HER Productions Archives - North West End UK

9Jun

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Lear – Hope Mill Theatre

The opportunity to see any new interpretation of one of Shakespeare's 'biggies' is never one that this reviewer will pass up, so when my June list included HER Productions' all female twist on ‘King Lear', I was excited to see what fresh perspective they could offer. Unfortunately, what we witnessed was uneven performances, poor delivery and confused themes, only partially redeemed by a couple of strong performances. We open with a sparse set and red curtain backdrop with the small brick lined theatre at Hope Mill harshly lit by overhead fluorescent strips. Lear (Christine Mackie) is relinquishing her power and dividing the realm between her three daughters according to the love they demonstrate, the resulting decisions leading to civil war and the fall from grace of this all powerful m...

27Apr

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

From the Cobbles to Centre Stage

HER Productions, Unseemly Women & Girl Gang Manchester are delighted to announce the casting of Christine Mackie - Coronation Street’s much loved Dr Gaddas - in the title role of their joint Shakespearian production, Lear. Playing at Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester from June 7th – 18th, followed by Shakespeare North’s Cockpit Theatre from June 21st – 24th – this will mark the companies’ fifth, all female and non binary joint Shakespearian production. Directed by Kayleigh Hawkins, Mackie will take a fresh and boundary-less approach to the iconic tragedy of the ageing monarch who, before dividing up their vast kingdom between their daughters, asks them to prove which loves them best. This LEAR will explore the monarch colliding with the working class; the very people they have abandon...

Much Ado about Nothing – Hope Mill Theatre

19Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Much Ado about Nothing – Hope Mill Theatre

Shakespeare isn’t for everybody, they say. Well, it was tonight in Ancoats! HER Productions & Girl Gang Manchester & Unseemly Shakespeare have produced yet another (this is their fourth Shakespearean outing) magical piece of theatre which allows the wit of Shakespeare’s writing to speak for itself, with an impressive cast who relish the opportunity to perform it. A plot to drive a couple apart and a plot to unite another paring both through trickery and male misplaced notions of the opposite sex. A play about desire and love, this production highlights gender politics acutely; it’s far more than a Tudor rom-com. The gender fluid casting is pure Shakespeare and adds a unique joy to the play. This a comedic play and each line was delivered with a sharpness that made the Elizabetha...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Hope Mill Theatre

9Oct

By Peter RuddickNo Comments

North West

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Hope Mill Theatre

What is Shakespeare’s best comedy? Although plenty of people would vote for A Midsummer Night’s Dream it is, in truth, an impossible question to answer. Why? Because the Bard’s plays exist to be performed and any humour in the script is only conveyed to the audience with great direction. With a good director at the helm, Dream is hilarious, fast-paced and emotional. With a poor director in charge, it can feel turgid, long and devoid of comedy. This production has an excellent director in charge. It’s hard to walk out of the theatre thinking anything other than Dream is the best Shakespeare comedy and this must be one of the very, very best telling’s of this timeless tale. All Female Shakespeare does exactly what it says on the tin. Created by Unseemly Women, HER Productions and Girl Gan...

All-female version of Shakespeare favourite set for the stage after Covid delay

3Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

All-female version of Shakespeare favourite set for the stage after Covid delay

A hugely anticipated modern version of a William Shakespeare classic is set for a busy run in Manchester – with all the roles played by women. The 21st century interpretation of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ will be staged at the Hope Mill Theatre, from October 6th – 16th, following on from two similar sold-out Shakespeare shows in 2018 and 2019. In a twist on the plot of the original play – which revolves around the marriage of Theseus, Duke of Athens, to Hippolyta, the former queen of the Amazons – this reimagined version is set on Hipppolyta’s hen-do in a Manchester nightclub. Billed as ‘Canal Street’s explosive imagination meets the instability of Love Island and the classiness of the Real Housewives of Cheshire’, the play has been produced by HER Productions in partnership with...

Manchester all-female play ‘Meet Me at Dawn’ among the first in country to re-open theatres

9May

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Manchester all-female play ‘Meet Me at Dawn’ among the first in country to re-open theatres

One of the first plays in England to take to the stage after lockdown will be at a much-loved Manchester theatre. HER Productions is bringing all-female play ‘Meet Me at Dawn’ to Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester, from May 25th – 29th, after seven months of closure. The Covid-compliant show stars local actors Helen O’Hara and Susan Jayne Robinson, who play a couple who wash up on a distant shore after a boating accident. The 80-minute show, full of fantasy and plot twists, will also be live streamed on May 26th for those unable to attend in person. HER Productions was set up in 2019 by Manchester-based actor Hannah Ellis-Ryan, best known for her role as Coronation Street baddie Hannah Gilmore, who pretended to be Liz McDonald’s dead daughter in the controversial storyline in 2018. ...