I was incredibly pleased to discover that the venue for tonight’s performance of Two was a classic, black box studio theatre. This is because I knew from experience a play with only two actors involved would be so much more engaging and interactive in such a personal venue, and I was right! Bite My Thumb is a Yorkshire based theatre company and appeared truly in their element during this evening’s intimate performance. Two written by Jim Cartwright is a challenging task to take on, due to the variation of emotion, intensity and energy throughout the play, but I believe both Sophia Becic and Neil Knipe rose to this challenge.
Manchester Shakespeare Company present another original piece by John Topliff, this time taking the lives of William Shakespeare and wife Anne, and pitting them against the trials of married life in 2016. The events and people mentioned in the play are all real, but put into our modern society to see how they would cope in our world.
It's always such a warm and friendly welcome in the boutique 3 Minute Theatre, nestled away in a corner of Affleck's Palace in the Northern Quarter. You feel as if you are among friends, and there are not many theatres that have a resident dog to cuddle! Unfortunately the venue is having some issues with noisy neighbours at the moment, and the performances and rehearsals have been interrupted with building work and loud music.
Abel Gonzalez Melo is one of the most internationally known playwrights in Cuba. His writings explore the harsh realities of contemporary Cuban society and his biggest success to date is Chamaco (Kiddo). First staged in the National Theatre of Cuba in 2006, Chamaco (Kiddo) has gone on to win multiple awards has been translated into several languages and been made into a film. As part of Viva! Spanish and Latin America Festival 2016, hosted by HOME Manchester, Chamaco (Kiddo) is making its UK debut.
I have always been a fan of Agatha Christie and The Mousetrap is one of her classics. This is a little bit different though. It has never been published in the UK as a book, never been made into a film or a TV programme. There is an air of mystery around The Mousetrap. The play was first performed on the West End in 1952 and is the longest running West End play in history, still fascinating viewers after well over 25000 shows.
The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer and was composed near the end of the 8th century BC.
The poem mainly focuses on the Greek hero Odysseus and his journey home after the fall of Troy. It takes him ten years to reach Ithaca, facing many trials along the way, after a ten-year Trojan War. In his twenty year absence, it is assumed he has died, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must deal with a group of unruly suitors who are competing for Penelope’s hand in marriage.
Nikolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector is currently on tour visiting six theatres nationwide, including the West Yorkshire Playhouse, and they commit to supporting access theatre to disabled people.
Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Ramps On The Moon presents this satirical play, adapted by David Harrower, which is set in 19th Century Russia. It is about an unknown inspector coming to town and its residents including the Mayor (David Carlyle) anxiously prepare for his arrival; only for Khlestakov (Robin Morrissey), a civil servant, to be mistaken for the inspector.
“Why are we here?” - the first thing that pops out of Wendy Houston’s mouth during her show at the Lowry. I asked myself that question many times during this performance. However, as the show went on it became clear that Houston is trying to convey that everything in life is pointless. So pointless in fact that there were times when she felt unsure if she should be there.
Houston is definitely a courageous performer - not many people would be able to pull off what she does. In a world where theatre is dominated by ensembles, she chooses to work alone. It is nice to see an older woman onstage, in what is generally seen as a younger person’s job.
All I can say is WOW! This was not an easy subject matter and the punches hit the spot every time - but they were delivered with superb timing and liberal dollops of humour to soften the blow. The message, nevertheless, ringing true.
Developed, written and performed by Jon Spooner and Chris Thorpe, this is a 55 minute non-stop wake-up call.
This was a World Premiere production of a new play by Terry Deary brought to you by Prime Theatre in association with The Bolton Octagon and from the same team that presents 'Horrible Histories' and advertises itself as 'a magical and mad-cap introduction to Shakespeare's Scottish Play. For ages 7+'.
It does seem that with this year marking four hundred years since the death of the bard - his 452nd birthday being on Saturday - that everybody and his wife is jumping in on the Shakespeare bandwagon. Everywhere you go, his works, either as written or in bastardised or adapted forms are being performed. But this one did seem to stand out a little for me, and so was really quite intrigued to find out what it was all about.
“A reminder of Godber at his finest”
John Godber first premiered Men of The World in 2002 at The Crucible, Sheffield when it was then his 45th production. This revival is the third of his plays to be staged this Season by the John Godber company at Theatre Royal Wakefield, following on from Bouncers and his new play Shafted; I must say that this is my favourite of the trilogy. Tonight’s production was a reminder of Godber at his finest – familiar events and stereotypical characters shown through minimalistic scenes with knowing titters and real laugh out loud moments.
At the outset, the first thing to note in this production is the commitment by the actors to all the very energetic roles, for a full 90 minutes, with no intermission. An appreciator of theatre, and certainly those who have ever acted before, should be able to understand the stamina it takes to maintain focus in a role for this long, especially these roles. The second thing to note was my complete fascination and immersion in the show, for its entirety.
Aptly named Naughty Corner Productions present this, the third brain child of writer-director Mike Dickinson. Dirty Glitter comes after the very successful ‘The Bastard Queen’ and ‘Not the Horse,’ both of which were highly acclaimed by critics, the North West over. This latest, with so much pressure resting on its glistening shoulders, does not disappoint.
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