Leeds Grand Archives - North West End UK

14Oct

By Mark HumphreysNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Leeds Grand

The journey to Leeds across the M62 saw far from midsummer weather – gusting winds, driving rain, whirling leaves – but once inside the Grand Theatre and Opera House a much warmer welcome awaited. Opera North’s revival of Martin Duncan’s production is directed this time by Matthew Eberhardt. Johan Engels’ set is minimalist but very effective – translucent Perspex pillars signify the trees of the forest, whilst the canopy (or are they dream bubbles?) float high above the stage. These pillars then take the colour of Bruno Poet’s subtle lighting design, which contrasts beautifully with the 1960s-flower-power-style outfits of the lovers, Helena and Demitrius, Hermia and Lysander. And setting this production in the swinging sixties, when the work was first performed, with its ...

5May

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Wish You Were Dead – Leeds Grand

One of the less appealing gigs for critics was watching creaky touring versions of Agatha Christie novels, so thank god best-selling crime author Peter James spotted a gap in the middle market for stage versions of his work. Wish You Were Dead features his most famous creation, the deep-thinking Brighton detective Roy Grace, and many of the audience will have been attracted by the popular ITV series. This play is based on a quick read novel as Grace takes a much-needed break in France with his pathologist wife Cleo and baby son Noah. Along with their American nanny Kaitlynn they tip up at a run-down French chateau to be met by a surly maid and there's a missing copper. As is tradition in crime capers nothing is as it seems, so can the wily Grace talk his way out of some se...

Dianne Pilkington flies into Leeds Grand with Bedknobs and Broomsticks

28Nov

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

Dianne Pilkington flies into Leeds Grand with Bedknobs and Broomsticks

When families settle down for a festive film one of the perineal favourites is BedKnobs and Broomsticks starring musical legends Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson. It’s a magical and often surreal tale of a trainee witch Eglantine Price who takes under her wing three orphans evacuated from the London blitz who fly an enchanted bed in a quest to find a spell helped by a dodgy professor of magic. The movie features some memorable songs from the pen of the Sherman Brothers and its cutting-edge animation combined with live action won the Disney team an Oscar for best Special Effects. Now it has been turned into a stage show with some new songs that comes to Leeds Grand from December 8th and plays into the new year. Dianne Pilkington plays the trainee witch on the show’s first UK tou...

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – Leeds Grand

4Nov

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – Leeds Grand

The performing arts often attracts outsiders looking for a safe haven, so it is hardly surprising many musicals are about the plucky outsider finding their true selves against what seem like insurmountable odds. That’s true of this big-hearted musical that started life just down the road in Sheffield, before becoming a West End hit, and is loosely based on the real story of working class gay teenager Jamie Campbell who decided that only did he want to be a drag artist when he left school, but he was going to his prom in a dress. Here our Jamie New, supported by Muslim best mate Pritti, wants to do the same despite the school bullies, but is up against a bigoted teacher determined he will turn up to the big night in ’normal’ attire, provoking an unexpected response from his schoolmate...

15Sep

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Waitress – Leeds Grand

One of the glories of musical theatre is no subject will ever be too offbeat to become a hit. Who would have thought a show about an obscure American revolutionary who raps would be a worldwide sensation, and the same applies to Waitress which appears to be about making desserts in a diner. Of course, the fact that waitress Jenna is a whizz with sugar and whipped cream with their outlandish titles like ‘my eggs betrayed me’ is just a metaphor for her messed up life in an abusive marriage to Earl, and thwarted dreams of her own shop selling delicious pies. Luckily, she finds a new family and support network in her classic American diner with fellow waitresses Becky who is caring for her sick husband, and daffy Dawn who has never been on a date. Jenna falls pregnant bringing her int...

31Aug

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Magic Goes Wrong – Leeds Grand Theatre

Go on….admit it. One reason we still love magic shows is while we are intrigued by how the illusionists fool us, we also secretly hope it will all go horribly wrong. So, it is really smart of Mischief to create another one of their ‘goes wrong’ series around a camp, OTT group of hopeless performers, and it works much better than their mega successful am dram version as that world is just too a bit too serious to really parody. The premise is that the inaccurately named Sophisticato - played just on the right edge of hysteria by Sam Hill - has put together a tacky fundraiser for magicians killed or injured in the line of conjuring duties, including his father crushed by his stage props. But as with all Mischief productions anything that can go wrong does as the body count steadi...

10Aug

By Alison BainesNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Heathers – Leeds Grand

Take a trip to Westerburg High School to join the class of 2021 on a twisted tale of romance, fun and a bit of bitchiness too - I promise you won’t be disappointed. Heathers, the dark comedy/rock musical first hit the stage in 2010 in New York following and based on the great cult classic movie of the same name starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. The modern musical begins its UK and Ireland tour at Leeds Grand Theatre. If you’re not already familiar with the soundtrack I urge you to go and listen to it. Written by the award-winning team Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy, the music could not suit the cult classic story any better: with heart wrenching ballads and vibrant ensemble numbers, the soundtrack doesn’t have a bad song and promises to have you singing them for days aft...

Bedknobs and Broomsticks will be the festive show at Leeds Grand in 2021

18Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Bedknobs and Broomsticks will be the festive show at Leeds Grand in 2021

The world premiere tour of Disney’s new stage musical Bedknobs and Broomsticks, will be ‘bobbing along’ to Leeds Grand Theatre next year for a five-week Christmas run from Wednesday 8th December to Sunday 9th January 2022. This stage version of the beloved 1971 Academy Award-winning film starring Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson, features songs from the Sherman Brothers, including Portobello Road, The Age Of Not Believing, The Beautiful Briny, with and a new book plus music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and Brian Hill. Based on the books The Magic Bedknob, or How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons and Bonfires and Broomsticks by English children's author Mary Norton, it’s the family friendly story of three orphaned children reluctantly evacuated from London to live with the myster...