Hull New Theatre Archives - North West End UK

23Jul

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Lord of the Dance – Hull New Theatre

Michael Flatley, creator of the legendary Lord of the Dance, says his “job in life is to make people happy”. Well, all I can say, Sir, is job very well done. On Wednesday evening, the crowds flocked into the Hull New Theatre to watch Flatley’s 30th anniversary tribute show to his creation with Lord of the Dance 30 amazing years of standing ovations. This was my third time of seeing the super-talented Irish man’s show and, each time I think it can’t get any better, it bloomin’ well does. The 30th Anniversary Tour promises brand-new choreography, stunning costumes, state-of-the-art special effects and cutting-edge lighting, ensuring an “unforgettable experience”. At curtain up, I was about to see if it would live up to its promise. A first look at the stage setting and it was ...

The Ballad of Johnny & June – Hull New Theatre

15Jul

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Ballad of Johnny & June – Hull New Theatre

The applause started immediately after curtain up on Tuesday night when The Ballad of Johnny & June hit the Hull New Theatre stage. We were showing our appreciation for the fantastic music being played by on-stage musicians who were sometimes visible, yet mostly obscured, throughout the production - a production that would have been nothing without their amazing, tuneful contribution under Connagh Tonkinson’s direction. This new musical, from the book by Robert Cary and Des McAnuff (who also directed) being the story of country music legends Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash, was obviously going to be brimful of harmonies, yet behind those famous tunes - Jackson, I Walk the Line, A Boy Named Sue and Ring of Fire to name just a few hits - lay a world of drug-taking, trage...

2Jul

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Car Man – Hull New Theatre

Sparks literally flew as Matthew Bourne’s award-winning The Car Man hit the Hull New Theatre stage on Tuesday evening. Performed by Bourne’s New Adventures dancers, it’s billed as “Bizet’s Carmen re-ignited”. Set in a 1960s garage, the sparks we saw were presumably from a welding gun used by one of the dishiest set of mechanics I’ve ever set eyes upon. All the action takes place in the US town of Harmony; however, events are far from harmonious after a drifter answers Dino’s Diner and Garage’s ad for “man wanted”. Garage owner, Dino Alfano (Alan Vincent), is married to the beautiful, younger Lana (Ashley Shaw). He has no idea what tragedy will enfold by employing the traveller, who goes by the name of Luca (Harrison Dowzell). The stage setting was a hive of activity even before...

4Jun

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Barnum – Hull New Theatre

Never was a standing ovation so well deserved as that given to the cast of Barnum, The Circus Musical after they thrilled a full-ish Hull New Theatre on Tuesday evening. For over two hours we were entertained with sensational singing, dancing, acrobatics, magic tricks, music from multi-talented musicians - and Jumbo, the elephant circus owner Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810-1891) once advertised as “the largest in the world” in order to draw in the crowds. It was later discovered he had enhanced Jumbo’s skeleton after the animal had died, by packing it with blocks of wood and positioning its tusks to make it look extra massive. However, the huge elephant puppet on stage on the night was one of the best I have seen in any show, so hats off to its designers, Mervyn Millar and Tracy Wall...

13May

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Fawlty Towers – Hull New Theatre

It was standing room only in every bar and eaterie at the Hull New Theatre on Tuesday night; theatregoers were even sitting on the stairs pre-curtain up. We were all there to watch Fawlty Towers the Play - a brand-new stage production adapted by John Cleese. Who, along with his then wife, actress Connie Booth, wrote and acted in the 1975 TV comedy, Fawlty Towers, a hotel at 16 Elwood Avenue, Torquay, boasting “traditional English hospitality”. Fast forward over 50 years and Cleese has chosen three of his favourite episodes out of the original 12, to delight audiences once again. Directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, those three - The Hotel Inspectors, The Germans and Communication Problems - are so cleverly and seamlessly merged into one story, we couldn’t see the join. The stage se...

22Apr

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Here & Now – Hull New Theatre

From the first minute the “curtain” rose on Here & Now at the Hull New Theatre on Tuesday evening, I couldn’t get over how absolutely wonderful the stage setting was. The brand-new musical is based on the music of the 1990s iconic group, Steps, with a storyline centred around the staff of supermarket Better Best Bargains (BBB for short). Set designer Tom Rogers brings that environment to life by creating floor-to-ceiling partitions, left and right, graduating to the back of the stage. Each partition is filled with “groceries” and lit continually with the most amazing colours. Overhead are aisles 5, 6, 7 and 8 (there’s a song in there somewhere), while, occasionally, a graffiti covered wall drops for outdoor scenes, and serving counters are pushed and pulled throughout the show. ...

9Apr

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Mamma Mia! – Hull New Theatre

Even before the curtain rose on the smash-hit musical Mamma Mia! at the Hull New Theatre on Wednesday night, we in the packed venue were already singing along to a medley of Abba songs played by talented musicians in the orchestra pit. Mamma Mia! takes its name from the Swedish superstars’ song which appeared on the group’s third album in 1975. Written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, the musical is based around the music and lyrics of Abba’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, and it’s their recognisable, singalong-to tunes that showered us in feel-good vibes from the off. Set on a Greek island paradise, the opening scene has bride-to-be, 20-yeer-old Sophie Sheridan (Lydia Hunt), posting wedding invitations to three men, strangers, whose names she has discovered in her mum...

2Apr

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Blood Brothers – Hull New Theatre

Only a genius could create what is essentially a sad story of heartache, deceit, poverty, violence, snobbery, desertion and the most awful tragedy, but write it in such a way that it’s uproariously funny throughout. Blood Brothers, written by Willy Russell, is at the Hull New Theatre this week and on Tuesday evening the venue was chock-a-block with theatregoers. This multi-award winning production ran for more than 10,000 performances in London’s West End; no mean feat. And it’s no surprise to me, having seen a version of the show three times, that it’s known affectionately as the “standing ovation musical” - that description speaks for itself. All the action takes place in both the well-off and poorer areas of the city of Liverpool, in the late 1950s, and the stage setting clever...

The Marriage of Figaro – Hull New Theatre

30Mar

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Marriage of Figaro – Hull New Theatre

As is the norm when the opera or ballet come to town, Hull’s theatregoers set out in force to support the event. And Thursday evening was no exception when Opera North’s production of The Marriage of Figaro, graced the Hull New Theatre stage. Mozart’s well-known opera, premiering in Vienna in 1786 and conducted by the great composer himself, has been cleverly modernised by Opera North - meaning all the action takes place in a “modern-day crumbling pile of an English country estate”. This update led to many amusing scenes one wouldn’t associate with 18th-century life - namely mobile phones throughout, while the visiting, country house public, led by a tour guide, revealed at least one selfie stick. And the most notable change came with the costumes - everyone wore modern clothin...

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Hull New Theatre

11Mar

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Hull New Theatre

I have a bone to pick with the cast of Hessle Theatre Company. Please have more consideration for the afflicted when you perform Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, as you did at the Hull New Theatre on Tuesday evening. I was the afflicted in question. You see, I had a huge cold sore on the corner of my mouth, meaning every time you made me laugh - which was often - the pesky sore cracked painfully. Luckily for you, the pain was worth it, so you’re all forgiven. This local company continuously dishes out productions that wouldn’t look out of place on a West End stage and the venue was very well-attended on Tuesday. “Joseph” as it’s popularly known, was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics), in 1967 and is still a favourite with theatregoers. ...