Paul Wilson Archives - North West End UK

The Collie’s Shed – Festival Theatre Studio

15May

By H.S. BakerNo Comments

Scotland

The Collie’s Shed – Festival Theatre Studio

This short and powerful play has made an appearance on Edinburgh fringe for the last two years. The Collie’s Shed now returns for a tour of Scotland’s central belt during the 40th anniversary year of the 1984 miners’ strike. Written and directed by Shelley Middler, the play focuses on four retired coal miners, all of whom lost their jobs when their colliery, Bilston Glen, closed in the 1980s following a bitter and violent strike which pitted miners against each other and against the police. Eight actors play four characters, with the action switching from 1984 to present day. Some of the striking miners of the time were arrested and imprisoned for their part in the violent acts on the picket line, and the narrative begins with news of a review by the Sco...

11Apr

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Rock of Ages – New Mills Art Theatre

As NK Theatre Arts still do not currently have access to their home venue at the Romiley Forum, this production was staged at the 500-seat capacity New Mills Art Theatre, which is a considerable distance from their usual venue, but thanks go to them for accommodating this performance directed by Paul Wilson. Before the show even started many cast members took to the stage, which created a superb atmosphere at the “Bourbon Club” in downtown LA. The show was enhanced by the use of live musicians who were ably directed by Ceri Graves. All the action took place in the club, and it was non-stop right from the word go, with superb choreography from Dawn Wrigley and Rivkah Kneen which contributed hugely to the show’s success. One classic song after another, mainly originating from 80’s Amer...

Brief Encounter – Church Hill Theatre Edinburgh

1Apr

By Melissa JonesNo Comments

Scotland

Brief Encounter – Church Hill Theatre Edinburgh

Brief Encounter started as a play called Still Life before Noel Coward translated it to the stage with his immortal screenplay. Emma Rice’s highly rated re-adaptation of Brief Encounter for the stage meets both mediums somewhere in the middle. The original screenplay is pastiched beyond belief- even if you’ve never seen it, you will have seen at least one comedy skit. Married suburban mother Laura Jesson is passing through the train station when a piece of grit gets in her eye. Saved from potential blindness by fellow train traveler, the married Dr Alec Harvey, passions are ignited. The trouble is, it’s the late 1930s, and their burning love for each other is ruinous, so here their love story pans out against a motley crew of other travelers, clientele and servers in the train station c...

SIX (Teen Edition) – George Lawton Hall, Mossley

2Oct

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

SIX (Teen Edition) – George Lawton Hall, Mossley

This production would normally have taken place at the spiritual home of NK Theatre Arts at the Romiley Forum, but due to circumstances beyond anybody’s control, this venue became unavailable at very short notice, so it was moved to the George Lawton Hall in Mossley, which was the only place that could accommodate this production at relatively short notice. Within the space of two weeks the stage and production including the technical side was moved over 10 miles to the new venue, so it can only be imagined the difficulties that entailed – and this was before the show even started! Rehearsals were taking place at different venues, and it is amazing that the production went ahead at all! But go ahead it did, thank goodness. Speaking to the director, Paul Wilson, he informed me that they ...

Murder Ballad – Forum Theatre, Stockport

25Mar

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Murder Ballad – Forum Theatre, Stockport

The Northern Premier of this new musical originally performed in New York in 2012 and moved to the West End in 2016. Directed by Paul Wilson and assisted by Lucy Worthington. Murder Ballard is the story of a love triangle set in New York in the 1980s and is told in the format of a one act rock musical lasting about 80 minutes. Like all love triangles, this one goes wrong in a most spectacular manner. As my mother used to say, “It’ll all end in tears!” and it certainly does. Sara (played in a very sensual way by Heather Schofield, taking on the role played by Kerry Ellis in the West End version of the show) falls for two different men. Firstly, there is bad boy Tom (Matt Corrigan), the owner of the Kings Club bar, with whom Sara experiences the excitement she craves, until he gets bor...