Category Theatre Reviews

Festive, fun and fabulous, The Flanagan Collective’s A Christmas Carol will have you whipped up into the festive spirit quicker than you can suck a Humbug

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is my favourite Christmas story so you can imagine my excitement when I received an invite to The Flanagan Collective’s festive adaptation at Manchester’s New Playhouse...

This review was originally written for The Public Reviews

Dust off your dancing suit and polish up your shoes because Saturday Night Fever is back in town!

Inspired by the 1977 film starring John Travolta, Saturday Night Fever tells the story of Tony Manero (Danny Bayne), a young man with one ambition – to become the disco king. He teams up with Stephanie (Naomi Slights), a young dancer who also dreams of a world beyond Brooklyn, and together they decide to train for a dance competition...

This review was originally written for The Public Reviews

Opera North’s new production of Verdi’s La Traviata may have been 15 years in the making but it’s certainly worth the wait.

Fiercely passionate, profoundly moving and devastatingly tragic, La Traviata is widely considered the most popular opera of all time and is arguably Giuseppe Verdi’s best work. It is based on Alexander Dumas’ autobiographical tale La Dame aux Camelias about his affair with Marie Cuplessis who died aged 23 ...

This review was originally written for The Public Reviews

Lip Service’s hilarious new comedy The Picture of Doreen Gray opened to a rapturous reception at Oldham Coliseum Theatre as the production made its world premiere before going on tour.

Written by satirical duo Maggie Fox and Sue Ryding, The Picture of Doreen Gray tells the story of glamorous drive-time radio host and television presenter Doreen Gray, whose famous youthful looks rank her alongside Cliff Richard and Lulu on the national ...

This review was originally written for The Public Reviews

Opera’s famous pairing of Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci may be 121 years old but it’s still capable of captivating an audience as Opera Seria demonstrate with their exciting staged production at RNCM Studio Theatre.

Conducted by Jonathan Ellis and directed by Rochelle Hart, the explosive themes of jealously, murder and betrayal are skillfully transformed by Manchester’s opera company in this thrilling and exciting staged chamb...

Royal Exchange Theatre provides perfect setting for Keith Waterhouse’s tragicomedy

It may be more than 50 years old but Keith Waterhouse’s play about 1960s northern life is still capable of captivating a modern audience, as demonstrated at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre last night.

Adapted for stage by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, BILLY LIAR first opened in London’s West End in 1960 with Albert Finney in the title role...

62 years after its premiere in London’s West End, Frederick Knott’s Dial M for Murder is continuing to thrill theatre audiences with an exciting new production directed by Lucy Bailey on tour in the UK.

Starring Christopher Timothy (All Creatures Great and Small) as Inspector Hubbard, Dial M for Murder is an intense, dark and erotic tale of betrayal, passion and murder.

The story centres on the unhappy marriage of Tony and Shelia Wendice...