HOME Mcr Archives - North West End UK

28Sep

By Amanda HodgsonNo Comments

North West

Mrs Dalloway – HOME Mcr

Fans of Virginia Woolf’s classic novel Mrs Dalloway will be intrigued to follow the new adaptation of the story, written and directed by Jen Heyes and starring Kit Green in multiple roles. The play does not follow the conventional rules of drama, offered as more of a commentary on the story of Mrs Dalloway and how the characters relate to modern life than a straightforward performance. Green frequently breaks character and the fourth wall to engage with the audience and comment on the relevance of Virginia Woolf to aspects of modernity such as mental health, technological change and socioeconomic uncertainty. If this all sounds like heavy-going, the truth is that these breaks in the story are the highlights of the production, offering funny and upbeat respites in the official narrat...

27Sep

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

North West

BULL – HOME Mcr

Imagine if David Brent busted a few moves and communicated in British Sign Language (BSL) then you get a sense of what BULL was all about. Like Mamet’s masterpiece Glengarry Glen Ross this was on one level a play about toxic office politics, but also a perceptive examination of power, and more importantly which of the characters had it. What sets BULL apart is that the cast communicate in BSL throughout with hearing members of the audience relying on captions above the stage. I’d seen a few works at Leeds Playhouse where BSL had been partially integrated but Deafinitely Theatre as the first deaf led company had gone much further as the hearing amongst us found ourselves where people with hearing issues routinely find themselves in theatre land. As director Paula Garfield no...

22Apr

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

, Daniel Blake – HOME Mcr

Back in 2016, the political and cultural landscape of Britain felt markedly different: David Cameron was Prime Minister, the UK remained within the European Union, and Leicester City’s improbable Premier League triumph captured the national imagination. It was also the year Ken Loach secured the Palme d’Or at Cannes for I, Daniel Blake, a characteristically unflinching indictment of Britain’s welfare system. A decade on, this stage adaptation—presented by Northern Stage in collaboration with Leeds Playhouse—arrives not as a period piece, but as a grimly resonant reminder of how little has changed. Adapted by Dave Johns from Paul Lavery’s original screenplay, the production wastes little time in immersing us in the daily realities faced by its protagonist. Daniel Blake (Dave Nellist), a ...

20Feb

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

The Last Picture – HOME Mcr

This may be a tale told by a dog, but it isn’t a shaggy dog story. It is a moving and perceptive tale about hate, shame, pain and ultimately humanity. In dangerous times, amidst the mess of human existence, light can shine, and there is hope. Storyteller Robin Simpson bounds onto the stage and tells us he is Sam, an emotional support dog trained to look after us all. He has been assigned to a Year 9 class, which means children aged 13 to 14. Catherine Dyson’s script is structured through a series of pictures described by Sam. We are invited to imagine these images sometimes from the kids' perspective, at times from our own, and even to envision how the people in those photos might have been feeling at the time. A swastika has been drawn on a locker, and even though the children mi...

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical – HOME Mcr

12Feb

By Coral MourantNo Comments

North West

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical – HOME Mcr

You’ve heard of Hercules, you may have heard of Perseus, but do you know Percy Jackson, the demigod of the new world? A best selling book series, two movie adaptations and, most recently, a multi series Disney television show. And it’s a musical. “The gods are real, and they have kids. And those kids have issues”. Sixteen-year-old Percy Jackson is expelled from yet another school. Just when he thinks there’s no hope for a kid like him, he finds out that he is a half-blood. The future of the world hangs in the balance, as Percy and his friends embark on a difficult quest encountering monsters, gods and all sorts of chaos. The stage show takes Rick Riordan’s first novel, “The Lightning Thief”, and adds an electrifying soundtrack to engage all audiences, whether child, adult, or dem...

1May

By Emma WildNo Comments

North West

North by NorthWest – HOME Mcr

Adapting a film for the stage is no mean feat, especially if the film is an MGM blockbuster of its time, by hugely successful, iconic director and producer, Sir Alfred Hitchcock. These are certainly big shoes to fill. A challenge taken on by multi-award winning director, Emma Rice, in the world première adaptation of North by Northwest. How would Rice’s theatre company, Wise Children, translate Hitchcock’s use of masterful focus, suspense and tongue-in-cheek humour to the stage? Well, the resulting show did not disappoint and was an absolute joy to behold! Visiting HOME in central Manchester was a privilege and a pleasure, vibrant and buzzing with energy on the outside, and, as the name suggests, warm and welcoming on the inside. A comfortable, modern, spacious auditorium, the perfect s...

14Feb

By Harry AltyNo Comments

North West

One Punch – HOME Mcr

Everything can change in a moment, sometimes to devastating effect. Demonstrating that is the ambition of ‘One Punch’, a unique one-hour production from the John Godber Company in partnership with the charity One Punch Hull. Opening on minimalist staging, a square outlined with police tape symbolic of a boxing ring, our story is narrated by three NHS paramedics Corey (Ellis Basford), Sarah (Camille Hainsworth-Staples) and Jack (George Reid) detailing the stresses of their jobs. Setting the scene for the story ahead, it is clear from the beginning this is a cautionary tale. Our narrators smartly guide the audience through the oncoming scenes making up the events of this poignant but fatal day. The company of three performers switch through multiple characters as they tell the story of...

12Dec

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

Miracle on 34th Street – HOME Mcr

This clumsy interpretation of the classic seasonal flick presents itself more as a school play than an actual musical. Forgettable songs, cracker-quality jokes and unembellished choreography feel like several lumps of coal in the stocking, delivered by the least convincing Santa Claus this reviewer has ever seen. Miracle on 34th Street follows Susan (Karis), a sceptical girl whose doubts about the marvel of Christmas have been handed down by her no-nonsense, workaholic mother, Doris (Jessica Joslin). When neighbour Fred (Matthew Hawksley) hears of Susan’s lack of belief, he makes it his mission to change this. A magical unveiling of Ciaran Bagnall’s charming toy shop set promises something wonderful, with floor-to-ceiling shelves brimming with teddy bears, footballs and rocking horse...

20Nov

By Amanda HodgsonNo Comments

North West

That Love Thing – HOME Mcr

This moving and entertaining piece follows the inner life of Peter, a man living with cerebral palsy, and his companion Michael, as they narrate the ups and downs of life with a serious disability. All the touchstones of Peter’s life – including his love of music and Shakespeare, his relationships with his unseen mother and brother, the travails of sex and dating, and his love/hate relationships with his various wheelchairs – are covered with wry humour. Just enough detail is given in each vignette for the audience to feel that the sketch is authentic and serious without overpowering the momentum of the show. Gradually we are introduced to main characters in Peter’s life – some real, some fictional, some perhaps both, including the Satanic Mr C.P., who appears to mock and torment...

14Nov

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

After the Act – HOME Mcr

A new musical inspired by the nationwide societal impacts of Section 28, After the Act continues its winter tour with a penultimate stop in Manchester- long a welcoming city boasting one of the country’s largest LGBTQ+ populations. Ellice Stevens, Nkara Stephenson, Ericka Posadas and Zachary Willis deliver monologues from those who experienced the oppressive, anti-gay culture of the late 1980s as an ensemble, with Frew providing live music. The Conservative government’s law prevented schools and councils from “promoting” homosexuality. While the source material is discernibly moving, its delivery is drawn out by being overly verbatim: every single “um”, “er” and false start is unnecessary. Where this doesn’t result in anecdotes losing their focus, activity from the non-speaking cast ...