The King’s Arms Archives - North West End UK

The Grill (Jokes about ovens) – The King’s Arms

14Aug

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

The Grill (Jokes about ovens) – The King’s Arms

In the small studio theatre above a Manchester pub, the pressure is on. Two chefs, drafted into a prison kitchen due to a staff strike to cook the Death Row inmates’ final meals. Welcome to The Grill where the stakes are high and the steaks are non-existent, our soon-to-be-deceased favouring garden salads and soup instead before they depart this plane of existence. Directed by Adam Cachia, our two chefs Tom and Wally filet and flambé their way through a blackly funny script that explores everything from class wars, culinary memories and how to fleece a Tesco meal deal. There are some spicy one liners, lovely wordplay, and great blocking of the two main actors that builds in some enjoyable physicality. There are a few fluffed lines here and there but both cope marvellously with the...

14Jul

By Louise KershawNo Comments

North West

Dear Eliza – The King’s Arms, Salford

Barbara Diesel’s Dear Eliza, currently touring UK fringe festivals, is a powerful and raw piece of theatre that explores the fear of the effects of mental ill health upon friendship and delves into the conversations that most people find too difficult, too upsetting, too challenging to have. This one woman show presents as a live video recording of responses to letters from one friend to another. Except the letters were never sent; never received. The letters are found hidden away following the suicide of the sender. The impact on Eliza, the recipient, is recorded in response; ironically, never to be received by its intended beneficiary and cleverly pulling the audience into that role. The structure of the piece allows a linear narrative which depicts the friendship between the two y...

13Jul

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar – The King’s Arms, Salford

In a packed-out King’s Arms, musical stand-up Holly Redford Jones’ tuneful contribution to Greater Manchester Fringe seeks to answer the question: where have all the lesbian bars gone? Redford Jones instantly draws the audience in with a reassuring stage presence, achieving many laughs through the sardonic delivery of her musings. Social critique remains sharp as well as facetious throughout. The show’s description promises many things- including a celebration of queer women of the past, present and future. It was therefore a missed opportunity for the piece to be noticeably light on sapphic content. Where did all the lesbian bars go? A brief history of the country’s venues- from the 1930s’ Gateways Club to London’s newest joint La Camionera- would have been a welcome inclusion. ...

Amy Webber: No Previous Experience – The King’s Arms

12Jul

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Amy Webber: No Previous Experience – The King’s Arms

Ambitious opera graduate Amy Webber brings a delightful blend of music, role-play, and a hint of job-hunting to the King’s Arms theatre with her stand-up routine. Webber opens with a playful sing-through of her CV, interspersed with anecdotes that keep the audience laughing throughout. Her ad-libbed lyrics and charming fumbles on her mini keyboard are reminiscent of a genre-bending act you’d see at Eurovision, mixing humour and talent seamlessly. With an energetic and quick-witted persona, Webber enacts various occupations, from teacher to therapist, and engages in tongue-in-cheek audience interaction. Among the interesting careers in the audience were an engineer and a skyscraper window cleaner, to whom she offered some frivolous networking pointers. A humorous stint with a volu...

Chris Tavener is Faking Cool – The King’s Arms, Salford

11Jul

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

Chris Tavener is Faking Cool – The King’s Arms, Salford

Armed with debonair wit and a trusty guitar, singer-songwriter Chris Tavener - no stranger to a gig - invites us into The King’s Arms to convince another of his audiences that he’s cooler than cool. Threatening to blow his cover, though, are those discordant, intrusive thoughts. It’s immediately made clear just how well Tavener knows his way around a guitar: he plays with instinctive confidence, continuously filling the space with foot-tapping riffs and melodies. His doubting inner voice plays out loud between songs, enabling the audience to hear the anxious musings that contrast Tavener’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics. This largely successful comedic device could be further deployed by using it to string a narrative; as implied by the title, the perceptibly-cool exterior battling with an i...

Rising Moon Productions and David Thacker Return

10Feb

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Rising Moon Productions and David Thacker Return

Rising Moon Productions present an arresting new production of American Buffalo by David Mamet, directed by Olivier Award winning David Thacker (Former Octagon Theatre Bolton artistic director). Coming to Salford’s The King’s Arms from March 14th - 24th 2024. A junk shop. Midwest America. Three small-time crooks plot to carry out the midnight robbery of a coin collection. In the hours leading up to the heist, friendship becomes the victim in a conflict between loyalty and business. Full cast includes Colin Connor Warhorse (World Tour); Girl from the North Country (UK Tour), David MacCreedy The Full Monty (UK Tour); Bouncers (John Godber Company) & John O’Neill Boat Story (BBC); Coronation Street (ITV). With assistant direction from Oliver Hurst (Red Brick Theatre). Directo...

14Nov

By Gill LewisNo Comments

North West

Boxed In – The King’s Arms, Salford

Tall Tales Theatre Group moves in with a light-hearted comedy which has potential but remains unpacked and unpolished. The King’s Arms is the perfect venue to stage a comedy based above a pub, where we meet the inexperienced rouge Landlord (George Walker) who, he tells us, spent his inheritance on this tired, mice infested flat. Unable to afford to decorate, he now rents it out, and unbeknown to his unsuspecting tenants, he still secretly lives there. Couple Neve (Sherrelle McCalla) and Stoney (Finn McDonald) move in, and are soon visited by their numerous friends, catching up on daytime television favourite, ‘Homes Under the Hammer’ (with some debate around Dion Dublin’s presenting skills) and planning on stealing some booze from their local Tesco. Written by George Unitt, th...

7Sep

By Louise KershawNo Comments

North West

Three – The King’s Arms, Salford

Currently on a national autumn tour, this intimate two hander, performed by Christie Peto and Hannah Harquart, explores one woman’s life experiences both inside and outside of her mind. We observe how she deals with her ordinary, even mundane life, whilst gripped by anxiety, low self-esteem and a manic depressive health problem. Not a barrel of laughs you may imagine, but actually, these charming comediennes, with both excellent timing and expression hold their audience from start to finish. One thing that is made very clear, having depression and anxiety is very exhausting. Every action, reaction, decision is overthought, challenged, rejected, investigated to microscopic detail and the battle between being positive and optimistic vs the doubtful and self loathing is constant. Harqua...

Foxdog Studios: Robo Bingo – The King’s Arms

2Aug

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Foxdog Studios: Robo Bingo – The King’s Arms

Set to dazzle audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, "Robo Bingo" provides a unique spin on traditional entertainment. This show, hosted by a dynamic duo of tech enthusiasts, Lloyd and Pete, seamlessly blends technology and comedy with interactive gameplay. Distinctly designed for introverts, "Robo Bingo" offers a refreshing take on audience participation. Show-goers get the opportunity to interact with robotic elements integrated into the performance, creating an immersive and memorable experience. This isn't your standard bingo night, and Lloyd and Pete's wit and charm are at the heart of the show's appeal. Their comedic timing and tech-infused narratives bring a fresh and enjoyable dynamic to the performance. As "Robo Bingo" gears up for its stint at the Edinburgh Frin...

12Jul

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Enough – The King’s Arms, Salford

"Enough," a thought-provoking production by Moonstone Theatre, plunges into the harsh realities of systemic misogyny and sexism within UK police forces. Written by Emily Hunter and inspired by the heart-wrenching Sarah Everard case, the play delivers an essential message, though its predictability somewhat hampers its impact. The script showcases the experiences of Constable Irie Dayton, a role brought to life with remarkable emotional depth by Riah Amelle. However, at times, the dialogue leans towards predictability, reducing the punch that such a profound topic merits. Despite this Fringe production's minimalistic setting, the performances are noteworthy. Emily Hunter, taking on the role of Constable Chris Dash, brings a marked intensity to the play, particularly during a pivotal i...