Friday, April 19

Tag: Bill Elms

Acclaimed Hillsborough Drama Returns To Liverpool This Week
NEWS

Acclaimed Hillsborough Drama Returns To Liverpool This Week

A powerful play which explores the ongoing impact of Hillsborough on those who survived the disaster is returning to Liverpool this week in a new full-length production. 97+ is written and directed by Tom Cain and co-produced by Tom Cain Theatre and Bill Elms Productions, in collaboration with the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance. The theatrical drama, which in a shorter version previously won acclaim at Liverpool Theatre Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe, is being premiered at the Liverpool Olympia for one night only on Friday 12th April, just ahead of the 35th anniversary of the football disaster which claimed the lives of 97 Liverpool fans. Set in 2012, Hillsborough survivors John and Steve – now middle-aged men - are each still dealing with the trauma they suffered as ...
Immersive Van Gogh Spectacular Set For Liverpool This Summer
NEWS

Immersive Van Gogh Spectacular Set For Liverpool This Summer

Liverpool is set to host the UK premiere of a stunning immersive show which brings the masterpieces of Vincent van Gogh thrillingly to life in one unforgettable cinematic multimedia experience. Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience – produced by Annerin Productions and Paquin Entertainment Group - blends more than 300 of the post-Impressionist icon’s paintings with cutting-edge technology and a specially curated musical soundtrack to tell the story of one of history’s most influential artists. It has already been seen by more than five million people across the United States and Canada. And now it is coming to the UK, with the unmissable show being staged in Liverpool on its famous waterfront at Exhibition Centre Liverpool (for a limited run) from 27th June to 14th July. Tick...
Something About George – Floral Pavilion
North West

Something About George – Floral Pavilion

Taylor delivers in his own passionate style… he sings with warmth and commitment. Anything with a flavour of The Beatles will go down well on Merseyside and tonight’s full house was very appreciative of this new musical tour from Something About Productions (Bill Elms, Jon Fellowes and Gary Edward Jones).                    Starting their story of the ‘quiet’ Beatle from the split of the Fab Four, this five-piece band perform twenty of George’s catalogue, some more well known than others and also include a couple from the Traveling Wilburys. After the hits the audience erupted with claps and cheers, some of the lesser-known tracks fell away to polite applause. The rendition of Something was memorable, and surely is, as we are told, considered one of the greatest love songs. Leadi...
TV and stage star Daniel Taylor fronts the biopic tribute show Something About George
NEWS

TV and stage star Daniel Taylor fronts the biopic tribute show Something About George

An acclaimed show highlighting the incredible talent of the late Beatle George Harrison embarks on a UK and Ireland next month, it follows a successful run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and sell out shows in 2023. Something About George – The George Harrison Story, pays tribute to the man dubbed the “quiet Beatle” it will visit 31 venues across England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, its biggest tour to date. It will open with two shows at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton on Sat 3 February and ends at the Town Hall Theatre in Galway, Ireland on Fri 29 March. West End performer and musician Daniel Taylor, fresh from his recent TV and media appearance with partner Shirley Ballas (head judge from Strictly Come Dancing), front’s the band of five and tells the fascinating...
By The Waters of Liverpool – M&S Bank Arena
North West

By The Waters of Liverpool – M&S Bank Arena

Tonight, I was lucky enough to be reviewing Helen Forrester’s ‘By the waters of Liverpool’ written by Rob Fennah and directed by Gareth Tudor Price. The play was meant to be at Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre but sadly due to its closure it was moved to the M&S Arena auditorium. Which actually seemed more fitting considering the title of the play. This play is a follow on from the previous ‘Two Pence across the Mersey’ which I had previously reviewed. This play set in 1939 on the brink of World War Two. As the play opened, we hear Neville Chamberlain making that dreaded amount from the cabinet room of 10 Downing Street. The story back tracks a couple of years prior when Helen (Emma Mulligan) is aged 18. We see that during this time in Helen’s life, her father (Tom Roberts) has become b...
Epstein Premiere For New Staged Production Of Masquerade
NEWS

Epstein Premiere For New Staged Production Of Masquerade

A brand new production of Masquerade – a play telling a powerful and emotional tale set in an iconic Liverpool gay club in the 1980s – is coming to the city’s Epstein Theatre this Autumn. Masquerade is a poignant tale of love and loss among Liverpool’s LGBT+ community. Following a successful run at the Royal Court Studio in 2019, the acclaimed play written by Laura Lees is back in a new electrifying and reimagined staging, with Liverpool’s queer history at its heart. The creative team has been announced, the full cast will be revealed shortly.   Masquerade will run at the Epstein Theatre in Liverpool from Tuesday 22nd November to Saturday 26th November 2022 for just eight performances. Tickets are priced from £20 and are on sale now. Masquerade is produced by Bill Elms (S...
The Show Must Go On For Something About George After Cast Injury
NEWS

The Show Must Go On For Something About George After Cast Injury

In true show style and gusto, the show must go on for brand new show Something About George in Liverpool this weekend after its lead cast member sustained a serious injury. Something About George – The George Harrison Story comes to Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre (names after Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein) for two nights this weekend to coincide with Father’s Day, playing the city centre venue this Saturday and Sunday (18th and 19th June). However, lead cast member Daniel Taylor – who plays guitar throughout the show – has this week broken his shoulder when he fell while jogging.   But in true showbiz style and after much deliberation, the show must go on with producers of the show bringing in musician Jonny Darnell on acoustic guitar to perform alongside a determined Daniel, ...
Casting announced ahead of Twopence To Cross The Mersey UK tour
NEWS

Casting announced ahead of Twopence To Cross The Mersey UK tour

The full cast for the first major UK national tour of Helen Forrester’s Twopence To Cross The Mersey has been announced. Twopence To Cross The Mersey UK Premiere Tour 2022 opens this September in Wirral, a place which features heavily in Helen’s million-selling books.   The hit stage drama has been revamped and updated as it gears up to visit 15 venues nationwide during Autumn 2022. The 9-strong cast, playing over 40 characters, has now been announced and includes five cast members who have appeared in its sister show By The Waters Of Liverpool.     The new touring production of Twopence To Cross The Mersey is produced by Rob Fennah and Lynn McDermott for Pulse Records Limited in association with Bill Elms and Directed by Gareth Tudor Price.    Th...
Opera Beneath the Stars – Liverpool Theatre Festival
North West

Opera Beneath the Stars – Liverpool Theatre Festival

The Liverpool based company Absolute Opera presented this night of glorious and mesmerising operatic classics at The Royal Court Theatre Studio. Originally the gala concert was going to take place in the Bombed Out Church but due to adverse weather conditions and with just 3 hours’ notice, the venue was changed to the Royal Court Studio. All credit to the production team headed by Bill Elms that they managed to get this magnificent show back on track with very little time to spare. The show featured the talents of Tenor Roy Locke (Opera Australia and also creative director for Absolute Opera), Mezzo Soprano Lilly Papaioannou (Glyndebourne) and Soprano Leigh Rhianon Coggins (Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company). They were accompanied on piano by the excellent Danish musician Per Ne...
12 – The Rainbow Monologues – Bombed Out Church
North West

12 – The Rainbow Monologues – Bombed Out Church

Grin Theatre Company presented this unique and varied showcase of new LGBTQ writing at the closing night of the very successful little Liverpool Theatre Festival produced by Bill Elms. This was a beautiful evening of twelve new monologues that covered many areas of what it means to be LGBTQ and the superb cast (Holly Murphy, Alan Harbottle, Taylor Illingworth, Pam Ashton and Terence Conchie) invested lots of imagination, sensitivity and energy throughout. The show which was directed with great flair and detail by Dan Scott provided the audience with 12 characters in 70 minutes and there wasn’t a dull moment. I would love to see this come back to the stage because more people should definitely see this lovely piece of live theatre. I was particularly moved by the monologue St ...