Stockport Plaza Archives - North West End UK

23Sep

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Annie – Stockport Plaza

I think just about everyone will be familiar with the tale of Little Orphan Annie and the rags to riches story which covered the life of this young girl and her friends from the orphanage where she was brought up. The word that often comes to mind when thinking about this musical is “cute”, but this production moved beyond that. There were times when you didn’t realise that you were watching a cast of mostly pre-teens as the maturity and professionalism of these young girls was amazing. I must start by praising the star of the show, the young girl who played the title role of the production. I have seen a number of versions of this show over the years and the performance of Zara Bateson as Annie was up there with the best of them. You knew that this was going to be something out of the ...

Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Stockport Plaza

13Mar

By Philip EdwardsNo Comments

North West

Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Stockport Plaza

Sometimes, reviewing theatre productions can be a bit like pulling hens teeth. You sit there, you get acted at, you clap then you leave. All very nice, but you can’t say very much about what you’ve seen. Then there are the nights when you get blown away by a production. A production so good, you can’t stop saying things about it. I saw one of those tonight. By any criteria you can name, this production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was a joy from start to finish. I guess you will know the plot by now. Three drag queens schlep across Australia in an old bus, (the titular Priscilla). They encounter the sort of people who don’t take naturally to people who are different. They are despised, assaulted in the vilest way. One finds romance, one a family but they all have adventures they wo...

27Sep

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Cats – Stockport Plaza

In my day job, outside of the nights I spend in and around the various theatrical haunts of Greater Manchester, I write about dogs. Yes, I am a canine journalist and yes, that is a real job! Given that my professional life revolves around man’s best friend you would think I would hate Cats but this production was so pleasing that I wanted to take it home, give it a saucer of milk and tickle it behind its ears. However, I did have one problem with the show and I will get the negative out of the way now because there was so much in it to enjoy. My gripe was that for some of the numbers where everyone was singing, I couldn’t hear the words. I don’t know if it was a sound issue but the solo songs were fine. The person I took with me said they had the same problem. As I say, I don’t want to ...

Betty Legs Diamond Show – Stockport Plaza

2May

By Philip EdwardsNo Comments

North West

Betty Legs Diamond Show – Stockport Plaza

Tonight was a night at the theatre for enjoyment, not to write reviews, yet here I am clacking the keyboard at 11am!!!! Fact is, I want to share news about the confection of a show I have just seen at the always lovely Plaza Theatre, Stockport. Drag is being, pardon the pun, dragged through the hedge backwards by right wing politicians who find it, well, subversive I guess, but as has always been the case, subversion can be a power for good. That is exactly the case with The Betty Legs Diamond show, currently touring. Betty was the legendary host of Funny Girls club in Blackpool and, cutting a long story short, she/he/they are now taking the show on the road. With a talented cast of six dancers Ms Diamond has filled the stage with movement and comedy that remind us that the...

Jason Manford’s Muddle Class – Stockport Plaza

13Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Jason Manford’s Muddle Class – Stockport Plaza

Jason Manford tweeted a video reminding the public that his stand-up special which he took all over the world was on BBC One tonight. He shared that we were in for a “great laugh” and luckily he didn’t disappoint with an hour of refreshing comedy that was warmly welcomed by audiences everywhere who continue to “stay at home”, several months into lockdown. Having seen this man perform live in “Curtains” at Liverpool Empire Theatre back in January and also watching him impressively become ‘Hedgehog’ on ITV’s The Masked Singer, it came as no surprise that his latest tour ‘Muddle Class’ has also been a huge success . This particular show was recorded back in February at Stockport Plaza and Jason opens the show by asking everyone to leave all of their troubles outside, enjoy the magic of the...