Blog Archives

Theatre Review: MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS – The Lowry, Salford

This touring adaptation of MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS successfully captures the essence of Christie’s classic, thanks to strong performances, a creative set design, and well-placed humour.

5 out of 5 stars

Since its publication in 1934, Agatha Christie’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS has been subject to many adaptations, from film to television and, of course, many theatre productions...

Read More

Theatre Review: 2:22 A GHOST STORY – The Lowry, Salford

The cast of 2:22. A GHOST STORY. Photo Credit: Johan Persson

Exploring themes of love, loss, and truth, 2:22 A GHOST STORY is an engaging and atmospheric play featuring strong performances and a skillfully crafted set that evokes tension and suspense.

4 out of 5 stars

A tale of the supernatural has to be regarded closely and treated with care. Too much fear and the work becomes a caricature; too little, and there is no bite...

Read More

Theatre Review: ROBIN/RED/BREAST – Factory International, Manchester

Image courtesy of Wenjun Miakoda Liang.

Featuring a haunting and fractured score and a powerful performance from Maxine Peake, ROBIN/RED/BREAST is a powerful, disturbing, and provoking piece of theatre.

4 out of 5 stars

The early 1970s in Great Britain saw a resurgence in the folk horror genre with John Bowen’s BBC play ROBIN REDBREAST, now regarded as a cult classic and a precursor to the famed WICKER MAN in the cult lineage...

Read More

Theatre Review: YOU’RE BARD – Sale Waterside Arts, Manchester

4 out of 5 stars

An unforgettable evening of Shakespeare unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, YOU’RE BARD is an expert masterclass in the art of improvisation.

As effervescent as a glass of Alka Seltzer, the cast of You’re Bard, gave Sale an expert masterclass in the use of improvisation throughout 90 minutes of hilarious comedy.

Take four actors and one compere, throw in audience participation in the form of Britney Spears and the themes come thick and fast, ricocheting like verbal ping pong...

Read More

Theatre Review: DISCOVERING ANTARCTICA: HEROIC TALES OF SHACKLETON, CREAN & SCOTT – Sale Waterside Arts, Manchester

Aidan Dooley’s one-man play DISCOVERING ANTARCTICA masterfully brings to life the underappreciated heroism and adventures of explorer Tom Crean.

5 out of 5 stars

Ask anyone to name a great explorer of the early 20th century, and they will probably name either Scott (of the Antarctic) or Shackleton; they will not mention Tom Crean, the Irishman who was the only person to serve in three of the greatest expeditions ever mounted and was awarded the Albert Medal for heroism...

Read More

Theatre Review: THE LONG SHADOW OF ALOIS BRUNNER – Factory International, Manchester

The Long Shadow of Alois Brunner. Photo Credit: Tom Dachs

Provocative and multifaceted, THE LONG SHADOW OF ALOIS BRUNNER weaves together history, personal struggle, and the complexities of justice and displacement.

3.5 out of 5 stars

THE LONG SHADOW OF ALOIS BRUNNER, the latest work from the writer Mudar Alhaggi and performed by Collective Ma’louba, is a multifaceted work dealing with many themes...

Read More

Theatre Review: A TASTE OF HONEY – Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester

The cast of A TASTE OF HONEY. Photo Credit: Johan Persson

Driven by its sublime staging and exceptional cast performance, A TASTE OF HONEY is a must-see.

5 out of 5 stars

When 19-year-old Shelagh Delaney wrote A TASTE OF HONEY in 1958, it sent shock waves through the world of theatre. It was a stinging dose of what would become known as “kitchen sink realism” and depicted a world many had not seen.

The Royal Exchange’s current production has lost none of that impact, and although the play is 66 years old, i...

Read More

Theatre Review: BERT’S HOUSE – Salford Arts Theatre, Salford

Scott Bradley and Gemma Boaden in BERT’S HOUSE. Photo Credit: Rebecca Cockcroft

Funny, witty and guaranteed to give you a laugh, BERT’S HOUSE is a masterclass of crossed wires and comedy gold.

5 out of 5 stars

Life is not going well for Bert. He’s a run-down bed and breakfast owner of a run-down guest house in a run-down seaside town. The estate agents are circling and things could not get much worse...

Read More

Theatre Review: DROP THE DEAD DONKEY: THE REAWAKENING! – The Lowry, Salford

Despite the odd rhythmic dip, DROP THE DEAD DONKEY: THE REAWAKENING! has lost none of its acerbic wit.

3.5 out of 5 stars

In the 1990s the internet was still a different place. News media, although adopting the 24-hour format, was still regarded as more or less reliable. Or was it?

DROP THE DEAD DONKEY, which ran from 1990 to 1998, provided a satirical take on the world of news and, more specifically, GlobeLink News, the shambolic and angst-ridden comic creation of Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin...

Read More

Theatre Review: PRISM – Waterside Arts, Sale

PRISM mixes music, lights and thematic projections to deliver not just a performance, but an experience.

4 out of 5 stars

This year, Sale Waterside Arts is offering a family-friendly winter festival to kick off its festive period. PRISM is a community-led three-day event comprising a light projection trail complimented by Sentinel – a work conceived and performed by Richard Evans.

The light trail itself consists of ever-changing coloured bauble projections, which have all been created from ideas submitted by t...

Read More