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Robin of Sherwood: Fitzwarren’s Well – Spiteful Puppet

17Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Robin of Sherwood: Fitzwarren’s Well – Spiteful Puppet

Fully capturing the atmosphere of a story can be very difficult to do in audio dramas, especially when that story is set in the great outdoors, but in this new audio adventure from Spiteful Puppet, Robin Hood is given a new lease of life. Based on the world created in the 1980’s TV show from Richard Carpenter’s, this is a brand new adventure written by Jennifer Ash and directed by Barnaby Eaton-Jones, and features original and new cast members. From the opening of the piece the forest atmosphere is beautifully created with excellent sound effects. However, we’re not actually with the Merry Men in the depths of Sherwood, who have all been cursed with a deadly and serious illness, but with Marion (Judi Trott) as she asks the mysterious shaman Herne The Hunter (Daniel Abineri) for help. ...

16Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Tempest – Shakespeare’s Globe

Often played as tragedy with revenge at its heart, it is refreshing to see director Jeremy Herrin bring a fresh perspective embracing the spirit of the supernatural in this tale of forgiveness, generosity, and enlightenment set on a remote and mysterious desert island with this production from 2013. Twelve years earlier, Prospero (Roger Allam), formerly Duke of Milan, was usurped by Alonso, King of Naples (Peter Hamilton Dyer), Alonso’s brother, Sebastian (Will Mannering), and his own brother Antonio (Jason Baughan), and cast adrift with his three-year old daughter, Miranda (Jessie Buckley). Before they were put to sea Gonzalo (Pip Donaghy), his loyal counsellor, ensured he took his magic books, and now living on an island, he has used his magic art to reign over the native Caliban (Jam...

16Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Hamlet – Royal Shakespeare Company

In this 2016 production Simon Godwin’s version completely re-imagines Hamlet from a visual perspective. The text largely remains the same, albeit tweaked in places and the small changes have accelerated the pace of the play - it rarely rests on its laurels. The African theme brings a freshness to one of the most regularly performed of Shakespeare’s plays. Dressed as military guards Barnardo (Kevin N Golding) and Marcellus (Theo O’Gundipe) have asked Horatio (Hiran Abeysekera) to come along to see the ghost that has a likeness to the dead King to prove that they are not crazy. The scene is dark, and it creates a feeling of menace but undershoots slightly as there is no ghostly apparition and we must wait until the next scene before we see the ghost of the King.&nb...

My Darling Christopher – Homemakers, HOME

16Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

My Darling Christopher – Homemakers, HOME

Created as part of a wider theatre project in association with RADA, the short film My Darling Christopher will be shared as part of HOME Manchester’s Homemakers Festival. My Darling Christopher has been written, cast, shot and edited all during lockdown by Hot Coals Theatre, who create visual theatre accessible to both hearing and d/Deaf audiences in a shared experience. My Darling Christopher is based on the true story of Clive, a young boy who lost his sight and hearing due to Meningitis complications. His father Christopher is serving in the Navy when he receives a heartfelt letter from his wife, Dorothy. At the outbreak of World War Two, Clive is 15 years old and attending Goring School, after evacuation from Margate School for the Deaf. English, British Sign Language and Visual...

Life in lockdown for Young Everyman Playhouse

15Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Life in lockdown for Young Everyman Playhouse

Young Everyman Playhouse will sign off their 2019/20 year with a radio drama recorded from their homes during lockdown. In collaboration with the Everyman’s Hope Street neighbours Liverpool Arts Bar and local freelancers, the youth theatre has created The Visit – a seven-part drama following student Ashley’s trip to a friend’s family home during reading week. The audio drama was created at a time when projects the young theatre makers had been working on for some time could no longer take place. Following lockdown, the young actors, producers, directors, marketers, technicians saw their production of Macbeth and the annual YEP Directors Festival, postponed. Despite this, YEP have continued to work on creative projects during lockdown, improving their own wellbeing and working with...

The Space Between – A musical short by David Hunter and Caroline Kay

15Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Space Between – A musical short by David Hunter and Caroline Kay

The Space Between is a short musical for the times we live in. Filmed entirely in a medium of zoom meetings and WhatsApp/FaceTime calls, as a young couple reflect on their broken relationship, first with their confidants, and then with each other. The music is fun, and a good representation of modern musical theatre. The opening number in particular is sensationally written and delivered, and also has the strongest vocal - it is the best of the three numbers contained within the short - although all three are meaningful and entertaining. The performances from Hunter and Kay are relatable, fun, and vocally very strong. The key point to this work is that musical theatre (of a top quality) can still be made at this difficult time. We all miss it, and we all want to do what we can...

Hale Barns Carnival Announce A Mini-Edition Event For July

12Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Hale Barns Carnival Announce A Mini-Edition Event For July

Hale Barns Carnival have announced that it will return after all in 2020, with a mini-edition event following the relaxing of the government rules regarding outdoor events. The organisers have moved quickly to turn around a fantastic night of entertainment on Saturday 18th July, the date the original festival was due to take place. This smaller event will take place on the grounds of the newly refurbished Bulls Head Pub & Hotel on Wicker Lane, Hale Barns and will feature two award-winning tribute acts performing live on stage to a socially distanced outdoor audience with outdoor bars and food on site with an innovative new waitress/ festival location order delivery service The community focused event will this year feature big show performances by two of the greatest tribut...

12Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Romeo and Juliet – The Royal Ballet

I have a confession to make. Before today I had never watched a ballet in full. Sure, I had seen clips, and as a dancer myself (although clearly not a classical one) I’ve seen many contemporary productions, but never a ballet. Such is the benefit of companies such as The Royal Opera House streaming past productions online – you can give yourself new experiences from the comfort of your own home. Despite me knowing nothing about ballet, I am however much more experienced in the works of the Bard and have played Juliet myself on several occasions. For this reason, I found the story very easy to follow, and could clearly identify who each of the characters were. As in many of Shakespeare’s plays, the female characters are few and far between, but in this production the women were given mor...

11Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Cinderella WILL go to the ball in 2021!

Producers The Really Useful Group announced today that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical Cinderella will now world premiere at The Gillian Lynne Theatre in London on Wednesday 7th April 2021, with previews from Friday 19th March 2021. Andrew Lloyd Webber said “Whilst I continue to impress on the government that theatres can reopen safely based on The London Palladium model, it has become clear that we need to move the opening of Cinderella to next Spring. My teams have been working throughout lockdown to prepare the show and are raring to go, but there are key elements, not least casting and the building of sets and costumes, that take months of forward planning and can only start as we get further down the road to normal. So, the show will absolutely go on, just a little la...

The Lady Killers – Double Trouble Theatre Co.

11Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Lady Killers – Double Trouble Theatre Co.

A trio of short monologues written by Matt Fox and featuring three young women who share a common bond – they have all killed for one reason or another. There is some good storytelling going on here and the actors (Zoe Wells, Rosie Dunjay and Daniella Piper) perform each piece really well. Produced over Zoom and soundly directed by Mack Newton & Emily Collier this short piece of isolation theatre excels in creating an almost claustrophobic atmosphere to each of the stories that the women have to tell. Fox’s monologues are direct and to the point. The standout monologue for me was 150 which featured Daniella Piper and a story of revenge in the USA (no spoilers!!), the other two monologues were reasonably interesting but 150 really did stick in the memory. Produced by Adam Bayli...