Latest Articles - Page 623 of 641

7Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Empire Theatre, Liverpool

Liverpool Empire Theatre is a theatre located on the corner of Lime Street and London Road in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, United Kingdom. The playhouse, which opened in 1925, is the second one to be built on the site. It has the largest two-tier auditorium in Britain and can seat 2,348 people. During its time it has hosted many types of entertainment, including variety shows, musicals, operas, pop concerts, and plays. The Beatles appeared in the theatre in their early days. The theatre has hosted two Royal Command Performances and in 2007, a Royal Variety Performance to mark Liverpool's being designated a European City of Culture the following year. It is sited in the William Brown Street Conservation Area. History The site's first theatre, which was at that time was Liverpoo...

7Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Opera House, Manchester

The theatre opened as the New Theatre in 1912, renamed the New Queen’s Theatre in 1915 and as the Opera House in 1920 when it came under the wing of John Hart and his associates of United Theatres Ltd. In 1931 it was bought by, and prospered under, Howard & Wyndham Ltd which had been formed at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow in 1895 by Michael Simons. The group`s managing director A Stewart Cruikshank, headquartered at the group's headquarters in the King's Theatre, Edinburgh was joined on the board by Charles B Cochrane who now became a visiting producer at the Opera House, premiering numerous musicals and revues. The theatre staged the full range of plays, musicals, opera, and pantomime. It closed in 1979 and for five years was a bingo hall. The Palace Trust acquired it in 1984 and ret...

7Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Venues

UK and Ireland Venues

North West End UK are collating a list of all the theatres we have reviewed in as well as others across the UK. The list below will be constantly added to as well as updated where required. Simply click on the venue name (listed alphabetically) to learn more. If you would like your venue listed below contact us at info@northwestend.co.uk and we will be in touch to gain the relevant details as soon as possible. BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME BUXTON OPERA HOUSE GRAND THEATRE, BLACKPOOL EMPIRE THEATRE, LIVERPOOL OPERA HOUSE MANCHESTER PALACE THEATRE, MANCHESTER PEACOCK THEATRE, LONDON

7Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Palace Theatre, Manchester

The Palace Theatre, Manchester, is one of the main theatres in Manchester, England. It is situated on Oxford Street, on the north-east corner of the intersection with Whitworth Street. The Palace and its sister theatre the Opera House on Quay Street are operated by the same parent company, Ambassador Theatre Group. The original capacity of 3,675 has been reduced to its current 1,955. History The theatre, originally known as the Grand Old Lady of Oxford Street, opened on 18th May 1891, having been designed by the architect Alfred Darbyshire at a cost of £40,500. The Palace Theatre was redecorated and altered in 1896 to the designs of the renowned Theatre Architect Frank Matcham, and he again worked on some improvements to the Theatre in 1899 when he was commissioned to put in a pass d...

No Direction Home digital tour starting at Camden People’s Theatre

6Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

No Direction Home digital tour starting at Camden People’s Theatre

In the first ever virtual stand-up comedy tour of the UK, a group of comedians from refugee and migrant backgrounds will use laughter to connect with audiences and speak of their experiences coming to and living in this country. The group, formed by Counterpoints Arts and Camden People’s Theatre in 2018, are coached by top stand-up comedian Tom Parry and known as No Direction Home. They have already performed live gigs in venues like the Southbank Centre with guest headliners such as Romesh Ranganathan, Lou Sanders and Sindhu Vee. Now, with lockdown keeping comedy clubs shut, they are heading off on a virtual tour across England, Scotland and Wales, telling jokes about themselves, their experiences and their lives in the UK. TV comic and stand-up Nish Kumar, who has guest h...

St Helens Theatre Royal To Change Christmas Pantomime Title Due To Pandemic But A Show Will Go On!

6Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

St Helens Theatre Royal To Change Christmas Pantomime Title Due To Pandemic But A Show Will Go On!

Regal Entertainments announced today that their 2020 Christmas Pantomime at St Helens Theatre Royal has been changed, but a show will go ahead. The curtain was due to go up on Cinderella from Saturday 5th December ’20 – Sunday 3rd January ’21 and had previously announced Linda Robson in the lead role. However due to the government restrictions now enforced on theatres, it makes the current title not financially viable to continue with, Cinderella is one of the biggest productions in pantomime and carries many additional costs. Pantomime producers, Regal Entertainments say they have worked tirelessly to look at alternative options for the festive season and they want to ensure that they can continue to provide top entertainment to its community and regular attenders this Christm...

‘Queen by Candlelight’ and ‘Power Ballads Live’ come to Manchester’s newest venue

6Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

‘Queen by Candlelight’ and ‘Power Ballads Live’ come to Manchester’s newest venue

Manchester production company, Tightrope Productions Limited, is bringing two incredible sing-along shows to The DriveINSIDE Theatre - Manchester. It is the world’s first theatre that you drive inside and is Manchester’s newest entertainment venue. The DriveINSIDE Theatre is COVID compliant and provides an immersive experience for 800 people and seating for every audience member. Simply drive in, get out of the car on the driver’s side and take your seats to the side of your vehicle. Unlike other drive in venues, this one is covered by Europe’s largest megatent, so no need to worry about that famous Manchester rain - the show will go on! Managing Director of Tightrope Productions, Daniel Wood said: “Tightrope Productions is thrilled to be employing Manchester artists and musicians in...

Andrew Lancel To Open Liverpool Theatre Festival With One Man Comedy Play By Jonathan Harvey

6Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Andrew Lancel To Open Liverpool Theatre Festival With One Man Comedy Play By Jonathan Harvey

Swan Song, a comedy by Liverpool playwright Jonathan Harvey, will open a brand-new theatre festival in the city next week marking the return of live outdoor performance. Liverpool Theatre Festival will take place between Friday 11th September and Saturday 19th September 2020 in the grounds of St Luke’s Bombed Out Church and will help to kick-start the return of theatre productions in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. Swan Song is a one-man play written by Jonathan Harvey and starring Liverpool actor Andrew Lancel. The play will be directed by BAFTA award-winning director Noreen Kershaw. The show is produced by Liverpool Theatre Festival, in association with Bill Elms Productions and Quarry Street. credit Matt Ford Swan Song will officially start the nine-day run of Liverpoo...

5Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Fresh Blood – Arrival Festival 2020

Fresh Blood from Popbox is a reinterpretation of Bram Stoker’s classic gothic novel, Dracula, set in the modern world of social media, online influencers and live streamed workouts and video games. Created and performed by Josh Cannon, Tom Morris and Georgie Sykes, this surreal piece of theatre allows you to jump between three channels, each one focussing on one of the cast, creating a unique jigsaw of this much loved vampiric story. All three channels are very different, with Georgie’s consisting of dramatic readings of sections of the original novel, Josh’s focussing on the characters’ social media presence and Tom’s being an original peek into everyday life. The three cast members play various roles across the three channels bringing to life both modern versions of the original chara...

Ian Rickson’s celebrated production of Uncle Vanya to receive broadcast release

5Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Ian Rickson’s celebrated production of Uncle Vanya to receive broadcast release

When the country went into lockdown in March and theatres were forced to close, Ian Rickson’s acclaimed production of Uncle Vanya was in the final weeks of its scheduled, sold-out run. The production had received Olivier nominations for Toby Jones (Best Actor Award), Ian Rickson (Best Director Award), Bruno Poet (Best Lighting Design Award) and Rae Smith (Best Set Design Award). Despite the entire team’s best efforts and wishes, the live production will not be able to return. However... Sonia Friedman Productions today is delighted to announce that Ian Rickson’s highly acclaimed production of Conor McPherson’s new adaptation of Uncle Vanya has been filmed on stage at the Harold Pinter Theatre in partnership with Angelica Films. The new film version of the production will be shown in cin...