Opera House Archives - Page 4 of 5

20Jul

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

South Pacific – Opera House, Manchester

Chichester Festival Theatre has become known for taking on some of the most challenging classics and transforming them into a triumph. Director Daniel Evans’s lively reappraisal of South Pacific is no exception. On one of Manchester’s hottest days on record the audience was transported to the South Pacific where US troops were occupying a Polynesian island in the WW2 conflict with Japan. The opening scene sees nurse Nellie Forbush (Gina Beck) on a coffee date with Emile de Becque (Julian Overden), a middle-aged plantation owner that she recently met at the officer’s club. De Becque is an ultra-suave Frenchman with a murderous past but despite this we see young nurse Forbush failing madly in love with him. The US troops are kicking their heels while restlessly waiting for the...

The Play That Goes Wrong – Manchester Opera House

31May

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

The Play That Goes Wrong – Manchester Opera House

When going to the theatre, I always love to see a ‘comedy farce’ more than anything else; I enjoy a good drama as much as the next person, but I find that farce comedy just works so well in a theatre environment and there’s one company that stands out above all the rest for being masters of the farce; this is of course the Mischief Theatre Company. Set up back in 2008 by a group of talented theatre students; This company has had great success on stage and on screen and perhaps their best known production and most successful is; The Play That Goes Wrong which is without doubt the best of farce and currently back at Manchester Opera House for one week only! The production first debuted in 2012 at The Old Red Lion Theatre in London and now just over a decade later; the original cast hav...

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...

The Barricade Boys – Opera House, Manchester

16May

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

The Barricade Boys – Opera House, Manchester

Believe it or not it’s the Barricade Boys 7th Anniversary tour of ‘Bring him Home’, originally the brainchild of Scott Garnham and Simon Schofield who wanted to create an audience experience that was much more than just songs from the shows. Having first performed at the Charing Cross Theatre in 2015, the group have successfully progressed providing entertainment on cruise ships, various well known UK television shows, Broadway and numerous other venues. The 2022 cast consists of the original founders Scott Graham and Simon Schofield joined by Craig Mather and Kieran Brown; all male vocals have a huge accolade of west end successes. Liam Steel choreographed the tour bring it nicely in line with the Les Miserable theme as it was Liam who was the choreographer for the Les Misérables movie...

The Addams Family – Opera House, Manchester

20Apr

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

The Addams Family – Opera House, Manchester

Dinner is served this week down at the Opera House in Manchester. Hosting are the most ‘normal’ family you’ll ever hope to meet! Matthew White directs with music and lyrics from Andrew Lippa. Wednesday Addams has met the love of her life, Lucas Beineke and following their secret engagement has organised dinner to allow the two families to meet and to pick the perfect moment to reveal their news. During dinner, other secrets are revealed, and the evening does not go exactly as the young lovers planned. Scott Paige returns to the show after a short break to narrate the story as Uncle Fester. Paige owns every scene he appears in with exemplary comic timing and facial expressions. Ryan Bennett as larger than life butler Lurch takes his time on stage before captivating us all at the clima...

10Apr

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

North West

Carmen – Opera House, Manchester

Written by French composer Bizet and first performed in 1875, and an adaptation of Prosper Merimee’s novella Carmen, which was judged by French society to be utterly improper. This may explain why the opera was initially delayed because of fears that the themes of betrayal and murder may offend. The opera received negative press, Bizet was accused of plagiarism by Gounod whose music had a great influence on Bizet, and died aged 36, believing that his opera was a failure. Bizet was described as a child prodigy, admired by Liszt and even though Bizet himself felt that he had written something special, he did not live to see its success. In Ellen Kent’s and Opera International’s adaptation with the Ukrainian National Municipal Opera, the opening Act I reveals a set design...

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat – Opera House, Manchester

30Mar

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat – Opera House, Manchester

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s first staged musical ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’ arrives in Manchester. The iconic duo of Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice wrote this much-loved production back in 1986 as a school play… little did they know the sensation it would become. The brand-new production is a modern take on a timely classic: it is exactly the star-studded, colourful spectacle you want and expect. Alexandra Burke takes on the leading role of The Narrator, young talent Jac Yarrow takes the title role of Joseph and Jason Donavan returns to the show he once conquered, now as the heartthrob, Elvis-styled Pharaoh. Any musical theatre fan - if not, everyone in the UK - knows the music from this work of art, featuring songs such as Any Dream Will Do, emotional ballad Close Every Do...

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Opera House

9Mar

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Opera House

Tenacious teen Christopher Boone is back sleuthing around the UK once again in this adaptation of ‘the nation’s favourite’, best-selling novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. With guidance from his uniquely understanding teacher Siobhan (Rebecca Root) and accompanied by Toby, his pet rat, our fifteen-year-old protagonist (David Breeds) sets out to solve the mystery of who killed his neighbour’s dog, Wellington. This proves difficult for an outsider like Christopher, who faces obstacles in the form of strangers, metaphors, the yellow bits of Battenberg cake and secrets that threaten to throw his investigation into disarray. The Curious Incident offers a unique perspective on life that regularly shifts from encouraging laughs to moments of deep reflection. While Chr...

3Mar

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Footloose – Manchester Opera House

Hooray theatre land is beginning to get back to some normality after being hit hard by the pandemic, for the first time there was no need for Covid passes or compulsory wearing of masks. For that alone there was a heightened sense of excitement, and it was clear theatre goers are feeling more confident to mix as the Opera House in Manchester was packed to the rafters with barely one seat empty. Footloose the musical is the brainchild of Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobby with Music from Tom Snow it’s based on the 1984 film which starred Kevin Bacon as city boy Ren McCormack (played by Joshua Hawkins), who arrives with his mother Ethel (Geri Allen) in Beaumont from Chicago in a rebellious mood after learning of the town’s dancing ban. The ban came following an incident five years prior a...

23Feb

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Fatal Attraction – Opera House

Hide your pets! The femme fatale has arrived in Manchester as the motion picture ‘Fatal Attraction’ hits the Opera House stage – with a soap star studded cast, led by Coronation Street’s Oliver Farnworth and Kym Marsh in addition to Footballer’s Wives star Susie Amy. When happily married Dan Gallagher meets Alex, the pair share one weekend of passion. Dan quickly discovers love is a dangerous game and as he returns home, he realises this is one mistake he cannot forget. Kym plays Alex, a somewhat outdated stereotype of the over-sexualised, psychotic ‘other woman’. Marsh definitely gives the character the desired sensual nature and body language that the character demands, and her regular hysteric interludes bring a dramatic edge and thrill to the play. ©Tristram Kenton Oliver Fa...