Hill Street Theatre Archives - North West End UK

18Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Ripper – Hill Street Theatre

A small ‘black box’ theatre venue with a pronounced AC thrum and uncomfortable chairs does not auger well for this brand new musical by Pete Sneddon. However, once the action started I am pleasantly surprised, both by the quality of the acting, the script and the music accompanying this pacy rock opera, directed efficiently by Mark Jeary-Fairbairn. It just goes to show what can be produced on a tight budget, with enough commitment and talented actors. A few tweaks of the lighting set up would improve the audience experience, with bright LEDs behind the stage area causing some unnecessary glare issues, particularly for the front row. That having been said, John Christopher is excellent in the lead role, which requires real commitment and attack from the very start, and which h...

The Grandfathers – Hill Street Theatre (Dunedin Theatre)

15Aug

By Marcelina KruczyńskaNo Comments

Scotland

The Grandfathers – Hill Street Theatre (Dunedin Theatre)

A truly emotion packed performance that will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will make you quiver in your seat, but it will also leave you wanting more. Performing for the first time at the fringe, The Grandfathers is a play that indulges in the idea of national conscription in modern times. This is shown through eight young men, Kol, Val, Kost, Stas, Dim, Lev, Sash, and Zhen whose choice was taken and are now forced to fight for their country. The performance investigates what benefits the group thought would come from being in the military (being regarded as heroes) and then crushes these thoughts with the harsh reality. Despite the strong themes the comedy side of it balances it out, not allowing you to get caught up in your emotions but rather enjoy the performance. Th...

Alan Turing Guilty Of Love – Hill Street Theatre, Edinburgh

8Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Alan Turing Guilty Of Love – Hill Street Theatre, Edinburgh

A decent sized crowd half-fill this nice little raked traditional theatre venue for a brand new musical, Produced and Directed by David Kettle. Seeking at its core to expose the disgraceful torment and shame piled on the code-breaking genius by the British establishment due to his homosexuality. Jamie Sheasby is simply electrifying in the demanding lead role, rarely off stage with a sheath of lines and multiple songs and a massive arc to accomplish, from nervous schoolboy to war code-breaker at Bletchley Park to persecuted adult, he is completely committed and utterly believable. I enjoyed the Enigma machine scene, the script, the acting, the choreography, and the song, ‘man is a machine’, which ran through it. Sheasby is again very good in delivering this scene and song. Unfortunat...

Revenge For The Count Of Monte Cristo – Hill Street Theatre

7Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Revenge For The Count Of Monte Cristo – Hill Street Theatre

Hill Street Theatre has long been a regular haunt of Fringe goers, with the battle-hardened / extremely charismatic / miserable b* (delete as appropriate) producer/director Derek Douglas at the helm once again. Mixing a combination of brand new shows with re-run favourites, aiming to balance the books when the curtain eventually comes down. (hopefully!) Revenge, as they say, is a dish best served cold. This brand new musical written by Pete Sneddon and directed by Mark Geary-Fairbairn, set in post-Nepoleonic France, is at times stone cold and difficult to follow. However, it is saved to some extent, by some excellent singing by a talented cast. Lewis Carlton excels as Edmond, the titular Count and opens the show with the rousing number ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’. So far so good...

Hey, That’s My Wife! – Hill Street Theatre

17Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

Hey, That’s My Wife! – Hill Street Theatre

Hey That’s My Wife! is a satire of 1950s Americana starring Joey DeFilippis, Matthew Ferrara, Espi Rivadeneira, Caroline Hanes and Ryan O’Toole, as two advertising executives, their wives and their boss. Together and apart they navigate work issues, a demanding boss, and the challenges of marriage. The play is a comedic spin on the works of Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. However, the mix of cigarette smoke, scotch, and conflicts revolving landing The Big Account, the boss coming over for dinner, and cheating partners contain enough general 50s and dramatic tropes to make sure the show can still land with people who might not be able to name 5 works by either of those authors. And on top of that there are the jokes on human nature which, perhaps unfortunately, never age, as w...

16Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

OCD Me – Hill Street Theatre

A fine collaborative effort between writer and director, Aisling Smith and actress Laura Whelan, and with the timely help of an award from the Irish Arts Council – all come together here to create a beautifully constructed and at times scary insight into the debilitating fear of fear itself. Set within the very appropriate claustrophobic airless confines of a tight 60-seater black box theatre, a small but rapt audience are treated to a thankfully short view into the world of OCD, a condition that perhaps 2% of us suffer from. The other 98% should be damn grateful they don’t! We are told OCD does NOT stand for Obsessive, Christmas, Cleaning or Chocolate Disorder, as some comedians might have us believe. Nor is saying, I’m a little bit OCD acceptable, it’s not. This is no laughing matter...