Latest Articles - Page 620 of 641

19Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NWE UK Live

Home Schooling 3 – Return of the Term

She's back! Our very own Yazmin takes on the new school term in a way only she can! Written by Mark Davoren Performed by Yazmin Walker Produced and Directed by Paul Downham Visit our North West End UK Live section for more monologues written, performed and produced entirely in house. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkCWatCrBQA

Halifax’s Square Chapel reopens for business

19Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Halifax’s Square Chapel reopens for business

In a rare bit of good news for the nation’s cultural life Halifax’s Square Chapel Arts Centre is back in business after going into administration in March 2020. Non-profit organisation Arts At The Mill CIC, with the support of Arts Council England and Calderdale Council, are the new owners of the recently refurbished town centre venue next to the historic Piece Hall. Arts At The Mill is the umbrella organisation for Wigan’s The Old Courts, Wigan Pier and The Royal Court Theatre who are deeply rooted in creating, producing and programming work with the community. The new team will be headed up by four experienced directors – Managing Director Dave Jenkins, Artistic Director Jonny Davenport, Director of Operations Michelle Mayor and Rebecca Davenport as Sales and Marketing Dir...

19Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

The Boss of it All – Soho Theatre

New Perspectives’ The Boss of it All, adapted from the Lars Von Trier film of the same name by director, Jack McNamara, has been especially tailored to show office life in lockdown, with all the fun of working from home and life on furlough. Mr Ravn (Ross Armstrong) is negotiating the future of the IT company he works for with Finnur (Le Gateau Chocolat), a successful Icelandic businessperson. Unfortunately, the company’s boss, Svenya, is an absent American who only communicates with him via email. So he hires struggling actor, Kristina (Josie Lawrence) to perform as the boss during negotiations. Unfortunately, his plan to have this as a one-off performance goes wrong, and Kristina soon finds herself embroiled in office politics and facing the consequences of all the unpopular decisions...

Judy and Liza – Liverpool Theatre Festival

19Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Judy and Liza – Liverpool Theatre Festival

The glamour and glitz of Vaudeville brought joy in a derelict church in Liverpool on an Autumn evening. Judy and Liza is a musical homage and biopic of these giants of the big screen and stage Judy Garland, played by Helen Sheals (Mrs Wigan from Downton Abbey) and Liza Minnelli played by Emma Dears (West End singer/actress who also created the show). The show explores through songs, memories and anecdotes, the talents and turbulence of this mother and daughter relationship as they leaf through the family photo album. There is such a richness of songs between the two that the difficulty was which numbers to leave out. It starts with Garland’s childhood. She was born the youngest of three daughters to Frank and Ethel Gumm, who had their own movie theatre and were keen to introduce t...

Music of The Night – Liverpool Theatre Festival

18Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Music of The Night – Liverpool Theatre Festival

Last night I was back again to the Liverpool theatre festival at St Luke’s Church for another show entitled Music of the Night. A show full of some of the greatest musical numbers of all time. The show was sung by to performers Roy Locke who has starred in Phantom of the Opera in Australia and Germany. Joining him was Olivia Brereton who was in the recent Les Misérables tour and has played Christine in Phantom on the West End. From the off the singing was out of this world and in a cloudless night sky it was the perfect setting for this show. We learned about their careers and why they choose the songs. However, I found the set up of the show frustrating. They played music before the show to set the mood but half of the songs they played we heard again with them singing. I’m all ...

16Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

driveINSIDE postpones shows until 2021

“It is with huge disappointment that, following the recommendation of Manchester Council’s Specialist Environmental Team, we have had to to postpone our October programme of shows in the city until March 2021. “The R rate in Greater Manchester continues to be of serious concern and, although we were complimented on our COVID compliance, we must act in a supportive and responsible manner. “We know that this will be as disappointing for show producers, performers and the theatre loving public as it is for us, but we must assume that over the next few months the Government will be able to give Local Councils the level of support that has been lacking. “The good news is that we are now assembling a variety of fantastic shows ready to bring to Manchester in the Spring and we ...

16Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

The Royal Ballet gets Doncaster Dancing

This summer The Royal Ballet, in partnership with Cast and Doncaster Council, set themselves a mission to get Doncaster Dancing. The special project, a first for The Royal Ballet, has resulted in a unique community dance film called Doncaster Dances. The film premiered online on 15th September at 5.30pm on the Royal Opera House, Cast and Doncaster Council websites. The film celebrates individuals and community groups and is inspired by the choreography of Kenneth MacMillan’s ballet Romeo and Juliet, with synchronicity to today’s lockdown themes of love and separation, family, friendship and solidarity. The film also features Doncaster local and Royal Ballet dancer Charlotte Tonkinson and fellow Royal Ballet dancer Joseph Aumeer. Doncaster residents, primary schools, sports clubs, car...

We Were Having A Perfectly Nice Time at Omnibus Theatre

16Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

We Were Having A Perfectly Nice Time at Omnibus Theatre

OffWestEnd-commended Conflicted Theatre are delighted to welcome audiences once again to Omnibus Theatre with the premiere of We Were Having a Perfectly Nice Time, a short dark comedy about loo roll, lost love at the bus station and knowing when to end a conversation. The production runs at the Common Room at Omnibus Theatre every Friday and Saturday evening from 2nd – 31st October, with the official press night being held on Saturday 3rd October at 7:30pm. We Were Having a Perfectly Nice Time is written by Pedro Leandro, with Evan Lordan directing. It is performed by Stephanie Booth and Hannah Livingstone. The show will have a socially distanced audience, making it the perfect show to return to theatres. Some people are inherently unlikeable. Some people smell bad. Some people have ...

UK’s leading touring theatre companies to join forces this autumn to present Signal Fires

16Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

UK’s leading touring theatre companies to join forces this autumn to present Signal Fires

The UK’s leading touring theatre companies are uniting this autumn to present Signal Fires, a nationwide project inspired by one of the original forms of theatre – storytelling around a fire. Presented at a time when it is not possible to physically tour, 45North, Arcade, Beyond Face, Big Telly, Boundless, Eastern Angles, English Touring Theatre, Fen in association with Out of Joint, Fio in association with Tara Arts Fuel, Graeae, Headlong, Hightide, Kestrel Theatre Company, Kneehigh, Macha Productions, National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, New Perspectives, Pentabus, Pilot, Paines Plough, SBC Theatre, Scottish International Storytelling Festival, Slung Low, Spare Tyre, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men and Yellow Earth Theatre (with more to be announced) are uniting for the first time, to ...

Dr Blood’s Old Travelling Show opens at Leeds Playhouse

16Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Dr Blood’s Old Travelling Show opens at Leeds Playhouse

imitating the dog and Leeds Playhouse are joining forces once again for the première of the raucous and dark Dr Blood’s Old Travelling Show. This show is part of Leeds Playhouse’s reopening season to safely reintroduce audiences to the live theatre experience. Directed and written by imitating the dog’s Co-artistic Directors Andrew Quick and Pete Brooks they open outside on Playhouse Square from the 7th – 8th October and tour until 24th October. imitating the dog bring all their theatrical and technical acumen to this unique outdoor live theatre experience creating a tale of mischief and immorality, drawing on classic horror movies and the traditions of carnival and medicine shows. It’s set in a mythical 'North' as Dr Blood and his motley crew tell a tale of the price paid for pur...