Vivian Panka Archives - North West End UK

20Oct

By Bethany EastonNo Comments

North West

Mean Girls – Liverpool Empire

It is always a challenge when putting a loved classic on stage - although this iconic film feels like it premiered yesterday, it was released in 2004! It is no wonder then that so many in the audience were hit with nostalgia, as the familiar and well-loved characters were brought to life on stage and with song. The story was revisited in film format in 2024, demonstrating that its themes remain as relevant today as they were two decades ago and continue to resonate with a new generation of Mean Girls fan. The musical, based on the book by Tina Fey, follows Cady Heron (Emily Lane), a teenager who is home-schooled in Kenya but wants to experience life with other teenagers. Moving with her mum (Jennifer Ellison) to Illinois, Cady navigates the hierarchy of other students at North Shore Hig...

6Oct

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Mean Girls – Bradford Alhambra

Gangs of teenagers were eagerly posing with the publicity posters outside this historic venue keen to check out the theatrical version of Tina Fey's cult classic movie. It was refreshing to see so many young faces in the audience as some of them might be experiencing the same sort of high school pressures and teen angst that Fey’s witty book full of smart one liners so accurately captured, which was no doubt based on her own experiences. Home schooled Cady had returned from the wilds of Kenya to be plunged into a hormone driven jungle where different packs wander the corridors of an Illinois High School preying on each other. Top of the food chain were the Plastics led by Regina and her two sycophantic sidekicks Gretchen and Karen. Egged on by arty outsiders Damian and Janis, the sch...

26May

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Mean Girls – Hull New Theatre

On what is being called “the hottest May Day ever”, it was a relief to enter the relative coolness of the Hull New Theatre, on Monday night. The Mean Girls were in town and I was curious to know if this stage version would live up to both the original 2004 movie, starring Lindsey Lohan, and the 2024 remake. Notes in the glossy programme inform us the Mean Girls transition from movie screen to stage was not a decision taken lightly; among the successful transitions mentioned are Dirty Dancing and The Bodyguard, that both “pulled in people who might not otherwise be willing to try the theatre”. Well, on Monday the venue was pretty full of theatregoers of all ages - no mean feat (pun intended) for a Bank Holiday night when folk usually have other activities on their agendas. The s...

2Apr

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

Mean Girls – The Regent Theatre

‘Mean Girls,’ originally written by Tina Fey in 2004, is gracing the stage at Stoke this week. It is an amusing musical comedy based on the film version. In its musical format it was an instant success and since it was first performed in New York in 2018 where it received much accolade and was nominated for several Tony awards. It then travelled to London and has been a huge success ever since. Directed by Casey Nicholaw it includes an extremely talented bunch of stars that are certainly ‘all things musical theatre’. The story is essentially about a group who call themselves ‘The Plastics’ who see themselves as the leaders of North Shore High School in every way. The ringleader is the evil ‘Regina George’ and it tells the tale of her taking new girl ‘Cady’ under her wing and the battle ...

27Feb

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Mean Girls – Opera House, Manchester

Few films capture early 2000s nostalgia quite like Mean Girls. The absolute hit of the noughties – starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey and Amanda Seyfried – it has long since cemented its cult-classic status. Much like other fan-favourite films that have recently made the leap from screen to stage - Heathers, The Devil Wears Prada, Legally Blonde and Pretty Woman to name just a few – its story continues to find new life with audiences. Direct from the West End, Mean Girls has landed in Manchester and brings an absolutely ‘Fetch’ cast with it. The story follows Cady Heron, on her transition from home-schooled life in Kenya into the harsh reality of American High School… when she meets ‘The Plastics’ who rule the school, she’ll realise high school is a whole new level of sava...

23Apr

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Dear Evan Hansen – Hull New Theatre

Some productions are so special that theatregoers can get the gist of the story from the get go. I certainly did when Dear Evan Hansen came to the Hull New Theatre on Tuesday evening. Ryan Kopel in the lead role as troubled high school kid, Evan, brought the gawky, angst-ridden, awkward, nerdy, coy, friendless teen to life so perfectly, words can’t begin to describe just how talented this young actor is. Everything about Kopel’s performance kept us, in the packed theatre, spellbound, as we followed his accidental journey of lies, lies and more lies. Evan lives with his mum Heidi (Lara Beth-Sas), whose busy work schedule often means her son is left alone for long stretches of time. He’s old enough, so no big deal. Or is it? Undergoing treatment from his doctor for his social anx...

19Mar

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

Dear Evan Hansen – Storyhouse Chester

An Emotional Roller-Coaster - It’ll Make Your Spine Tingle! There’s no doubt that composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have a formula for success with The Greatest Showman and Lala Land as part of their catalogue and Dear Evan Hansen is another award-winning musical hit. It premiered on Broadway in 2016, followed by a film and endless theatre tours and it has found a solid following of fans, of which there were many in the audience last night. A standing ovation to rapturous applause. It’s an emotional rollercoaster with moments of grief, love, laughter and sympathy and those ‘sweet spots’ in the melodies make the hairs on your arm stand up and your spine tingle. For those who haven’t stumbled across this wonderful show before, it’s the story of a socially anxious teenager who fee...

Dear Evan Hansen – Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

23Oct

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Dear Evan Hansen – Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

If you were born in this new century and nestle within the demographic that favours “Glee” “Big Bang Theory” then “Dear Evan Hansen” seems designed just for you. For those of us outside that very slim group it remains an anomaly. The show itself has an undoubted pedigree having opened on Broadway in 2016 with music and lyrics by Benji Pasek and Justin Paul (whose credits include the glorious “The Greatest Showman” and the awful sounding “Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz”) with a book by Steven Levenson, produced by Marc Platt and starring Ben Platt - note the shared surname making lesser critics wonder if that nepo-element may go some way to explain the show’s weaknesses, but, hey, it won nine Tony Awards! The show has toured endlessly, had a long West End, a badly received film - and people love...

11Jun

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Casting announced for brand-new UK tour of Dear Evan Hansen with a little help from TikTok

The full cast is announced for the brand-new production of the Olivier, Tony and Grammy award-winning Best Musical Dear Evan Hansen. Ryan Kopel (Newsies) will play the iconic role of Evan Hansen, alongside Lauren Conroy (Into The Woods) as Zoe Murphy and Alice Fearn (Wicked, Come From Away) as Evan’s mum, Heidi. They will be joined by Helen Anker (Mamma Mia!) as Cynthia Murphy, Richard Hurst (The Lion King) as Larry Murphy, Killian Thomas Lefevre (Bat Out Of Hell) as Connor Murphy, Tom Dickerson (Heathers) as Jared Kleinman, Vivian Panka (9 to 5 the Musical) as Alana Beck and Sonny Monaghan (discovered via TikTok) as alternate Evan. This is the first production of Dear Evan Hansen in the UK to perform the show with an ensemble. The ensemble are Lara Beth-Sas, Will Forgrave, Dan...

19May

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Casting announced for LIVE capture performance of Heathers the Musical

Bill Kenwright & Paul Taylor-Mills are excited to announce the cast for the eagerly anticipated recording of the hit production of Heathers the Musical, a project with Steam Motion and Sound. The cast for the filmed production are Ailsa Davidson (Veronica Sawyer), Simon Gordon (Jason “J.D” Dean), Maddison Firth (Heather Chandler), Vivian Panka (Heather Duke), Teleri Hughes (Heather McNamara), Vicki Lee Taylor (Ms. Fleming/Veronica’s Mom), Mhairi Angus (Martha Dunnstock), Liam Doyle (Kurt Kelly), Rory Phelan (Ram Sweeney), Oliver Brooks (Kurt’s Dad/Big Bud Dean/Coach Ripper), Andy Brady (Ram’s Dad/Principle Gowan/Veronica’s Dad), Benjamin Karran (Beleaguered Geek), Chris Parkinson (Hipster Dork/Officer McCord), Jermaine Woods (Peppy Stud/Officer Milner), Eleanor Morris...