Author: kristobel

REVIEW: The Ladykillers (Oldham Coliseum)

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The Ladykillers at Oldham Coliseum © Joel C Fildes
The Ladykillers at Oldham Coliseum
© Joel C Fildes
Upstaged rating: 

Written by Graham Linehan, well-known for penning Father ted and The IT Crowd, The Ladykillers is a dark comedy inspired by the classic Ealing film of the same name.

Widely regarded as being one of the staples of British comedy, The Ladykillers is perfectly adapted for the stage with all of the action taking place within the shaky four walls of the innocent widow, Mrs Wilberforce’s home. With slick Professor Marcus at the helm of a ruthless gang of criminals masquerading as musicians, they use the rickety old house as the base for their illegal operations.

Foxton’s pleasingly skewed set design of the lop-sided house beside the busy train line is delightful and harbours many comic moments throughout the show. Graham Linehan’s script is packed with slapstick humour and one-liners and Kevin Shaw’s direction blesses the energetic cast with some cracking visual gags and tricks. There is a superb sequence, for example, when the gang, posing as a classically trained quintet, are revealed squeezed like sardines in a tiny cupboard. A further highlight comes when the felons find themselves being forced to play for Mrs Wilberforce (Roberta Kerr) and her gaggle of old ladies, with smooth Professor Marcus (Chris Hannon) passing the din off as being an experimental musical composition.

However, for the main the show feels like it never quite reaches second gear and there is a sense that the full potential of hilarity in the script is never quite achieved. Nonetheless, the cast all give energetic performances throughout with Chris Hannon as the pompously manic gang leader Professor Marcus. Howard Gray gives a comical performance as likeable baddie One Round, more endearingly known as Mr Lawson and Matthew Ganley gives a strong performance as moody Romanian gangster who does not like old ladies. Henry Devas shows infectious energy on stage as cleaning obsessed crook Harry and Christopher Wright intrigues as a Major with a penchant for ladies clothes. Simeon Truby puts in a witty performance as Constable MacDonald and gives a sterling turn as one of Mrs Wilberforce’s pals. Headed up by Roberta Kerr’s righteous but dotty Mrs Wilberforce, there is no doubt that the cast give this production their all.

With a running time of 2 hours and 30 minutes, The Ladykillers has plenty of comic moments but failed to make my ribs ache as much as I had hoped.

 

-Kristy Stott

The Ladykillers is at Oldham Coliseum until 2 July 2016 and you can get your tickets here.

REVIEW: The Night Watch (Royal Exchange, Manchester)

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The Night Watch at the Royal Exchange until 18th June 2016. © Richard Davenport
The Night Watch at the Royal Exchange until 18th June 2016.
© Richard Davenport
UPSTAGED RATING: 

Adapted for the stage by Hattie Naylor, The Night Watch is Sarah Waters’ thrilling novel of the same name. Shortlisted for both the Man Booker and Orange prizes for fiction, the narrative is set against the backdrop of 1940’s London and spirals back from the post-war devastation of 1947 to the Blitz of 1941. 

“People’s pasts are so much more interesting than their futures.”

 

As the fragmented stories of five people unfold we begin to understand the secrets, regrets and shame that have bound all of them together. With each life intertwined, so skilfully and softly layered, they are all detonated by war, but more so, by love.  

It’s a tricky narrative to present on stage but Naylor cuts right to the chase and avoids any extraneous period detail – the story is presented to us powerfully, each scene juxtaposed perfectly allowing each characters experience to weave smoothly into the next. The fusion of Georgia Lowe’s stark stage design and Rebecca Gatward’s intelligent direction ensures that scene changes and shifts in time are handled beautifully. The sweet and dream-like sound of a piano accompanies the circular movement of the stage as we are transported to another point in time. 

Flooding the stage with soft warm lighting, Elliot Griggs’ lighting design compliments perfectly, transforming an office desk to a summer roof terrace, switching through the darkness of war and devastation to the warm light of love and hope.

With such a pleasingly simple set design, there is absolutely no room for error on stage and the cast deliver a stunningly captivating production. Flawless and intricate, the characters are developed throughout the play – their emotions stripped back as we get to know, and love, them. Led by Jodie McNee, playing the troubled and endearing Kay Langrish, there are no weak links here. Kelly Hotten captures the vulnerability of secretary Helen – wearing her heart on her sleeve, it’s easy to understand her attraction to Julia, the feisty and flamboyant writer played by Lucy Briggs-Owen.

The Night Watch is a gripping adaptation of Sarah Waters’ novel – beautifully realised and faultlessly performed.

 

-Kristy Stott

The Night Watch runs at the Royal Exchange, Manchester until Saturday 18th June 2016 and you can get your tickets here.

The Hollywood Special Effects Show Competition

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Twitter Competition to win 4 tickets to The Hollywood Special Effects Show on Friday 3rd June 2016 at The Lowry Theatre, Salford.

To enter please visit our Twitter account here.

Terms and Conditions of Entry

1. The Hollywood Special Effects Show competition is open to residents of the UK aged 18 and over who hold a Twitter account.
2. By entering the competition you are agreeing to these terms and conditions. Entrants can enter the competition once.

3. The competition opens on 31st May 2016 and closes at 18:00 on 2nd of June 2016.

4. Winners will be selected and notified on Thursday 2nd June 2016.

5. The prize is 4 tickets to The Hollywood Special Effects Show on Friday 3rd June 2016 at 7:00pm. The show is at The Lowry Theatre, Salford and the tickets are to be collected from the box office before the show.

6. Winners will be notified via a Twitter DM within 2 hours of the end of the Competition. They should then reply with their name, email address and phone number.

7. The prizes are non-transferable, non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for any cash alternatives in whole or in part. Prizes are only valid for the date and event stated and no changes are permitted under any circumstance. In the event for any reason the prize winner does not take an element of the prize at the time stipulated by the Promoter, then that element of the prize will be forfeited by the winner and neither cash nor any other form of compensation will be supplied in lieu of that element of the prize.

8. No travel or accommodation expenses are included.

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Looking for an explosive half term treat?

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The Hollywood Special Effects Show heads to the Lowry, Salford on the Friday 3 and Saturday 4 June.

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Following its success at the 2016 Big Bang Fair, the largest science fair in the UK, The Hollywood Special Effects Show visits The Lowry, Salford.

The Hollywood Special Effects Show is an interactive science and special effects show for the whole family.

Recommended for ages 6 and over, audiences will be able to get closer to the action than ever before. Theatre-goers will be invited behind the scenes of many favourite films to discover the explosive science and trade secrets that are involved in creating movie magic.

With a team of movie professionals, audiences will marvel at gruesome sci-fi monsters, feel the blaze of an onstage inferno and experience apocalyptic weather and huge explosions.

Using more pyrotechnics than any other UK touring theatre show and with a cannon capable of firing a projectile over 500 metres…be prepared to be blown away.

The Hollywood Special Effects Show is at The Lowry, Salford on Friday 3rd June  and Saturday 4th June 2016. You can book your tickets through The Lowry here or you can give the friendly Box Office a call on 0843 208 6000.

Running Time: 1hr 40 mins including the interval

-Kristy Stott

 

 

REVIEW: Parade ( Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester)

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Parade at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester © Anthony Robling
Parade at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
© Anthony Robling

UPSTAGED RATING: 

Everything about James Baker’s Parade is a triumph and if you are in or around Manchester, you really should get a ticket. Just go.

The dimly lit, eerie walls of Manchester’s newest performance space, Hope Mill Theatre stand with pride to present the harrowing true story about the trial of Leo Frank. Frank was a Jewish pencil factory manager in Atlanta who was tried for raping and murdering Mary Phagan in 1913. The intimate performance space in the old cotton mill provides the perfect backdrop for this emotionally charged and troubling narrative driven by the murder of the thirteen-year-old girl in the factory where she worked.

The super talented cast of 15 manage to cover 38 roles between them and all give stand-out performances. There is a beautiful balance between heartfelt, raw emotion and technical brilliance from Tom Lloyd as the accused Leo Frank; Laura Harrison gives a breathtaking vocal performance as his doting and determined wife, Lucille Frank. James Baker’s ensemble pieces are always a highlight too – under William Whelton’s stylish choreography, wielding their confederate flags and clicking their heels, the dynamic cast deliver to Jason Robert Brown’s finely crafted score. There is no weak link here.

There are memorable performances throughout from Matt Mills and Shekinah McFarlane, particularly during their second act opener – playing two of the Governor’s African American employees, they deliver a soulful and spirited ‘A Rumblin’ And A Rollin’, showing that racial tensions were still running high fifty years after the American Civil War had ended. James Wolstenholme proves his versatility as a performer – slipping into the ruthless shoes of desperate hack Britt Craig to deliver an outstanding rendition of Real Big News before stepping up as the authoritative Governor of Georgia, John Slaton.

Victoria Hinton’s stripped back set is split into 3 simple sections to aid the fluidity of the narrative with adaptable wooden pallets giving a constant reminder of the factory environment.

There’s a lot to be said about bringing musical theatre to an intimate setting like Hope Mill Theatre. Watching the performers emerge from within the audience, so close that you can see the beads of sweat on their foreheads and the tears rolling down their cheeks, is really something special. Add to this a wonderful 9 piece live band under the superb direction of Tom Chester and Mancunian producer Katy Lipson of Aria Entertainment, and Mr James Baker has raised the bar for Fringe theatre once again.

I urge you to get a ticket for Parade. Just go.

-Kristy Stott

Parade is on at Hope Mill Theatre, 113 Pollard Street, Manchester M4 7JA until Sunday 5th June 2016. NOW EXTENDED UNTIL 11th June 2016! Please click here to get your tickets.

REVIEW – Handle With Care (Week 53 – The Lowry, Salford)

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Handle With Care by Dante or Die Theatre Co Week 53 at The Lowry, Salford
Handle With Care by Dante or Die Theatre Co
Week 53 at The Lowry, Salford
UPSTAGED RATING: 

“A journey of one woman and her stuff through a lifetime of self-storage”

Handle With Care is a curiously intimate site-specific performance which plays out in the metal units and brightly lit corridors of a self-storage facility. Presented as part of the innovative Week 53 festival hosted by The Lowry in Salford, Handle With Care tells the story of Zoe through the most poignant stages of her life. Exploring the central themes to the festival, Place & Identity, we are encouraged to explore ideas surrounding life experiences, the memories we hold on to and the personal possessions that we use to keep them alive.

The show is visually impressive – it’s a promenade performance with the audience following the actors around the Ready Steady Store unit in Worsley, Greater Manchester. The small audience find themselves watching the story unfold within the locker-lined corridors and small confines of each storage unit. It’s innovative and intimate and the audience are encouraged to move around the actors during the performance – it’s a bit like a fly-on-the-wall experience. The audience witness the reality of the arguments that take place behind closed doors, the domestic bickering and private moments of reflection.

What is so remarkable is the fluidity with which Handle With Care is presented – in 90 minutes we whizz through the decades in Zoe’s life, from 1988 to the present day. The dynamic cast handle the transition between varying performance spaces and they work around the strategically placed audience well . 

Fuelled by the audiences curiosity, each key is turned in each storage unit and the door flung open, to reveal another poignant incident in Zoe’s life. The detailed design is studded with costume and artefacts from the 80’s and 90’s and the soundtrack featuring The Stone Roses and Alanis Morisette pushes us through each year and into the next. 

Handle With Care is a triumphant site-specific piece and it could not be performed in a more suited environment – encouraging us to reflect on our own experiences, memories and our notions of place and identity.

 -Kristy Stott

Handle With Care continues to tour through May and June 2016: Harlow Playhouse with Lok ‘n Store from the 13th-15th May, South St Arts Centre with Lok ‘n Store from the 19th-22nd May, Lighthouse Poole with Lok ‘n Store from the 26th-29th May and Shoreditch Townhall with Urban Locker from the 3rd-25th June. For more information on the site-specific performance please click here.

REVIEW – Chotto Desh (The Lowry, Salford)

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Chotto Desh © Richard Haughton

 

Thingstars: 

Chotto Desh is being performed as part of the Week 53 festival at The Lowry Theatre in Salford. The innovative festival seeks to bring together contemporary dance, visual arts, music and theatre in interactive installations, exhibitions and performances.

We were thrilled to find out that the Akram Khan Company were taking part in the festival with a new adaptation of their Olivier Award-winning DESH, suitable for children aged 7+ and their families. This is the first ever family show created by Akram Khan and I was very excited to introduce Thing 1, who loves to dance, to some of Akram Khan’s work.

Chotto Desh meaning ‘small homeland’ in Bengali, is the perfect blend of dance, clever animation and simple storytelling set to the beat of an original soundtrack. The narrative is beautifully painted and is pitched at the ideal pace and level for older children to enjoy and understand, detailing a young British man’s dreams, curiosities and memories on his journey to find home. Despite being born in London, Akram has roots in Bangladesh and the Philippines – we follow him on his journey from Britain to Bangladesh and back again; we understand his aspiration to be a dancer and we explore a magical world of memories and stories as they unfold to us.

The show is stunningly performed by Dennis Alamanos – the dynamic and detailed choreography fuses classical Indian Kathak with ballet and contemporary dance. With references to Michael Jackson, breakdancing and street dance – we can understand how popular culture influenced Akram’s childhood. Alamanos’ movement fuses perfectly with the voiceovers and dream-like moving images. Children’s mouths were agape at the enchanting animation – as Akram comes face to face with a crocodile and stares in awe at an elephant before sprinting away from an approaching tiger.

There is such fluidity with the whole performance which also aids little ones understanding and there is a perfect scattering of humour. It was pleasing to see so many children engaging with the performance and enjoying such a breathtaking piece of choreography. Chotto Desh is the perfect mix of storytelling and dance, loaded with innocence and affection, making it fitting for young minds.

Chotto Desh is a beautiful adventure for children aged 7+ and their grown-ups – thrilling, poignant and brilliant. It certainly encouraged us to think about our own home and family and the aspirations that drive us forward.


-Kristy Stott

Chotto Desh runs at the Lowry in Salford until 4 May 2016.

REVIEW – Origins (The Lowry)

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Origins by Animikii Theatre.
Developed with The Lowry.
Upstaged Rating: 

This new piece of physical theatre by Animikii Theatre Company explores the story of the world’s first murderer: the killing of Cain by his brother Abel. The result is an intense hour of gripping storytelling communicated only through movement and sound.

Co-created by Henry McGrath and Adam Davies, who also plays Abel, Origins probes the psychological and divine relationship between the two brothers and examines the reason that the two became such hateful enemies.

The brothers relationship is well mapped from the start with Abel (Adam Davies) and Cain (Charles Sandford) engaging in enjoyable and boisterous brotherly games. Oscar Thompson’s ominous musical score resonates powerfully, from the sound of a maternal heartbeat to a discordant boom, giving further depth and meaning to the skilled physicality.

Charles Sandford as Cain towers over Adam Davies’ Abel and appears as the dominant brother from the very start. Cain proves to be diligent crop farmer and Abel a shepherd but the power balance is shifted once Abel makes a more pleasing sacrifice to their god. Could jealousy be the motivation for the murder? Did Cain feel a loss of self-esteem which powered him to kill his brother? Animikii aim to look beyond the monster that Cain appears to be and deliver a portrait of his dreams, passions and the motivations that lead him to commit fratricide.

Adam Davies and Charles Sandford are highly skilled performers and gripping to watch. Bare-chested they deliver an agile performance demonstrating precision, spatial awareness and creativity. 

Origins is a tremendous and gripping piece of physical theatre, intense and biblical in the grand sense. With every detail loaded to perfection, Animikii Theatre Company are certainly ones to watch and I can’t wait to hear about their future projects.

-Kristy Stott

Origins continues to tour through May 2016: Visiting the Southbank Centre, London on the 4th and 5th May. The tour visits the Rainhall Centre in Barnoldswick, The Bureau in Blackburn, The Barbour Institute in Tattenhall, The Goodwill Hall in Faddiley and the Unity Theatre in Liverpool. Please click here for more info and tickets.

REVIEW – Leaper – A Fish Tale (The Lowry Theatre, Salford)

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Leaper - The Fish Tale by Tucked In Theatre Company
Leaper – The Fish Tale by Tucked In Theatre Company
Thingstars: 

It’s quite alarming to find out that around 90% of global fish stocks are over-exploited, fully exploited or in recovery from exploitation. In severely depleted areas, the only way to restore fish stock is by introducing protected reserves. However, considering a massive 72% of our planet is water and only 4% of this is currently protected, it becomes evident that without urgent measures we may be the last generation to catch food from the oceans.

It’s really important to educate the younger generation to care for their planet from an early age and Tucked In Theatre Company explore this idea through their production of Leaper – A Fish Tale. There are no blinding statistics or complicated language but charming puppetry, original music and a set with a wonderful hand-crafted quality. The energetic cast of three: Lizzie Franks, Philip Bosworth and Robert Welling tell the story of Leaper the fish and the beautiful but perilous ocean world that she inhabits.

Through the eyes of a little girl, we follow Leaper on her journey to encounter the ever growing natural and man-made dangers in our ocean. After accidentally falling into the water to retrieve her dropped prawn cocktail crisp packet, the little girl makes friends with Leaper as they explore the waterways together, travelling from the tiny stream to the vast ocean and back again.

The young audience were engrossed by Claire Harvey’s wonderful puppet design featuring a school of fish, a noisy duck and a formidable brown bear. Jim Harbourne’s warm and upbeat musical score provided continuity and familiarity for the little ones and Annie Brooks’ design had a real home-made appeal. However, there was a lot of story to cram into a short running time of 60 minutes and with frequent set changes, some of the sections felt rushed. The young members of the audience would certainly benefit from a slower pace which would give them time to reflect and understand.

Following our visit to watch Leaper – A Fish Tale,  Thing 2 was busting with questions about fish and our oceans, proving that theatre can be a powerful way to tap into a child’s understanding of the world and our environment. Tucked In theatre have to be applauded for their imaginative approach in tackling a complex subject and their ability to make it accessible to children. After all, our children are the future generation and the earlier we educate them about our planet – the brighter their future.

-Kristy Stott

 Leaper is showing next at the Blackwood Miners Institute in Caerphilly on the 30th April 2016 and at 96 Shenley Road in Borehamwood on the 2nd May 2016.

 

Mini Critic : The Next Step – Wild Rhythm Tour (The Lowry, Salford)

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Billets-pour-The-Next-Step-Wild-Rhythm-Tour-520x325

The Next Step is a Canadian reality-style TV show that follows a group of young dancers and in the UK, this popular tween drama is broadcast on CBBC.

In this explosive collaboration,The Next Step has teamed up with new CBBC show Lost and Found Music Studios and the result is The Next Step: Wild Rhythm Tour.

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Young dancer and fan of the show Evie went along to The Lowry with her mum Karen to check it out…

next step

 

“Hi. My name is Evie and I am nine. I was lucky enough to go and see The Next Step at the Lowry for my birthday present off mum and it was way more than awesome!

When I have time I sit back and watch The Next Step on TV and it was just fantastic to see them dancing in front of my very own eyes. I felt like my brain was going to burst with excitement!

I loved seeing the dancers being themselves and getting to know their real personalities. James and Eldon were hilarious although the girls always rule. I enjoyed the choice of music and the emotions and drama of the different dances.

The video clips inspired me to start dancing more and maybe if I work hard and believe in myself I could be in A Troupe one day. I can’t wait to see them on tour again in October.”

Evie really enjoyed The Next Step and mum Karen was impressed by the interaction during the Q&A and the positive message that the young audience take away with them…

“I wasn’t quite sure what to expect as it’s based around a TV dance programme but I can honestly say we both loved it. And I reckon by the audience response and feel of excitement in the theatre that the was general feeling from everybody. My daughter sat in awe watching the energy and passion of the dancers in front of her and you could see the commitment they give to their dance. The show was full of interaction, humour, drama and emotion and you felt totally engaged with the show and performers.

The interactive aspect was great as the kids got to be involved in a Q+A session engaging with the dancers and learning a little more about them and their aspirations. The dancers and singers were great role models for the kids and told how if they believe in themselves and work hard and show commitment they will achieve their goals. A great message for the kids to take away. I always thought it was just a TV programme but it is so much more. On a personal level this cast and their stories mean such a lot to my daughter. She has had troubles at school even at the young age of nine and she says the programme helps her solve problems at school as the programme looks at relationship dynamics and how the cast work through them. Fantastic as our kids need all the help and tools they can in order to live life to its max.”

The Next Step begins touring again in the autumn.

Kicking off at the SECC in Glasgow on 21 October 2016 with more dates in Manchester, London. Nottingham,  Brighton, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Bath and Cambridge. You can click here to get your tickets.

 

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