Gary Jones Archives - North West End UK

Les Misérables: School Edition – Hyde Festival Theatre

17Apr

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Les Misérables: School Edition – Hyde Festival Theatre

It’s not very often, if ever, that I am left speechless by a performance, but this was one such occasion. I found myself so enthralled by what was happening on the stage that I forgot that I was actually meant to be reviewing the show, in fact I got to the end of Act 1 and discovered that I hadn’t written anything on my notes, so I will have to write this review purely from memory. I’ve had to edit my review and have left out the synopsis which I had originally included. For those few of you who don’t know the story of Les Miserables, all I can suggest is that Google is a wonderful thing! Anyway, back to the show. The first solo of the performance was taken by Harry O’Connor as the Bishop of Digne who set the standard for the rest of the performers to follow, a good opening and great...

Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Stockport Plaza

Sometimes, reviewing theatre productions can be a bit like pulling hens teeth. You sit there, you get acted at, you clap then you leave. All very nice, but you can’t say very much about what you’ve seen. Then there are the nights when you get blown away by a production. A production so good, you can’t stop saying things about it. I saw one of those tonight. By any criteria you can name, this production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was a joy from start to finish. I guess you will know the plot by now. Three drag queens schlep across Australia in an old bus, (the titular Priscilla). They encounter the sort of people who don’t take naturally to people who are different. They are despised, assaulted in the vilest way. One finds romance, one a family but they all have adventures they wo...

Cats – Stockport Plaza

In my day job, outside of the nights I spend in and around the various theatrical haunts of Greater Manchester, I write about dogs. Yes, I am a canine journalist and yes, that is a real job! Given that my professional life revolves around man’s best friend you would think I would hate Cats but this production was so pleasing that I wanted to take it home, give it a saucer of milk and tickle it behind its ears. However, I did have one problem with the show and I will get the negative out of the way now because there was so much in it to enjoy. My gripe was that for some of the numbers where everyone was singing, I couldn’t hear the words. I don’t know if it was a sound issue but the solo songs were fine. The person I took with me said they had the same problem. As I say, I don’t want to ...