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The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Manchester Cathedral

12Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Manchester Cathedral

Gargoyles watch gargoyles as Manchester Cathedral becomes Notre Dame. Who needs scenery when you can stage a musical about a gothic cathedral in a gothic-style cathedral that was built over 600 years ago? National Youth Music Theatre, all members aged 23 or under, have done just that this week for their production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Manchester Cathedral. So many little touches were added throughout the evening to blend the building and the show together, like George Dennett as Frollo using a censer to spread incense across the auditorium as the last entrants were taking their seats. And the chorus of gargoyles (the Hunchback’s imaginary friends) singing under the cathedral’s own magnificent gargoyles (be sure to look up if you see the show as those sitting ...

SUPERCALIFRAGILISTIC – Mary Poppins flies back into the West End

12Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

SUPERCALIFRAGILISTIC – Mary Poppins flies back into the West End

Based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the original Walt Disney film, Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s Olivier award-winning production of Mary Poppins resumed performances at the Prince Edward Theatre on 7th August 2021 and is currently booking to 13th February 2022. The principal cast comprises Zizi Strallen as Mary Poppins and Charlie Stemp as Bert with Charlie Anson as George Banks, Amy Griffiths as Winifred Banks, Petula Clark as Bird Woman, Liz Robertson as Miss Andrew, Claire Machin as Mrs Brill, Jack North as Robertson Ay and Paul F. Monaghan as Admiral Boom and Bank Chairman. Katie Cox, Rose Dawson, Megan Donovan, Megan Judge, Ellie Kit Jones and Maddison Thew will alternate the role of Jane Banks with Logan Clark, George Hamblin, Charlie Murphy, Frankie Treadaway and Fred ...

Lucy May Barker stars in a unique staging of Mamma Mia at Harewood House

12Aug

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

Lucy May Barker stars in a unique staging of Mamma Mia at Harewood House

Lucy May Barker has travelled the globe playing Sophie Sheridan searching for her long-lost dad in smash hit musical Mamma Mia and she rejoins the show for its first ever open-air production at Harwood House near Leeds. This show has been seen by over 65 million people in 50 productions in 16 different languages, plus two blockbusting movies. Lucy played Sophie in the West End and joins a cast full of Mamma Mia veterans for this run until 30th August. The pandemic forced Lucy off the stage so she took a job with the NHS HR Peoples Services Team organising the redeployment of emergency staff, but she is now raring to get back onstage under the stars. Our Yorkshire Editor Paul Clarke caught up with Lucy as she finished a demanding week of technical rehearsals for a version of Mamma ...

Jekyll and Hyde seen from a very different angle at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

12Aug

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

Jekyll and Hyde seen from a very different angle at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

There have been numerous versions of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde over the years and Pitlochry Festival Theatre is the latest company to rethink this classic tale of science and madness. Hannah Lavery’s adaptation spins the story right around to bring the peripheral female characters front and centre offering their versions of the chaos unleashed when Dr Jekyll goes in search of his darker second nature. Just to make it even more challenging, Lavery has written it as a monologue to be performed by Pitlochry regular Alicia McKenzie. Our Features Editor Paul Clarke spoke to Alicia about taking on a classic text in a new way and getting ready to step onto the stage on her own. Before you took the job were you familiar with this classic tale of what happens when you meddle...

A Simple Tale of Love to play Camden and GM Fringe Festivals

12Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

A Simple Tale of Love to play Camden and GM Fringe Festivals

Rude Raven Productions is a new production company set up by writer Sasha Ravencroft and this play will be its professional debut. Ravencroft has been involved in the arts for many years as a writer, actor and producer of a puppetry theatre company. A Simple Tale of Love is directed by Nicole Roberts Ryder for the digital recording for Greater Manchester Fringe, the live shows at Camden Fringe, and as it goes on its premiere tour. The play follows the relationship between Molly and a sinister stranger, JD, who holds a terrifying secret, and her life is never the same again. It is a story about a woman who has lost not only her confidence but also herself along the way. Cheated on by her vicar husband and bullied at work, Molly is broken and yet clutches on to hope. In order to carry ...

Falling in Love with Mr Dellamort – Broadway Podcast Network

12Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

REVIEWS

Falling in Love with Mr Dellamort – Broadway Podcast Network

Falling in Love with Mr Dellamort, written by Jack Feldstein (book and lyrics) and Paul Doust (music and lyrics), and directed by Ella Jane New, is an original Gothic dark comedy musical, which tells the story of the enigmatic and charming Mr Dellamort (James Monroe Iglehart) and his beautiful beachside South Carolina Guest House, Maison Dellamort. Shortly after Christmas, three unhappy people receive an unexpected invitation to spend the time between Christmas and New Year at Maison Dellamort. They are Barry Scott (Telly Leung), an enthusiastic fitness fanatic, Mina Thompson (Jackie Hoffman), a lonely serial divorcee, and Rhonda Lipson (Lena Hall) who is struggling with drug addiction. All three jump at the chance to escape their mundane lives and quickly fall for Mr Dellamort’s charms...

12Aug

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Anna X – The Lowry

It could be said that all plays are about identity at some level. Acting itself is about artifice, cultivating a character, creating a believable personality, a person that can convince. In our ordinary lives we wear a mask to hide our true selves and present a version of ourselves we feel people will accept, or even, perhaps, like. Of course, everything is judged, in these days of social media, by the like. People evaluated by how many likes, shares and comments they gained for an image posted or an opinion given. Social media identities are as much of a pretence as a real life mask. They are idealised, a Sunday-best version of the real person. Often, the social media personality just wants to create envy, to show off, to be the person they wish they could be. Influencers, YouTubers...

The Windsors Endgame – Prince of Wales Theatre

11Aug

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

London

The Windsors Endgame – Prince of Wales Theatre

To try and summarise just how outlandish The Windsors is as a stage show, imagine if the writers of Spitting Image found a file labelled ‘Daily Mail Royal Fan-fic’ and gave it to the editors of Viz magazine, after getting them spectacularly drunk and sitting through a marathon of ‘Carry On’ movies. Based on the satirical Channel 4 show, by Bert Tyler-Moore and the late George Jeffrie, and featuring many of the show’s original cast, The Windsors imagines a world where the Queen, weary of public life after the death of her beloved Phillip, has abdicated in favour of the world’s longest-serving intern, Prince Charles. Charles - played by Harry Enfield with the perfect sense of tired pompousness that one would expect from someone waiting 70 years for a work promotion – promptly goes powe...

Carousel – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

10Aug

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Carousel – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Walking into the atmospheric surroundings of an open-air theatre is always a joy, never more so than with the anticipation of seeing one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's most popular musicals. Carousel is undoubtedly a classic and was even voted the best musical of the 20th Century by TIME magazine. Written in 1945, the story is a simple one: young millworker Julie Jordan meets bad-boy and serial womaniser carousel barker Billy Bigelow and is immediately smitten. So much so that she risks her livelihood just as he's also given the sack. Living on the generosity of family and friends, their situation goes from bad to worse when Julie tells Billy she's pregnant and he becomes desperate to provide for his family and is willing to risk, and lose, all. Carly Bawden is a charmingly innocent Julie...

10Aug

By Alison BainesNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Heathers – Leeds Grand

Take a trip to Westerburg High School to join the class of 2021 on a twisted tale of romance, fun and a bit of bitchiness too - I promise you won’t be disappointed. Heathers, the dark comedy/rock musical first hit the stage in 2010 in New York following and based on the great cult classic movie of the same name starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. The modern musical begins its UK and Ireland tour at Leeds Grand Theatre. If you’re not already familiar with the soundtrack I urge you to go and listen to it. Written by the award-winning team Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy, the music could not suit the cult classic story any better: with heart wrenching ballads and vibrant ensemble numbers, the soundtrack doesn’t have a bad song and promises to have you singing them for days aft...