HOME’s performance of ‘Kingdom,’ is a part of the Viva! Spanish and Latin American Festival, presented by Senor Serrano. This all male cast performed in three different languages; English, Chinese, and Spanish.
Lyceum Theatre Oldham are showcasing the world premiere of a new play by Colin Smith this week, simply titled Play. The play within a play (already proving the title is apt) sees playwright Brian Simpson (Colin Smith) panic-writing a new plot when his original script A Wing and a Prayer goes missing on opening night.
I must admit to walking into the Hope Mill Theatre not sure of what to expect from this play. After a warm welcome I read a very well put together programme which also contained information on the gay scene in Manchester, HIV and its drug treatment. I should explain that I am a straight woman with very little contact with the gay community except through Theatre.
Kicking off the night with the Age of Aquarius, a trope that follows troubled lead character Claude through the whole show, Hair the Musical at the Palace Theatre Manchester was a scintillating, smoke filled, sixties soiree celebrating its 50th anniversary on the stage.
It has been 42 years since Abigail’s Party first hit the stage back in 1977. Written by Mike Leigh the sitcom style theatre show mocks the stereotypes of British social values. The cast is fairly small with only five characters; Beverly (Jodie Prenger), Angela (Vicky Binns), Tony (Calum Callaghan), Lawrence (Daniel Casey) and Sue (Rose Keegan).
It’s hard to find a greater enjoyment at the theatre than going to see a good farce comedy and they don’t come much more enjoyable than ‘Business Affairs’ written by Jeremy Lloyd (Allo Allo, Are You Being Served) and John Chapman.
I’m worried that not many regular theatre-goers will ‘get’ American Idiot, based on the concept album of the same name by kings of pop punk and the naughties grunge scene Green Day, and written by frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. But it’s the third UK tour, and it’s won two Tony Awards, so we must be safe.
There are some brand new members of Hyde Musical Society taking to the stage this week who may seem a little familiar. Princeton, Kate Monster, Trekkie Monster and a whole host of furry friends opened in Avenue Q tonight and you don’t want to miss this one!
The Crucible is a 1953 play by Arthur Miller. On the surface it is about the Salem witch trials of the 17th Century, but underneath it is an allegory about McCarthyism – a popular pastime in the ‘Forties and ‘Fifties – named after Senator Joseph McCarthy. (He must be so proud; not every senator gets turned into a noun.)
‘Hello, Dolly!’ is a comedy musical, with music and lyrics by the great Jerry Herman. The story follows Dolly Gallagher Levi, a self-confessed “meddler”, ‘some people paint, some sew… I meddle’, as she sets her efforts to find a match for the miserly, well-known half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder.
Very often I find that going to see the stage play that’s been adapted to a popular film is usually far better than the film; there’s more emotion and I find it easier to understand a character when it’s right there in front of me; this is definitely the case for Glengarry Glen Ross which after sell out runs on the West End, this Sam Yates’ production of David Mamet’s Olivier Award-winning play has returned for a UK tour and I was lucky enough to catch it at Manchester this week.
Page 12 of 44
