Jamie-Rose Monk Archives - North West End UK

Operation Mincemeat – Wolverhampton Grand

18Mar

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Operation Mincemeat – Wolverhampton Grand

“Helsinki!” It seems diversion, deception and misdirection are the mainstay of world politics and a swift scroll through todays newsfeeds uncovers a strew of devices and ploys employed by the most powerful people (mostly men) in the world to distract the same world from uncovering their doings. I think you know who I mean without naming names. So, it’ll come as no surprise people (mostly men) throughout history have been doing the same and in tonight’s case we’re looking at the British deception operation in World War Two intended to disguise the 1943 invasion of Italy. I’m not sure how you disguise an invasion. It surely must be very noisy. Apparently, it involves the body of tramp dressed as a royal marine, loaded with fake ID, fake info, fake uniform and, yes, fake news. This vers...

25Feb

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Operation Mincemeat – The Lowry

Back in April 2023, my daughter and I were in London’s theatre-land, seeking something cheerful and light after enduring a four-hour production of A Little Life — a play that had left us both in a numbly depressed state. A tiny show had just opened at the Fortune Theatre, just off Covent Garden, and we decided to take a risk on some cheap, last-minute tickets. It turned out to be a very wise decision. The show was Operation Mincemeat and, in the ensuing three years, it has garnered universal audience adoration, five-star reviews galore, continued success in the West End, and a Broadway transfer with resulting Tony and Olivier Awards recognition. The next step in its seemingly inexorable rise is a world tour, which kicks off with a glitzy “yellow carpet” premiere in Salford — cementing i...

1Nov

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Greatest Days – Hull New Theatre

The pre-show stage setting greeting theatregoers at the Hull New Theatre on Tuesday evening, must rank as the oddest. It was a line of washing, and I wondered what that could possibly have to do with the production - Greatest Days, the official Take That Musical. But it’s often the little things that make an impact - and this line of washing was actually blowing in the wind. A clever touch of realism. And that simple prop came to highlight the mundanity of one of the surviving characters. I say “surviving” as there is a fatality, but my lips are sealed as to who pops their clogs. It’s 1993, and five 16-year-old schoolgirls are fans of boy band Take That who are enjoying their first UK number 1 hit, Pray. The five - Rachel (Olivia Hallett), Debbie (Mary Moore), Heather (Kitty...

3Jul

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Talent – Crucible Theatre

Just over five years ago, in April 2016, Britain lost a unique and irreplaceable comedy voice with the untimely death of Victoria Wood. In addition to her brilliance as a stand up comedian and actress in both comedic and dramatic roles, Wood also scripted a number of plays and musicals for the stage and her very first attempt from 1978, 'Talent', is the subject of a revival at Sheffield’s Crucible during July. The world of the late 1970's northern working men's club, is evoked by both the cheesy ballads playing as we enter the auditorium and the set design of Janet Bird. A golden cloak covers the stage and reaches up to a white grand piano perched high on a plinth, evoking the glamour of Liberace and 1940's Hollywood. This is quickly revealed to be a grotty backstage with boxes of crisp...