Category Theatre Venues

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...

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...

Photo Image: Jonathan Keenan

Arthur Miller’s THE CRUCIBLE is brought to life in new production directed by Caroline Steinbeis at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre

2015 is the centenary year of playwright Arthur Miller’s birth and director Caroline Steinbeis has brought his Broadway production of THE CRUCIBLE to Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre.

Written in 1953 by Miller as an indirect and ingeniously shrewd way to speak out against McCarthyism and the anti-Communist enquiries in America,...

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

42 years after he shot to fame with his hit single The Show Must Go On, British singer-songwriter and 70s music legend Leo Sayer returns to the UK for a rare and much anticipated tour in support of his latest album Restless Years.

With 16 hit albums and 26 hit singles to his name, Leo Sayer is one of the most successful acts the UK has ever produced. Best known for his army of hits including One Man Band (1974), Long Tall Glasses (1974),...

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

You’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t love Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. The Pulitzer Prize winning novel, which was made into a film in 1962 starring Gregory Peck, still continues to capture the hearts and imagination of people across the world. No surprise then Christopher Sergel’s award-winning stage adaptation received a rapturous reception on its opening night at The Lowry.

Set in the American Deep South in...

This review was originally written for The Public Reviews

Marc Camoletti’s frantic French comedy Boeing Boeing is brought to life in a hilarious new adaptation by Oldham Coliseum Theatre.

Based on the classic farce written by French playwright Marc Camoletti, Boeing Boeing tells the story of playboy bachelor Bernard and his love life to three different fiancées from three competing airlines...

This review was originally written for The Public Reviews

There’s no mistaking the unique vocal style of Ruby Turner. The soul and R&B singer raised the roof of the Quay’s Theatre when she visited The Lowry as part of her UK tour.

Regarded as having one of the greatest voices the UK has ever produced, Ruby Turner is a Jamaican soul, gospel and R&B singer-songwriter. Best known as one of the main vocalists for Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, the prolific singer-songwriter has an ...

This review was originally written for The Public Reviews

With more hits than The Beatles, it’s no surprise that The Hollies need no support act. The Hollies remain one of the few British groups of the early 1960s to have never officially broken up and still continue to record and perform. Their longevity, popularity and extensive back catalogue has seen the group tour the world year on year since 1965 and amass a loyal fan base that still continues to grow.

The Hollies are a British rock/p...