Sunday, December 7

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The Mirror and the Light is set for the West End this year
NEWS

The Mirror and the Light is set for the West End this year

Producers Playful Productions and the Royal Shakespeare Company have announced that the third and final novel in the Wolf Hall trilogy, The Mirror and the Light has been adapted for the West End stage. The world premiere will run at the Gielgud Theatre from Thursday 23rd September for a strictly limited season until Sunday 28th November, with an Opening Night on Wednesday 6th October. Tickets go on sale on Thursday 27th May, sign up for more information and priority booking from 24th May at www.themirrorandthelight.co.uk   The play will be the concluding chapter of Dame Hilary Mantel's multi award-winning novels about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, all commissioned and developed for the stage by Playful Productions. The Olivier and Tony Award-winning Wolf Hall and Bring Up t...
St Helens Theatre Royal’s Streamed Pantomime Jack And The Beanstalk Is Returning Live On Stage
NEWS

St Helens Theatre Royal’s Streamed Pantomime Jack And The Beanstalk Is Returning Live On Stage

Leading Panto Producers, Regal Entertainments have announced they are bringing back their recent successful online panto to the stage at St Helens Theatre Royal to be enjoyed by audiences and performed LIVE on stage.  The lavish fairy-tale production of Jack and the Beanstalk will be live at the theatre for 15 performances from Thursday 21st October – Sunday 31st October 2021 and tickets are now on sale! A cast of St Helens Theatre Royal favourites are coming together again to perform in the family favourite.    Timothy Lucas will reprise his role of Jack, Catherine Cunningham as Mrs Fleshcreep, Olivia Sloyan as Princess Jill, Reece Sibbald as Simple Simon, Mark Two as Dame Trott, and Jenna Sian O’Hara as Fairy Mary. The creative team includes director Chantelle ...
CRUISE – Duchess Theatre
London

CRUISE – Duchess Theatre

Having reviewed the online stream of CRUISE during the last lockdown back in April, I was super excited to see how this intimate piece would translate from the screen to the stage, and believe me it did not disappoint. CRUISE is a lyrical celebration of queer culture, a musical and spoken word tribute to the veterans of the AIDS crisis written and performed by Jack Holden. In every way it is a perfectly crafted piece of queer theatre and whilst the online version was deeply personal in its storytelling, the on the stage narrative hits you with full force square between the eyes. A brilliant, beautiful and yet gut wrenchingly brutal piece of theatre. Poetic. Artistic. Honest. One man’s memory of a horrific period in the gay culture of ‘80s London. CRUISE is the true story of what shou...
The Callaway Sisters: Side By Side (Online)
REVIEWS

The Callaway Sisters: Side By Side (Online)

Following successful previous collaborations, multi-talented sisters, Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway join forces again for their delightful live-streamed concert-‘Side By Side’. In addition to starring on stage in the likes of ‘Evita’ and ‘Cats’, Liz has provided the singing vocals for animated characters such as Jasmine in ‘Aladdin’ and the titular role in ‘Anastasia’. Ann, who has extensive credits as a composer, appeared in the Broadway musical, ‘Swing’ and the film, ‘The Good Shepherd’. Both are prolific recording and cabaret artists. The Tony-nominated pair have performed around the world together to great acclaim in their shows: ‘Sibling Revelry’, ‘Boom’ and ‘Broadway The Calla-way!’ The joy felt by both at their reunion after a 14-month pandemic imposed separation has b...
C-O-N-T-A-C-T – Salford Quays
North West

C-O-N-T-A-C-T – Salford Quays

A young woman, Sarah (Chloe Gentles), goes about her day in silence, troubled by erratic thoughts and a pain in her sternum that won’t go away. When she sits on a park bench, lost in thought, a stranger (Cellan Scott) tries to strike up a conversation which she initially spurns. But all is not as it appears, and soon she is propelled on an emotional journey that will change her life forever. The idea behind this production from C-O-N-T-A-C-T theatre is intriguing. Set entirely outside, the audience follows the actors around an outdoor environment, watching their movements whilst listening to voice-over and music provided by a digital app on their smart phones. This is both a refreshing change from more traditional theatre experiences and a timely approach in the context of the pandemic ...
The Show Must Go On – St Luke’s Bombed Out Church
North West

The Show Must Go On – St Luke’s Bombed Out Church

Mark Chatterton and Sarah Nixon, writers of the infamous Rock-n-Roll panto at the Liverpool Everyman, staged every year, have adapted to the COVID pandemic by writing this new theatre show.  The production is a specially scaled down version of a full musical the husband-and-wife team were working on with composer and musician Ben Beer when the pandemic struck.  Because theatres are not currently allowed to open, it is being staged outdoors at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church, in the heart of Liverpool. Luckily for the audience, it had been a surprisingly warm, sunny day, after a few previous days of torrential rain and gusty winds.  But, at the start of the performance the sky was still blue and the late evening sun was edging its way into the makeshift amphitheatre, through t...
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men announce Macbeth summer 2021 tour dates
NEWS

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men announce Macbeth summer 2021 tour dates

As previously confirmed, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, leading proponents of open air theatre return this summer with a thrilling and powerful production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It can now be confirmed that the production will open in Salisbury on 3rd June before embarking on a 14-week summer tour. The tour will call at more than 55 venues giving more than 60 performances with yet more venues and dates in the UK and mainland Europe still to be announced. The extensive summer tour will see the company perform in the gardens and grounds of some of the UK’s most significant, historically important and visually stunning castles, cathedrals and stately homes including; Chichester Cathedral (11th June), Hever Castle (13th June), Harewood House (17th June), Waddesdon Manor (24th June), Ham ...
Theatreland – Theatre Royal St Helens
North West

Theatreland – Theatre Royal St Helens

Curtis Productions bring Theatreland to the Theatre Royal in St Helens. After numerous tries and a desperate change of plans through no fault of their own at the 11th hour, the Theatre Royal stepped up and brought their theatre opening date forward to help produce this spectacular piece. And what a show it was. If this is how live theatre is going to burst back in to our lives then I'm so excited to see what's to come. Direction from Adam and Charlie Curtis and Musical Direction from Adam Curtis, what this company have managed to bring in such a short time in a new venue is something to be extremely proud of. From the minute the lights went down and the first couple of notes started, the magic was there. The show burst to life and it continued to impress and wow us right through to t...
Child’s Play by Mark Davoren
REVIEWS

Child’s Play by Mark Davoren

I have had the pleasure of watching several of Mark Davoren’s monologues.  He wrote North West End UK’s series ‘Home Schooling’, which was very popular, and his short play ‘Child’s Play’ is part of the LightNight 2021 Festival.  Davoren seems to be particularly good at writing short pieces, and herein lies the challenge, to create an interesting storyline in such a short space of time.  Filmed on location by Daniel Lewis Wilson at Lowlands, home of West Derby Community Association, the scenic back drop adds a vibrancy of colour from the beautiful magnolias set off by the background of the white walls.   The location was well chosen as within the play, the story moves locations, and the four different backdrops create a feeling of a four-scene play. The narrat...
Cyber Labyrinth Online Experience
REVIEWS

Cyber Labyrinth Online Experience

Journey through a wide spectrum of graphic, futuristic visionaries all on your own terms including but not limited to video art, music video, performance art and animation. Immerse all thoughts into your machine with the radiant colours and hypnotic music sure to seep its way into one’s sense of reality. This techno-heavy playground is one waiting for travellers. Game starts in three, two, one, zero... Your expedition of gadgetry fortune begins surrounded by purple as far as the eye can see. Once the audience gets to grips with the surroundings using the easy to navigate ‘point and click’ system, a roundup of the experimental works to be shown can be accessed. This gives you a sense of what you are to experience shortly, right before you get to the entrance point of the labyrinth. On...