Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Reviewer: Megan Hyland

Willy Russell’s timeless musical returned to Manchester last night with a full standing ovation. Having now passed its fortieth year on stage, Blood Brothers has stood the test of time and is a story that will continue to connect with audiences for years to come.

Willy Russell’s timeless musical returned to Manchester last night with a full standing ovation.

It is the story of the Johnstone twins – Mickey and Eddie – separated at birth after their mother found that she could only afford to keep one of them. One is raised in luxury whilst the other struggles to get by, but Mickey and Eddie’s bond is such that they always find their way back to each other – a bond that proves fatal.

Sean Jones stars as Mickey, showing incredible character development throughout the play as we watch Mickey go from hilarious childlike innocence to a broken adult who’s been beaten down by life too many times. Jones manages to portray this change with both understated emotion and raging intensity, quickly switching from one to the other with expertise; creating a character that is as unpredictable as he is sympathetic.

Jay Worley stars alongside Jones as Eddie, who never quite grows out of his childlike innocence. Worley portrays this with believability and warmth, and whilst Mickey’s tale is certainly the unfortunate one, we find ourselves feeling sorry for Eddie for simply not understanding the depth of Mickey’s pain. Jones and Worley have a warm and emotional chemistry that draws the audience further into their story, and make its end all the more tragic.

Both actors portray their characters in childhood with such energy and enthusiasm that we as an audience forget that we’re watching adults. This is also down to Willy Russell’s powerful ability to evoke feelings and memories with his writing, depicting a vibrant and heart-warming tableau of childhood that will feel familiar to any audience.

Although the story of the Johnstone twins is as moving now as it has ever been, there are elements of the play itself that feel somewhat dated now and would have benefitted from an update. For example, the children playing a game of Cowboys and Indians that offensively portrays Native Americans, and a bus conductor making a joke about being attracted to a fourteen-year-old girl feel less comfortable when viewed today. However, they do not detract from the heart of the story.

While the music has the potential to add to this dated feel with its distinctly eighties percussion and effects, the vocal talent of the cast overcomes this. Niki Colwell Evans as Mrs Johnstone and Richard Munday as the Narrator particularly stand out, with their impressive vocal range and dedication to their respective performances. They command the attention of the audience and carry the story with equal grace and power.

Blood Brothers is a story that continues to touch audiences as it always has with its unapologetically northern storytelling.

Blood Brothers is a story that continues to touch audiences as it always has with its unapologetically northern storytelling and Willy Russell’s moving music and lyrics. With hilarity and depth of emotion, Russell’s writing explores class, family, friendship, and mental health in a way that will continue to resonate and connect with audiences for another forty years and beyond.

– Megan Hyland

Blood Brothers runs at The Lowry until Saturday 22 October 2022

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Richly crafted characters, a soulful score sensationally performed and Alice Walker’s painful, though spiritual and joyful, narrative make The Color Purple an unmissable production.

With music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, and book by Marsha Norman, The Color Purple is based on the 1982 epistolary novel by Alice Walker and the subsequent film adaptation by Steven Speilberg in 1985. And if you’ve read the novel or seen the film, you’ll understand that the work centres around some hard-hitting themes. The story documents the traumas, and ultimate triumph, of Celie, a young African-American woman, who has her autonomy, innocence, body and education snatched from her. Playing out over four decades, we witness Celie’s rise as she learns to accept and also reclaim those fundamental treasures of life that were stolen from her.

Perfectly executed, brimming with soul and spirit

This production is so special because it does not hide from the darker elements of the story. Powerful and upbeat, every song hits you right in the solar plexus – this is a production littered with emotional liberation. Under Tinuke Craig’s masterful direction, The Color Purple is tightly paced –  the wonderfully bright score feels sweetly inventive, comforting and hopeful alongside the exploration of the narrative’s heavier themes. The action is complemented by Alex Lowde’s minimalist wooden set design and we are orientated to time and place by the use of simple, though intelligent video projections by Joshua Pharo.

This production really shines in terms of its casting and it’s a challenge to pick out any individual performances. Me’sha Bryan holds the audience close as Celie – charismatic, gentle and courageous – delicately balancing a dramatic edge with a vocal richness. Anelisa Lamola brings sass and heartfelt emotion as Sofia and Bree Smith is perfectly tuned as Shug Avery. Graceful, harmonious and disciplined, every cast member performed with passion.

Powerful and upbeat, every song hits you right in the solar plexus

A celebration of community, female empowerment and redemption, The Color Purple is nothing short of a triumph. The show earned a standing ovation and rapturous applause on the night I attended. Perfectly executed, brimming with soul and spirit – not to be missed. 

-Kristy Stott

The Color Purple runs at The Lowry, Salford until Saturday 15 October 2022

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Beautiful is billed as The Carole King Story but in reality, it is so much more than that. Yes, the plot follows King’s rise from a prolific teenage songwriter to the multi-award-winning voice of a generation which we know her as today. But more than that, it acts as a paean to a short but golden era of songwriting. One which set the bar for the rest of the sixties, and indeed for the entire latter half of the twentieth century.

Most shows will leave you with one stand-out song which you’re humming on the way home…this show is full of them.

King’s songs are at the centre of a love letter to the historic musical hub – the Brill Building, New York. I won’t list them here, but part of the joy of this show is realising quite how many iconic songs she had a hand in creating. Carole King began her career at the age of 17 – writing songs for the pop groups of the day – songs that surpass generations, and which most people could still sing back to you today.

After partnering with, and later marrying, Gerry Goffin, the pair conquered the charts with classics such as ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’ and ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’. After their marriage broke down due to Goffin’s multiple infidelities and mental instability, King experienced a creative rebirth as a solo writer. She began performing her own songs and quickly became a darling of the Laurel Canyon scene.

The pacing of Beautiful becomes a little frenetic at times, but this is to be expected with the number of hits (and the number of plot points) to be fitted in. This is all ably handled by the talented ensemble of actor-musicians, who transfer the songs from their pop music roots into numbers that can fill a theatre, upping them in size but never overwhelming the sincere and delicate emotions at their core.

Molly-Grace Cutler is a magnetic central presence as Carole King.

Molly-Grace Cutler is a magnetic central presence as Carole King, with an uncanny vocal resemblance that manages to capture King’s spirit without ever descending into a tribute act. Act One closes with a genuinely haunting visual metaphor of Goffin’s mistress miming ‘One Fine Day’ whilst King sings it behind her – the perfect illustration of the very real heartbreak behind the hits. The supporting performances are occasionally patchy in terms of vocal or comedic timing, but this never threatens to derail the show and the cast received a well-deserved standing ovation on the night I attended.

The thing that shines through most in Beautiful is the genuine affection for these timeless songs. Most shows will leave you with one stand-out song which you’re humming on the way home. Thanks to the boundless talent of Carole King, this show is full of them.

-Daniel Shipman

Beautiful runs at the Palace Theatre, Manchester until Saturday 15 October 2022.

Reviewer: Rachel Foster

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The show was previously cancelled in January 2022, due to Covid, and has been rescheduled to run in Manchester this autumn instead.

It was worth the wait. Saturday Night Fever hit the floor with a euphoric bang at The Palace Theatre in Manchester on the night I attended.

From the outset, the infamous soundtrack is electrifying and the cast dazzle with fantastic footwork. Transported back to the ’70s, costumes are nylon shirts and skintight flares. A mirrored set recreates the disco scene from the movie and provides a chance to see the dancers from all angles.

Jack Wilcox is a popular choice with the crowd; suitably swaggering as Tony Manero, he has the audience in the palm of his hand from the get-go. Rebekah Bryant plays the haughty Stephanie Mangano who is Manero’s heart’s desire (after himself of course). A great synergy is clear between them and it’s a delight to watch them dance together.

Addressing some of the film’s darker themes, there were other notable performances from Harry Goodson-Bevan – who brought a powerful vulnerability to Bobbie C and Billie Hardy as Annette – whose vocals were also impressive.  Additionally, Tony’s older brother, Father Frank Junior was portrayed admirably by Marios Nicolaides.

‘The Bee-Gees,’ played by AJ Jenks, Oliver Thomson and Drew Ferry, are a welcomed addition to the musical. Present throughout the performance, they brought a wonderful dose of authentic ’70s music to the show. And Faizal Jaye as DJ Monty brought boundless energy and powerful vocals that gave a torrent of energy and vibrancy.

With choreography by Bill Deamer superbly polished, ‘You should be Dancing’ by the whole cast was electrifying and ‘Tragedy’ was just mind-blowingly brilliant. Yiota Theo and Anthony Starr brought riveting moves to the stage as Maria and Caesar. Coming second in the dance competition, Manero hands over the 1^st prize believing them more deserving. There’s grit, sweat, realism, loss and tears alongside themes of mental health, social status and heartbreak.

This dynamic musical successfully celebrates a youth subculture – where you dance the night away with wilful abandon – while also tackling some trickier themes. And the fast pace of the performance makes it thoroughly engaging from start to finish and impossible to take your eyes and ears away.

-Rachel Foster

Saturday Night Fever runs at the Palace Theatre, Manchester until 1 October 2022.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Some things are just worth waiting for. And this new production of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie is absolutely one of these things. When the Royal Exchange was forced to close back in March 2020, due to the Covid pandemic, the next production due on stage was this revival of The Glass Menagerie. The team had started work but the show was put on hold. Now two years later, and three years in the making, with director Atri Banerjee at the helm, Williams’ poetic masterpiece sits beautifully within the domed setting of the Royal Exchange.

Described as an ‘intense memory play’, The Glass Menagerie tells the story of a family on the verge of change. Two children live a suffocating home life with their overbearing mother; chain-smoking Tom frequently escapes to the cinema while his sister retreats into a world of music and her collection of glass animals. A stifling web of tension, trauma and hope, the story is told through Tom’s memories.

A huge revolving lit-up sign reading ‘paradise’ looms over the performance, moving anti-clockwise, it continues to turn throughout most of the play. Rosanna Vize’s stripped-back set of a highly polished floor catches reflections of the characters as they travel across the stage, echoing their fragility and the dreamlike disorder of their existence.

As both narrator and protagonist, Joshua James moves the play along despite being visibly trapped by the constraints of his life, he moves backwards and forwards across the stage, but never really gets anywhere. Geraldine Somerville captures the dichotomy of Amanda Wingfield perfectly. I find myself grimacing with pleasure watching her; uncomfortable to watch, erratic and excruciating – she walks a tight line between a mother who scolds her son for his drive to lose himself in the fiction of film, but then lives her own relationship fiction through her daughter as she tries to steer her into a romance with potential suitor Jim O’Connor. Rhiannon Clements’ barefoot and wide-eyed Laura is shy, delicate and utterly vulnerable in contrast to her mother. There is a desperate glimmer of hope and playfulness in the interactions between her and Eloka Ivo’s Jim O’Connor, particularly when they dance to Whitney Houston’s ‘One Moment in Time’, a sequence worthy of the applause it received on the night I attended. 

Atri Banerjee has shaped a beautiful production – sensitive and bold – with revealing, nuanced and wonderfully uncomfortable characters. Completely compelling.

-Kristy Stott

The Glass Menagerie runs at the Royal Exchange until 8 October 2022.

Upstaged rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Reviewer: Megan Hyland

Robyn Grant and Daniel Foxx’s Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch is a joyous celebration of nastiness. With vibrant, lyrical music and clever, quick-witted humour, this is the story of our favourite Disney villain as you’ve never seen her before – but definitely wish you had; a tale of scandal, sex, and sorcery that you won’t want to miss.

The role of Ursula – originally played by Elliotte Williams-N’Dure – was passed to understudy, Allie Dart; who was given just one day to rehearse the role before last night’s performance. And what a performance it was! Dart was outstanding, slipping effortlessly into this epic role and delivering the performance of a lifetime. It’s hard to believe that she had so little time to rehearse, as she belted out Grant and Foxx’s songs with such passion and skill.

Dart perfectly embodied Ursula, bringing with her all of the character’s complexity; attitude; and sensuality. She commanded the stage with expert comedic timing and had the audience gripped in her tentacles from the moment she appeared. There could not have been anyone more suited to step up to the plate; and although Dart is no newcomer to the stage, it felt as though last night was the birth of a star.

Dart starred alongside George Whitty as the principled King Triton, whose breath-taking vocals filled the stage and left the audience in awe. His chemistry with Dart was undeniable and yet another testament to an extremely talented cast who had such little time to turn things around for this performance, yet delivered something truly outstanding.

Jamie Mawson played the roles of Eric and King Neptune; deservedly receiving some of the biggest laughs of the night. Whether it was his booming, theatrical voice as the eccentric King Neptune; or his campy portrayal of pompous Prince Eric, Mawson was consistently hilarious and consistently wonderful.

With their writing and lyrics, Robyn Grant and Daniel Foxx have created a truly beautiful piece of storytelling in Unfortunate. Alongside Tim Gilvin working on music, arrangements, and orchestrations; they are able to deliver music that is fun, intentional, and ultimately unforgettable; combining parody versions of our favourite Little Mermaid classics with original songs that still feel familiar and fitting. But be warned – while it may be based on a children’s classic, Unfortunate is far from a family-friendly musical. It is fantastically filthy, and far from being suggestive; just like Ursula herself, Unfortunate says it how it is.

It is impossible to praise Unfortunate without mentioning the fantastic efforts of the crew behind it. Abby Clarke’s sensational set design exemplifies Ursula, with magnificent towering tentacles and glittering cascading sheets that make you feel as though you really are under the sea. What she and lighting designer Douglas Kuhrt have been able to create with such minimal set pieces is truly outstanding and visually striking. Melody Sinclair’s choreography also deserves a nod for how it allows the cast to truly embody their characters and the music.

Whether you’re a fan of the Little Mermaid or not, Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch offers something for everyone; catchy original songs, a cast with impeccable talent and a story that is bound to shiver your timbers.

-Megan Hyland

Unfortunate runs at The Lowry, Salford until Saturday 10 September 2022.

Upstaged Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

With super catchy songs (yes, you’ll be humming all the way home), a dynamic cast and tonnes of heart, Identical celebrates family and the astonishing coincidences that can completely change our lives.

Directed by Trevor Nunn, who was Artistic Director of the RSC for 18 years, and whose musical credits include Les Miserables, Cats and Starlight Express – Identical is a brand new British musical adaptation of Erich Kästner’s 1949 novel Lisa and Lottie. The cheeky, though heartfelt story will also be familiar to those who have watched Disney’s film version of the story – The Parent Trap, which was remade in 1998 following its original release in 1968. 

Identical is essentially a musical reboot of Kästner’s story of two identical twins, Lisa and Lottie, who were separated from one another as babies and whose paths cross at a summer camp ten years later.

Upbeat and cheerful, the curtain rises and the orchestra start up with a lively chorus ‘In the Summer’ and we are transported to an Alpine summer camp. Despite the initial hostility on their first meeting, the twins soon make a tender connection with one another. Born on the same day, in the same hospital teamed with the fact that ‘they have the same face’ – both want to find out more about one another. Cunningly, Lisa and Lottie, played beautifully by real-life twins Kyla and Nicole Fox, hatch a plan to switch identities, meet their ‘other’ parent, and find out more about each other’s lives.

The action then takes place across Munich and Vienna as the twins stay in regular contact with one another via telephone, and we are introduced to their parents, Emily Tierney as Lisalotte, a busy writer though loving mother, and James Darch as their workaholic father and composer Johan. We also meet Johan’s housekeeper Roza, played by Louise Gold, and Johan’s love-interest prima ballerina Miss Garlach, portrayed perfectly by Gabrielle Lewis-Dobson.

Alongside dedicated individual performances, Robert Jones’ set design and video design by Douglas O’Connell really make the back-and-forth story easy to follow for a family audience. The use of immediate, impressive and slick video design means that we can be transported from a German mountaintop to the classical and ornate setting of Johan’s Viennese home instantly.

With a running time of 2 hours and 50 minutes (including an interval), the show is perhaps a little long for younger children and would benefit from a little tightening. Although advertised as suitable for ages 8+, I would probably recommend it for children aged 10+. Most strikingly, the show tackles topics around love, relationships and separated parents in a really accessible way for young people too.

Uplifting and energising, though also reflective, Identical has all the trappings of a great musical. And I promise you won’t be the only one singing your way out of the theatre. 

-Kristy Stott

Identical runs at The Lowry until Saturday 3 September.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Reviewer: Elise Gallagher

Written by Caroline Lamb and directed by Helen Parry, On Me is a 60 minute play being performed in the upstairs function room of the Seven Oaks pub, as part of Greater Manchester Fringe Festival.

The play focuses on two actors, Shona (Leah Eddleston) and Christian (Alexi Papadopoulos) who are navigating troubling reenactment scenes for a true crime documentary series. The two are clearly attracted to each other, but as the lines between reality and script blur, questions of consent, vulnerability and what is appropriate linger heavily in the air.

The story is told using a clever mix of scenes taking place in, during, and out of the filming process. Quick snapshots of moments between the two protagonists, the documentary series Director (Brandon Worrall) and his Clapper Loader (Sean McGlynn) are interjected with the voices of team members off stage.

The play explores the very nuanced subject of power in relationships which sits front and centre in production today. The actors navigate the conversation gradually, this unique situation setting off with an abrupt start before key moments around safeguarding and boundaries interject the script. I’d suggest this play isn’t appropriate for everyone as there are moments of sexual violence – however, these moments were produced and performed sensitively.

One moment done particularly well was a very tense scene between Shona (Eddlestone) and the Clapper Loader (McGlynn). They don’t speak as he goes about his work but despite this you find yourself holding your breath. You don’t know what will happen, but a sense of unease overwhelms the room. This is particularly effective given McGlynn’s lack of lines throughout the whole play. Caroline Lamb explores the topic incredibly well, the conversations and interactions between characters feel natural and the chemistry between the two actors is evident and believable. There are some clever tricks in the script, however, I feel elements of depth are cheapened slightly by a cliched ending. The Seven Oaks pub has stood in Manchester since 1824, but it feels like the issues surrounding female treatment have been standing for longer. This uniquely modern situation – particularly in regard to the rise in true crime/female victim content – is a worthy and thought-provoking addition to a very important and vital conversation.

Elise Gallagher

On Me runs at the Seven Oaks Pub until Saturday 30 July and you can find out more about the Greater Manchester Fringe here.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sisters! The reviews are in…

Inspired by the much-loved 1992 film, Manchester’s Palace Theatre hosts a divine new stage production of Sister Act – which will travel to London ahead of a UK tour.

Just like the film, starring Whoopi Goldberg, the stage musical follows the antics of the sassy, sparkly and quick-witted club singer Deloris Van Cartier, who finds herself placed under protective custody when she witnesses a murder. Transferred to a convent (well, they’ll never find her there!), she is disguised as a nun, before she finds herself helping the convent’s caterwauling choir. An uplifting tale of mutual salvation, hard-bitten Deloris ends up revealing the harmony in the sisters’ voices while also unexpectedly rediscovering the voice in her own soul.

This production boasts inspired casting choices and terrifically talented performers.

Directed by Bill Buckhurst with choreography by Alastair David, this production boasts inspired casting choices and terrifically talented performers. Jennifer Saunders steals the show as the authoritative and protective Mother Superior – wry, with a wonderful trill on her ‘r’s, while Sandra Marvin provides a glitzy and spirited antidote as disco diva-in-hiding Deloris van Cartier. Keala Settle shines as super smiley and enthusiastic Sister Mary Patrick; Lesley Joseph gives a wonderfully comic turn as choir mistress turned rapper and Lizzie Bea gives belting vocals as convent wallflower Sister Mary Robert. Other notable performances include Clive Rowe as Police Detective Eddie Southerner, and the trio of thugs – played by Damian Buhagiar, Tom Hopcroft and Bradley Judge – who punctuate the show with witty 90s boy band vibes.

An intoxicating fusion of gospel and soul alongside seventies disco and funk.

Although the stage musical doesn’t feature the songs from the film, there’s an intoxicating fusion of gospel and soul alongside seventies disco and funk in composer Alan Menkin’s original tunes. And the wheeled set design works like a prayer – transforming the stage from a club to a back street and a convent with ease.

This is a big, bold and feel-good production. And although fundamentally different to the original movie – in its humour and song – Sister Act holds up as a ‘divine musical comedy’ and a joyous celebration of the film.

-Kristy Stott

Sister Act runs at the Palace Theatre, Manchester until Saturday 9 July 2022.

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐

A play, based on a film, based on a board game. What could go wrong? Turns out the answer is: quite a lot. Cluedo follows the misadventures of six seemingly unconnected characters arriving at a remote manor house and given colourful pseudonyms (Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum, etc.). Everything goes wrong as the staff are murdered one by one and the guests grow increasingly paranoid. The perfect recipe for a whodunnit-comedy? Not quite… 

An ensemble comedy based on the 1985 cult classic Clue might sound like a sure-fire hit, but unfortunately, the tepid writing and a sheer lack of jokes hold this adaptation down, as does uninspired direction from Mark Bell. As a matter of full disclosure, I’m far from a devotee of the original film, but it’s easy to read the audience in the room for this show. Their laughter rarely gets above a polite chortle and never once approaches the belly laughs that one would expect from a comedy based on an established favourite. 

This is unfortunate, as the ensemble cast is undeniably energetic but their movements are uniform and occasionally stilted, never really adding to the comedy. That is an especially criminal thought when you consider that this production had a specific movement director in the form of Anna Healey. In light of this, I’d have expected much more effective physical comedy and some more recognisable mannerisms for each character. 

Jean-Luke Worrell serves admirably as Wandsworth the butler, but his performance never quite manages to lift itself above a tribute act to Tim Curry’s performance in the film. A successful and entertaining tribute perhaps, but devoid of any real originality. 

Harry Bradley is also worth a mention as Mr Body/Police Constable. His improvisation in the face of a rogue moustache is the funniest part of the evening, but this perhaps says as much about the quality of Sandy Rustin’s script than it does about Bradley’s performance. 

All in all, Cluedo never quite manages to achieve a place as a homage to the film, a parody of whodunnits, or a successful farce in its own right. It remains trapped awkwardly between all three of these, to the severe detriment of any comedic potential it might have had. Turns out it was Mark Bell, in the Lowry, with a dud. 

-Daniel Shipman

Cluedo runs at The Lowry until Saturday 2 July 2022.