Latest Articles - Page 629 of 641

31Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – The Globe

As part of the BBC Culture in Quarantine season, we are offered a selection of Shakespeare’s plays performed at two of the UK’s most well known theatres for Shakespeare. Written in 1596, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a regular feature in theatres’ Summer calendars for their Summer season. We have seen many adaptations of this play as theatres become more creative, but this version is like the making a cocktail, the ingredients can be the same, but it is how much of each ingredient that creates its individual flavour. In Emma Rice’s first play as Artistic Director of The Globe, we were treated to a feast of energy and colour. The play positively buzzed with excitement as we experienced an adventurous modernised version of this much-loved play. The play is ...

27Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Beethoven’s Fidelio – Royal Opera House

Recorded just prior to lockdown and largely unedited, conductor Antonio Pappano introduces a new production of Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, from the Royal Opera House, a story of risk and triumph against a backdrop of revolution, with Tobias Kratzer’s new staging, including some dialogue changes, bringing together the dark reality of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution and the conflicts of the modern age to illuminate Fidelio’s inspiring message of a common humanity. This is very much an opera of two halves with Act One in period as Leonore (Lise Davidsen) attempts to locate her husband, Florestan (David Butt Philip) who is a political prisoner incarcerated in a secret dungeon and subject to torture from the governor of the prison, Don Pizarro (Simon Neal). To secure a ...

SLEEPLESS Musical To Begin Testing Backstage

27Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

SLEEPLESS Musical To Begin Testing Backstage

SLEEPLESS, A Musical Romance, which announced last month it would begin socially distanced indoor performances at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre from 25 August, will begin using a new accurate COVID-19 test on cast, musicians, crew and theatre staff on a daily basis during rehearsals and during the run of the show. The test is called FRANKD (Fast, Reliable, Accurate, Nucleic-based Kit for Covid19 Diagnostic Detection). Testing will be carried out on-site, since the FRANKD technology does not require a laboratory. Tests results will be sent directly to crew, cast and staff phones via a secure app within an hour of a swab being taken. Michael Rose and Damien Sanders, on behalf of Encore Theatre Productions, the producers of SLEEPLESS, said, “We are so excited to be leading the way fo...

Final casting announced for ‘Fanny and Stella’

27Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Final casting announced for ‘Fanny and Stella’

Final casting announced for the first London Fringe show since Lockdown, a new version of the acclaimed musical ‘Fanny and Stella’ by Glenn Chandler and Charles Miller and Directed by Steven Dexter. Final casting is announced for the first London Fringe production since Lockdown, a brand new socially distanced open-air production of ‘Fanny And Stella’, a musical with Book and Lyrics by Glenn Chandler, the creator of ‘Taggart’, and Music by Charles Miller. Joining the previously announced Jed Berry as Ernest Boulton/Stella and Kane Verrall as Frederick William Park/Fanny are: Kurt Kansley (Lord Arthur Clinton) was Coalhouse in ‘Ragtime’ at Regents Park and Shultz in ‘Miss Saigon’ in the West End. In Australia, he was twice nominated Best Actor in a Musical, as Che in ‘Evita’ and Co...

Virtual Viewing: Disney Cruise Line’s ‘Tangled: The Musical’

27Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Virtual Viewing: Disney Cruise Line’s ‘Tangled: The Musical’

I confess I am somewhat a Disney aficionado. From the heart-warming, family-friendly stories, to the toe-tappingly catchy songs, anything that bears the moniker ‘Walt Disney’ is almost guaranteed to be a winner for me. So, when the chance came to review Disney Cruise Line’s original stage production of Tangled: The Musical, I jumped at the chance. Being able to see a brand new Disney stage production in the inner sanctum of a Disney cruise ship – without having to shell out an eye-watering amount for the privilege – was too good of an opportunity for a Disneyphile like me to pass up. Cruises start from £1,078 for a 3-day excursion (yes, really!), so to be able to watch these once exclusive shows without winning the lottery is a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity (probably the same stati...

25Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

The Sleeping Beauty – Royal Opera House

‘I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream’. Most people will know the song from Disney’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’ but how many people know that the music was actually written 70 years prior to the film’s release and the lyrics were added in 1959 for Disney? Tchaikovsky’s music for the ballet ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ was written in 1889. For anyone who may have never heard of any version of this fairytale before, it tells the story of Princess Aurora. Starting with her christening day, when Carabosse interrupts the ceremony and places a curse on the new princess, meaning she’ll prick her finger on her birthday and die. Luckily, the lilac fairy manages to lessen the curse, to put Aurora and the kingdom into a deep sleep for 100 years, only to be woken by true loves kiss. The ballet consists ...

The Showstoppers (Socially Distanced) Improvised Musical

25Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Showstoppers (Socially Distanced) Improvised Musical

In this bizarre new world that we find ourselves in artists are being creative in finding a new way to perform to give the gift of entertainment to their audience. The Showstoppers have been busy trying to keep going with such great shows as the ‘Alternative Eurovision Song Contest’ which saw The Showstoppers and guests represent a country, in a battle to win the Eurovision crown. In a bid to move their show from online into more of a studio environment where they could all at least be in the same room albeit socially distanced and shielded behind plastic screens; The Showstoppers got together to do what they do best – improvise a musical. Tonight, the Showstopper team were Ruth Bratt, Adam Meggido, Justin Brett and Ali James, with Andrew Pugsley introducing and acting as...

24Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

‘Cheap and Cheerful Outdoor Show’

I am sure by now all theatre/entertainment lovers are in need of some much needed ‘Live’ performance. A chance to enjoy the outdoors and to sit back and enjoy live cabaret to brighten up your Sunday afternoon. OPEN AIR THEATRE SHOW AT INGLENOOK FARM SUNDAY 30th AUGUST ‪2pm & 5pm showings (1hr) Bring your own picnic! Come rain or come shine! Its Tommy Cooper meets Bruce Forsyth in this brand new, jam packed cabaret show! Join double act Mr Mac Cheap and Mr Jerry Cheerful as they whirl through non-stop gags, routines and showbiz tunes from Gershwin and Fred Astaire to Frank Sinatra and Barry Manilow. All in the company of their live travelling band. Young or old, this charming homage to Vaudeville and Variety is bound to have your feet tapping and your belly laug...

The Weir – Irish Repertory Theatre Online Series

24Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Weir – Irish Repertory Theatre Online Series

The Irish Rep was founded by Ciaran O’Reilly and Charlotte Moore and opened in 1988 with its first play Sean O’Casey’s ‘The Plough and the Stars’. Thirty-one years later, it is still the only theatre in North America to bring Irish plays to New York. ‘The Weir’ was written by Conor McPherson and after seeing his adaptation of ‘Uncle Vanya’ in London, I was interested to see if he would lend his keen wit to this production. Originally staged in 2013 and then re-staged in 2015, the play won an Olivier Award for Best Play and three of the original cast members (John Keating, Sean Gormley and Dan Butler) have returned for this digital version of the production. Set in 1997 in a country pub in Ireland, Brendan (Tim Ruddy) owns the local pub whilst also running his farm. ...

New 2021 Dates for UK and Ireland tour of Grease

22Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

New 2021 Dates for UK and Ireland tour of Grease

The producers of the first new production in 25 years of Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey’s iconic musical Grease, are delighted that the show will tour the UK and Ireland in 2021. The musical was due to tour in 2020 but had to be postponed due to COVID-19. The 2021 tour will begin at Theatre Royal Plymouth, running from 22nd – 30th January, and will then play Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff from 1st – 6th February, Bristol Hippodrome from 8th – 13th February, Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 16th – 20th February, Norwich Theatre Royal from 22nd – 27th February, Milton Keynes Theatre from 1st – 6th March, Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin from 16th – 27th March, The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford from 29th March – 3rd April, Liverpool Empire from 5th – 10th April, Sheffield Lyceum from 12th – 1...