Category Theatre

Theatre Review: WIT – Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester

WIT

Raw, real and relentless, WIT is a beautiful play full of grace and redemption

Following his production of THINGS OF DRY HOURS back in 2007, Raz Shaw makes a welcome return to the Royal Exchange to direct WIT, the Pulitzer prize-winning play about a 50 year old professor dying of cancer.

Written by American playwright Margaret Edson, WIT tells the story of Vivian Bearing (Julie Hesmondhalgh) a renowned academic of metaphysical poetry being treated for stage IV metastatic ovarian cancer...

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Theatre Review: Move Over Moriarty – Sale Waterside Arts Centre

Move Over Moriarty by Lipservice at Sale Waterside Arts

Fast-paced, slick and funny, Move Over Moriarty makes a welcome return to the stage

Following the success of Inspector Norse and Withering Looks, satirical comedy duo LipService return as Holmes and Watson in a reprisal of their cult classic Move Over Moriarty.

Written by Maggie Fox and Sue Ryding, Move Over Moriarty follows super sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his dim sidekick John Watson as they investigate the Garibaldi Biscuit Affair, a case as impenetrable as a London pea-souper...

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Theatre Review: Austentatious – An Improvised Jane Austen Novel at The Lowry, Salford

Austentatious at The Lowry

Smart, silly and wickedly funny, Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel is fully deserving of its huge popularity

Improvised comedy (or ‘improv’ as it is otherwise known) has always had a bit of a bad reputation in the UK. Despite continued efforts to revive the genre, many ‘off-the-cuff’ improv productions can easily become meandering and flabby. One troupe that have truly mastered the art, however, is the team behind Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel.

Austentatio...

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New Musical THE GIRLS Heads To The Lowry

The Original Calendar Girls and the cast of The Girls. Image Credit: Matt Crockett

The Original CALENDAR GIRLS and the cast of new musical THE GIRLS. Image Credit: Matt Crockett

Gary Barlow & Tim Firth’s long awaited new musical THE GIRLS premieres at The Lowry

Following its short preview run at Leeds, Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s long awaited new musical THE GIRLS heads to The Lowry, Salford this week for its world premiere.

Based on the award-winning film and play Calendar Girls, THE GIRLS tells the story of a brave group of women who decide to appear nude for a Women’s In...

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Music Review: Alexander O’Neal – 30 Years of Soul at The Lowry, Salford

Alexander O'Neil 30 Years of Soul at The Lowry

Alexander O’Neal may be in his sixties but he still has what it takes to entertain an audience

Alexander O’Neal’s heyday may have been in the 1980s but his extensive back catalogue and abilities as a live performer is still capable of drawing in the crowds.

The American singer-songwriter first shot to fame in the 1985 with hit single Saturday Love and has since released 14 UK top 40 singles including If You Were Here Tonight, Criticize, Saturday Love, (What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me ...

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Theatre Review: The Bodyguard – Palace Theatre, Manchester

The Bodyguard at Palace Theatre Manchester

Slick, sassy and superbly performed, Alexandra Burke excels in The Bodyguard

Few people can handle the power ballad classic I Will Always Love You like Whitney Houston, but Alexandra Burke is certainly one of them.

The three-time Brit nominee and X-Factor winner steals the show as Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard, belting out hit after hit in the award-winning musical.

Based on the smash-hit 1992 film starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, The Bodyguard tells the story of superstar Rachel Ma...

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Theatre Review: INTO THE WOODS – Royal Exchange, Manchester

INTO THE WOODS L-R Michaela Bennison (stepsister) & Gemma Page (stepmother) Photo: Jonathan Keenan

INTO THE WOODS L-R Michaela Bennison (stepsister) & Gemma Page (stepmother) Photo: Jonathan Keenan

Matthew Xia delivers a musical Christmas cracker at Manchester’s Royal Exchange with INTO THE WOODS

“Into the woods, into the woods!” And into the woods we certainly went!

Setting the scene for Sonheim’s amalgamation of fairy tales is Tony Award winning stage and costume designer Jenny Tiramani who has turned Manchester’s Royal Exchange round stage into a magical forest, both outside and inside...

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Theatre Review: Opera North – Kiss Me, Kate at The Lowry, Salford

Kiss-Me-Kate-Opera-North

Smart, stylish and scintillatingly witty, Opera North’s production of KISS ME KATE is not to be missed

This review was originally written for The Reviews Hub

Following their five-star production of Carousel in 2012, Opera North returns to the world of Broadway with a brand new production of hit musical Kiss Me, Kate.

Written by Samuel and Bella Spewack, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, Kiss Me, Kate revolves around the tangled love lives of theatre actor/producer Fred Graham and his leadi...

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Soul-Legends

Gwen Dickey stars in new soul music spectacular Soul Legends

This review was originally written for The Reviews Hub

If Soul Legends is anything to go by, Salford just can’t get enough of that sweet soul music.

Created by the producers of Magic of Motown, Soul Legends is a two hour music spectacular which promises more soul classics than any other production...

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Theatre Review: Looking for Lansbury – St. James Theatre, London

Looking for Lansbury

Fiona Jane Weston pays tribute to Dame Angela Lansbury in new one-woman show

Like many film and theatre fans, I have grown up watching Dame Angela Lansbury. From AUNTIE MAME to MURDER SHE WROTE, Lansbury has graced our stage and screens for over 60 years. No surprise then that Fiona Jane Weston decided to make this remarkable woman the focus of her new one-woman show.

Coinciding with Dame Angela Lansbury’s 90th birthday, LOOKING FOR LANSBURY is a celebratory investigation into the life and work...

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