Andy McQuoid Archives - North West End UK

Sweeney Todd: A Legacy of Blood – The Studio, Widnes

12Oct

By Grace LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Sweeney Todd: A Legacy of Blood – The Studio, Widnes

There is something particularly refreshing about seeing original writing brought to life on stage, especially when a familiar story is reimagined from a different perspective. Sweeney Todd: A Legacy of Blood, presented by Warrington-based SOUP Productions at The Studio, delivers a dark, Gothic and blood-soaked evening of theatre, blending murder, companionship, madness and meat pies with a heavy-rock edge. Making his debut as both writer and director for SOUP Productions, Marcus Cameron has taken inspiration from the original Gothic tale, Sweeney Todd: A String of Pearls, creating his own distinctive interpretation of the infamous demon barber of Fleet Street and his accomplice, Mrs Lovett. Rather than simply retelling the story audiences may recognise from previous stage productions...

Pantoville – St Thomas’s Church Hall

Written & directed by Michael Pirks Returning once again to review a Michael Pirks Soup Production feels less like an assignment and more like coming home. Since first meeting Pirks in 2024, I’ve been hooked on his brilliantly spirited writing, and Pantoville - my fifth of his shows, proves yet again that his creative well runs deep and delightfully wild. While his previous works I’ve seen have been plays, this venture into pantomime is nothing short of a triumphant stroke of genius. With all the essential ingredients of a classic panto - singing, dancing, audience participation and of course the timeless cries of “He’s behind you!” and “Oh no you didn’t!”, Pirks not only honours the tradition but elevates it. The script is enriched with beloved Disney and storybook characters, g...

The House, The Boys and The Trial – Parr Hall, Warrington

Soup Productions presented The House, The Boys and The Trial at the stunning Parr Hall in Warrington. Written by the talented Michael Pirks the play depicts the true story from 1806 where twenty-four men In Warrington and surrounding areas were arrested for homosexual offences. Where five men were convicted of buggery who regularly assembled at the home of Isaac Hitchin (Andy McQuoid), where they engaged in sex and called each other ‘Brother’, and kept assignations at the shop of Holland, a well-off pawnbroker. The ‘Hitchin’s House’ allowed men to be free from judgement and engage in sexual activity and companionship from the eyes of the law where sodomy was deemed as illegal and punished by death! It is clear that Pirks has done extensive research on the trial and displayed this exquis...