Theatre Porto Archives - North West End UK

22Dec

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Star of Wonder – Unity Theatre

This collaborative production from Theatre Porto and Teatro Pomodoro, originally performed at Theatre Porto in 2022, follows its own star as it travels from Ellesmere Port to arrive in Liverpool’s Unity Theatre where, under the direction of Nina Hajiyianni, it delights and enthrals in equal measure. In this modern take on the nativity tale, five friends (Carmen Arquelladas; Jordan Connerty, Miwa Nagai; Nikki Hill; Simone Tani) and a teddy bear set out to follow a star using a unique form of transport. Despite becoming separated, their journey continues including having to overcome the challenges of mirages, sandstorms, and quicksand, as well occasional attacks from a pair of shepherds and their flock of sheep. With the group eventually reunited, the question is whether they will finally...

12Dec

By Emma LambeNo Comments

North West

The Tale of Nobody Nose – Theatre Porto

This fun, playful interactive show was the perfect way to spread festive cheer. Our 3 clowns Boz, Yolo and Flo were warm and friendly characters from the start and had a natural way with interacting with the audience and getting them involved. They set the tone of each scene so well. Whether it be being mischievous and slapping one another with fish toy props or creating a sense of awe with the use of shadows and projections. They brought each of the puppets to life too. Harrison the puppet was beyond adorable and felt so real as he made his way across the snowy wilderness and travelled across sea, land and air. I was mesmerised each time the puppets took over the stage. Paul, Gemma and Katy-Anne really were fantastic with sharing their creativity and showcasing what Goofus Theatre are abo...

Crab Tragedy: A Greek Myth told Sideways – Capstone Theatre

7Mar

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Crab Tragedy: A Greek Myth told Sideways – Capstone Theatre

A special adaptation for families of their previous ‘Sirens, Men and Crabs’, Teatro Pomodoro’s Crab Tragedy is an hour-long surreal comedy that turns Ancient Greece upside down with this performance pre-empting a soon to follow national tour. A cast of three take on the fishy tale of Ulysses (Simone Tani) and the Siren (Carmen Arquelladas) but it’s all about the Crab (Miwa Nagai) thrown in for good measure with the cast taking on other characters to keep the story sailing on to its inevitable albeit unexpected conclusion. There’s a low-budget atmosphere reminiscent of The Play That Goes Wrong but here the money has been spent wisely with thoughtful and considered staging and expertly adapted props that aid and support strong performances: don’t be fooled, the creative skill and artis...

23Feb

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

The BFG – Theatre Porto

Disley Theatrical Productions are back with their second production, the fantastic BFG. Originally written by Roald Dahl and adapted for the stage, DTP have done an incredible job at bringing this wonderful story to life at Theatre Porto in Ellesmere Port. Directed by Phil Cross, you can see from the off how much work has gone in to bringing this classic to life, but not in any ordinary way. This version invites the audience to dive into this new world with the use of inventive lighting, shadows, puppetry, and a wonderful imagination. You feel like you’ve been completely transported into a whole other universe which is run by Giants, easily losing yourself in that world with the incredible storytelling of this company. It's Sophie’s birthday and she receives The BFG book as her birth...

9Dec

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Little Red – Theatre Porto

Kevin Dyer’s delightful re-imagining of this tale as old as time is wonderfully brought to life under the direction of Nina Hajiyianni with memorable musical composition by Patrick Dineen to keep us on the right path as Little Red (Fatima Jahara) heads into the forest with the blessing of her mother (Anoush Kendrick) to visit her sickly Grandma (Francesca Anderson), but on the way she encounters a rather hungry Wolfie (Stephanie Greer) who has other plans for her. There is a surreal quality to this re-telling and the all-female cast deliver inspired performances with Anderson, Greer, and Kendrick also taking on ensemble roles as the journey unravels with lots of humour and the right amount of scare, wrapped up in song and some outstanding choreography. Anderson’s Grandma is instantly re...

The Woman Who Crossed the Road – Theatre Porto

31Oct

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

The Woman Who Crossed the Road – Theatre Porto

The uprising in Iran is just over a year old. Women are still demonstrating, refusing to wear their headscarves and shouting ‘Woman. Life. Freedom’. At the same time, the government is hitting back, often literally: in the past week, a sixteen-year-old girl died suffering from brain damage after an alleged altercation with morality police who had assaulted her for not wearing a hijab. Performed by Najmeh Shoara, born in Iran but forced to leave to keep herself safe and sane, she is in the UK for the first time to tell this story which, written and directed by Kevin Dyer, is based on the true stories of the many women forced to leave places and start over again. Whilst pre-dating the tragic death of Mahsa Amini in Iran in September 2022, it was updated to reflect its Iranian origins and ...

10Oct

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Baba Yaga – Theatre Porto

The tales of the Baba Yaga, best known in Slavic folk and fairy tale traditions, are full of rich story material, and Laura Lindow’s new play for Theatre Hullabaloo and Theatre Porto reimagines the best elements of these to present a dark, fairytale world where the children’s bravery and ingenuity ultimately triumphs. The journey of two children, Girl (Fran Burgoyne) and Boy (Ben Galpin), and their search for safety, resonates strongly with current times as they encounter a town which refuses to let them in, knowing that as a result they are almost certainly sending them into terrible danger. However, whilst there is a moral message at the heart of this piece, directed by Nina Hajiyianni and produced by Miranda Thain, about our collective responsibility to look after the most vuln...

11Jun

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Idlib – Theatre Porto

Written and directed by Kevin Dyer, and produced by Laura Duncalf, Idlib started as a piece of prose as a prelude for a play that morphed into a short story before becoming the script for a monologue first performed online in 2021. Based on the story of a Syrian baker who wanted to return home and real interviews with Syrian refugees and escapees across Europe, it tells the story of a woman (Anoush Kendrick) who has hope, but it is both the prelude to this tale and what follows afterwards as well that make this such a special evening. I have seen this production twice before – online and in-person at an intimate space several months ago – but I couldn’t resist the attraction of participating again at a new venue (for me) and with a new performer. It transpires that this is the start ...