Joe Gash Archives - North West End UK

1Aug

By Phoebe Olivia Sian HobsonNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Grease – Alhambra, Bradford

Grease is most definitely the word on everyone’s lips after attending last nights show at the Alhambra, as it’s fair to say the withdrawals from the thrill and excitement have well and truly kicked in. There are always high expectations for beloved productions such as Grease, and the performance by the cast and crew exceeded all of them, inviting in younger audiences by bringing fresh new ideas but also reminding those maturer fans of their favourite scenes and songs. The show was impressively enticing, horny and funny with the entertaining representations of the burger bar boys and the pink ladies, the cast hit the nail on the head while capturing these characters, whether it was on their best or worst behaviour the teen groups had the audience in stitches. The show invites you in l...

29May

By Manda ElizabethNo Comments

North West

Grease The Musical – Liverpool Empire

Grease The Musical has lightening bolted onto the stage of Liverpool’s Empire Theatre this week for some summer loving… much different to its movie counterpart it still promises a night choreographed to perfection and vocals worthy of mesmeric status. If you’re an avid fan of Grease the movie, you will notice the flow of the musical misses out some of the story but gives you alternative which supports the added musical numbers and characters which are highlighted more during the stage adaption.  We are introduced into Rydell High by Vince Fontaine, who we quickly warm to as our host and almost like the page turner from scene to scene, flowing the set changes with comedic charm and presence. In act one it seemed to be a warmup for the main debut in act two where we as the audience are...

31Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Rock of Ages – King’s Theatre, Glasgow

“Amazing!” Blondie exclaimed as she dried her hands in the loo at the end of the night, while “It’s a game of two halves,” might have been uttered by the man watching football on his mobile at half-time. What he actually said was: “It’s not great. I’ve seen it before. It must be understudies.” So, there you have it. The first half was rushed and heartless. The diction was unclear. Less than half the audience were clapping along. For an audience-participation-style show that’s not great. The second half, however, brought a smile to my face and roars of appreciation from a very loyal fan-base. The final number was brilliant and had everyone on their feet. If only there had been more of that. If only they’d played to win from the start. The Page Three depiction of females as sex obje...

11May

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

Rock Of Ages – Edinburgh Playhouse

Rock of Ages is a cheesy jukebox musical that plays as the perfect throw back to everyone’s favourite 80s and 90s rock anthems such as “Here I Go Again”, “Dead or Alive” and “Don’t Stop Believing”. There are several stories told throughout by fantastic narrator Lonny (played by Joe Gash), the main one being of star crossed lovers Sherrie (Gabriella Williams) and Drew (Sam Turrell) who both moved to the Sunset Strip to find fame but instead found each other however the one and only Stacee Jaxx (Matt Terry) proves to become their biggest obstacle. There is another secondary plot concerning the demolition of the Sunset Strip. It goes without saying that this production is near perfect! The cast are all incredibly talented and perfectly cast, we all already love the music, an...

7Oct

By Anne PritchardNo Comments

North West

Rock of Ages – Manchester Opera House

We were asked for proof of COVID vaccinations as we entered the theatre; those who couldn’t produce them were asked to take a temperature check at the side entrance. All theatre staff were wearing masks. The theatre was two thirds full: mostly with a 23-35 year old age group with a sprinkling of older theatre-goers. There was an air of anticipation as we waited for the curtain to go up. Once it did, two lone guitarists appeared beneath projected images of USA; the set was a nightclub, The Bourbon Room, with a small stage and a bar with tables and chairs. Rock of Ages doesn’t have much of a story, but for what there is, it is a typical love story, well three love stories really but the main story concerns a small town girl, Sherrie (Rhiannon Chesterman), who relocate...

23Sep

By Natalie J RomeoNo Comments

London

Rock Of Ages – New Wimbledon Theatre

For a show that defiantly publicised itself as the worst show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the atmosphere at the New Wimbledon Theatre yesterday evening was one of indisputable excitement. Rock of Ages, the undeniably funny musical that has lavished audiences with classic rock anthems that have been our guilty pleasures for decades, has returned to a packed out theatre. It’s understandable why some just won’t like this show- the obvious objectification (and dismissal) of women being a prime example. This is obvious from ten minutes in when Sherrie Christian (Rhiannon Chesterman) bends down to pick something up whilst wearing very short shorts, giving Dennis Dupree (Ross Dawes), the owner of The Bourbon Room, the Hollywood bar where most of the show takes place, all the motivatio...

16Sep

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Rock of Ages – Liverpool Empire

Theatre! Theatre! Theatre! So good they said it thrice! How absolutely wonderful to be back in the theatre watching live performances once again! This was my first visit to the theatre in 18 months (as it probably was for a lot of people here at the grand Liverpool Empire this evening) and I was to see a show that, although I have seen before, I was gasping for breath to see. I needed a laugh, some upliftment and an escape from the fear and dreariness of the last year or so and I was hoping that ‘Rock of Ages’ could do this. So, on entering the theatre, I wasn’t that surprised that the auditorium was half empty, people are still cautious, I appreciate that – although I must add that there are safety measures in place at the Empire (evidence of negative lateral flow test or proof o...

13Sep

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

West Midlands

Rock of Ages – Alexandra Theatre

Part rock gig, part romp down memory lane, the new tour of Rock of Ages has landed, ready to make the UK ‘feel the noize’ and indulge in some heavy metal headbanging. Tonight, we’ve been transported from the centre of Birmingham to the heart of Los Angeles, the Sunset Strip. We meet the regulars of the Bourbon Bar; an insalubrious rock joint being faced with extinction as a villainous German duo look to demolish and develop the gritty Strip into a gleaming European vision of modernity. Underneath this shadow we meet barback Drew who is instantly smitten with the wholesome new girl in town Sherrie, and the show follows their budding ‘will they, won’t they’ relationship as they navigate the standard fare of missed opportunities and misunderstandings as well as their attempts to make it...

Rock of Ages opens UK Tour in Birmingham

26Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Rock of Ages opens UK Tour in Birmingham

Following a sell-out tour in 2018/2019, the producers of the smash-hit ROCK OF AGES are delighted to announce the cast and Kevin Clifton’s return in the role of Stacee Jaxx. The tour will open at The Alexandra, Birmingham from 9th September 2021. Full dates and casting can be found at the website www.rockofagesmusical.co.uk Kevin Clifton thrilled audiences as Stacee Jaxx on the 2018/2019 ‘Rock of Ages’ UK tour and he is so excited to be back, reprising the role in 2021. Kevin is best known for being a professional dancer on BBC1's 'Strictly Come Dancing’. In seven years on the show Kevin reached the final a record five times - winning four glitter balls including the main show Glitterball trophy in 2018 with Stacey Dooley - before leaving in 2019. Since then, Kevin has gone on to appear...