Jordan Barkley Archives - North West End UK

It’s a Wonderful Life – Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio

21Nov

By Hannah EsnoufNo Comments

North West

It’s a Wonderful Life – Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio

I was glad to see how busy it was in the Studio for this production. Sometimes one feels slightly exposed and as though they should fear the worst sitting in a sparsely filled audience. Old Fruit Jar Productions is beginning to build up a solid reputation for bringing trustworthy and impactful theatre to the local area and I must say they continue that trend with this staging of It’s a Wonderful Life. Firstly, if you have yet to feel Christmassy then seeing a show like this will at once change that. The wholesome and honest story is a classic for a reason, that said, a classic on screen and so I was curious to see what it could be on stage. Due to the small space, they had to be economical and efficient with set and frills; not even the most high-tech theatres can jump from an off...

It’s A Wonderful Life – Old Fruit Jar Productions at Liverpool’s Royal Court and St George’s Hall

28Oct

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

It’s A Wonderful Life – Old Fruit Jar Productions at Liverpool’s Royal Court and St George’s Hall

Time and tide wait for no man – so the saying goes – and it’s almost time for the angels at Old Fruit Jar Productions to get their wings with their production of It’s A Wonderful Life scheduled to premiere at Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio on 19th November through to 30th November before transferring to St George’s Hall on 10th December through to 13th December. For those who don’t know the original, it’s Christmas Eve, Bedford Falls and George Bailey, a down-on-his-luck banker, believes life has left him behind. But when his guardian angel appears, George is astounded to witness what life could be like without all of the good deeds he’s done. Maybe life wouldn’t be as wonderful without him… It was a delight to catch up with the team at their recent rehearsals where Artistic Director...

16May

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

It’s A Wonderful Life – Old Fruit Jar Productions at Liverpool’s Royal Court and St George’s Hall

‘Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings…’ With three acclaimed productions already under their belt, you’d have to say life was looking pretty wonderful for Old Fruit Jar Productions, one of the North-West’s leading independent theatre companies, so it seems rather apt that their fourth production is an enchanting and heart-warming adaptation of It’s A Wonderful Life, inspired by the 1946 Frank Capra film of the same name. For those very few who don’t know the original, it’s Christmas Eve, Bedford Falls and George Bailey, a down-on-his-luck banker, believes life has left him behind. But when his guardian angel appears, George is astounded to witness what life could be like without all of the good deeds he’s done. Maybe life wouldn’t be as wonderful without him… As Alex C...

The Incident Room returns to Royal Court Studio

13Sep

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

NEWS

The Incident Room returns to Royal Court Studio

Following a sell-out run at The Black-E, Old Fruit Jar Productions return to the Studio at Liverpool Royal Court, after their sell-out run of Twelfth Night, to present a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of a pivotal moment in British history. Exploring the wider issues of misogyny and institutional negligence that surrounded the case, Olivia Hirst and David Byrne’s beautifully crafted The Incident Room is an intense and thought-provoking look into the police investigation into the crimes of the Yorkshire Ripper. Set in Leeds 1975, the focus of the play is centred in and around the Millgarth Incident Room as the biggest manhunt in British police history unfolds. Whilst based on this gripping true story, the focus of the play is on the police officers at the forefront of what...

2Jun

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

The Incident Room, Black-E, Liverpool

Old Fruit Jar Productions’ performance of The Incident Room, directed by Alex Carr, is an intense and thought-provoking look into the police investigation into the crimes of the Yorkshire Ripper. The tragic events surrounding these violent offences and their massive impact on the people of Yorkshire are distilled into one tiny room in Millgarth Police Station, where the action takes place. As a venue, the Black-E is perfect. Venues usually only stand out when they have a negative impact on a play, and when the venue is suitable, it fades into the background. In this case however, before the audience even see the stage, the stone spiral staircase leading to the performance space, which happens to be identical to staircases seen in many of Yorkshire’s courthouses, creates a sense of immer...

18Aug

By Blathine MaguireNo Comments

North West

Twelfth Night – Liverpool’s Royal Court

“Twelfth night” is a comedy written by William Shakespeare and it’s believed to be dated back to 1601. Today, in the grand old year of 2022, ‘Old Fruit Jar Productions’ bring you their own interpretation of his historic piece of theatre, in the quaint studio of Liverpool’s Royal Court. The cast caught our attention straight away as when we arrived, the fascinating “Sir Toby” was residing in my designated seat, warming it up for me while he snored and drunkenly moaned like a forgotten stag on Matthew Street! Luckily some of the theatre staff woke up this sleeping beauty, so I could take my seat. Toby managed to stagger from the chair to the stage, where he collapsed in another drunken heap and the show hadn’t even started- a clear sign of things to come! Being honest, ‘Shakespeare’ is...

Twelfth Night – Old Fruit Jar Productions at Royal Court Studio, Liverpool

18Jul

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

NEWS

Twelfth Night – Old Fruit Jar Productions at Royal Court Studio, Liverpool

Twelfth Night – Old Fruit Jar Productions at Royal Court Studio, Liverpool Old Fruit Jar Productions have well and truly ripened with their upcoming production of Twelfth Night at Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio this August, and it was a delight to catch up with director Alex Carr and cast members to discover what they have in store. Shakespeare is often perceived as off-putting, mainly because of how poorly it is taught in schools, and something that people look forward to escaping from but in the right hands, one can delight at the continued relevance of work from over four hundred years ago and its ironic examination of the human character: plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose… OFJP have embraced the challenge and chosen to reset the play, one of Shakespeare’s more famous co...

10Jul

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

The Great Gatsby – Hope Street Theatre

The Great Gatsby is an infamous tale of hedonism, debauchery and some of the most deeply shallow people ever created in American literature. While some people raised eyebrows over this burlesque version at Liverpool’s Hope Street Theatre, skilfully directed by Tom Martin, there probably isn’t actually a better story to inject with some sequins, ostrich feathers and the sophisticated glamour that burlesque brings to the stage. The play opens as it means to go on, with lots of dancing. Decadence is apparent from the outset with beautiful period costumes and shining masques concealing the identities of the revellers from each other, their husbands and wives, and the audience. The choreography is excellent, and the entire cast flawlessly come together as one group. Nick Carraway (Jordan Bar...

31Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Woyzeck – Hope Street Theatre

‘A rollercoaster journey from the heights of black comedy to the depths of Freudian despair.’ With the challenge of picking only one show, I shall stick with the first one I saw as a full preview performance on 2nd January and which, rarely for me, I returned to see again when it played at Hope Street Theatre in Liverpool in the last week of January. Step forward Old Fruit Jar Productions and their debut production, a take on Jack Thorne’s 2017 adaptation of Georg Büchner’s classic play, Woyzeck, with this its first performance since its inaugural West End run by kind permission of the writer himself. It was a delight to see this new young company grabbing the opportunity to do something different and tackle real issues – class divide; poverty; exploitation; mental health – that ...