Thursday, December 26

Tag: Purvi Parmar

Twelfth Night – Shakespeare North Playhouse
North West

Twelfth Night – Shakespeare North Playhouse

As we approach the second anniversary of the opening of the Shakespeare North Playhouse, we can begin to assess its impact both within the local area and upon the wider northern theatrical scene. By teaming up with Not Too Tame, an independent theatre company based in Warrington for this version of ‘Twelfth Night’, we can see their intent to use of local voices to retell Shakespearean stories in an accessible way, an endeavour that was only partially successful in this production. Shakespeare’s tale of misunderstanding and cross dressing has undergone a renaissance in its popularity over the last decade, with the opportunity for directors to overtly queer the storyline and allow LGBTQ+ themes to be explored in the writing in an effective and sympathetic way. Whilst Director Jimmy Fairhu...
Teechers Leavers ’22 – Hull Truck Theatre
Yorkshire & Humber

Teechers Leavers ’22 – Hull Truck Theatre

Zoom, Netflix, Wordle, Covid 19, sanitising, face masks, Til Tok were all clues that playwright John Godber’s production Teechers, first performed in 1987, had been brought up to date with his re-imagined version - Teechers Leavers ’22. The Hull Truck Theatre was very well attended on Tuesday evening, as theatregoers not only looked forward to watching this rewrite, but also to the fact that Godber had been honoured with having the theatre’s Studio space renamed the Godber Studio. I arrived early on the night so I could be privy to the, admittedly short and sweet, speeches by the production’s director, Mark Babych, and Godber, in what is this popular theatre’s 50th anniversary year. Then it was showtime. As the lights dimmed, the deliberately unfussy stage setting came into view, ...
Say Yes to Tess – Camden People’s Theatre
London

Say Yes to Tess – Camden People’s Theatre

When I arrived at the Camden People’s Theatre on Thursday night, despite having been there several times before, I walked straight past it. It has had a lovely post-pandemic spruce up and the space felt clean, calm and inviting. Then, my heart sank when I saw the promotional poster for the show. “Say Yes to Tess - A New Musical”. Now don’t get me wrong, fringe theatre is very much my bag, and the description I’d read of the piece had really appealed to me, but goodness me… a musical in an intimate setting is the stuff of my nightmares. I’m pleased to report, though, that I was very pleasantly surprised and had a genuinely uplifting and enjoyable evening. Say Yes to Tess is Tess Seddon’s autobiographical retelling of her experience standing as a candidate for the Yorkshire Party in the 2...
Cast announced for A Christmas Carol at Bolton Octagon
NEWS

Cast announced for A Christmas Carol at Bolton Octagon

Casting has been announced for a festive broadcast reading of Charles Dickens’ classic novel A Christmas Carol at Bolton Octagon on Sunday 20th December. The classic redemptive tale old miser Ebenezer Scrooge who is visited on Christmas Eve by three spirits will be read aloud by a team of actors, and broadcast from various locations inside the new theatre. It will also give audiences a sneak peek at the newly refurbished and redesigned town centre venue ahead of its opening in early 2021. The cast includes Coronation Street’s Susan Hilton, John Afzal, Brianna Douglas, Brassic’s Neil Ashton, Colin Meredith, Purvi Parmar, Natalie Amber and Sam Black. “I’m delighted to be working with this fantastic cast of talented actors, all of whom are based locally to the Octagon,”, says the...