Liverpool Playhouse Archives - Page 2 of 4

20Sep

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

I, Daniel Blake – Liverpool Playhouse

In 2016 Ken Loach’s groundbreaking film rocked the heart of the establishment, forcing politicians to speak of the issues it raised in parliament and for one to remark it was ‘a work of fiction’. Daniel Blake may have been a fictional character, but the powerful story was anything but fiction. People were trapped in the universal credit system and the poorest in our society were the ones who were forgotten and ignored. The actor who played Daniel, Dave Johns, has now adapted the screenplay for the stage and tiny dragon productions are touring it to appreciative audiences around the country. This play is still relevant and whilst the cost-of-living crisis hits once again the poorest in our society, the message that Daniel Blake is a human being who deserves respect res...

Alice in Wonderland – Liverpool Playhouse

7Jul

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Alice in Wonderland – Liverpool Playhouse

Last night, at the Liverpool Playhouse Theatre, I was invited to watch Alice in Wonderland. A short synopsis of the story is that we (as audience members) were transported back to the old ages, specifically the 1990s (which at that point, I felt old knowing it was 30 years ago). Where stereos played cassettes. Alice (Paislie Reid) was fixing her stereo player, as it had stopped working. She wanted to hear the song her dad Simon would sing to her before he sadly wasn't around anymore. In came her brother Lewis (Zweyla Mitchell Dos Santos) with a birthday cake for Alice. Like most brothers, Lewis got on Alice's nerves. Alice wouldn't let Lewis interfere with the stereo in case she made things worse. After a few more tweaks to the stereo, she was transported to a wonderland within the casset...

26Apr

By Gill LewisNo Comments

North West

Macbeth – Liverpool Playhouse

An explosive fusion of live action and multimedia technology pops off the stage and saturates the senses, with this self-described ‘neon noir thriller’ styled interpretation of the Bard’s ‘Scottish Play’. Technical theatrical ground breakers, Andrew Quick, Pete Brooks and Simon Wainwright, otherwise known as Imitating the Dog, produce and direct this postmodernist retelling of Shakespeare’s “Wonder Boy”, Macbeth, brilliantly portrayed by Benjamin Westerby. The multiple layers of this clever production really do test the senses with various points of action taking place simultaneously, taking us on a rapid adventure through this tragic tale of the psychological and physical effects that come with the pursuit of power. If you’re familiar with the aesthetic of DC’s Go...

12Apr

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Richard III – Liverpool Playhouse

This production from Rose Theatre and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres in association with Swinging the Lens sees director Adjoa Andoh take the treacherous tale of Richard III and reset it in the Cotswolds of her youth, complete with Maypole and Morris Dancing, and with the emphasis in line with more modern re-interpretations of Richard as a much-maligned character who having been punched down all of his life, decides to punch back. And Richard (Andoh) certainly punches above his weight dispatching all those with greater right to the throne including brother Clarence (Oliver Ryan), the young Prince Edward (Joshua Day) and others who oppose him including Rivers (Robin Morrissey) and Hastings (Harriett O’Grady), and whilst aided throughout by Gatesby (Harry Clarke) and Ratclif...

The Beekeeper of Aleppo – Liverpool Playhouse

2Mar

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

The Beekeeper of Aleppo – Liverpool Playhouse

Of all the jobs in the world, one of the ones you’d probably least associate with Syria, is beekeeping. Based on the book by Christy Lefteri, who was a volunteer at a women and children’s refugee camp in Athens, the play tackles the topic of the Syrian war and a refugee and his wife, who leave Syria and are trying to seek asylum in the UK. With adaptations from a book and especially one that deals with such a serious issue as this one, it can be hard to get it right. Getting the message across in just the right way can be difficult, but this production from Nottingham Playhouse, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and UK Productions Ltd hits the spot. Getting the mix of serious and funny across was done extremely well and despite the subject matter, you left the theatre having had a thoro...

Death Drop 2: Back in the Habit – Liverpool Playhouse

8Feb

By Hannah EsnoufNo Comments

North West

Death Drop 2: Back in the Habit – Liverpool Playhouse

Playing to a full audience, there was high expectation for the keenly awaited comeback of Death Drop to the stage. It did not disappoint. If you are looking for an evening that serves, laughs, scares and complete REALness, this is the show to see. With an all-star cast hailing from RuPaul’s Drag Race, the return of the murder mystery (or ‘Dragatha Christie’), to St Babs Convent was a tasteful idea, and one with hilarious possibilities. Drag has sashayed into a whole new format with this kind of theatre, and Jesse Jones has allowed these queens to shine. The current vocabulary, inclusive dialogue, and killer soundtrack all added to the crowd's appreciation for the performance of Mother Superior and her nuns. Photographer: Matt Crockett Set in the wonderful Playhouse, the modern me...

<strong>Noughts and Crosses – Liverpool Playhouse</strong>

23Nov

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

Noughts and Crosses – Liverpool Playhouse

A new baby signals hope, as does an unopened letter. Hope that things will be better. Fans of Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses series are sure to love the stage adaptation of the book, which was also turned into a BBC series a couple of years ago. Sephy Hadley is a Cross, and her father is also the Home Secretary, Callum McGregor is a Nought, and his mother was the housekeeper to Sephy’s family, until she refused to lie for Sephy’s mother and got sacked. Having grown up together, Callum and Sephy continue their friendship in secret as in their world Crosses can’t be seen to be mixing with Noughts, especially not one from a high-profiled family. Things appear to be changing when Callum is one of three Noughts who have won a scholarship to be allowed to go to the same school as Sep...

The Importance of Being Earnest – Liverpool Playhouse

12Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

The Importance of Being Earnest – Liverpool Playhouse

Avant-garde, adventurous, audacious – and yes, artificial, but brilliantly witty, Oscar Wilde lives on in this hugely entertaining production. The cast introduce themselves by waltzing on, immediately conveying the merry-go-round of their lives with ever changing tableaux of laughter and posturing, voguing almost, and dance, like a visual representation of those many scintillating one liners which accurately skewer so much of Society - then and now. Its trivialities and shallowness are wonderfully exposed. This takes place chez Algernon, walls garnished with portraits, as well as frames which serve as portals and hatches, although strangely sparse when it comes to furniture, but for one elegant chaise longue (of course). We then move outside, into the garden of Ernest's country pile, a...

5Oct

By Kiefer WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Othello – Liverpool Playhouse

Formed in 1994 Frantic Assembly is the UK’s foremost physical theatre company. Their inimitable and often compelling style of theatre has undoubtedly elevated their reputation both at home and on the international theatre scene. They are an exciting and innovative theatre company producing work that resonates and stays long in the memory of their audience and now they turn their attention to one of Shakespeare’s darkest tales of jealousy, passion, and revenge. Of course, being Frantic Assembly, they manage to conjure up a new translation of Shakespeare’s painfully beautiful play and transport the action to a modern-day poolroom in a pub. It shouldn’t really work on paper but through audacious and complex movement alongside strong performances from the cast and imaginative direction ...

One Man, Two Guvnors – Liverpool Playhouse

30Jun

By Blathine MaguireNo Comments

North West

One Man, Two Guvnors – Liverpool Playhouse

Liverpool Playhouse Theatre welcomes The West End and Broadway hit comedy “One Man, Two Guvnors”. Following its roaring success when the show was first performed in 2011 and starred James Cordon, it is a delight to see production companies ‘Octagon Theatre Bolton’ and ‘Theatre by the Lake’ have taken this show on the road and is gracing our Liverpool Playhouse stage this summer. The audience are welcomed by the sweet tones of the cast who also make up the house band in this production. Elevated on the first floor of a striking set, the band set the mood for this fun, energetic production set in 1963. The theatre is alight with flashing bulbs that give fantastic seaside holiday vibes, in keeping with the Brighton setting. The story begins in the home of Charlie (Rodney Ma...