The Little Theatre Archives - North West End UK

Towards Zero – The Little Theatre, Birkenhead

14Jun

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

Towards Zero – The Little Theatre, Birkenhead

Agatha Christie is ‘marmite’ and for me personally, not something I would spread on my toast, but it is the case that audiences love them, and many amateur theatres will always include one in their catalogue in their season as they know its bums on seats. Carlton Players being no exception, regularly produce her plays and this week its Towards Zero, a complicated mix of the usual group of suspects: house guests gathered in a large house. No surprise there’s a murder, everyone has a motive and finally, by some clever deduction, the police uncover the truth. The script, like all Christie, is pretty static and all exposition and one way a director might approach it is to find the comedy and irony: play it over the top with lots of movement and action. This director didn’t q...

Wyrd Sisters – The Little Theatre, Birkenhead

An enjoyable and charming romp through an enchanted world where 3 powerful witches stand on a dark, lonely heath conjuring up a magical plan which will see them use their witchcraft and sorcery within the realms of fate, time and destiny. Evil Lord Felmet murders the King of Lancre and takes over the throne. The 3 witches, Granny, Nanny and Magrat who have hidden the real heir to the throne must find a way of overthrowing Lord Felmet to make room for the true heir. Terry Pratchett’s 6th offering from the Discworld series is brought to life admirably by The Carlton Players. This fantastical tale pulls on a range of accessible references, mainly Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Hamlet. Adapted by Stephen Briggs and directed by Barry Prescott, this humorous...

Curtain Up! – The Little Theatre

As theatre companies continue to return to live performances following enforced hiatuses from the Covid-19 pandemic, tonight’s performance possibly hits a bit closer to home than it usually would. Curtain Up! by Peter Quilter introduces us to five women who inherit a dilapidated theatre and set about trying to raise funds for its revival. They settle on hosting a charity concert, with a guest turn from the global megastar, Liza Minelli, who has shocked them by agreeing to appear. But when things go awry, the troupe go to great lengths to keep the truth from their audience. Directed by Eliane Davie, this is a gentle comedy very much reliant on the dynamic between the very different women. Carlton Players’ veteran Elizabeth Youster takes on the role of Pam, ex-wife of the theatre’s pre...