Alistair David Archives - North West End UK

5Dec

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Singin’ in the Rain – Royal Exchange

We all know that Manchester has a reputation for enjoying a drop of rain, so it was entirely apt that a downpour greeted ‘Singin in the Rain’ as it landed in the Victorian splendour of the Royal Exchange for the festive period. The weather did nothing to dampen the palpable sense of excitement of the packed press night audience and were not to be disappointed. This is a show with the high quality production values, a great ensemble, superb leads and a beautifully orchestrated score, that left me walking through soggy St Anne’s Square singing 'do de do do, do de do de do do do, I'm singin' in the rain, just.......', into the Mancunian night. The plot, charting the demise of silent pictures and the rise of the 'Golden Age' of 1920s Hollywood 'talkies', is well known, less so is the fact t...

13Aug

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

The Addams Family – The Lowry

Attending The Addams Family at The Lowry in Salford is a curious experience—part charming gothic comedy, part family-friendly farce—but it never quite reaches the deliciously dark heights it hints at. It’s a pleasant night out, but one that fades quickly from memory. The cast is strong across the board. Morticia (Alexandra Burke) and Gomez (Ricardo Alfonso) share an easy chemistry, with their tango being the evening’s clear highlight—sultry, stylish, and perfectly timed. Alistair David’s choreography gives the undead ensemble moments of real flair, with slick formations and physical comedy that suit the show’s eccentric world. Diego Pitarch’s set design also deserves praise: grand, shadowy, and dripping with Addams-style atmosphere. Kara Lane steals scenes as Alice Beineke, bringing ...

12Mar

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Ghost The Musical – Sheffield Lyceum

We are all familiar with the 1990 film Ghost, with its iconic casting of Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, the famous potter’s wheel scene and the soaring soundtrack of Unchained Melody – now this latest and slightly reworked touring production has manifested itself at the Sheffield Lyceum. This Bill Kenwright Ltd production with a masterful Book and Lyrics by Bruce Joel Rubin and Music and Lyrics by Eurythmics Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard had is first stage opening in 2011 and all will forever by judged by that stunningly visual production. Unfortunately, I found myself having to ‘suspend my disbelief’ as this production as it left me sporadically underwhelmed and at times - disappointed. The title alone leads us to expect supernatural / unexplainable occurrences and the special...

4Sep

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Ghost the Musical – Liverpool Empire

Based on the 1990 film starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Kenwright Ltd has brought the musical back to life with a UK tour, and this week it is at the Liverpool Empire. Ghost focuses on a banker, Sam Wheat, who is murdered on his way home from his girlfriend, Molly’s, art exhibition and seeks the help of psychic reader, Oda Mae Brown, to help him save Molly and release him from the transitional world he is currently trapped in. Ghost the Musical started its life back at the Manchester Opera House in 2011, but the show has come a long way since then, and due to artistic changes and budget cuts, this is a vastly different show to what it once was. Gone are the days of elaborate sets with high tech special effects but the story and the heart still remains. ...

25Jun

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Sister Act – Storyhouse Chester

Hold onto your rosaries folks, Philadelphia’s favourite sisters are in the building, ready to bring the musical version of the 1992 hit film vividly to life. Sister Act is a vibrant, feel-good show and it’s easy to see why it has become a staple for am-dram group, full of energetic ensemble numbers, humour and heart. The musical, with music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater respectively, and sparklingly directed by Bill Buckhurst, largely sticks to the film’s plot. Club singer Deloris Van Cartier witnesses her gangster boyfriend Curtis commit murder and is placed into witness protection in a convent, leading to much fish-out-of-water hilarity. The cheerful but tuneless nuns soon tap into Deloris’ talent as a singer to inject some oomph into their choir despite the misgivings...

29May

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Sister Act – Buxton Opera House

Sister Act, the hit musical comedy directed by Bill Buckhurst is touring the UK and this week is at the beautiful Buxton Opera House. The larger than life production delivers an evening of joyous entertainment and powerful performances. Based on the beloved 1992 film, this production brings together a stellar cast, bright and bold staging and impeccable comedic timing. Former Coronation Street star Wendi Peters shines as Mother Superior, bringing a perfect blend of stern authority and underlying warmth to her role. Her comic timing and vocal prowess add depth to the character, making her a memorable anchor for the show. Landi Oshinowo as Deloris Van Cartier is a revelation. Her portrayal of the nightclub singer turned nun on the run is both heartfelt and hilarious. Oshinowo’s powerfu...

19Mar

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Sister Act – Palace Theatre

Arriving at the bustling theatre, where red carpet welcomed many an actor from the phenomenon that was Coronation Street, the evening started with fans in awe, the atmosphere electric and everyone ‘giddy’ with excitement for the show ahead. The Coronation Street actors had come along in their numbers to support their colleague the nominated favourite female soup star Sue Cleaver who for this epic show of female comradeship was playing the Mother Superior. Many people may know the film of Whoopi Goldberg played the husky blues singer Deloris Van Cartier desperate to make it big but in falling for a married mobster ends up, after watching this crook Curtis murder a gang member, is on the run for her own life. For this show, the threatened disco diva is played amazingly by Britai...

Ghost The Musical embarks on new UK tour

13Mar

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Ghost The Musical embarks on new UK tour

Bill Kenwright Ltd is delighted to announce the triumphant return to the stage of the worldwide sensation Ghost the Musical, opening on 22nd August 2024 before embarking on a major national tour across the UK. Written by multi Brit Award winner Dave Stewart and Grammy award winning Glen Ballard, with a script by Bruce Joel Rubin based on his OSCAR winning screenplay, Ghost the Musical brings all the romance and magic of the classic story to life on stage. “Walking back to their apartment late one night, a tragic encounter sees Sam murdered leaving his girlfriend Molly alone, in despair and utterly lost. With the help of a phony storefront psychic, Sam, trapped between this world and the next, tries to communicate with Molly in the hope of saving her from grave danger...” Ghost has...

The Addams Family Live in Concert – London Palladium

14Feb

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

The Addams Family Live in Concert – London Palladium

Act normal. Wear a black dress or pinstripe suit. Paint your face and snap along. At the London Palladium it’s Halloween in February. Copious amounts of fog billow forth from the palatial stage and the theatre is bathed in purple light as audiences amble in, many dressed for the special occasion and already buzzing with excitement. The orchestra, unlike the assembled spirits of the dead, remains unseen but makes its presence known in a vigorous overture playing jauntily under conductor Andrew Hilton, and is energetically reinforced by a skilled ensemble dancing in choreography by Alistair David. Consistently visually interesting even as the plot stretches itself thin and tired jokes leave audiences groaning, this rendition of a mid-tier musical is nonetheless entertaining and well perfo...

16Dec

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

White Christmas – Sheffield Crucible

‘Alistair David’s choreography is simply the ‘glitter glue’. Originally a 1954 film starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Vera Ellen and Rosemary Clooney, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas as become a staple of our festive celebrations. The title song was originally written for the musical Holiday Inn and is a multimillion copy seller with Bing Crosby’s version making up half of the sales. Sheffield Theatres bring this classic to the stage at their Crucible Theatre (in-the-round) and it has a stellar cast who are both in tune with its sentimentality and its splendidly relentless song and dance spectacle. The story includes a retired General who is now an Innkeeper in Vermont and two of his former platoon members Bob and Phil, who are now successful entertainers. Their paths cross again as ...