Josette Bushell-Mingo talks about her new show NINA – A STORY ABOUT ME AND NINA SIMONE and what inspired her to create this special piece of theatre

Following its London premiere at the Young Vic in July, NINA – A STORY ABOUT ME AND NINA SIMONE finally heads out on its UK tour, visiting Salford’s The Lowry next week for a four night run.

Inspired by the life and music of NINA – A STORY ABOUT ME AND NINA SIMONE is a searing and soulful piece of theatre...

Haunting, captivating and poignantly moving, Conor McPherson’s THE WEIR has lost none of its power

When Conor McPherson’s THE WEIR first opened at The Royal Court in 1997, it took the theatre world by storm. Originally set to run for just three weeks to an audience of 60 people a night, the play quickly transferred to the West End, as well as Broadway, winning a host of awards along the way including an Olivier Award for Best New Play...

Israeli singer-songwriter Irit Dekel talks to Frankly My Dear UK about her new album HELLO and her first UK headline tour

Fresh from supporting Caro Emerald on tour, Israeli singer-songwriter Irit Dekel heads out on her first UK headline tour to promote her new solo album HELLO.

Born in Haifa, Israel’s third largest city, Irit is a female vocalist currently living in London. Her journey into the music industry is certainly interesting, if somewhat unconventional...

Charming, funny and hugely moving, ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE is an absorbing debut by Gail Honeyman

Everyone is talking about ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE and rightly so. Since its release in May 2017, Gail Honeyman’s debut novel has taken the world by storm and is soon to be made into a major motion picture produced by Reese Witherspoon.

ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE follows the day-to-day life of Eleanor Oliphant, a single, 30-something woman who leads a simple life...

Harrowing and emotional, FROM IBIZA TO THE NORFOLK BROADS offers an insightful look into how our idols shape and guide our lives

Dark and unsettling at times, FROM IBIZA TO THE NORFOLK BROADS tells the story of Martin, an eighteen year old boy who attempts to reconnect with his estranged father through the music and life of David Bowie. However, this is by no means a tribute to Bowie, but is instead an insightful look into how our idols guide us and shape our lives.

Those inevitable Bowie fa...

Big, bold and colourful – just like the green man himself – SHREK: THE MUSICAL is a modern day fairy tale like no other

Forget Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty or Little Red Riding Hood, ask any child what their favourite fairy tale is and chances are Shrek will feature. Since the release of the DreamWorks animation film in 2001, SHREK has taken the world by storm, resulting in three film sequels as well as a musical stage adaption which is currently on tour across the UK and Ireland.

Based on th...

Jaume Collet-Serra formulaic thriller THE COMMUTER boasts enough twists and turns to keep you entertained

Following NON-STOP in 2014 and RUN ALL NIGHT in 2015, Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra returns with his third instalment in his planes, trains and automobile action trilogy, THE COMMUTER.

THE COMMUTER follows Michael MacCauley (Liam Neeson), an insurance salesman who takes the train every day into the city for work...

Over 100 feature and short films will be screened as part of the four-day film festival this March

Manchester Film Festival has announced its full film line-up for 2018 with over 100 feature films, documentaries, animation, music, experimental and short films screening at the four-day festival.

Taking place at Odeon Great Northern between 1st to 4th March, this year’s festival aims to break away from the generic film festival format of branding and stranding by ditching the traditional category...

Stevie Helps’ ambitious but flawed play RACHEL falls short of delivering a serious message on mental health

One of the advantages of being a theatre blogger is that I get to see a real diverse mix of theatre. Whilst I love reviewing the big musicals and plays, it’s often the smaller, edgier and more thought-provoking productions that tend to leave a lasting impression. So when I read the synopsis for Stevie Helps new play RACHEL, I was naturally intrigued.

RACHEL tells the story of a young wo...

Maury Yeston talks about bringing five-time Tony award-winning TITANIC THE MUSICAL to the UK on tour

Following its award-winning run on Broadway and at London’s Charing Cross Theatre in 2016, TITANIC THE MUSICAL finally sets sail for its first ever tour across the UK and Ireland.

Based on the book by Peter Stone and music and lyrics by Maury Yeston, TITANIC THE MUSICAL tells the story of the real people aboard the most legendary ship in the world...