Daniel Ward Archives - North West End UK

7Apr

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Small Island – Birmingham Rep

Andrea Levy’s 2004 novel set primarily in 1948 focussing on Jamaican immigrants travelling to post-war Britain and exploring themes of identity and race relations has already been adapted into a highly acclaimed BBC TV series. Here we have a stage adaptation by the very accomplished Helen Edmundson which first saw light at the National Theatre in 2019 garnering a slew of impressive reviews including Michael Billington’s claim for it to be ‘one of the most important plays of the year.” We follow our characters as they journey from the sun-scorned beaches of Jamaica to the cold, unwelcoming streets of London in the 40s’ encountering entitlement, abuse and the inevitable racism. This is the Windrush story told in just three short hours which fly by and the tale of Hortense, Gilbert, Queeni...

Tambo & Bones – Liverpool Playhouse

Seeing other reviews of this production, not to mention the various accolades it has received, my hopes were high as I took my seat in the auditorium. The vibe had a chilled excitement to it, aided by the pre-amble music, but as the clock-ticked on, the audience soon became restless at the late start. However, when the performance did get underway, those feelings were quickly dashed thanks to the gutsy, bold and connected acting onstage. Clifford Samuel and Daniel Ward delivered a Tambo and Bones that were in-sync, funny, unapologetic and warm to watch. The minstrel show for the first half of Act One was a high-class opening, the inclusion of the puppet a particular personal highlight. But the enthusiasm seemed to dip as the show progressed. Into the second half of Act 1, yet another...

Everything I Own – Hull Truck Theatre

Shall I tell you the first thing that came to mind when I laid eyes on actor Gabriel Paul, on the Hull Truck Theatre stage this week? Mmm … very attractive man, muscly in all the right places, glint in his eye - obviously good fun to be around (but the vest has to go). Oh, and he is black - this last piece of info, as an afterthought. However, as this second in a trilogy of monologues at the theatre - a world premiere, no less - wore on, I realised my reaction was far from the norm experienced by Errol (Paul), in his lifetime. The central character never appears - but his presence is felt throughout. He is Errol’s dad, who has died of Covid, leaving Errol, one of his seven children, to sort out his belongings. The action takes place in Errol’s dad’s sitting room - a cosy aff...