Altrincham Garrick Playhouse Archives - Page 4 of 9

24Dec

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Best Amateur Production of 2023

We have been thrilled to be invited to review a huge number of amateur productions in 2023, but which was the most popular with our readers. Below are the top 5 shows, we are looking forward to visiting even more amateur shows in 2024. You can request reviews for your society by emailing info@northwestend.co.uk with at least 4 weeks notice. NUMBER 5 – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Altrincham Garrick Playhouse. “one of the strongest opening nights of a show I have seen in a long time” https://northwestend.com/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-altrincham-garrick-playhouse/ NUMBER 4 - Betty Blue Eyes at Gladstone Theatre. “a great family show – charming, funny, uplifting and memorable” https://northwestend.com/betty-blue-eyes-gladstone-theatre/ NUMBER 3 – The Wedding Singer – Grange Th...

National Theatre Live: Skylight – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

27Nov

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

REVIEWS

National Theatre Live: Skylight – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

A cold and wet Sunday evening in November finds me forsaking the warmth of hearth and home in favour of a trip to Altrincham Garrick Playhouse to watch an encore screening of the 1996 Olivier award winning 'Skylight' by David Hare, brought to us by National Theatre Live. Hare is a playwright who is chiefly known for his deftly crafted satires examining British society in the post World War II era and 'Skylight' was first performed in 1996 during a particularly productive period, when new works were seemingly an annual event for the NT in their concrete castle on the South Bank. This revival was filmed at the Wyndham's Theatre in 2014 and features Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan as Tom Sergeant and Kyra Hollis, ex-lovers with memories of a shared passion who have subsequently pursued very ...

A Christmas Carol – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

21Nov

By Hannah WildeNo Comments

North West

A Christmas Carol – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

The Christmas season is well and truly on now, with Altrincham Garrick’s performance of A Christmas Carol kicking off the festive roster. This production had flashes of theatrical excellence, but sadly there were a number of areas that just didn’t capture the audience in the way director Barry J C Purves would perhaps have wanted. The lead antagonist, Jonathan Black as Ebenezer Scrooge, gave a fantastically nuanced and well-delivered performance - the audience really bought into him in the first act as the well-known miser who struck fear into the heart of the people of Victorian London, yet in the second act you could really believe his redemption after seeing the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Given the supernatural nature of the story, it was a difficult narrati...

Yerma: National Theatre Live – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

6Nov

By Louise KershawNo Comments

REVIEWS

Yerma: National Theatre Live – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

In 2017 Billie Piper’s much lauded performance in Simon Stone’s adaptation of Lorca’s Yerma resulted in her scooping several best actress awards. The opportunity to see this production and much Piper’s written of performance came in the form of an NT Live screening at Altrincham’s Garrick Theatre and I am genuinely thrilled I went. The play opens with Her (Piper) and her husband John (Brendan Cowell) celebrating the purchase of their first home together in London. Life is going well for them. She is in her early thirties and is a successful lifestyle blogger and he is in his early forties and enjoying growing success and significant worldwide travel for the business he has started with her support. Their plans for the future are taking shape and this large empty new home awaits the life...

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

24Oct

By Alexandra SevernNo Comments

North West

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

Only a few weeks ago, and coincidental to being asked to review this show, I had a nostalgic watch of the 1968 film on which this show is based. While some reviews will give a full synopsis, most of us know the plot from hours of watching the film as both children and adults - I’m sure many of us still have nightmares thanks to the Child Catcher (played maleficently by Mike Shaw in the Garrick’s version). We were whisked away on this surprisingly mild October evening to Ian Fleming’s magical world, where frequently we would forget that cars can’t fly - the titular car received a round of applause on its first entrance. With music by the Sherman Brothers, script by Jeremy Sams and first performed in 2002, the show has become a steadfast fixture on the amateur circuit and the Garrick’s ca...

Home, I’m Darling – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

3Oct

By Emma WildNo Comments

North West

Home, I’m Darling – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

Opening night for Home, I’m Darling at the divine Altrincham Garrick Playhouse and the audience are presented with a phenomenal set (designed by Charlotte Leigh) of a beautiful 1950’s inspired interior. The stairs, centrally placed, lead up to a simple bedroom, painted in hot pink. Downstairs, on the one side, the yellow kitchen (with a superb Smeg refrigerator) and monochrome chequered floor, on the other, a green living room complete with a 1950’s fireplace and minibar! The set construction team (with Mandy Cooke as Scenic Artist) have excelled in the creation of this authentic looking abode. The aesthetics in this show are key to creating the initial allure of the 1950’s and the costumes did not disappoint; a range of colourful 50’s inspired dresses and suits were worn throughout by ...

Bombshells – The Lauriston Studio, Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

27Sep

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Bombshells – The Lauriston Studio, Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

The Lauriston Studio has been a welcome addition to the Manchester theatrical scene over the last few years, giving the opportunity for the estimable team at Altrincham Garrick Playhouse the opportunity to stage productions with more esoteric appeal than can be staged in the main house. So, hot on the heels of their well-received LGBTQ+ season earlier in the year, comes ' A Season of Female Stories', works written by women, starring women and about women, but hopefully not just appealing to that demographic. The first offering this Autumn is 'Bombshells', a 2004 work by Joanna Murray-Smith comprising six monologues varying from a teenage mother struggling to cope to a 64-year-old widow slowly reacquainting herself with her burgeoning sexuality. As directed by Carole Carr, these stories ...

The Shawshank Redemption – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

16Sep

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

The Shawshank Redemption – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

Upon entering the Altrincham Garrick, I was immediately drawn into the chilling confines of the Shawshank Prison. The stage, impressively transformed for an amateur theatre, mirrors the grim atmosphere of a bleak, metallic prison block, further intensified by dim lighting. This ambiance, paired with the methodical procession of prisoners, sets an undeniable authentic tone. I definitely wouldn’t want to be there, and Director; Joseph Meighan has done an excellent job is creating this dirty world, where new inmates dare not step a foot out of line for fear of receiving brutal consequences. This rendition of "The Shawshank Redemption" offers a fresh perspective on Stephen King's iconic narrative, a tale that resonates with themes of resilience and hope in the face of adversity. A lengthy s...

Altrincham Garrick Show Choir – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

8Jul

By Helen JonesNo Comments

North West

Altrincham Garrick Show Choir – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

The Altrincham Garrick Show Choir, attached to the amateur company, has not been together that long, and this is only their second full concert held at the building from where they rehearse and take their name. As such a certain amount of leeway is given as are all giving up their free time to rehearse and perform, and a lack of experience as a choir. The choir, under the musical direction of Dan McDwyer, have obviously been rehearsing hard and sing well, but there are issues with the format as a whole. Many of the songs were either relatively obscure from musicals such as Come From Away and Out of Our Heads, a pleasure to hear something different, to the overused Bring Him Home from Les Misérables and From Now On from The Greatest Showman. Good to hear some classics i...

Into The Woods – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

20Jun

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Into The Woods – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

Ever since the death of Stephen Sondheim in November 2021 there has been a rush on both the professional and amateur stage to produce his works, with every performer and creative wishing to pay posthumous tribute to the most influential voice in musical theatre during the latter half of the last century. As a fully paid up 'Sondaphile', I've therefore been delighted to witness this outpouring of love for the great man with productions of Company and Sweeney Todd and 'A Little Night Music' standing next to his lesser known works (Passion, Assassins and the forthcoming Pacific Overtures) in showcasing his lyrical genius. Tonight we are firmly at the popular end of the spectrum with a production of 'Into The Woods' the 1987 collaboration with James Lapine, as Altrincham Garrick finish their s...