Simon Matthews Archives - North West End UK

13Nov

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

The Little Mermaid – The Brindley

Having seen the amazing Centenary Theatre Group deliver a spectacular Phantom of the Opera, I was intrigued and yes - very excited - to see how they would deliver a performance from a 1989 animated Disney film – The Little Mermaid. Diverse, brave and unpredictable – this theatre group were never afraid of risks or challenges – so I knew they would ‘smash it’ and ‘smash it’ – they did! From entering the theatre, a unique backdrop of surging bubbles and waves welcomed us , a spectacular and ‘gob-smacking’ digital backdrop that would mesmerise us all throughout the show – I am not sure how the Director Dan Grimes and the Digital Designer Simon Matthews did this, but it was a stroke of genius and consumed us all in a word of magic and wonder throughout. The story- origi...

Now That’s What I Call Armageddon – Daneside Theatre

14Sep

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

Now That’s What I Call Armageddon – Daneside Theatre

The idea of a ‘Now’ album highlighting the songs you'd want to listen to before the end of the world is certainly an intriguing concept. Although it’s easy to forget what ‘Now’ album we are up to, this performance by Trinity Amateur Operatic Society is clearly informing us that this is the final one! This album is badged as ‘the ultimate play list for the end of the world’ and directed by Simeon Green and Simon Matthews it is undoubtedly an innovative idea. The premise of the show is essentially about the songs that the public would want to hear as the end of the world approaches. The songs are entered into different categories such as ‘Ultimate song for singing in the shower’,’ …for motivation’, and even ‘…for driving with the window down.’ The backdrop to the stage displayed a T...

Blue Remembered Hills – The Daneside Theatre

6Oct

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

North West

Blue Remembered Hills – The Daneside Theatre

After a long period of ‘resting’, the Congleton Players are back in business and begin their season with a Dennis Potter play. The ‘Blue Remembered Hills’ began its life as a television play broadcast in 1979, in the days when the BBC broadcast plays for the TV. Potter came up with the idea that this story of seven children should be played by adults, an idea that he first tried in his play ‘Stand Up, Nigel Barton’. Set in the Forest of Dean in the Summer of 1943, wartime lurks in the background and tells of the life of a group of children, trying to be young and carefree, but with the knowledge that their life has changed and the innocence of their youth is a mere reflection in the eyes of the adults inhabiting their personas. As we enter the theatre, the ...

Sunshine on Leith – Northwich Memorial Court

23Sep

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

Sunshine on Leith – Northwich Memorial Court

After 2 years away from the stage due to Covid restrictions, Mid Cheshire Musical Theatre Company (MCMTC) invite audiences to Northwich Memorial Court for their much-awaited return, with the relatively new musical, ‘Sunshine on Leith’. Having first toured in Scotland in 2007 and then adapted into a feature film in 2013, ‘Sunshine on Leith’ is the story of Ally and Davy, two soldiers, and their eager return to civilian life in their much-loved hometown of Edinburgh following a tour in Afghanistan. It is a tale of friendship and love and the obstacles that prevent Ally and Davy returning to a life that is not quite what it was before they left.. From the very beginning it was clear that a great deal of thought and effort had gone into the styling of the set through the projection (Simo...