The Lowry Archives - Page 12 of 15

19Oct

By Hazel BumbyNo Comments

North West

Blood Brothers – The Lowry

I love Blood Brothers and have to admit Mrs Johnstone is role I dream of playing one day. With more drama than any soap, this wonderful story is set in the exciting City of Liverpool with a move to Skelmersdale later in the show. Set between the 50’s-70’s, it tells us of a young woman who met a ‘fella’ and got pregnant and in those days, children without marriage was frowned upon, so very quickly they wed…. She went on to have several children with him before he left her, and she no longer looked like ‘Marilyn Monroe’ who he had always likened her to. He left her pregnant “with seven hungry mouths to feed and one more nearly due”. Only one more turned into two more mouths… The lady she cleaned for hatched a plan and as she couldn’t have her own child, Mrs John...

Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical – The Lowry

28Sep

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical – The Lowry

It’s moving, touching and filled with stirring harmonious songs; Fisherman Friends - The Musical is not your usual ‘film to stage’ production! Directed by James Grieve; the Fisherman Friends Musical follows the same plot as the popular 2019 movie - a true story about a group of Cornish fishermen who are discovered by Danny (played by Jason Langley) a former A & R man for Island records which leads to the group recording a demo and eventually onto performing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. This musical tugs at your heartstrings far greater than the movie and there are moments when emotions run high and moments when it becomes quite reflective and somber. It runs at quite a fast pace and although it’s 140 minutes in length; it keeps your attention throughout and the appearance...

Girl from the North Country – The Lowry, Salford

21Sep

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Girl from the North Country – The Lowry, Salford

The term 'jukebox' musical conjures up images of women of a certain age cavorting to Abba tracks in the Greek sunshine or the high pitched falsetto of Franki Valli in 1960's America. However, despite emanating from this rather dispiriting genre, 'Girl from the North Country' is a very different beast from 'Mamma Mia' and 'Jersey Boys', proving that this type of musical can have literary and artistic merit as well as providing first class entertainment. The first surprise is that it is based around the music and lyrics of Mr Robert Zimmerman, a.k.a Bob Dylan, the poster boy of the 1960's counter culture being the last person you would expect to see lending his name to such an ostensibly commercial enterprise. Curiosity is piqued even more when Conor McPherson is added to the mix as write...

14Sep

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

And Here I Find Myself – The Lowry

There’s an added edge to tonight’s show. We will hear repeatedly how the past feels condensed into a moment that has only just happened. Under the shadow of the very recent death of the Queen, with two major shows in full swing in the Lowry’s larger theatres this theme will probably resonate far more strongly than may have been expected. Created and performed by Wayne Steven Jackson, we are guided through milestones of Wayne’s life, trying to navigate the world and its expectations of conformity, despite the apparent relaxation of attitudes towards LGBTQ+ rights. Suddenly facing 40 and having failed (through surrogacy) to become a father, Wayne has a choice to make – keep pushing towards ‘ticking the boxes’ (marriage, family, career etc.) or reject these rules and forge his own path. ...

28Jun

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

Cluedo – The Lowry

Colonel Mustard, with the dagger…in the theatre? Out of the box and on to the stage, family favourite boardgame Cluedo rolls up for an evening so fun it’s lethal. The plot is based on that of the 1985 film Clue: the 6 familiar suspects show up at Boddy Manor having all been mysteriously invited there, where a revelation from their host sets in motion a sequence of surprising events. Direction from Mark Bell, of The Play That Goes Wrong fame, gives cause for excitement for all the farcical comedy fans this show is designed to attract. However, Sandy Rustin’s vanilla script limits this adaptation to the appeal of a second-hand game with the instructions missing. There is chucklesome physical humour, most regularly delivered by the floundering Reverend Green (Tom Babbage): his being ...

26May

By Jo TillotsonNo Comments

North West

Rambert Dance – The Lowry

Rambert is a contradiction of dance. Britain’s oldest dance company, created at the turn of the 20th Century, with a 40year legacy of some of the best examples of modern, contemporary dance within the dance world. Whilst Rambert is putting the finishing touches to a new tour of an adaptation of Peaky Blinders, tonight we have a company exposed (almost literally in one piece), showcasing three pieces of pure dance, stripped of any in-depth narrative, instead a celebration of the art form they have dominated for decades. Our first piece, Eye Candy, choreographed by Imre and Marne van Opstal, is an exploration of modern beauty standards and its positive and negative impact on us. Dancers wearing specially designed body suits to give the impression of nudity (minus private parts) kick an...

5May

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Wuthering Heights – The Lowry

“How is anyone expected to follow this? All the names sound the same and everyone is so very, very cross with me!” So, laments Mr Lockwood, new tenant of literary anti-hero Heathcliff, and our introduction to an irreverent and unique take on the Emily Brontë classic. For those not familiar with the text, it follows Heathcliff, taken in as an orphan from the docks of Liverpool to the wild moors of Yorkshire by the well-meaning Mr Earnshaw. He is bullied and resented by Earnshaw’s son Hindley, but finds solace in his friendship with daughter Cathy, which evolves into an intense and toxic love affair. The fact that Emma Rice is the wizard behind tonight’s curtain is the first and biggest clue that the famous novel is likely to have been turned on its head. Her short-lived tenure as A...

18Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Meet the West End stars of tomorrow!

Three sets of twins who are starring in Identical, the new musical adaptation of The Parent Trap at The Lowry from Friday 19th August - Saturday 3rd September 2022. After a five-year casting search and multiple auditions across the UK, three sets of talented identical twins are about to become Britain’s latest musical theatre stars. The trio of twins will be starring in Identical, the new musical adaptation of Erich Kästner’s novel ‘The Parent Trap’ directed by Olivier & Tony award-winning director Sir Trevor Nunn and produced by Kenny Wax whose current hits include ‘SIX the musical’ and ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’. Identical tours to The Lowry from Friday 19th August - Saturday 3rd September 2022. They say you should never work with children or animals, but this summer Olivier an...

17Mar

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Bedknobs & Broomsticks – The Lowry

Musical theatre in Britain is currently heavily influenced by Disney, with three shows (The Lion King, Mary Poppins and Frozen) playing in the West End at present, and 'Beauty and the Beast' arriving in Manchester next month as part of a national tour. Whether you think this is a good or bad thing, it shows no sign of dissipating with the next one off the production line, an adaptation of the much beloved 1971 film musical 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks'. It is fair to say that with a few minor tweaks, the House of Mouse could have another big hit on its hands. The original stories by Mary Norton, author of The Borrowers, were written in the immediate period after the Second World War and the story of the Rawlins children, Charlie (Conor O'Hara), Carrie (Isabella Bucknall) and Paul (Aidan Ot...

13Mar

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Opera North: Alcina – The Lowry

The staging of Handel’s Alcina presents a challenge and from what I saw tonight, the jury is still out; if we focus instead on the delivery of some of the finest vocal writing ever written and all-round musicality, then this performance should be considered a success. Searching for her fiancé Ruggiero (Patrick Terry), Bradamante (Mari Askvik) arrives on an island belonging to the enchantress Alcina (Sky Ingram). Bradamante has adopted the disguise of her own brother, Ricciardo, and is accompanied by her protector, Melissa (Claire Pascoe). Alcina’s sister, Morgana (Fflur Wyn), instantly falls in love with ‘Ricciardo’ despite already being in a relationship with Oronte (Nick Pritchard), whilst Bradamante is distraught when she discovers Ruggiero and Alcina are lovers. Within this medle...