Category Opera House Manchester

Craig Warner strips back Patricia Highsmith’s 1950 thriller STRANGERS ON A TRAIN to focus on the mystery, psychological drama and dark wit of the piece

It takes a brave man to take on an Alfred Hitchcock thriller which is probably why Craig Warner decided to opt for a slightly different approach with his stage adaption of STRANGERS ON A TRAIN.

Reworking Patricia Highsmith’s 1950 novel, Warner’s taut and effective production chooses to draw out the mystery, psychological drama and dark wit o...

This review was originally posted on The Reviews Hub. 

Based on the 1998 hit movie starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, The Wedding Singer tells the story of Robbie Hart, a wannabe rock-star stuck as a singer on the wedding band circuit. When his fiancée dumps him at the altar, it’s down to the sweet-natured Julia and her best friend Holly to lure Robbie out of the dumpster and bring back into the limelight...

BAT OUT OF HELL THE MUSICAL is a revved up and racy Romeo and Juliet story that appeals to not just Meat Loaf fans but musical and theatre lovers alike

Jim Steinman’s rock and roll theatrical fantasy BAT OUT OF HELL THE MUSICAL – the inspiration for one of the most iconic albums in history – has burst onto the stage of Manchester Opera House and will hit the London Coliseum later in 2017.

Set in an apocalyptic future where the young mutate and will be forever young, is a father struggling to k...

Poignant and full of energy, ALL OR NOTHING is the bittersweet tale of 60s Mod band The Small Faces

This review was originally written for The Reviews Hub.

Following in the wake of sixties jukebox musicals LET IT BE and SUNNY AFTERNOON, Carol Harrison brings the story of iconic mod band, The Small Faces to the stage.

Told from the perspective of original singer Steve Marriott, ALL OR NOTHING charts The Small Faces brief rise to fame from a gang of East London wannabes to legends of London’s sw...

This review was originally written for The Public Reviews

When Annie first burst onto Broadway in 1977, the brassy American musical won over hearts of theatre goers across the world with a record six-year run at the Alvin Theatre, scooping a Tony Award for Best Musical. Over 38 years later, the award-winning musical is continuing to thrill audiences in a stunning new production on tour in the UK starring Craig Revel Horwood as the tyrannical Miss Hannigan.

Set in 1930s New York during The Great...

This review was originally written for The Public Reviews

Following its successful run in the West End starring Robert Lindsay, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels embarks on its UK tour with a new cast and it certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Based on the 1988 film starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels tells the story of two con men (Lawrence Jameson and Freddy Benson) who try to settle their rivalry by betting on who can swindle a young American heiress out of $50,000 first.

Smoo...

This review was originally written for The Public Reviews

There have been many interpretations of Swan Lake over the years, but Moscow City Ballet’s latest performance of the famous classical ballet is one of the best.

Swan Lake tells the story of Prince Siegfried and his love for Odette, a beautiful princess turned into a white swan by an evil sorcerer. Under the spell of Von Rothbart, Odette spends her days as a swan, returning to human form at night...

This review was originally written for The Public Reviews

If the thought of being buried alive fills you with fear, then Dead Simple will scare you to death.

Based on the best-selling novel by Peter James and adapted for stage by Shaun McKenna, Dead Simple is a gripping, chilling thriller about a stag night prank that goes horribly wrong.

The story begins on the eve of Michael Harrison’s (Jamie Lomas) stag night...

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...

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...