Norton Priory Archives - North West End UK

20Dec

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

A Christmas Carol – Norton Priory

Theres something so magical about seeing the Dickens masterpiece ‘A Christmas Carol’ played live around Christmas time. We are all drawn to watch a version of the story around the season whether it be the Alistair Sim black and white classic or the Muppet version, it is a tale that we all know and love. So, I have seen several short plays, shown in front of the iconic grand entrance to the priory and the huge double doors of the entrance are a magnificent backdrop – and for this play were used wonderfully being the entrance for each ghost to appear through billows of smoke. For tonight’s short rendition ( 1 hour) of the tale of reflection, anguish and remorse, there were just 5 cast members - the formidable Ebeneezer Scrooge , played superbly by &nb...

Gav Cross Storyteller: After Supper Ghost Stories – Norton Priory

27Oct

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Gav Cross Storyteller: After Supper Ghost Stories – Norton Priory

I love to be read stories – I think a lot of us do, something from our childhood- being read to by our parent or grandparents or those nostalgic back and white films, when a family sit in awe round the fire, listening to grandparents tell exciting tales of mystery and suspense. I adore the fact that at the wonderful Norton Priory , unique events are run that embrace the arts and theatre in a way that nourishes the soul and so, as I joined the full-house seats in front of the ancient atmospheric Victorian Porch of the museum’s Atrium (very fitting) ,I was as a child again waiting in anticipation for the intrigue to commence. Our ‘grandfather’ in this instance was Gav Cross - a true storyteller – the physique, the round end- of- nose spectacles and the roaring voice- inviting...

29Aug

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Addams Family – Norton Priory

Supermarkets may already be loading up with Christmas specials, but against the eerie background of a twilight-lit Norton Priory, there’s a spookier vibe in the air. As the famous theme tune of the original 1960s tv show fills the air, the fabulous youth ensemble of community theatre group, A Place for Us, gather in front of us clicking their way into the roles America’s quirkiest family. In this condensed version, Wednesday Addams has fallen in love with a young man she meets in the park (wooing him with her crossbow skills) and the family has to pull together to convince her beau’s parents that they are ‘normal’, with games, misunderstandings, and Grandma’s dodgy potions on the menu of a dinner party no-one will forget. Tonight’s production is a great showcase of local talent an...

24Jun

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Macbeth – Norton Priory

Norton Priory near Runcorn is a fabulous historical place comprising the remains of an abbey complex dating from 12th to 16th centuries and an 18th-century country house all of which is now a museum, but wonderfully this is also home to some phenomenal outdoor theatrical experiences, some I have had the fortune to see. For this event – Macbeth – I was very excited to see what spin the theatre group- “Place for Us” could put on this iconic play. Firstly, the play delivered on the summer solstice, was delivered to an intimate audience of around 50 people in the woodland area of the priory and as we approached, a huge bell rang, mysterious sounds echoed through the trees and two witches met us praying on the ground, their faces full of scorn. This was a great way to enter this world of Sha...

26Aug

By Hannah WildeNo Comments

North West

All Shook Up – Norton Priory

What do you get when you mix the storyline of Footloose (a totalitarian mayor who bans music and frivolity in a small, rural town) juxtaposed with the themes, sentiments and love triangles of Shakespeare’s most famous plays - all set to the upbeat medley of Elvis hits? The answer is: All Shook Up, a jukebox musical written for Broadway in 2005 featuring songs by the king of rock’n’roll himself, Elvis Presley. The play unfolds in 1955 and centres around Chad, a crude caricature of Elvis, who uses his hip-swivelling, lip-curling sex appeal to turn a rural town upside down. Drawing parallels to the Shakespearean quasi-romantic-comedy Twelfth Night, there's undercurrents of forbidden love, unrequited love, and the notably Shakespearean device of girl-meets-boy-but-pretends-to-b...

23Jul

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

The Tempest – Norton Priory

The Multi Award Winning – A Place for Us Theatre Company in partnership with Cronton 6th Form College aimed to present their present Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ in the stunning woodlands theatre space nestled in the 42-acre ancient grounds of the phenomenal Norton Priory Museum & Gardens. A Place for Us presently continues their Shakespeare legacy after a successful run of their previous interpretation of Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth in 2021/2022. Due to our unpredictable seasonal weather in the UK nothing is a given, so a huge credit to the Creative Team, Director/Producer Kate Allerston, Chis Bastock Producer/Music & Sound Design and Stage Managers both consultant and Cronton College students for turning the show around bringing it into the breath-taking Norton Priory Museu...

10Jul

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Electric Dreams – Norton Priory

I was very excited to be invited to the opening night and start of PRIDE week activities in Halton, Cheshire for the eclectic take on Shakespeare’s fantasy tale “A Midsummer Night's Dream” that was being performed by local young talent A “A Place for us Theatre Company CIC” in the holy ground of the remains the 12th century Norton Priory. To such deliver such a wonderful love story in such an amazing sacred space was the ingenious idea of Kate Allerston & Chris Bastock -Artistic Directors of Norton Priory Theatre Spaces who worked in partnership with Norton Priory Museum & Gardens and “A Place for Us Theatre Company CIC” for this unique experience. Thankfully the storm that had drenched everyone earlier in the day, had now subsided and the evening was sunny and bright just as the ...