Monday, October 7

Tag: Floral Pavilion

Murder in the Dark – Floral Pavilion
North West

Murder in the Dark – Floral Pavilion

As the audience opens their programmes for tonight’s performance, they are greeted with a simple plea – do not spoil the show for others. With that in mind, what can be said about the show is that it absolutely won’t be what you expect. I’m just not sure that’s a good thing in this case. We start with a simple premise. Faded pop star Danny (Tom Chambers) and his young girlfriend Sarah (Laura White) arrives at a ramshackle cottage with a handily unreliable power supply and no wi-fi, having crashed his car. They are taken under the wing of the eccentric owner Mrs Bateman (Susie Blake) and soon joined by the car’s other passengers; Danny’s estranged brother William (Owen Oakeshott), ex-wife Rebecca (Rebecca Charles) and his uninterested son Jake (Jonny Green). Directed by Philip Fra...
Stranger Sings! – Floral Pavilion
North West

Stranger Sings! – Floral Pavilion

Fans of the Netflix sensation Stranger Things will love this tongue in cheek parody of the hit show. Mainly focusing on Season 1 as the source material we get an ensemble cast all of which playing different well-loved characters. It begins with an instantly recognisable set by Justin Williams, consisting of fairy lights and 80's decor in what doubles up as Mike's and Joyce's house. The boys are playing dungeons and dragons and being set in Hawkins, a town where nothing happens, was perfectly normal to cycle back home without supervision. Ahh what a decade. If you've seen the show you will know that Will ends up missing, but is really in the upside realm, a creepy alternative reality. If you haven't watched Stranger Things yet then I would say watch it first, as this is a parody musical ...
Blood Brothers – Floral Pavilion
North West

Blood Brothers – Floral Pavilion

Floral Pavilion, New Brighton welcomes Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers back for the start of its 2024 UK tour and tonight’s full house audience were lucky enough to be there to witness it. This venue is the nearest venue to the story’s origins of Liverpool on this tour and the audiences are fully behind this show with an almost sold-out week, give or take a few single seats throughout before the show has even opened. Directed by Bob Tomson and the late Bill Kenwright, this classic musical has been entertaining the masses for over 40 years and is a favourite that has audience members returning time and time again. The joy with this show is not just the story, but the music, the heart and the cast who return over and over to the point they become part of the family. Returning to the ...
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. Leadin...
Aladdin – Floral Pavilion
North West

Aladdin – Floral Pavilion

January is the wrong time to be watching panto. 'Oh no it's not!' exclaim the wonderfully wild cast that make up the NODA award-winning Chrysanths pantomime Aladdin. Peppered with puns, side-splitting slapstick and calamitous chaos, join the impoverished ne'er-do-well as he falls in love, finds fortune and ends up on Mars. Wait, Mars? This interpretation of one of the best-known tales associated with The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (The Arabian Nights) is truly unique. It features local law enforcers Hilo (Jed Flowerday) and Lilo (Graham Leigh), an evil empress (Leanne Burgess) and a very helpful Spirit of the Ring (Maria Larkin) whose place in the panto is akin to a fairy god mother. As the curtains close, there's also more than one happy ending. But that's not all you ne...
Jack and the Beanstalk – Floral Pavilion
North West

Jack and the Beanstalk – Floral Pavilion

Floral Pavilion and Martin Dodd for UK Productions bring Jack and The Beanstalk to the Floral Pavilion for the festive period. A well-known panto that has been told in many ways and this is no different. We follow the Trott family who are poor and are trying to find the money to survive and pay the £1000 the King (Tom Sterling) tells them they need to pay. So, they must sell their beloved Sandra Bullock, The Cow (Amy Walker) at market. Along the way we are introduced to many characters, such as Flesh Creep (Joseph Elliot), The Vegetable Fairy (Hayley Tamaddon) and Princess Jill (Rachel Grundy). The Trott family are made up of Dame Trott played by Oliver Brooks, Simple Simon played by Sean Jones and the title character, Jack, played by the wonderful Joe Sleight. The set for Jack an...
Whitney – Queen of the Night – Floral Pavilion
North West

Whitney – Queen of the Night – Floral Pavilion

Last night I was able to review the sell-out show of Whitney – Queen of the Night at the New Brighton Pavilion. A show that has been seen in the west end and is currently touring the UK. This tribute show had all the back catalogue of hits but the late and iconic Whitney Houston, whilst also telling stories of her life for example she was the first black singer to appear on the cover of 17 in the 1980s. It certainly enjoyed not only the flawless vocals but hearing more about Whitney’s life. The show was a simple set up of 3 backing singers with a live band consisting of drums, guitar, piano and saxophone. I must apologise in advance, but I am unable to name the participants in the show due to not been given a programme or it due to being not listed on the webpages. However, it wa...
The Mousetrap – Floral Pavilion
North West

The Mousetrap – Floral Pavilion

What do you get when you combine masterful storytelling and captivating characters? Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, that's what! The world's longest running play - currently 70yrs old - is still going strong, thrilling theatres and keeping audiences on their toes. It's a classic. Lights dim and the curtains pull back on a stupendously wide set. Time rolls back to reveal the living room of a guesthouse in 1950s England, the ideal setting for a good old-fashioned whodunnit to take place. Christie's unparalleled ability to craft a suspenseful and engaging narrative quickly makes its impact felt. There is a chilling atmosphere of intrigue and mystery from the very first scene. As the tension builds and secrets unravel, the audience is on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating the...
By the Waters of Liverpool – Floral Pavilion
North West

By the Waters of Liverpool – Floral Pavilion

Pulse Stage Productions in association with Bill Elms bring the follow up to Twopence to cross the Mersey, By the Waters of Liverpool, to the Floral Pavilion for its final date of the UK tour.  By the Waters of Liverpool continues to tell the story of Helen Forrester (Emma Mulligan) and her family in the 1930s as they have been forced to leave behind their nannies, servants and middle-class life as Helen’s father went bankrupt during the Great Depression. The story is told through narration by the actors themselves, talking to the audience to set the scene or tell you how their characters are feeling, which is where, at points, it became a little confusing as there is no separation from dialogue to narration, the actors just continued talking within the scene, feeling quite disjoin...
Cirque: The Greatest Show – Floral Pavilion
North West

Cirque: The Greatest Show – Floral Pavilion

Music, magic, mime and a variety of daring acts. Cirque blasts you through them all in this melange of talent. Definitely one the kids will enjoy, there are playground giggles and mystifying moments. It is a fun, feelgood escape. Offering a night like no other, Cirque draws you in to a chaotic world where musical theatre meets circus spectacle. Where else can you experience hits from showstopping musicals, see thrilling feats of daring and become engrossed in the life of a lonely but lively mime artist (Christian Lee)? The show opens with Lee entering a competition for a glorious technicolour TV - where winning it becomes a truly transformative experience. Getting to grips with his new technicolour television, we accompany Lee on a journey through a variety of talents. From hand b...