Into The Woods is a musical by Stephen Sondheim which made its Broadway debut in 1987. Since then it has been performed by both professional and amateur theatre and was made into a critically acclaimed film in 2014, starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and many other well-known Hollywood A-listers. This performance is the 2016 production of Horwich Amateur Theatre Society, directed by Jason Crompton, who has some ninety productions under his belt both as an actor and a director.
Girl power is the buzz word this week in Wolverhampton. No, not the Spice Girls but the workers of Ford in Dagenham as short lived West End musical Made In Dagenham arrives at the Grand Theatre in the very capable hands of West Bromwich Operatic Society (WBOS) who have just scooped the title of Best Am Dram Company 2016 in the recent What’s On Readers’ Awards.
Made in Dagenham is a musical with music by David Arnold, lyrics by Richard Thomas, and a book by Richard Bean. Based on the 2010 film of the same name, which in turn was based on the real events of the Ford sewing machinists strike of 1968, the musical made its West End and world premiere at the Adelphi Theatre in 2014 and closed just 6 months later.
We take for granted in our modern age the concept of premieres and how quickly new shows then appear around the world. In the 19th century this was, for obvious technological and logistical reasons, far from the norm. But Iolanthe, Gilbert and Sullivan’s seventh comic operetta in their series of fourteen, was a first in this and so many other aspects.
They rehearsed two companies so that it could open in New York on the same night, it was the first production to premiere at the newly built Savoy theatre and in turn, The Savoy was the first theatre in the world to be powered by electric light. This allowed the production to delve into a whole new world of technical effects, hitherto never attempted.
Tonight, I find myself in one of my most favourites theatres in all of the word; the beautiful Buxton Opera house with its magnificent carvings and spectacular ceiling, it's the perfect place to take in a play, and that's exactly what I'm here for, to see the Richard Bean modern classic; One Man, Two Guvnors. Tonight's performance was performed by the Buxton Drama League, and although this version didn't star James Corden or a household name as the original on the West End, it was still full of fun, laughter and the silliness we expect from this play.
The Centenary Theatre Company presented their fabulous version of the iconic musical Grease at the beautiful Brindley Theatre in Runcorn.
Grease it’s one of the best known musicals of all times so was a great challenge to the Director Dan Grimes and for the production team to reach the audiences expectations. The performance of Grease was dedicated to the memory of Malcolm Fallows, Centenary Theatre Company’s resident Musical Director for the past ten years, who sadly died on Saturday 7th May 2016.
The Altrincham Garrick is a lovely, well-kept theatre just outside Altrincham town centre, therefore it was a shame to not even seen it half full on the opening night of their latest production; ‘The Beauty Queen of Leenane’.
Written by Martin McDonagh (probably most famous for writing the Oscar nominated; In Bruges), The Beauty Queen of Leenane is a story that mainly focuses on a mother / daughter relationship. Here we see the story of Mag (Sonia Dykstra) and Maureen (Tracy Burns). McDonagh perfectly captures the essences of these characters and unravels them at a steady pace. There is a constant battle between the pair to win the power of the household, which leaves them at loggerheads for most of the play.
A Profound and Poignant Comic Play Superbly Delivered
Richard Everett's thought-provoking comedy was first staged in 2006 with a celebrated cast and Players Theatre have certainly lived up to that billing with their production of Entertaining Angels, right down to the detail of the running water in the on-stage stream.
Sir Terence Rattigan's twentieth century play takes place in the Beauregard Private Hotel of Bournemouth, and depicts the relationships between several long-term guests, each battling their own loneliness. Tonight's production is put on by the Levenshulme Players, and takes place in the crowded function room of the Klondyke Club, a space not really suited to theatre, but utilised well by this local group.
The performance is essentially two separate plays, set 18 months apart in the dining room and lounge of the hotel. Director Beryl Cowen makes good use of the small stage, packing it out with tables and chairs, with mood lighting provided by the quaint lamps. The cast copes well with the spacing challenges, dodging set and moving between levels admirably. Due to the audience being on two sides, this did present some issues, with quite a lot of the dialogue being directed upstage.
Manor Operatic have done it again! This so called “amateur” group have once again proved that there is no division between amateur and professional productions and turned Sheffield’s City Hall into a big top to house the greatest show on earth! I would defy anybody to walk away from this show without a smile on their face as wide as the stage or even the tightrope negotiated by the superb James Smith as Barnum at the end of act 1.
A great British comedy with perfect timing and superbly played for laughs
There are several twists and turns in the hit comedy, My Friend Miss Flint, first staged in 1983 and written by Donald Churchill and Peter Yeldham, and Rainhill Garrick Society have cleverly added a few of their own to further exploit this tale of tax evasion, taking place over one day and set in a studio apartment overlooking Westminster, for all its topical comic possibilities in a production directed by Richard Parker.
It seems such a long time ago since I last had the pleasure of witnessing the many talents that form Pick Me Up Productions, when it actually was not that long ago! I always look forward to venturing to York’s hidden gem of a theatre, The Joseph Rowntree Theatre, to see the latest masterpiece from this simply magnificent group, who are, in my opinion, the best Amateur Dramatics group in the North. Previous productions include She Stoops To Conquer, Les Miserables and the porker of a comedy musical Betty Blue Eyes. Each production has always been of the highest quality and an absolute delight to watch.
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