Gladstone Theatre Archives - North West End UK

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Gladstone Theatre

7Mar

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Gladstone Theatre

High energy last night at Bebington Dramatic Society’s production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, starting its run at the Gladstone Theatre until Saturday. Many will still remember the famous Oscar-winning film, but it was originally a novel (1962) by Ken Kesey, which was adapted for the stage the following year by Dale Wasserman. The play continues to be performed around the world after 70yrs. This story of rebellion against authority, instigated by the anarchic, time-bomb that is McMurphy, has a lot to say about mental health in a US psychiatric ward, showing both the brutality and humour of the ‘therapeutic community.’ Director James Kay has brought together a strong local cast to recreate these unforgettable characters. An excellent set which uses the stage well, wi...

24Dec

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Best Amateur Production of 2023

We have been thrilled to be invited to review a huge number of amateur productions in 2023, but which was the most popular with our readers. Below are the top 5 shows, we are looking forward to visiting even more amateur shows in 2024. You can request reviews for your society by emailing info@northwestend.co.uk with at least 4 weeks notice. NUMBER 5 – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Altrincham Garrick Playhouse. “one of the strongest opening nights of a show I have seen in a long time” https://northwestend.com/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-altrincham-garrick-playhouse/ NUMBER 4 - Betty Blue Eyes at Gladstone Theatre. “a great family show – charming, funny, uplifting and memorable” https://northwestend.com/betty-blue-eyes-gladstone-theatre/ NUMBER 3 – The Wedding Singer – Grange T...

16Nov

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

Billy Liar – Gladstone Theatre

BDS’s latest production of Billy Liar is a great night out. Director Adam Comer presents a super cast, who bring Waterhouse and Hall’s hit play and film from the 1960’s to life. It still has humour and appeal as a northern working-class classic of its time, even if perhaps a few references are a little dated, which could have easily been cut for contemporary audiences, without losing any flavour of the period. Billy Fisher tells lies which get him into hot water. His wild imagination and storytelling mean his exasperated family don’t believe a word he says and the three young ladies in his life are all being led a merry dance. In the title role, Danny Myers, making his DBS debut, shines as Billy. His natural exuberance and energy was there from the first moment. His cheeki...

4Nov

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

Betty Blue Eyes – Gladstone Theatre

A pig, a chiropodist and a lot of SPAM might seem unusual ingredients for a musical but WKMTC’s Betty Blue Eyes is a charming, funny and heart-warming show that delighted the packed house at the Gladstone Theatre last night. Adapted from the Alan Bennett play and film A Private Function, this was another great choice for the Wirral musical society. Like last year’s Christmas Carol, these character musicals suit them so well, not only showcasing their superb singing but also some gems of character acting. Set in 1947, the town are celebrating the Royal wedding but only the well-connected folk of the town council are invited to the private function like the doctor, the lawyer and the accountant. Poor chiropodist Gilbert Chilvers and his aspiring wife Joyce are not included. There’s li...

8Jun

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

The Crucible – Gladstone Theatre

A bold, original attempt at this classic, which ascends to a powerful ending. The Crucible is one of the seminal and most popular plays of the mid 20thcentury. Miller’s chilling parable of mass hysteria parallels the Salem witch-hunt of 1692 against The McCarthyism of 1950s America, and it is still examined in school rooms, as well as being performed by amateurs and professionals. It is a play which should feverishly bubble and burn, as it builds from what was a girlish prank, to a community that destroys itself from within with its frantic frenzy of accusations. It is a claustrophobic, intense ‘wailing’ of a play that can fall victim to overflowing and reaching boiling point too soon. The alchemy is in getting the temperature and consistency right as the plot thickens. It is a b...

<strong>A Christmas Carol – Gladstone Theatre</strong>

11Nov

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

A Christmas Carol – Gladstone Theatre

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without ‘A Christmas Carol’ whether you read it, rewatch an old film or better still see it live at a theatre! There are many versions, but West Kirby Musical Theatre Company is presenting one I haven’t seen before at The Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight until Saturday. Book and lyrics by Chris Blackwood and music by Piers Charter-Robinson, who give us the same familiar Dickens’ story but with lots of new tunes and a few additional characters. In the main the songs are very good, reminiscent of Oliver! Scrooge! and others – some with lyrics so fast and furious it was like a Gilbert and Sullivan libretto and a challenge for any performer. Yet others were melodic and memorable. Perhaps, as the show lasted nearly three hours, there could have been a few les...

28Oct

By Carole BaldockNo Comments

North West

The Addams Family – Gladstone Theatre

Can't say I completely agree with Morticia: absolutely no secrets, but as this is the Addams family, best summed up as skeletons in the closet... And including their Ancestors, a motley crew crowds the stage, all sorts from Caveman and Viking to Flight Attendant, with Glenn Jenkinson-Deakin doubling up as Cowboy and Young Gomez and Mackauley Reece, the Matador, dancing the day away with Morticia, as Death. Talking of shades, there's many a touch here, from 'Thriller' (dance routines) to the 'Rocky Horror Show' (plot). Wednesday has certainly moved on from the little blonde Goody Two Shoes of the TV show to a rebellious, irrational, brother-tormenting Goth: your average teenager, basically. The plot revolves around her plans for a family dinner to which the Beinekes have been invited so...

15Oct

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

Fiddler On The Roof – Gladstone Theatre

Young performers show great potential. This well-loved musical by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick offers many memorable songs. Even if the story is dark in places, it does have plenty of ‘Yiddish’ humour and opportunities for a large cast of mixed ages. After a three-year break from a main production, St Paul’s performed to good houses this week at The Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight. Set at the turn of the 20th century, Fiddler opens in Anatevka in the western region of Imperial Russia. It is a hard, bleak life for the families, held together by their religion and tradition, when an edict from the Tsar evicts the Jewish settlers from their village. Who would have thought that just over a hundred later we would see people from that same region, modern day Ukraine, fleeing from...

13May

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

The Full Monty – Gladstone Theatre

Feel good and full of laughs, The Full Monty provides a great night out for those who enjoy raw humour, a variety of on-stage approaches and acknowledgement of the audience. Based on the hit film and Broadway Musical, D&S Productions' The Full Monty brings its own stamp to the show, and all for a charitable cause. It is clear this company are having fun performing this! Content is designed for an adult or 14+ audience. There is swearing, sexual references, suicide references, racial references and nudity throughout the performance and some of the reactions of the audience are best heard by teens and above only. It’s also worth noting that the scripting, although parody in some aspects, may cause offence and must be considered within the time and context of the characters. Ope...

25Aug

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

All Above Board – Gladstone Theatre

The World Premiere tour of Nigel Planer's All Above Board came to life at the Gladstone Theatre in Port Sunlight this week before heading off around the North and Midlands. It was wonderful to be back at the Gladstone theatre after such a long time of it being closed due to Covid and it was as homely and welcoming as ever. Nothing is too much in this theatre and that is why people continue to return time and time again All Above Board is a hilarious farce where a good deed ends up going as horribly wrong as it possibly could but with much wit and laughter along the way. Set in the living room of a flat, it had a feeling of Not Going Out with a hint of Fawlty Towers and a huge nod to The Young Ones, the show that writer, Planer, is so well known for. Robert Stuart-Hudson in the...