Molly-Grace Cutler Archives - North West End UK

23Jul

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Calamity Jane – Hull New Theatre

Within two minutes of the plush curtain raising at the Hull New Theatre, on Tuesday evening, I was singing away to the song, Black Hills of Dakota. Calamity Jane was in town and the guilty party making me join in was Theo Diedrick who, playing the banjo, purposely made a hash of the above song until getting the hang of the well-known ditty. In fact, Diedrick kept us entertained all night long with his amusing mannerisms and facial expressions. I’m sure I spotted him playing the violin as well at one point in this rip-roaring production. In the 1953 film of the same name, on which this production is based, Calamity was played by Doris Day, and it’s her singing voice that musical lovers will associate with many of the songs in this stage version. Fast forward 72 years and it’s th...

19Jun

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

Calamity Jane – Regent Theatre, Stoke

Time for the good citizens of Stoke to watch their backs as Calamity Jane is in town! Yes, the Regent Theatre has bravely opened its doors to an absolute classic. Lock your doors folks- "Calamity Jane" has arrived! Originally directed by Nikolai Foster and co-directed and choreographed by Nick Winston, this very much ‘updated’ musical was literally all singing and all dancing from the opening scene. Based on the well-known movie starring Doris Day, it tells the story of the charismatic ‘Calamity Jane’ and how her life in Deadwood, Dakota changes subtly when there is a new girl in town. From a strong friendship to the need to control her jealousy, this is essentially a story about love, relationships and personal growth- in a gun slinging way of course! West End star, Carrie Hop...

Girls Don’t Play Guitars – Liverpool’s Royal Court

5Oct

By Hannah EsnoufNo Comments

North West

Girls Don’t Play Guitars – Liverpool’s Royal Court

Reading the 2019 reviews of this show it was natural that I took my seat at its revival with high expectations. The story is undoubtably inspiring and it feels right at home in this theatre, however, as a stage show this lacked depth for me. With an 80:20 ratio of music to dialogue, albeit good music, it was difficult to feel much emotional pull towards these characters. As characters themselves, I imagine it was difficult to ascertain much difference between them for the actors as their personalities were as similar as their costumes in most parts of the script, noticeably different only by which love interest they had. Nothing can be said of the talent of the cast though. Their skills as musicians were undeniably central to the success of this show’s success; I just wish they were ...

The Great Gatsby – Grosvenor Open Air Theatre

2Aug

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

The Great Gatsby – Grosvenor Open Air Theatre

Frivolity fans the air as a live band dances an eager audience back to the roaring 1920s for an evening of F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. It's hard not to immediately be swept up in the decadence as the cast mingle with the audience until suddenly you aren't sure if you're within the production or simply observing it - what part do you play in the party that never stops? Cleverly framed, there is audience participation from the start. All rise as a coroner begins to question the events leading up to the death of a man, a man surrounded by mystery and rumour. Witness testimonies contradict. A cacophony of characters cause calamity. Just as it feels like a judgement has been made, in bursts protagonist Nick Carraway (Thomas Cotran). Clearly upset, he takes command of the sm...

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – Palace Theatre

12Oct

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – Palace Theatre

Behind every record-breaking, chart-topping hit is a songwriter with poetical flair to spare. This jukebox musical pays homage to 60s icon Carole King, the multi-talented musician and composer of timeless classics from ‘The Loco-Motion’ to ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’. ‘Beautiful’ follows the musically-rich career of King (Molly-Grace Cutler) as she pursues a dream to enrich people’s lives with her original songs. As an autobiographical piece, Douglas McGrath’s book reveals how King’s life experiences are reflected in her far-reaching creations. The story itself may be thin, but the versatile cast proves that there is no need to overembellish a straightforward narrative when it’s the soundtrack that takes centre stage. Carole’s pop tunes are interspersed with soul and so...

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

6Apr

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

‘But the music keeps playing And won’t let the world get me down.’ These lyrics from the title track of Carole King’s third album ‘Music’, released a mere 11 months after the legendary ‘Tapestry’ in 1971, could easily explain her life and career, neither of which were short of ups and downs. The question was, how on earth could anyone do it justice in just over two hours? The moment the lights went down from her seat at the centrally placed piano, Molly-Grace Cutler (Carole) banished any concerns. The opening lines of ‘So Far Away’ were a hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck/lump-in-the-throat moment. Her voice (whether she’d worked on it or not) was uncannily ‘Carole’, the theatre pin-drop silent. There followed an entertaining, slightly rushed account of her early years; learning the p...

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – Leicester Curve

5Mar

By Robert BartleyNo Comments

East Midlands

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – Leicester Curve

Carole King is such an exceptional songwriter (both with her husband Gerry Goffin and singlehandedly in her own right), that a biographical musical detailing her life and extensive back catalogue was inevitable. Sure enough, ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ first hit US stages in 2013, transferring to Broadway in 2014 and the West End in 2015, and has also enjoyed a UK tour in 2017. Leicester’s Curve have teamed up with the Theatre Royal Bath and the Mayflower Theatre Southampton to create a new adaptation, which has kicked off a new UK tour this week. Spanning 1958 to 1971, ‘Beautiful’ tells King’s story from being a 16-year-old aspiring songwriter, to finding success with Goffin (in more ways than one), rivalry with fellow songwriters and friends Barry Mann and Cynthia...