Little LTF Archives - North West End UK

Just Aretha – Bombed Out Church, Liverpool

9May

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Just Aretha – Bombed Out Church, Liverpool

Just Aretha, directed by Victoria Evaristo, is a semi-autobiographical one woman show about life as a Black disabled person in today’s Britain. Aretha Nortey gives an energetic and enthusiastic performance in the title role, highlighting the individuality of disability and the effect that it has on her life. Emphasising that she is not her disability, but just Aretha, this is a unique take on the disabled experience which looks at both the highs and lows of life with disability. The set is very colourful with both Ghanian and British flags and a range of other brightly printed fabrics. The play opens with Nortey entering the stage and engaging in a mock photo shoot during which she lists key facts about herself and hobbies. This soon moves onto an account of the stereotypes people asso...

Around the World in 72 Days: The Story of Nellie Bly – Bombed Out Church, Liverpool

8May

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Around the World in 72 Days: The Story of Nellie Bly – Bombed Out Church, Liverpool

Around the World in 72 Days: The Story of Nellie Bly, created and performed by Rebekah McLoughlin, is a one woman show about Nellie Bly’s infamous 72 day journey around the world, while she inadvertently “raced” with Cosmopolitan reporter, Elizabeth Bisland. The play opens with a voiceover reading Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days while McLoughlin holds the book. She can hear the voiceover reading, and obviously disturbed, begins to tell the story, and Bly’s own tale, herself. Voiceovers play a key role throughout the piece, sometimes used to portray invisible characters, including Mr Bailey (Jack Bolton), with most of the voices being performed by McLoughlin herself. Mr Bailey forbids her to go on her around the world trip, because she is a woman with few language skills and, ...

Grandmother – Bombed Out Church, Liverpool

5May

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Grandmother – Bombed Out Church, Liverpool

Grandmother, written and directed by Asa Murphy, is a sweet musical comedy about how family life is impacted when a new generation begins. Full of fun and emotional songs, with live guitar accompaniment from Asa Murphy, this is an entertaining piece of theatre which will make you laugh and cry in equal measure. The play opens with Becky’s mother (Pauline Donovan) enthusiastically dusting while singing along to the radio. But a phone call from Becky (Clare Alexander Campbell) to announce that she’s pregnant soon changes everything. Tearfully realising her daughter has grown up far too quickly, Donovan delivers a beautiful nostalgic song regarding how soon yesterday has gone. The show constantly pushes against the fourth wall to discuss with the audience the points of view of Becky an...

18Jul

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Tea Time – Bombed Out Church

G&J Productions’ Tea Time, written by Graham Edgington and directed by James Edgington, is a surreal dramatic comedy about three northern women on an apparently normal day, where the most important thing is getting tea cooked on time. The play takes place in Joan’s cluttered kitchen and opens with Joan (Denice Hope) reading a very upsetting letter from the courts. Her daughter April (Elise Carman) is having serious problems at work and when Joan’s friend Sharon (Samantha Power) comes around for a chat, Joan reluctantly tells her everything, with the repeated refrain that she really cannot say anything more. Sharon listens enraptured by April’s story, while steadily eating grapes as though they were popcorn, and drinking mug after mug of water which smells suspiciously like wine....

15Jul

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Twice Nightly – Bombed Out Church

Twice Nightly, written, directed by and starring Maria Lovelady and Michael Alan Bailey, is a fun comedy which explores the world of variety entertainment in 1931 and the impact of film on the theatre industry. Don (Bailey) and Madge (Lovelady) are down on their luck cabaret performers who are frustrated with their underappreciative employer and not being hailed as the superstars they deserve to be. Opening with a synchronised song and dance number, both Bailey and Lovelady demonstrate excellent musical theatre skills throughout the piece. Live music is provided by musical director, Jessica Dives, with fun accordion melodies giving the piece a feeling of the 1930s music hall. A mischievous song about being criminal masterminds is surprisingly followed by the arrival of a policeman (...

A Brief Conversation about the Inevitability of Love – Bombed Out Church

14Jul

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

A Brief Conversation about the Inevitability of Love – Bombed Out Church

Ian Salmon’s A Brief Conversation about the Inevitability of Love, directed by Mikee Dickinson, is a sweet romance about the almosts and what might have beens that everyone has buried in their memories. Mark (Thomas Galashan) and Cathy (Samantha Alton) are discussing their past relationships. Mark’s ex-wife Suzanne hates all of his friends, and he hates hers, while Cathy’s relationship with Philip was plagued by his serial infidelity. Both Galashan and Alton are dressed casually, with a similar colour scheme, which brings them together as characters. Cool blue light warms up to medium pink giving the play an eerie, dreamlike quality. The piece is very funny throughout with tongue in cheek humour as the characters make fun of each other. Height is cleverly used as the actors move ...