Top Notch Entertainment & Unadulterated Fun
It is a little-known fact that over 150 years ago, the site of the Liverpool Playhouse was once that of a successful music hall called the Star with a beautiful star-shaped mosaic in the current building’s disused box-office area serving as one of the few reminders of this part of the Playhouse’s history. Playwright Michael Wynne who wrote a warm-hearted family drama to celebrate the re-opening of the Everyman in 2014 has now performed a similar feat with this tribute to the heyday of the music hall and whose legacy today is seen in shows such as Britain’s Got Talent.
Little Red strayed the path of the forest and found herself in the dangerous company of the Big Bad Wolf today at Liverpool's Unity Theatre. Breaking the rules so clearly set by her Mum and Grandma, eagerly trying to prove she is not a little girl.
Grin Theatre presents us with six dark monologues, written by six local writers, in celebration of the theatre company’s sixth anniversary.
The uniting theme that links the monologues is the title ‘Dark Voices’ and darkness takes many forms. All but one of the monologues were delivered directly to us, the audience, in the intimate setting of View Two Gallery.
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Liver Birdsong gives us 'hope out of hell'
The story centralises on four strong women, who work at a factory in Liverpool during the second world war. We see their journey through what was described as “the single worst civilian incident of the war.” - Churchill.
The opening was performed by the large orchestra who had been tuning up in the pit whilst the audience were arriving. From the get go, it was obvious that we were in the presence of expert musicians, and they played meticulously throughout. It comes as no surprise of course, especially from a company as renowned as English National Ballet, but their effortless playing still never ceases to amaze.
Lively and Topical, Funny and Chilling
Following the closure of their much-loved fringe venue earlier in the year, the Lantern Theatre team have returned with their biggest production, a revival of a black comedy which was first performed at the Playhouse Studio in 1997 and tells the story of the Liverpool People’s Party and its call for Liverpool to be recognized as an independent republic by the UN, the EU, NATO and of course most importantly UEFA. All these organisations existed 9 years ago when writer Andrew Cullen penned this piece and whilst their respective futures look less than promising at the current time, any other topical references have been brought up to date in this production by director Margaret Connell which involves a cast of 10 playing some 30 characters.
Whilst a show about assisted suicide might not be the first choice for an evening of entertainment the cast of Assisted Suicide the Musical prove even the most taboo subjects can elicit a laugh. Liz Carr’s humour-filled exploration of such a divisive subject lives up to the expectations that the inclusion of ‘musical’ in its title creates, adding another a-typical musical the ever growing list of British musical theatre productions exploring non-traditional topics (the National Theatre is currently hosting a musical about cancer!). Indeed, in the current political and global climate Assisted Suicide: The Musical expands its scope to comment on the culture of fear that we constantly inhabit as Carr – who many may recognise from Silent Witness – explains her stance against assisted suicide in this “TED talk with songs”.
Not knowing much about The Full Monty before entering the theatre, (except of course the promised nakedness) I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would there be an actual storyline or would everything else be lazy and overcompensated by the use of naked men? Would there just be a theatre of screaming women (and some men too) as I sit awkwardly and watch some random men take of their clothes for two hours?
The Rise and Fall of the Hamburger Queen, better known as Ashleigh Owen, the one woman act boasting four characters, who takes us on a journey of her life up until this very night. A hilarious night of comedic flare and dance routines which you'll remember for years to come.
Keep dancing is a full speed ahead, none stop evening of dance. The show is made up of a variety of dancers, including some TV dance stars and celebrity guests. Our guest this evening was Olympian and Strictly come dancing 2012 champion, Louis Smith. Smith appeared in four main dances throughout the evening and overall was a great dancer. I felt in his first three routines he lacked a little emotion and personality, perhaps due to nerves, being the first time in a new venue. I thoroughly enjoyed his fourth routine, a Charleston, which had all the fun and cheekiness needed for this type of dance. The show ran with some backing tracks but for the most had three live singers.
Act one began with some (if not all) of the characters in the auditorium, interacting with the audience. Personally, I’m not a fan of this type of opening, but I could see that the children in the audience were excited by it, and it was a good way of engaging them from the start. Therefore, when they did it again to open act two, I could accept it for what it was, and even enjoy the concept this time around.
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