Jo Castleton Archives - North West End UK

Paranormal Activity – Grand Opera House York

30Sep

By Adam CraddockNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Paranormal Activity – Grand Opera House York

Last night I had the pleasure to be invited along to the press night for the UK tour of “Paranormal Activity”, the new play by Levi Holloway inspired by the Paramount Pictures movies. I love a horror play, I think the dim lighting and cold air of a historic theatre is perfectly suited to an unnerving horror experience and Paranormal Activity more than delivers on these expectations. We follow an American expat couple James and Lou, recently moved to London for James’ work, as they deal with some mysterious happenings from an unwelcome spirit in their house. I won’t spoil any major plot points but more generally I have to say the way the supernatural elements were delivered in this production were quite frankly masterful. For me this is the gold standard of horror theatre that I have seen.&...

War Horse – Leeds Grand Theatre

For most of us in this country our first exposure to puppets are Mr and Mrs Punch going at it hammer and tongs on a seafront, but War Horse is a reminder that puppetry is an art form that challenges both the practitioners and the audience. There is something incredibly special watching a team of puppeteers moving in perfect synchronicity asking us to believe we are watching a thoroughbred horse in full flow. All theatre is to an extent a suspension of disbelief, but puppetry makes special demands of any audience’s imagination as we are constantly asked to make the inanimate real in our minds. Michael Morpurgo who wrote the novel said the producers ‘must be mad’ to try and stage a story about a horse who is transported from the idyllic Devon countryside to the horrors of the Great War...

Boeing Boeing – Theatr Clwyd

London Classic Theatre has brought back a West End and Broadway hit, and the famous Marc Camoletti play feels fresher than ever. With a new tour production directed by Michael Cabot, Boeing Boeing is farcical and outrageous in all the right ways. Paris, 1962 and Bernard has it all. An architect with a fancy apartment, he boasts of his perfectly organised life. Most organised is his love life. Never wanting to be bored, Bernard has three fiancées, all air hostesses with different airlines (so as never to overlap). But on one stormy evening, Bernard is in for a night of shock and surprises. With the maid having to stay on top of the lies, and the return of an old friend in the apartment, can Bernard keep his wits about him and the ladies none the wiser? The award-winning comedy has a l...