season (until April 21st) led by the debut tour of award-winning Coronation St...

Everyman & Playhouse look to 2021 as new shows announced for spring

18Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Everyman & Playhouse look to 2021 as new shows announced for spring

Bold, innovative and brave theatre is back at the Everyman & Playhouse in 2021, as the theatres announce six exciting projects for spring. Among the season are local treasures, multi award-winning visiting productions and a Young Everyman Playhouse takeover of the Everyman auditorium. One of the stand out success stories for the theatres during the pandemic, Love Liverpool: An A-Z of Hope moves from a podcast to the Playhouse stage in April. Threaded together with new writing by Chloë Moss and directed by Nathan Powell, Love Liverpool Live will bring the original commissioned letters and real life stories submitted by the public, and create an on-stage love letter to Liverpool. Nathan Powell said: “I’m absolutely buzzing to be a part of this next chapter for Love Liverpool. Durin...

Leeds Playhouse launch digital performances of A Christmas Carol

18Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Leeds Playhouse launch digital performances of A Christmas Carol

As West Yorkshire stays under Tier 3 restrictions the team at Leeds Playhouse have been forced to offer A Christmas Carol as a digital screening. They’re now unable to welcome people into its Quarry Theatre to enjoy their annual festive spectacular, so they’ve teamed up with Yorkshire based company Pilot Theatre to film the production, which they were already planning to show for free in care homes, schools and hospitals across Leeds. Now tickets priced from £10 for the first Playhouse At Home event are also being made available to the general public for five special online performances from 21st – 23rd December, giving audiences wherever they are a chance to safely see this adaptation of the Dickens classic by Deborah McAndrew. “Our vivid retelling of one of the best-loved stori...

Bedknobs and Broomsticks will be the festive show at Leeds Grand in 2021

18Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Bedknobs and Broomsticks will be the festive show at Leeds Grand in 2021

The world premiere tour of Disney’s new stage musical Bedknobs and Broomsticks, will be ‘bobbing along’ to Leeds Grand Theatre next year for a five-week Christmas run from Wednesday 8th December to Sunday 9th January 2022. This stage version of the beloved 1971 Academy Award-winning film starring Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson, features songs from the Sherman Brothers, including Portobello Road, The Age Of Not Believing, The Beautiful Briny, with and a new book plus music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and Brian Hill. Based on the books The Magic Bedknob, or How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons and Bonfires and Broomsticks by English children's author Mary Norton, it’s the family friendly story of three orphaned children reluctantly evacuated from London to live with the myster...

The Haunting of Alice Bowles – Original Theatre Company

18Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Haunting of Alice Bowles – Original Theatre Company

The Haunting of Alice Bowles is a supernatural thriller by Philip Franks, adapted for Original Theatre Company from the M.R. James short ghost story, The Experiment: A New Year's Eve Ghost Story. This is the company’s fourth original online production since theatres were closed by the Government in March this year and it stars Tamzin Outhwaite, Max Bowden, Stephen Boxer, Jack Archer, Robert Mountford, Poppy Roe and Tim Treloar. The story follows two strands: In 1918, where the titular Alice Bowles (Tamzin Outhwaite) is a widow (seemingly due to then ongoing Spanish Flu epidemic) seeking to find the money left by her late husband Francis. The second strand is contemporary and follows YouTube urban explorers Matt and Caitlin uncovering a mysterious grave in an abandoned churchyard. Bot...

The You Play Volume Two: The Haunted Woman – 45North

18Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The You Play Volume Two: The Haunted Woman – 45North

An unsettling, psychological thriller with genuine tension and creepy theme from 45North and Ellie Keel Productions. Directed by Jessica Lazar. This tense, one-woman drama is performed by Olivia Williams and written by Rafaella Marcus. Appropriate for these times of closed theatres, it is an audio project from Written on the Waves and follows Marcus’ debut The You Play. The concept of the project is to put the listener at the centre of the world. It is available through SoundCloud on a donate what you consider appropriate basis. The drama begins with a woman recording a message on a Dictaphone which she hopes will be found subsequently. She tells the listener that time is running out and that he should follow a bizarre set of instructions which she gives during the course of the mess...

HUNCHtheatre’s ‘Still Life’ – Buy Art not Socks!

17Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

HUNCHtheatre’s ‘Still Life’ – Buy Art not Socks!

HUNCHtheatre celebrated their 2nd birthday earlier this year, but due to two lockdowns their creative wings have been severely clipped, which also means their income has reduced dramatically. In spite of this, during the summer they used outdoor spaces such as an abandoned outdoor swimming pool for theatrical creations, they held outdoor readings, and performed their play ‘A Hero Of Our Time’ in a West End abandoned church in typical HUNCHtheatre style. Even though they have kept busy with these outdoor shows, they have also kept in touch with their Belarus branch by utilising online resources, and this is something that they dearly wish to continue, but without any funding from the state, they need help from their supporters, i.e. YOU! Artistic Directors Oliver Benne...

Snow White in the Seven Months of Lockdown – Kings Head Theatre

17Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Snow White in the Seven Months of Lockdown – Kings Head Theatre

Snow White in the Seven Months of Lockdown at the Kings Head theatre in London (online) streams to our homes this month in time for Christmas. Put together by the Charles Court Opera, they throw a romping frolic through the tulips of fun with bawdy humour and all the ingredients of a great traditional pantomime with a boutique vibe, plenty of zany antics and a shake up of the usual panto story. There couldn’t be any better tonic for this year. Bright stylish costumes, bold characters with a swap of gender roles, Snow White is played in baseball boots by John Savournin who also wrote the hilarious script. The Wicked Queen is played sumptuously evil by Jennie Jacobs, it’s impossible to tell her age but she has a fantastic stage presence, her costume is amazing with a huge white fur ...

Beauty and the Beast – Theatre Royal St Helens

15Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Beauty and the Beast – Theatre Royal St Helens

Last night it was nice to have some sort of normality in the theatre world. I got to review my first show in 2020 inside an actual theatre. It was nice to be back. The things that would normally annoy you in the theatre, such as people getting past you in the aisle or the rustling of crisp packets was strangely welcomed as it was just nice to have that experience again. However, I digress the reason why I was there was to review 2020 pantomime Beauty and the Beast at the St Helens Theatre Royal. The show start time was at 6pm which I was surprised at because you’d think that was to early due to audiences working even if it started at 7:30pm it would have finished before 10pm. the show itself was as flamboyant and as funny as you expect a panto to be with little hidden gems of the cast c...