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Black Is The Color Of My Voice – HOME Mcr

29Apr

By Peter RuddickNo Comments

North West

Black Is The Color Of My Voice – HOME Mcr

Apphia Campbell’s play, inspired by the life of Nina Simone, has won critical acclaim and sold-out venues around the world. It is not hard to see why. Black Is The Color Of My Voice is about as accomplished a one-person show as you are ever likely to see. Confined to one sparsely decorated room, jazz singer Eugenia vows to ditch the booze and the cigarettes as she tries to connect with the spirit of her late father. Campbell’s character clutches a framed picture of ‘daddy’ as she reflects on her life, loves and losses. Artefacts and articles of clothing pulled from a suitcase trigger memories. Memories that are beautifully and believably portrayed to a spellbound audience. Memories punctuated by stunning interpretations of Nina Simone classics. Within the first few beats of the fi...

6Mar

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Work It Out – HOME Mcr

“Five, six, seven, eight - step right, swimming motion, move like Jagger, turn and again!” Exercise is good for us. We all know that. It is beneficial not just because it helps to shed a few pounds, it also gives a much-needed boost to our mental health. Progress over perfection is the key to success. Writer Eve Steele has produced a play so full of heart you can hear it pounding like the ticker of an unfit beginner at their first exercise class. This finely judged play is polemical when it needs to be, veers on the right side of sentimentality and brings together a wonderfully disparate group of characters. Together they become their own little mini community. They all have their problems including drug addiction, alcoholism, hoarding and overeating. Damaged and defeated they com...

4Dec

By Philip EdwardsNo Comments

North West

Little Red – HOME Mcr

It is well documented that pantomime is usually the first experience of the theatre most children will have, but it is a fact that some children will not like that larger than life spectacle. Enter stage left the play created with children in mind. At worst children’s theatre will patronize and at best will stimulate their interest and from looking at the young people in the audience of “Little Red”, this production does the latter in spades. Created by the company of four actors, we are presented with the well known and loved story of Little Red Riding Hood with added songs and music and a small amount of audience participation. The songs and music composed by Patrick Dineen entirely suit the work and move the story along beautifully. A simple but clever set and effective and atm...

30Nov

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

The Merchant of Venice 1936 – HOME Mcr

Last weekend saw over 100,000 people attend a rally against antisemitism in central London that took place against reports of a steep rise in hate crime - mostly aimed at the UK Jewish population - and the backdrop of renewed hostilities in Gaza. When trying to understand antisemitism from a literary and historical perspective, it seemed aposite for Director Brigid Larmour and Tracy - Ann Oberman to reset Shakespeare's problematic text amidst the rise of fascism in the East End of London in the mid 1930's. The result allows us to view the actions of the protagonists through an entirely new lens, throwing light on their motives and attitudes and giving the play a fresh and exciting perspective for a modern audience. Oberman had long expressed a desire to portray Shylock as an East End Je...

2Nov

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Beautiful Thing – HOME Mcr

As part of its 30th Anniversary tour, Jonathan Harvey’s Iconic, coming-out and coming of age story comes to HOME Manchester. Set in the 90s, we delve into what it’s like to be 16 and in love in a time when the subject was not talked about, where the British Government brought in a legislation banning homosexuality being promoted in schools and educators were silenced. Following struggles of three teenagers, Jamie, a young boy who is bullies at school for being gay. Ste, a football fanatic who is always at the brunt of his brother and Father’s temper. And Leah, a misunderstood Mama Cass fan who has been excluded from school and struggling to find her way through life, seemingly alone. When things become too much at home, Ste takes refuge at Jamie’s flat, and this is where the boys str...

26Jul

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

Cruise – HOME Mcr

After two crowd-pleasing West End runs, this vibrant, gritty HIV-based drama journeys outside London for its first time. Through a tell-all phone call to Switchboard answered by the young and inexperienced Jack, Michael recounts his supposed final years in London following a HIV diagnosis that gave him 4 years left to live. Jack Holden imbues the piece with wholehearted zest as he bounces, climbs and dances around Nik Corrall’s versatile industrial set. Capably taking on all roles- that’s some thirty characters, though a few may be surplus to requirement- Holden never wavers, captivating the audience with his energy alone. This is by no means a one-show, though: on-stage music producer John Patrick Elliott supplies an intense electronic score, the beats, tunes and synth of which t...