The Lowry Archives - Page 8 of 11

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...

11Mar

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Opera North: Carmen – The Lowry

Carmen is stuffed full of well-known arias and melodies, or as one audience member put it as she left the theatre, “I was surprised by how many songs I already knew.” From the Toreador’s song to the Habanera and the Seguidilla the music is easily recognisable by most people even if they have never been to an opera. This boisterous production by Opera North updated events from 19th century Sevilla to a border town in the late 1950s early 1960s. This was a clever idea as this was a time of rebellion, of counter-culture, where young people wanted to be free and do their own thing. To live and love on their own terms. For the character of Carmen love is transitory. She is open and honest in saying that she falls in and out of love with ease. She just wants freedom and is unconcerned with...

10Mar

By Louise KershawNo Comments

North West

As You Like It – The Lowry

Consistently one of Shakespeare’s most frequently performed comedies, this 30th anniversary Northern Broadsides production of As You Like It, by its’ own admission, attempts to provide the audience with an opportunity to consider ‘the transformative power of love and the natural world’ and the ‘crazy power of love to change the world’. Presented Arena style, square rather than in the round, and using a collection of hat stands and what looked like my Nana’s washing line to create the magical Forest of Arden, designer E M Parry has success in creating their ‘Narnia- like’ giant dressing up box in which the cast of 12 Northern actors were able to play. From naff shell suits to gorgeously coloured gypsy skirts, rigid bone corsets to shiny superhero capes and anything in between that glitte...

10Mar

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Opera North: Rigoletto – The Lowry

Femi Elufowoju Jr’s interpretation of Giuseppe Verdi’s 1851 masterpiece for Opera North by and large works although I’m yet to be convinced about the zebra. We open as the Duke (Roman Arndt) leads his courtiers in drinking and debauchery whilst his jester, Rigoletto (Eric Greene) mocks all those around. The arrival of Count Monterone (Byron Jackson) in a failed attempt to save his daughter results in a curse on the Duke and Rigoletto. Rigoletto is tormented by the curse, and we discover he has a daughter, Gilda (Jasmine Habersham) whom he jealously guards, but the Duke has already spied and fallen for her – or has he? The courtiers have also tired of Rigoletto’s antics at court and under the steer of Marullo (Themba Mvula), they trick him before carrying Gilda off to the palace. R...

16Feb

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Private Lives – The Lowry

When you put Patricia Hodge and Nigel Havers on a stage together, you already know it’s going to be a great show. Noel Coward’s Private Lives by the newly formed Nigel Havers Theatre Company does just that, and it’s everything you hoped it would be and more! Set in the 1930s, the play tells the story of Elyot (played by Havers) and Amanda (played by Hodge) who were once married and find themselves in adjoining rooms at a French hotel with their new partners, with the unexpected happening and the couple reconnecting. Havers takes on the role taken by Noël Coward himself in the original production in 1930 with a Suaveness we’ve come to expect, the character being delightfully charming but also quite stubborn and obstinate. Olivier Award winning actress Hodge is effortlessly glamorou...

14Feb

By Rachel FosterNo Comments

North West

Kattam Katti – The Lowry

Pagrav Dance company comprises of a cast who have Indian heritage, have taken to the road on their latest tour (four musicians and four dancers) who bring their unique take on traditional Indian Kathak dance. Kattam Katti means ‘cutting through,’ and they do that with a mix of dance, singing, music composed especially for the performance and a splice of comedy. The setting is the frenetic energy of the Uttarayan Kite Festival which the performers deftly bring to life with expression and movement. The kites are left to our imaginations, the long strings are shown and woven across the stage creating a barrier or difficulty to dance. While the dancers use performance to illustrate the range of emotions that the kite festival incites. To put into context this festival is such a big deal ...

1Feb

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

The Play What I Wrote – The Lowry

Morecombe & Wise are without doubt a British institution, with their Christmas specials drawing in over 20 million viewers in their day; delivering shows packed with laughter and jokes a plenty. To write a stage production on them must be a daunting task, but one which writers; Hamish McColl, Sean Foley and Eddie Braben have excelled at in this new play; The Play What I Wrote. With a cast of just three (well actually four but we’ll get to that), this isn’t a biographical piece about the famous duo, far from it. This is original, but yet still just as dynamic and very very funny! The story follows two performers; Dennis played by Dennis Herdman & Thom played by Thom Tuck. Dennis wants to do a play about the famous duo for the potential money, whilst Thom aspires to write serio...