Floral Pavilion Archives - North West End UK

14Nov

By Katy GilroyNo Comments

North West

Cluedo 2 – Floral Pavilion

A staple in many a games cupboard, Cluedo is the ultimate in murder mystery fun – bringing it to life on stage means you’ve got a lot to live up to. As the audience took their seats on a cold Tuesday night in New Brighton, it was anyone's guess as to where the story would end up… Brilliantly laid out with the classic Cluedo board as a constant backdrop, the cast were introduced one by one as the scene was set: an old manor house, newly purchased by failing rock star Rick Black. With his wife, father/manager, right hand man, cook, a recently hired interior designer and ex bandmate making up the rest of the ‘colour’ characters, the tale began to unfold. The story, of course, follows a murder that takes place at the manor – cut off by a storm and not wanting to involve the police for ce...

28Sep

By Anna Ní DhúillNo Comments

North West

Bowie Experience – Floral Pavilion

With a thirty-song, two-and-a-half hour set with a tight band and charismatic performers, Bowie Experience is a real triumph. The tone is set immediately, as the Bowie impersonator asserts that we, the audience, can take photos, sing along, even get up and dance. This breaking of regular expectations works excellently to get the audience even more excited for what’s to come. While it takes us the first half to get confident enough to rise to our feet, by the second half most of the audience are on their feet and swaying along in pure nostalgic glee. The show opens with Space Oddity, and while you can tell lead singer Oliver Slee is a natural Bowie, it takes him a minute to really ease into that Bowie-charisma. The negative space onstage ate him up a bit for the first few tunes, u...

The Musicals in Concert – Floral Pavilion

26Aug

By Katy GilroyNo Comments

North West

The Musicals in Concert – Floral Pavilion

Musicals hold a certain kind of magic, and there’s always that one particular song that sticks in your mind as the highlight of the show – so a whole night of those songs could only be spectacular, and this absolutely was. Hosted by the ever charming and incredibly charismatic (and, whether he thinks so or not, very funny) Robert Daws, this was a memorable night celebrating the best of the best musical theatre tunes. Alongside Bob, we were joined by an incredibly talented live band and a cast of West End stars: Amy Robbins, Sabrina Carter, Gemma Atkins, Gerard Bentall, Chris Holland and Stephen Palfreman. Dressed to the nines in glamorous outfits, the six singers took us on a powerful journey through some of the most famous musicals, cherry picking songs that are packed full of emotion ...

15Aug

By Miranda GreenNo Comments

North West

Legally Blonde – Floral Pavilion

Omigod you guys! I didn’t realise I was coming to see an amateur production of Legally Blonde the Musical at the Floral last night and, were it not for a couple of tiny microphone glitches, I’d have been none the wiser. From crowd-rousing curtain-up to fabulous finale, it was as polished and perfect a gem of a show as you’d pay top dollar to see. Running until Saturday, there’s still time to nab some seats for this Wallasey Musical Theatre Company production. If you’ve seen the film, you’ll know that it’s a piece of fairytale froth as a story, where the assertion is that you can be both brainy and blonde, principled and a princess. Elle Woods, a lethal combination of girlish naivety and steely determination, applies for Harvard Law School (despite having majored in Fashion Merchan...

The Ultimate Classic Rock Show – Floral Pavilion

3Aug

By Carole BaldockNo Comments

North West

The Ultimate Classic Rock Show – Floral Pavilion

Can’t hope to please all of the people all of the time, but you can have a damn good go; it’s not too difficult with a huge amount of remarkable material to draw upon. And I like the way they’ve juxtaposed Ultimate and Classic when basically either would do, but that suggests it doesn’t get better than this. They may well be right. Only a couple of my personal favourites tonight, however, the packed audience was thrilled to bits, and dancing in the aisles. Well, I say dancing - too energetic a term for the kind of ubiquitous left shoe/right shoe shuffle people of a certain age indulge in. The good humoured atmosphere was because of the band’s badinage, with the audience and with each other. And each member had their place in the sun, even just to deliver a line or a riff. Lead singer an...

20May

By Katy GilroyNo Comments

London

Rush – Floral Pavilion

Not your average theatre show, Rush brought a taste of Jamaica to New Brighton’s Floral Pavilion on Saturday night – billed as a joyous Jamaican journey, did it deliver? Narrated by witty stand-up comedian John Simmit, this is an uplifting tale of Jamaican history and the story of the ever-inspiring Windrush generation, peppered with an array of music from the nation over the years. There were plenty of tunes from Aswad, Bob Marley, Desmond Dekker and more performed by a talented band, alongside lead singers IKA and Janice Williamson whose voices were enough to stun the lively audience into silence at times. That silence didn’t last long, however. From uproarious laughter to dancing in the aisles, the crowd lapped up every moment of the show – especially the political moments, of whi...

15May

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

The Syndicate – Floral Pavilion

Have you ever wondered what it would be like, if you won a share of £24 million? For fans of the late, great Kay Mellor’s television series ‘The Syndicate’ this is the perfect chance to see a new version of the show, created especially for the stage. A story that follows previous series, but with different characters and twists along the way. We are introduced to Denise, Leanne, Jamie, Stuart and Bob who work at a local supermarket, that has just been bought out by a larger chain. In typical The Syndicate style, Stuart is late on his payments for the staff syndicate, and this is mentioned on numerous occasions throughout the first act. Brothers Jamie and Stuart are both struggling for money – Jamie for drug-related purposes and Stuart due to his expanding family. They decide to rob the ...

29Apr

By Katy GilroyNo Comments

North West

Totally 80’s – Floral Pavilion

A medley of 80s music at a seaside venue on a Saturday night – the perfect spring evening out or something a little bit cringe? Brand new live music show Totally 80s hit the Floral Pavilion, New Brighton, on Saturday; it was a triumphant display of fun and musical talent with plenty of hits to sing along to… With audience members decked out in neon leg warmers and CHOOSE LIFE t-shirts, there was a buzz in the air as everyone took their seats and the band made their way to the stage. With classic tunes from A-ha, Wham, Blondie, Tiffany and many more, young vocalists Ffion Davies and James O’Roarty showed talent and energy from start to finish – with an incredible range of jackets which were switched out to match the songs, as a subtle but brilliant addition to the show. The singers an...

20Apr

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

Sing The Musicals – Floral Pavilion

If you are one of those people who wishes they could sing along to a musical, then you need to make sure you add this show to your list. Massaoke’s Sing The Musicals is an evening of fun, laughter and above all else – musicals! With a cast of five singer-musicians, you’d think each one would be under more scrutiny from the audience, but for the majority, they were just happy to be led in the sing along. Luckily, however, the three lead vocalists are good at what they do and have the vocal ranges to fit the songs selected. Nicholette Chew especially, has vocals to die for and with a range from ‘Oom-Pah-Pah’ to ‘Defying Gravity’ and Disney in between, you are left wondering if there is anything she can’t do. And she plays the keys too! She is definitely a talent to watch out for. Josh Tay...

15Apr

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Dreamcoat Stars – Floral Pavilion

After their inaugural tour in 2023, the Dreamcoat Stars are back again with their UK tour for 2024 and tonight I am at The Floral Pavilion, New Brighton and an extremely full looking audience who are here to have a fun night with great songs, fantastic vocals, and some fabulous dance moves. Tonight’s line up are Sam Cassidy, Keith Jack, Rob McVeigh, and Graham Tudor. Each member of this group has strong links to the musical Joseph and the amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, hence the name The Dreamcoat Stars, and it’s through their love of the show and theatre that have brought these stars together to deliver a fantastic night of entertainment. The stage is set up with a levelled scaffolding stage in the centre of the main stage to create levels for the stars to sing from and six large p...