Presented by JustTalk Theatre Company.
For those not familiar with the theatre space at Joshua Brooks in Manchester, then it is a small basement room with a tiny makeshift acting space surrounded on three sides with as many chairs as possible. To say that a full house would be like sardines in a can would be an understatement, and so this venue is not for the claustrophobic. However, this does offer two advantages. One for the actors; they don't need to project their voices unnaturally; and the other for the audience; they are never far away from the action and so can feel complicit with it. Conversely however, I did feel that a couple of the actors could have done to have raised their voices a little more at times...some of the lines were barely audible; and during the fight scene two poor members of the front row had their toes stepped on by the fighters who failed to keep within the boundaries of the "room".
It's amazing how the simplest things can be the best! Boris and Sergy's, our two hosts for the night take a visit to The Lowry for a night full of entertainment and traditional tabletop theatre. Made of old leather this pair make such a fun and exciting duo.
By Far the Greatest Team is a play in two halves featuring four mini plays and transforms the Quays Theatre at The Lowry into a football stadium. The four stories tell not just what it is like to be a football fan, but what it is to be a human being living in Manchester in 2015.
As part of the Lowry's Roundabout Season we are presented with such a treat as an ensemble of actors take to the stage in such a unique and intriguing way. 'Not too tame' are a company whose main aim is to engage an audience that believe they don't belong in a theatre, with their down to earth attitude and daring themes that naturally keep people interested; they did just that. The whole event took place in a dome designed with surround sound, and with a capacity of 160 it was a very intimate atmosphere and very welcoming, also along with the theme of a tuckshop everyone was given a bag of sweets which certainly satisfied my sweet tooth.
The tale of orphan Annie is a familiar one to most of the adult population thanks to the 1982 movie and the recently updated 2014 version as well as a host of stage productions over the years. This latest production directed by Nikolai Foster is full of colour, humour and tender moments which keeps you glued to the stage for the entire 2 hour running time.
First performed at the Vaudeville Theatre, London on 3 April 2014 this show lasts around 2 hours 10 minutes including the interval.
Set in the opulent Buckingham Palace, the show focuses on the reputed ‘difficult’ relationship between the longest serving monarch and Britain's first female Prime Minister.
Based on the international best-selling book by Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a heart-warming story through the eyes of 15 year old Christopher John Francis Boone, whom on discovering the slain body of his neighbour’s dog and becoming the ultimate prime suspect, sets upon an investigation to uncover the truth about the murder. He starts to write his “crime investigation” as a school project with the assistance of his tutor/support worker Siobhan (Geraldine Alexander) which much to Christopher’s horror, she (Siobhan) suggests that he should turn into a play once completed. As he embarks upon his journey to solve the crime, he encounters a variety of new experiences - from getting on the wrong side of the Law, venturing out into his neighbourhood alone for the time (as he dislikes strangers, does not “do chatting”, likes to be alone and finds people “confusing). A highly skilled mathematician, Christopher is determined to take his A-level maths despite only being 15 and already predicts that he will get an A*.
Although it has been open since May this was my first visit to HOME and I cannot remember ever being so impressed with a new building. As a complex it has everything that an Arts lover could possibly need, a cutting edge Art gallery, two theatre spaces, several cinemas and perhaps most important of all several bars! It really is a wonderful addition to the Cultural life of Manchester and long may it continue to be so.
Creating a show based purely on a story with the music of The Who's legendary album was never going to be an easy order but their guitarist took on the challenge and they began recording the album in 1968 when Pete Townshend wanted to incorporate what he was learning with spiritual guru Meher Baba into a musical art form, producing longer musical pieces. Tommy was born...
The Full Monty began its 2nd UK tour at the Blackpool Grand playing to an exuberant audience and it’s like the show has never been away. Retaining the entire original cast from the 1st tour there were no first night nerves on show in this slick well-paced production directed by Jack Ryder.
Visit after visit to the Oldham Coliseum never fails to impress, the quality of their productions are always up there with the best to be seen in the West End or national tours. And now their latest offering, Hot Stuff has pushed the quality bar even higher! The cast, most of which have played on the West End are slick, well-rehearsed and can sure belt out a tune or two much to the delight of the press night audience.
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