John Cunningham Archives - North West End UK

Oppenheimer – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

25Feb

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

Oppenheimer – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

This week The Altrincham Garrick Playhouse bravely take on the beast that is ‘Oppenheimer’. Most will have first become aware of Oppenheimer in 2023, as it was Christopher Nolan’s award winning movie. It is likely then, that in relation to its film success that this version, directed by John Cunningham and Carole Carr will naturally cause audiences to compare the two, although it seems that both offer something very different. Written by Tom Morton-Smith, the play depicts the years between 1930 and 1945 and centres around the lead character, J Robert Oppenheimer. It essentially relates to the legacy he left in the world of physics in his development of the atomic bomb. However, more specifically, the story is very much a personal one and relays the human behind the science. ...

The Girl on the Train – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

It is with much anticipation that I attended the opening night of The Girl on the Train at Altrincham Garrick Playhouse, after all, Paula Hawkins’ novel is one of my favourite books. An addictive page turner, unputdownable, gripping until the end. Did the play deliver this level of intensity? In places, yes. Firstly, this small cast of seven actors were all first-rate. Ruth Moore as Rachel Watson was incredible. Moore convincingly portrayed the character of Rachel, divorcee, alcoholic on the brink of eviction and certainly at the lowest point in her life. Moore brought much needed light and shade to the role, with a few key funny lines making the audience laugh yet maintaining a level of desperation - a need to be heard, seen and believed. Moore was engaging to watch, keeping the audien...

A Streetcar Named Desire – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

First performed on Broadway in 1947, Tennessee Williams ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is a tragedy that highlights the inequalities of society in post war America. The play particularly shares the negative effects experienced by women during this time. Associated by many as one of the most significant of all American plays, it is certainly a brave step that the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse have undertaken in performing this epic tale. For those unfamiliar with the story, the play relays the story of Blanche Dubois (Kathryn Worthington) who arrives in New Orleans from Laurel, Mississippi having been given “a leave of absence” from her teaching role. She moves into her sister Stella’s apartment (Fiona Primrose) in the unbearable heat of New Orleans that she shares with Stella’s husband, the ...