The Comedy of Errors Archives - North West End UK

The Comedy of Errors – Eastbury Manor House

31May

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

The Comedy of Errors – Eastbury Manor House

Double twins and twin doubles! This quartet of Three Inch Fools bring it all to the stage in their rambunctious rendition of “Shakespeare’s shortest comedy” trimmed of all its fat and implanted with several eye catching new musical interludes. Billed as “a musical take on Shakespeare” the Fools’ performance methodology is a tried-and-true formula. There are trap doors, nametagged doublets, ad libs, and prat falls -gimmicks galore. The play is both pure frivolity and ruthless efficiency as the company works overtime to squeeze every gag and galivant into the hours before darkness claims their almost obnoxiously charming outdoor playing space. Detailing (and on many occasions instead summarizing) the exploits of long-lost and reluctantly-reunited identical twins Antipholus and Anti...

6Aug

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

The Comedy of Errors – Speke Hall

A Shakespearean comedy set around two rival states and two sets of mismatched twins is brought to life in this bright adaptation from Steve Purcell, who also directs, with its central theme of mistaken identity the perfect vehicle for Mark Hayward’s production to explore a number of popular theatre forms in this consistently funny farce that piles error upon error at an increasingly frantic pace. If the challenge of the doubling up of not one but two sets of twins whilst keeping the audience on-board as the only ones who know what is happening on stage wasn’t enough, throw in an open-air venue, forecasted bad weather, and plane disruption from the adjacent airport, and I had everything crossed for the much-reduced cast of four playing all of the roles. I needn’t have worried as with ...

The Comedy of Errors (more or less) – Shakespeare North Playhouse

8Mar

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

The Comedy of Errors (more or less) – Shakespeare North Playhouse

A Shakespearean comedy set around two rival states and two sets of mismatched twins is brought back to life with its central theme of mistaken identity compounded by deliberate theatrical chaos and a cacophony of musical numbers from the 1980’s in this co-production from Shakespeare North and Stephen Joseph Theatre. An actor, Antipholus (David Kirkbride) arrives in a Yorkshire coastal town with his sidekick Dromio (Oliver Mawdsley) to perform his one man show, but there’s no audience as everyone has booked for a talent show across town starring the twin brother he’s never met, and whose sidekick is also named Dromio. The twin brother owes money but has promised his wife, Adriana (Alyce Liburd) a gold chain. With the Prescot brother falling for Adriana’s unmarried sister, Luciana (Ida...

The Comedy of Errors – Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre

11Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

The Comedy of Errors – Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre

Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre and Storyhouse have worked magic to bring some live theatre to Chester in these dark and uncertain times. From conception to first night took just two weeks as this incredibly talented group of actors, under the direction of Storyhouse Artistic director Alex Clifton, mostly rehearsed online, only coming together a mere four days before opening and staging the whole show in two days. Staging a show during a time of social distancing is a tricky business, but this group somehow made it look and feel completely natural. Keeping a distance from each other and, unlike other years, keeping a distance from the audience rather than running between them. We were still fully engaged and completely involved. Danielle Bird, Nichole Bird, Lowri Izzard, Mari Izzard,...