Lucas Rush Archives - North West End UK

3Aug

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

The Cher Show – Birmingham Hippodrome

35 smash hits - one pop goddess screams the strap-line for “The Cher Show” and, I think, they may well be right. Cher is an iconic goddess descending from pop heaven to regenerate herself both artistically and physiologically many times over her astounding life on earth. She may not be able to claim to be an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) but she has accumulated an Emmy, Grammy and Oscar - you can work out the acronym yourself. From stepping into producer Phil Spector’s office in 1962 and saying “Hi” to stepping off the Abbacopter in 2018 and saying, “Mes enfants, je suis arrive!” it has been a rollercoaster career in all manner of media from film to TV to music to stage. A career many may think too implausible to capture in a simple stage musical. Well, they’d be wrong… Not one, n...

19May

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

The Cher Show – Opera House, Manchester

After six decades of a career encompassing pop and film stardom, political activism and television success, it was a no-brainer that the life of Cherilyn Sarkasian, aka Cher, would eventually make the transition to a stage musical. Now, the 2018 Broadway show (with a significant overhaul courtesy of Leicester Curve Theatre) lands at Opera House in Manchester to a rapturous reception on press night. The audience here is knowledgeable and primed (unlike at Sunderland Empire, where people left the theatre when they realised it wasn't Cher performing!) and they were not to be disappointed in the depth of detail with which the show represents her early life. Cher has long been a spokesperson for LGBTQ+ rights and her story of early marginalisation, mistreatment and oppression is a story that...

13Dec

By Morgan EvansNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Sleeping Beauty – Sheffield Lyceum

Sheffield Theatres and Evolution Pantomimes have a rich reputation for their pantomimes, and this year’s edition is once again Damian Williams and his cohort on their finest form. Superbly directed by Paul Hendy, this is a tour-de-force of panto, and ultimately panto at its finest. Titular character Hannah Everest holds the role very well and is a very stable anchor for both the narrative and comedy within. The same can be said for her royal romantic counterpart played by Dominic Sibanda, who brings an appropriately friendly and fun sensibility to his role whilst playing the melodrama effectively. Janine Duvitski’s Fairy Moonbeam is at her best deployed in comedic ensemble sections, and Lucas Rush’s evil Carabosse delves delightfully into devilishly camp malevolence. Ben Thornton’s exci...

Sheffield Theatres announce Sleeping Beauty Casting

3Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Sheffield Theatres announce Sleeping Beauty Casting

Sheffield Theatres and Evolution Pantomimes announce a new cast member for Sleeping Beauty at the Lyceum Theatre: comedy great, Janine Duvitski. Catherine Tyldesley has made the choice not to appear in panto at this time due to personal reasons, and Sheffield Theatres and Evolution Pantomimes fully support her in this decision. Janine Duvitski will be playing the role of Fairy. Best known for the memorable role of Jacqueline Stewart in Benidorm, Janine is adored by British comedy audiences. Janine will be joining Sheffield’s legendary Dame, Damian Williams, alongside actor, presenter and comic Ben Thornton (Cinderella), Lucas Rush (Damian’s Pop-Up Panto!, Rock of Ages), Hannah Everest (Gypsy) and Dominic Sibanda (Hairspray). The cast will be supported by a brilliant ensemble. ...

6May

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

REVIEWS

A Killer Party – stream.theatre

The whodunnit musical Curtains meets everybody’s favourite video conferencing software Zoom in this nine-part murder mystery by Rachel Axler and Kait Kerrigan. Having been created and developed in America last year, it is now premiering in the UK with an array of stage stars-turned-suspects. When jaded traffic warden Justine Case (Emma Salvo) is inexplicably asked to investigate a killing, she eagerly dons her deerstalker and heads to the crime scene. There, a gaggle of outlandish guests of West End producer Varthur McArthur (Jason Manford) nervously, bitterly and/or hungrily await questioning. Annoyingly, the reason Justine is asked to step up is never addressed and, as the main character, her aversion to theatre is unfortunate. Salvo nevertheless pumps the new mystery-solver with m...

I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical – King’s Head Theatre

26Apr

By Coral MourantNo Comments

REVIEWS

I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical – King’s Head Theatre

A stage, four performers and a pianist is all it takes to put on this witty love letter to the stage. This clever parody piece pokes fun at the musical theatre art form, with just the right number of big notes and jazz hands. The show consists of stand-alone songs, some duets and small inputs from the performers to keep it moving along. The first song parodies traditional opening numbers of popular shows, with slick choreography (also by the director, Chris Whittaker) and complex four-part harmonies. Alexander S. Bermange’s writing is brilliantly satirical and an absolute treat for musical theatre fans. The writing does not shy away from the ridiculousness of the genre either. It takes multiple digs at the dramatics involved, and has whole songs dedicated to divas and unworthy star c...