Shakespeare North Playhouse Archives

16Jul

By Karen Morley-ChesworthNo Comments

North West

Nell Gwynn – Theatre by the Lake

Nell Gwynn is like many women of influence in history, whose name may be known but whose story is. With memories of Barbara Winsor as the orange fruit seller in a Carry On film, I knew very little about the woman. However, Theatre by the Lake bring to life King Charles II’s mistress with a lively, bawdy romp – and tells her story. A collaboration between Theatre by the Lake, Shakespeare North Playhouse and Storyhouse Theatre, this production is as lively and entertaining as anything that may have been performed in the original Globe Theatre. Music, dance and bold, playful banter make this production a joy. The opening scene did have me worried as Burhan Kathawala, began a performance which was so wooden, then the lights lifted, the stage opened up to reveal a play within a play. Kath...

Step Behind the Scenes at Shakespeare North Playhouse’s Free Open Day

14Jul

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Step Behind the Scenes at Shakespeare North Playhouse’s Free Open Day

Shakespeare North Playhouse opens its doors for a community heritage celebration FREE Open Day with activities for all ages on Saturday 19th September. On Saturday, 19th September, Shakespeare North Playhouse will welcome visitors for a special Open Day, inviting the community to explore the stories, skills and traditions that have shaped Prescot in the past and continue to shape its future. Coinciding with this year's Heritage Open Days and inspired by their theme, Everyday Histories, the FREE event will celebrate the people, places and everyday moments that connect us across generations. From the crafts and industries that built Prescot's reputation, including watchmaking, cable manufacturing and farming, to the enduring legacy of Shakespeare's work, the Charity's Open Day will ...

The Tempest – Shakespeare North Playhouse

9Oct

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

The Tempest – Shakespeare North Playhouse

Monsters, sprites, humans, love and angst, sound like a delightful mix of intrigue and mystery. When in fact, you’re witnessing one of Shakespeare's works of art, produced by Tom Dixon and Will Orton. The Handlebards, a group of inspiring thespians who have made it their mission to bring environmentally friendly theatre on a journey to make it accessible for all. The Tempest has a simple set (Ellie Light) which doubles up as different staging props when needed and the group use comedic and creative ways to adapt their scenes and surroundings. The set also has the main protagonist Prospero all over it symbolising his monopolisation of the island and all who inhabit. The music and sound (Guy Hughes) within this production are beautiful and magical, also, a large portion of the music...

Electric Dreams – Shakespeare North Playhouse

28Aug

By Louise KershawNo Comments

North West

Electric Dreams – Shakespeare North Playhouse

Welcome to the 1980s; to Athens, where four young lovers and a group of oddball actors come together in a fairy forest and find themselves at the mercy of mischievous spirits. Sound familiar? Well maybe not the 1980’s part, but the rest, of course, is that much loved comedy of Mr William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream presented to us at the beautiful Shakespeare North Playhouse. What unfolded over the next two hours I can only describe as a joy. As an 80’s child myself, and a massive Human League fan, I actually found myself quite giddy at the thought of the night ahead, and a little nervous that I could be very disappointed if my favourite Shakespeare play, studied and loved at O Level, and the music of my teenage years did not merge well. I was not disappointed. Not for one mo...

Measure for Measure – Shakespeare North Playhouse

8Aug

By Johanna RobertsNo Comments

North West

Measure for Measure – Shakespeare North Playhouse

So, how to approach Shakespeare’s plays at time when his work is easily accessible, in written or recorded format, and when every word and nuance has been studied in depth? How to reproduce the spontaneity, the freshness of experiencing the play as if it were for the first time? The answer, according to Shake-Scene Shakespeare, is to use cue-based performance. Originally, rather than each actor having a copy of the entire play, they had only their own part and their cues, plus any direction of when to enter or leave. Reproducing this technique means actors and audience ‘discover’ the play at the same time. Does it work? Based on this production of Measure for Measure, yes. Absolutely. Briefly, the Duke of Vienna (Eugenia Lowe) has allowed the city to become corrupt, so pretends to g...

Hamlet – Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden, Shakespeare North Playhouse

2Aug

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Hamlet – Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden, Shakespeare North Playhouse

Director Steve Purcell is to be praised for his heavily abridged adaptation which, coming in at less than half the length of the full text, focuses on the family drama at the heart of the play, bringing a humanity to its protagonist that is rarely seen. Prince Hamlet (Richard Lessen), accompanied by his good friend Horatio (Laura Cooper-Jones), is consumed by grief and anger following the death of his father and his mother Gertrude’s (Tamsin Lynes) hasty marriage to his uncle, Claudius (Martin Gibbons), who then becomes king. He encounters the ghost of his father who reveals he was murdered by Claudius and demands revenge. Hamlet feigns madness to investigate the claim and plan his revenge which causes consternation at the court, whilst his relationship with Ophelia (Lynes), daughter of...

One Man Poe – Shakespeare North Playhouse

1Jul

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

One Man Poe – Shakespeare North Playhouse

Described as a 'marathon of the macabre' by director and performer Stephen Smith, this performance of some of Edgar Allan Poe's most renowned stories is captivating from start to finish. Although, I was only fortunate enough to see the abridged version of the show featuring two of the four main stories, I would relish to see the remaining stories and urge people to take a dive into the grisly, dark world of One Man Poe. How one man can thoroughly engage an audience so that you are able to hear a pin drop is a great achievement and Smith should be so incredibly proud. The portrayal and delivery of the lines was done with such passion, clarity and perfection, that the audience felt every lurid and desperate emotion within each story. The minimalist set and the fantastic use of the prop...

The Highwayman – Shakespeare North Playhouse

27Jun

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

The Highwayman – Shakespeare North Playhouse

With more swagger than Ronaldo, Mick Jagger, and the cast of Made in Chelsea combined, this lively John Godber production gallops onto stage to introduce us to the most infamous scoundrel you’ve never actually heard of. Meet John Swift, a young man who decides to combine his skills as a butcher and infantryman in the French army to attempt to take Dick Turpin’s crown, robbing a living from the rich who pass through his town. But as he starts to waver in his choice of a life of crime, can he find a way of making an honest wage and afford his darling wife, Molly May the lifestyle she desires? Under Godber’s nimble direction, the show manages to keep one foot in the 18th century and the other firmly in his trademark Yorkshire grit and humour. It’s part restoration love story, part farci...

15Jun

By Gill LewisNo Comments

North West

Rum – Shakespeare North Playhouse

Grafting through the grief, a beautifully vulnerable, and nuanced portrayal of the psychology rooted in working-class masculinity. Max Emmerson Productions present a deeply authentic portrayal of working-class masculinity—its constraints, contradictions, and quiet vulnerabilities. Joe Mallalieu’s brilliant solo performance is raw, emotive, and powerful. Over the course of an hour, we are deeply drawn into a part of society rarely given such unflinching, unapologetic, and compassionate focus on stage. Under Tess Seddon's astute direction, Mallalieu writes a piece that is not only theatrically engaging, but also socially urgent. Mallalieu, a former plasterer himself, brings a lived-in truth to his performance. His presence is magnetic—naturalistic, grounded, and emotionally nuanc...

Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope – Shakespeare North Playhouse

14Jun

By Kevin EcclestonNo Comments

North West

Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope – Shakespeare North Playhouse

Actor and writer Mark Farrelly’s portrayal of Quentin Crisp is mesmerizing. Under Linda Marlowe’s careful direction, Farrelly delivers a 75-minute performance that is both insightful and engaging. His ability to embody Crisp’s unique mannerisms, voice, and flamboyant style transforms this solo act into an intimate and deep theatrical experience. Naked Hope depicts Crisp at two phases of his remarkable life, firstly alone in the 60’s in his Chelsea flat convinced that life had passed him by and thirty years later as a celebrity who has conquered New York. Crisp, born Dennis Pratt was known for his sharp wit, and Farrelly makes sure these one-liners hit with the right mix of humour and emotion. From the funny yet bittersweet line, “Sex is the last refuge of the miserable; if we do not suf...