Thursday, December 5

Tag: Jamie Smelt

Macca & Beth – Liverpool’s Royal Court
North West

Macca & Beth – Liverpool’s Royal Court

The Liverpool Royal Court Theatre took us on a trip to bonnie Scotland last night as Macca took his partner Beth to an old house up in the highlands full of secret passageways and mystery. Beth couldn’t believe her luck. Why on earth would Macca bring her to such a place, a place that had no Signal, running water or a toilet. But there was a valid reason. Macca had just been told that he was the last of the McMaccamac’s due to his Uncle McMaccamac’s death. He had to keep it a secret and pass a series of tests before he was to know what was left to him within his late uncles last will in testament. One of the tests being spending a night in the house. There were lots of weird and wonderful creatures within this house and I don’t just mean the taxidermy. Trouble was afoot in the Scottish ...
The Damned United – Leeds Playhouse
Yorkshire & Humber

The Damned United – Leeds Playhouse

The last time I saw this Leeds United were in the midst of one of their regular comedic play offs collapse, but now they are riding high in the Premier League this punchy tale of hubris at Elland Road has extra resonance. It’s nominally the tale of Brian Howard Clough’s disastrous 44 day reign at Yorkshire’s biggest club after taking unfancied Derby County to the First Division title, but it is a story about obsession and  madness that will reach non football fans too. The Damned United is based on David Peace’s semi-fictional novel tracing Clough’s descent into a personal hell. Anders Lustgarten’s tight adaptation captures all the psychological demons swirling round Ol’ Big Head’s fractured psyche as he takes on a team of seasoned pros loyal who he hates as ‘cheats’, but they h...