Established in 1993 and operating in the small town of Crigglestone near Wakefield, Crigglestone Dance School has developed a great reputation for providing a nurturing environment and encouraging its pupils to get the most out of their experience and abilities. Offering a range of skills covering Dance, Drama and Music that are designed to inspire confidence and develop performance skills that will be useful to its pupils whatever path they choose to take in the future. The students of Crigglestone present us with Showtime, a dance recital combining dance, drama and song and featuring hit songs such as ‘Uptown Funk’, ‘Let It Go’ and ‘Beat It’ plus many more show stoppers. This show truly provides something for every taste.
Based on the hugely successful British television series that ran for seven seasons, this uproarious comedy relates the adventures of a hapless cafe owner, René, in occupied France. You can see all of your favourite TV characters in the flesh, including Rene's tone-deaf wife Edith, Private Helga Geerhart and the Gestapo officer Herr Flick!
René and his wife have stashed a priceless portrait stolen by the Nazis in a sausage in their cellar, where two British airmen are also hiding until the Resistance can repatriate them. Communications with London using the wireless that is disguised as a cockatoo add to the many embarrassments this intrepid proprietor endures in the company of his patrons. News that the Fuhrer is scheduled to visit the town inspires tricksters disguised as Hitler to frequent the cafe. Meanwhile René summons all the wit he can muster to save his cafe and his life.
Part of the Live @the Library Season at Oldham Library Kris Overend’s Little Finn Productions presented three half hour shorts improvised and acted by different age groups 11-14 years 14-18 yrs and a solo performance by 19 year old Lucy Barker. Their common theme was “Imagination” and each play intrigued in different ways.
In “The Right to Think” the 12 actors explored the world of work 157 years in the future to a world where future employees had to earn the right to think by performing incomprehensible tasks for an omnipotent employer. In a world where it was impossible to guess how to achieve any targets and where the mysterious employer finally appointed her own son there was no alternative but to over power their masters. Good strong performances by Willem Baborovskie and Jess Parker along with great timing and good character play made the half hour zip by.
An Accomplished Ensemble Piece
Stephen Berkoff's 'Dahling, You Were Marvellous' offers a biting parody of the world of theatre as it pokes fun at the pretensions of thespians and the superficial nature of their lifestyle. Set in a fashionable West End restaurant where the after show party following an opening night performance is in full swing, we get to meet a range of characters from the worlds of theatre, TV and film which include a New York movie star, a renowned theatre director, a fringe elitist, a fat-cat producer, a harsh critic (yes, really!) amongst a crowd of sycophants as they schmooze, network and backstab in their craving for an audience, any audience.
Currently on courses BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Acting and BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Performing Arts, students from Preston's College tonight performed at their own studio theatre a deep and at times, disturbing play, the original version written by Fin Kennedy (tonight's play features Charlie as female).
For lead character Charlie, life is spiralling out of control, trapped in the monotony of daily life and working as an advertising executive, she struggles to reach the demands and develops a drug and alcohol habit and has increasing debts. The death of her mother hits her hard and just about pushes her over the top. She carries around her mother's ashes and she is desperately in need of a new beginning after being exposed for embezzlement at work.
Salford Musical Theatre Company have once again taken over the Quays Theatre at The Lowry in Salford for their annual musical production, this year it is the Broadway and West End hit Rock of Ages.
Rock of Ages takes you back to the times of big bands, big egos, big guitar solos and even bigger hair! This multi Tony Award - nominated Broadway musical features the hits of bands including Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Starship and many others…
It’s the tail end of the big, bad 1980’s in Hollywood, and the party has been raging hard. Aqua Net, Lycra, lace and liquor flow freely at one of the Sunset Strips last legendary venues, a place where rock god sex machine Stacee Jaxx (Tony Finbarr-Smith) takes the stage and scantily clad groupies line up to turn their fantasies into reality.
And so, on yet another night of unpredictable weather, I surprisingly opted to attend the ‘showcase’ of Salford City College’s BTEC Extended Diploma in Performing Arts (Acting) students in the studio space of The Lowry in Salford Quays, near Manchester.
Attending with an open mind but expecting more of a showcase of solos and group pieces from musicals and well known plays and shows, I quickly realised upon entering the auditorium that it was the presentation of a pre-written show by Steven Berkoff called ‘East’. Labelled as “Elegy for the East End and its energetic waste”, this ‘verse play’, set in 1975, reflects a stereotype that everyone on the capital’s East End was full of expletives and often horny - a show certainly not for viewing or to be heard by under 16s (as confirmed on the ticket, especially with the excessive use of the C word - I appreciate this is in the script).
Buxton Opera House and Pavilion Arts Centre Young Company have chosen The Addams Family as their first ever full scale production and judging by the audience numbers tonight this seems like a choice well made. The show however suffered a huge challenge during production as director Craig Sanders as called away towards the end of rehearsals due to a family bereavement. So in stepped Adrienne Posta and Emma Furness to complete the process, and a fine job they did as well. On behalf of all at North West End we send our condolences to Craig and his family.
A Perfect Evening's Entertainment of Singing, Dancing, Music and Comedy
Before I start this review let me set out the challenge that Rainhill Musical Theatre Company did NOT know they were facing tonight at Rainhill Village Hall: I had just returned from New York and reviewing a 5-star Tony Award winning Broadway musical. But boy did they rise to this unknown task and some in one of the most engaging performances I have seen this year.
This was only the third time I have seen a production of this, one of Brecht's more well-known plays; and each time it has been a student production. It seems that this play is studied and performed at in-training level and then neglected once out in the big wide world. That's such a shame, as it really is such a good play, and, as this production so rightly intimated, just as relevant today as ever.
The play was written in 1944 whilst Brecht was living in The United States. He had left Germany in 1933 when Hitler had gained power, but before moving to America had lived in various other places around Europe including an island off the coast of Denmark where he lived the for the longest and happiest in Europe outside his homeland. He didn't stay in America very long; 1941 - 1947, but it was a very fertile writing period for him, and away from the main circus of war, he was able to write plays which were political satires and allegories of much of what he had run away from.
Starting off the show the scene is set in an apartment with young composer Stephen (Callum Moyles-Moore) sat at his piano desperately writing what he hopes will become a hit musical. Ignoring his wife's pleas for him to get ready to celebrate their 6th wedding anniversary and with her parents due to arrive at any time, he drifts off into his imaginary world of music and dance.... and so begins a fantastic evening's entertainment by a talented cast from Preston's College and featuring the music of Barry Manilow.
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