Matt Cole Archives - North West End UK

Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Liverpool Empire

10Mar

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Liverpool Empire

Glittering, joyous, and unapologetically bold, Priscilla Queen of the Desert bursts onto the stage as a dazzling celebration of identity, friendship, and resilience. Directed by Ian Talbot. Based on the 1994 Australian film of a similar name, this stage musical transforms the road-trip story into a vibrant theatrical spectacle packed with iconic disco hits, stunning choreography (Matt Cole) and exuberant costumes (Vicky Gill). A show absolutely NOT to be missed! The story follows three friends Tick (Mitzi) played by Kevin Clifton, Adam/Felicia (Nick Hayes), and Bernadette (Adele Anderson)—as they travel across the Australian outback in a battered old school bus named 'Priscilla'. Along the way, they encounter both hostility and kindness, forcing them to confront prejudice, pers...

Here and Now: The Steps Musical – Edinburgh Playhouse

26Feb

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Here and Now: The Steps Musical – Edinburgh Playhouse

If you’ve ever wanted to experience a fever-dream in real time, Here and Now: The Steps Musical is the show for you. This brand new jukebox musical, written by Shaun Kitchener in association with Steps, is utterly ridiculous. At first that might feel like a negative, but the further the show goes on, the more Here and Now sweeps you into the madness and by the end you’ll be belting out tragedy in the megamix. Its self-aware silliness can’t be denied, and with all of the Steps’ classic hits, it’s hard to resist the “Summer of Love” - I for one, had the time of my life. Set in the Best Better Bargains supermarket, we see four core cashiers make a pact that this is the Summer they get their love lives together. As they attempt to make their moves, we come to find ou...

A Knight’s Tale – Opera House, Manchester

1May

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

A Knight’s Tale – Opera House, Manchester

Manchester’s famous Opera House had hosted multiple productions beginning their theatrical journey as part of ATG’s ‘Manchester Gets It First’ programme with many going on to the West End and Broadway. Ghost the Musical, Bat Out Of Hell, &Juliet, Mrs Doubtfire and who could forget Covid hit Back To The Future? Each one of these productions has a ‘Made in Manchester’ tag securely attached to them and continue to thrive playing to packed houses across the globe. Now there is a new pretender to the crown, A Knight’s Tale had its World Premiere tonight and judging by the audience reaction the producers will need to find a West End venue pretty quick. Based on the 2001 cult film A Knight’s Tale follows William Thatcher, a 14th century peasant squire who breaks all the rules when he pa...

UK Pop Sensation Steps Present The World Premiere of New Musical Here & Now

26Jan

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

UK Pop Sensation Steps Present The World Premiere of New Musical Here & Now

UK pop band Steps are delighted to announce the world premiere of HERE & NOW, a brand-new musical using their iconic music, with an original book by Shaun Kitchener. HERE & NOW will open at The Alexandra, Birmingham for a limited engagement from 9 – 24 November 2024. Featuring Steps’ most beloved hit songs, HERE & NOW is produced by the band and ROYO with Pete Waterman, and will be directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, with choreography by Olivier Award winning Matt Cole. Casting to be announced. Welcome to seaside superstore Better Best Bargains, where it's Friday night, the vibe is right, and everyone's dancing in the aisles. But when Caz discovers the shelves are stocked with lies and betrayal, the summer of love she and her friends dreamed of suddenly feels like a tragedy. Ha...

20Jul

By Melissa JonesNo Comments

Scotland

Footloose – Edinburgh Playhouse

Footloose tells the musically infused tail of wayward Ren and his journey from Chicago to rural backwater Bomont. A town tragedy involving the loss of the preacher’s son results in a town-wide ban on dancing in the bible-led town. Really? Oh yes. For newly arrived Ren and the preacher’s rebellious daughter Ren, this is devastating, especially as romance blossoms and the desire to dance ensues. But more interestingly, Ren embraces Christianity and uses a newly gifted bible to argue his cause for dancing which is a rather impressive move. Footloose is your classic jukebox musical complete with hits of the day spattered throughout the production for some dramatic and often comic effect. West-End star Darren Day relishes the spotlight as tough preacher Rev. Shaw Moore. In fact, his performa...