From somewhat humble beginnings way back in 1987, this private academy has gone from strength to strength, and is now looking forward to celebrating its 30th anniversary soon with an incredible three performance dates scheduled for next year's showcase. The Academy, based in Bolton, and headed by the diminutive but exacting Dawn Dawson, now has a membership of over 130 young people aged between 3 and 17, and are taught by a multitude of professionally trained staff in all the varied dance disciplines as well as singing and acting, with a strong emphasis on Musical Theatre if last night's showcase was anything to go by.
A Superbly Delivered Classic British Comedy
Written by one of Britain's top comedy writers, BAFTA award winner Eric Chappell, whose extensive list of works, which includes Rising Damp, serves only to set the bar high, it was pleasing to see Players Theatre in Cheadle Hulme respond to this gauntlet by not only reaching the target but exceeding it with this production directed by John Price.
Presented as part of the Palaver Festival which celebrates and promotes language, music and performance in French, German and Chinese in Manchester, and produced by students of The University of Manchester Chinese Studies Department, this was a production, not of the more well known play by William Inge bearing the same title, but of that by French-Chinese award winning playwright, Gao Xingjian's play, Bus Stop and performed in Chinese.
Not only is this the first time Palaver have had a Chinese language play in their festival it is also the first time I have ever sat through one too. It was a very interesting but hugely rewarding experience. But thank goodness for the subtitles - I would have been utterly lost without them!
Presented as part of the Palaver Festival which celebrates and promotes language, music and performance in French, German and Chinese in Manchester, and produced by students of The University of Manchester French Studies Department, this was a production of Jean-Paul Satre's most well-known work, Huis Clos, { No Exit } performed in French.
For those who don't know the story, then very simply it tells of three sinners sent to Hell, and, instead of enduring an eternity of torture as they expected, they are locked together in a fin-de-siecle period furnished room, but unable to leave. They are damned to spending the rest of eternity together and perhaps that prospect is worse than the torture they expected. During the course of the play, we learn more about them, their crimes, and their unhappinesses; and we are left to ponder their future together as the final words of 'we are here together, forever' ring clear to all three as the curtain closes to their hysterical laughter, and Joseph Garcin's final cry of, 'Hell yeah! Bring it on!"
Over fifty years has passed since the first stage version of Lionel Bart’s ‘Oliver!’ was performed, and it is unsurprising that this musical is still extremely popular with audiences today.
This particular production, performed by the Port Sunlight Players, delivered on many levels. The essence of the tale was certainly captured by all, and the opening scene performed by the Workhouse children certainly drew you in to what would be a very enjoyable show. The children had great enthusiasm and you couldn’t help but watch them with a smile on your face, but not just out of pity for them (which can sometimes be the case when watching children perform) but because they were genuinely very good.
Presented as part of the Palaver Festival which celebrates and promotes language, music and performance in French, German and Chinese in Manchester, and produced by students of The University of Manchester German Society, this was a production of Schiller's masterpiece, Kabale Und Liebe, { Intrigue and Love } performed in German.
I've often thought that Into The Woods must be one of the hardest musicals to stage. Tricky characters such as a cow and a giant, a huge cast, and a ridiculously complex musical arrangement by Sondheim are not the easiest hurdles to overcome. I'm pleased to say that under the musical direction of Simon Pickup, Hyde Musical Society absolutely nailed it!
The musical tells the story of several fairy-tale characters, their respective plot lines interwoven with a new challenge. The baker and his wife are desperate for a child, and to do so must break the curse placed upon them by the witch by collecting four items; the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the slipper as pure as gold, and the hair as yellow as corn. Even after everyone's wishes come true there is still more peril before their happy ever after.
26 years after it first appeared on the West End stage Bob Carlton’s Return To The Forbidden Planet is as fresh today as the day it was conceived. A clever, if not sometimes predictable fusion of Shakespeare and Rock ‘n’ Roll music no matter what your age it is difficult to come away from this show without at least admitting your toes were tapping and you were actually singing along to yourself all night!
Inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest, this juke box musical is packed with over 30 rock 'n' roll classics such as “Heard it Through the Grapevine”, “Young Girl”, “Good Vibrations”, and “Gloria”. Presented at the magnificent Stockport Plaza by Romiley Operatic Society, I have to say they made a pretty good job of it.
In school halls up and down the country every week productions of musicals and plays take place that don’t get seen by a wider audience, and are sometimes restricted to just family and close friends of those in the productions. By not seeking out these productions we are in danger of missing out on seeing possible future stars of the stage taking their first steps on the road they call “showbiz”. In a week, which for me has been dominated by youth and school productions, tonight I found myself at Flixton Girls School to watch their production of Fame.
Little Shop Of Horrors is something of a cult Musical, and a complete and shameless Mickey-take of the trend in the late 1950s for Hollywood to produce low budget horror films, affectionately categorised as B-Movies. In the case of this particular story, we see Mushnik, owner of a flower shop in a run-down, poor and forgotten NY neighbourhood, and his two hapless employees. The rather ditzy tart-with-a-heart, Audrey, and the clumsy, myopic and downtrodden Seymour. Their fortunes are certain... they are going nowhere and the shop is closing up for good... that is until Seymour shows his employer a 'strange and unusual' plant that he has been cultivating. This plant, now nicknamed Audrey 2, is the shop's and Seymour's saviour. It brings them fame and fortune in untold measure. But all this comes at a price, a very heavy price indeed. The plant thrives off fresh human blood. At first this doesn't cause any concern as Seymour quite happily adds anaemic to his list of complaints, but then, the fates turn against them and he finds himself feeding the plant with Audrey's dead dentist boyfriend, and then with Mushnik, and before long even Audrey falls foul of the plant's blood lust. If all of this sounds a little dark and macabre, don't panic, it's all very tongue-in-cheek and sent up in the best possible taste! And with some fantastic Musical numbers, it can't fail to be a hit!
This amateur performance by members of Zodiac, a Cheshire based amateur musical theatre society (ZAOS) is set in the 70’s disco days and tells the story of Roddy O’Neil, the local lothario, superbly played by Anthony Farrell growing up in a world of ridiculous fashion,(did we really wear clothes like that?) The music and hits which are now iconic, the loves and lives of family and friends the hopes and dreams of the young.
Before the musical even starts you know it’s going to be fun as you take your seats and on stage are a few members of the cast, on the set of a disco, with a bartender, DJ and the cleaner mopping the floors not forgetting the bouncer wandering around the audience, the audacity of wanting to search my handbag! And throwing in some comic moments.
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