Simon Pickup Archives - North West End UK

12May

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Frozen – The Brindley Theatre

Disney’s Frozen, with music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, was originally directed on Broadway by Michael Grandage and has become one of the most beloved modern musicals for audiences of all ages. Therefore, it was with huge excitement and great anticipation that I attended the Centenary Theatre Company’s production of Disney Frozen at the The Brindley Theatre. As one of the very first amateur productions of Frozen anywhere in the UK and the first production in the North of England, this was always going to be a special theatrical event, and the company certainly rose to the challenge magnificently. Directed by Dan Grimes, this production captured all the magic, warmth and spectacle audiences have come to love from Frozen, whilst also bringing an enormo...

14May

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

Shrek the Musical – The Brindley

Step into the magical mythic tale of Shrek the Musical and follow him and his band of fairytale creatures on a journey with his beloved sidekick Donkey and his enchanted Princess Fiona as they save the Kingdom of Duloc from the evil Farquaad and find true love. Directed by Dean Callow. This performance, although it may be performed by an amateur company, is anything but amateur. A show which is guaranteed to have audiences laughing, singing and shouting for more. Audiences are captivated from the moment they enter the auditorium as the staging and set are eye catching and transport you into a magical wonderland. Then, you are hit with the most stunningly enchanting costumes which perfectly identify each individual character easily, full of colour, sparkle and pizazz. The Musical D...

19Feb

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Beauty and the Beast – Grange Theatre

Mid Cheshire Musical Theatre Company (MCMTC) are back with their annual musical offering bringing Disney’s Beaty and the Beast to the wonderful Grange Theatre. Beauty and the Beast is a stage adaptation of Disney's beloved animated film. The musical, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and a book by Linda Woolverton, first premiered in 1994. It tells the timeless story of Belle (Gemma Chapman), a bright, independent young woman who is dissatisfied with her small village life and yearns for adventure. The story unfolds when Belle's father, Maurice (Bill Shardlow), gets lost in the woods and stumbles upon the Beast's enchanted castle. The Beast (Ben Vaughan), a prince cursed by an enchantress, imprisons Maurice. Belle offers to take her father's place and b...

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...

The Phantom of the Opera – Brindley Theatre

15May

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

The Phantom of the Opera – Brindley Theatre

I have no words! I will try to express to you all the absolute stunning masterpiece that this production is. The iconic story of a disfigured musical genius, that lives under an opera house in Paris, who is besotted by a talented singer Christine and evokes fear and carries out murderous evil to get his way but whose love is lost as Christine finds love with an old flame, has been an Andrew Lloyd Webber work of genius for nearly 40 years and for the Centenary Theatre Group to have the opportunity to present this phenomenal musical in a local theatre is an opportunity this magnificent company could not resist – and rightly so. The talented cast, whom I have seen in various performances, give every show 100% and constantly show their amazing skills in both singing and dancing at every per...

18Nov

By Blathine MaguireNo Comments

North West

Strictly More Musicals – The Brindley Theatre

After two long years away from performing, Centenary Theatre Company are back with a bang this November as they present ‘Strictly More Musicals’ at The Brindley Theatre, Runcorn. Having seen this talented company perform before, I had no doubt we were in for a treat, especially when back sitting in the beautiful Brindley setting, however what I wasn’t expecting was this overwhelming feeling of joy and pride to be back witnessing superb live performances in what turned out to be a wonderful night of celebration and accomplishment. ‘Strictly More Musicals’, which has been cleverly directed by Dan Grimes, takes us on a journey and doesn’t forget the difficulties we have all faced over the last two years. The production team have been creative in that they have categorised the s...