Storyhouse Archives - North West End UK

2Jul

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Rocky Horror Show – Storyhouse

Rocky Horror Show stops off at Storyhouse this week as part of its UK tour, and it opened with a bang. If it’s a party evening you’re after, this is the show for you. With brilliant music, fantastic costumes (not just on the stage), great lighting and a cast that gives you everything and more, Rocky Horror Show ticks all the right boxes. With songs such as Sweet Transvestite and The Time Warp. Brad and Janet are on their way home from a wedding when their car blows a tyre so they go to the nearest castle to ask if they have a telephone they can use and come across a ‘different’ group of people where they find themselves dragged into a series of interesting events as the real identity of those living here become apparent. The set designed by Hugh Durrant is very creative, all wi...

16Apr

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

Wales

Come From Away – Storyhouse, Chester

On September 11th 2001, the world came to a horrifying stop following a terrorist attack in the USA. As it became clear that the first plane crashing into the World Trade Centre North tower was a deliberate act, US airspace was closed and hundreds of planes across the world were diverted. Come from Away tells the tale of the little town of Gander, in Newfoundland, Canada, whose airport became a haven for many of those flights, and shines a spotlight on those in the community who rallied to help those stuck far from home, many initially unaware of what had unfolded that terrible morning as they finally stumbled off the planes they had been stuck on for many hours. Tonight, Tip Top Productions brought the story to life in a production that, quite simply, would rival any professional st...

Friends: The Musical Parody – Storyhouse Chester

2Apr

By Emma LambeNo Comments

Wales

Friends: The Musical Parody – Storyhouse Chester

When a TV show is as iconic as FRIENDS, it would be so easy to leave it alone and not attempt to parody. Boy, am I glad they decided to give it a go. Seeing it being brought to life on stage, had the perfect balance of breaking the fourth wall and making jokes that we know and love from the 90's sitcom. Photo: Pamela Raith You could tell it had been created by fans and managed to condense 10 seasons worth of plot and memorable moments into a 2 hour and 10-minute show (including interval). The beginning is super energetic and manages to keep this up throughout in my opinion. Judging by the audience laughs from start to finish, I think they agreed with me. The transitions were slick and worked well with the 'Warner Bros crew members' changing the set from Central Perk to Monica's ap...

8Mar

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

Wales

Macbeth – Storyhouse

Adapted and directed by Jamie Sophia Fletcher, Shakespeare has returned to Storyhouse with a fresh, bold and ambitious telling of Macbeth. We also see the return of the thrust configuration within the theatre which sees the stage area built out over the original stalls and creates a more intimate space where the audience surround three sides of the stage and feel even more involved with the story being told, with cast occasionally entering through the audience, inviting us in a little closer. The stage is pretty bare except for some strip lighting hanging down at different levels above the stage area and ‘Something wicked this way comes’ written all across the floor. The lighting is a huge part of this production, used to differentiate different families or groups, each with their own l...

12Dec

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Beauty and the Beast – Storyhouse

The festive season has returned and Storyhouse have treated us to a spectacular original version of Beauty and the Beast, full of beautiful scenery, fantastic costumes, songs to please all ages and a stellar cast who put their all in to bring us joy and cheer. Written by Anne Odeke with her debut panto, there are some strong messages throughout about treating people with respect, being kind to others and understanding that everyone deserves happiness. There are plenty of laughs, lots of joy but a lot of heart that will leave you feeling warm inside and maybe shed a little tear or two. Set and costumes, designed by Amy Jane Cook, are beautiful, extremely colourful, especially in Fromageville, shown off in all its glory by the wonderful lighting, designed by Aaron J Dootson. The set is...

17Jul

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Annie – Storyhouse, Chester

Tip Top productions have returned to the Storyhouse, this time with the classic musical, Annie, 33 years after the company first produced the show. With Direction from Phil Cross, we follow the journey of an 11-year-old orphan, Annie, who dreams that one day her parents will return to the orphanage for her and makes it her mission to find them. In the meantime, billionaire Oliver Warbucks and his assistant Grace Farrell are looking for an orphan to spend the holidays at their home, and this is where Annie’s story takes a turn. In the titular role, Emily Allerston shines while leading the company through this journey. With bags of confidence, energy and powerful vocals, we know we are in safe hands from the second she enters the stage. Allerston’s version of “Tomorrow” was beautifully...

Kaleidoscope Festival Returns to Storyhouse Chester For 2025

4Jul

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Kaleidoscope Festival Returns to Storyhouse Chester For 2025

Storyhouse’s vibrant and inclusive Kaleidoscope Festival returns to Chester this summer from Monday 7th July to Friday 11th July 2025, promising another unforgettable week of creativity, performance, and community spirit – all proudly created by and for learning-disabled artists and audiences. Now in its seventh year, Kaleidoscope Festival 2025 offers a programme of activities, performances, and special events across Chester, shining a spotlight on the imagination and talent of the learning-disabled community. Festival Highlights The festival launches on Monday 7th July with the spectacular Chester Disability Pride Parade, one of only a few such parades in the UK. Starting at 11am outside Chester Town Hall, the vibrant procession celebrates the achievements and visibility of the l...

Open-air theatre returns to Chester’s Grosvenor Park this summer

4Jun

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Open-air theatre returns to Chester’s Grosvenor Park this summer

Open-air theatre returns to Chester’s Grosvenor Park this summer as part of a fantastic festival of fun including a pair of enchanting theatrical treats on the main stage. The 2025 Grosvenor Park season, presented by Storyhouse, will run from 28th June to 31st August. Friday, 4th July marks a return to the park for Jane Austen’s beloved classic Pride and Prejudice, celebrating the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth. Adapted for the stage by Deborah McAndrew and directed by Conrad Nelson, the sparkling and witty Regency tale won acclaim from both critics and Grosvenor Park audiences when it was premiered in 2021 and is back by popular demand. Prepare to be swept away by Austen’s most famous love story as spirited Lizzie Bennet and the brooding Mr Darcy find themselves entangled...

20Feb

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

The Parent Agency – Storyhouse

This evening, I had the immense privilege of watching the world premiere of ‘The Parent Agency’. A BRAND-NEW musical at The Storyhouse based on the best-selling book by David Baddiel with music by Dan-Gillespie Sells and direction by Tim Jackson. The hilariously entertaining production follows the story of eleven-year-old Barry Bennett who dreams of having “better parents”, those who give him everything he has ever wanted! Barry’s wishes come true, and he is transported to the United Kid-dom, where he is taken to the Parent Agency to find the mum and dad of his wildest dreams - however he quickly finds out that all of this is easier said than done and we follow his trials and tribulations along the way. The set and staging by Jon Bausor was spectacular, yet minimalistic in certain as...

18Sep

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Heathers The Musical – Storyhouse

Based on the 1988 movie, Heathers the Musical has come exploding in to the Storyhouse, taking us on a journey of high school dramas, with stories of love, popularity, bullying and eventually coming together. Following the diary entries of Veronica Sawyer (Jenna Innes), we are taken through the trials and tribulations of the teens at Westerburg high. Veronica is just trying to get by and ends up forming a boon with the Heathers, the most popular girls at the school and who everyone either looks up to or is afraid of. Along the way we meet meek and mild Martha, Veronica’s best friend since diapers, Kurt and Ram, the high school jocks who think they own the school along with the Heathers. JD, the new dark, mysterious guy who Veronica falls in love with but soon realises that he has many is...