Reviewer: Elise Gallagher

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐

What Old Tools > New Masters ≠ New Futures promises is an alternative gallery walking tour. Each performance tasks the audience to question, celebrate and shed light on collective histories and the stories we are told and tell.

The performance begins at the gallery’s entrance hall where you’re asked to choose a wristband from one of the three people stood at the foot of the stairs. I opt for a wristband given to me by a woman dressed in an acrylic red boiler suit, silver paint dotted and sliced across her face.

From here the company addresses the audience before separating into three groups. My gallery tour takes us from the entrance hall, up the stairs to the Exhibitions room before threading around the Nineteenth Century rooms. These three tours are all going on at the same time. One tour opened with riot-like banging, screaming and crashing, whilst mine opened with a disgruntled cleaner and broom dance.

I felt the tour I was on was strong. Made up of a combination of Contact Young Company and Young Identity, the tour was led by two brilliant and bold women, wearing matching red boiler suits and awash with glitter and paint. The poems delivered in the Nineteenth Century rooms were beautiful and chilling.

(But) Deliberately or not, due to the nature of the gallery (admittedly though a fantastic choice of venue), the sound bled through to other rooms. When tours passed one another you couldn’t help but think if their tour was stronger than the one that you were on. And at £20 a ticket I don’t think you should be thinking that.

At the end of the tour, all three groups gathered at the information desk, but instead of a crescendo or conclusion to wrap up the experience, four young male performers from across the tours delivered a rap. Performed incredibly enthusiastically, issues with the microphone or volume meant their words were distorted and muffled, and it didn’t share the tone of the rest of the evening’s performances. In a way, it counteracted what we had just experienced in the gallery rooms, which was a shame.

What Old Tools > New Masters ≠ New Futures holds is a really promising concept, but it lacked the consistency, fluidity and momentum in practice to drive its message home.

-Elise Gallagher

Old Tools > New Masters ≠ New Futures runs at Manchester Art Gallery until Sunday 16 June 2019.

 

Reviewer: Rachael Hankinson

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A beautiful reinterpretation of the Shakespearean classic. Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet at The Lowry modernises the tale of doomed love for a new audience.

Predominantly centring around the theme of mental health, as well as featuring themes of sexual violence, and the trauma and persecution of youth. Bourne’s reinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet tells a fully engaging story that puts the young inmates of the Verona Institute against the tyrannical staff, whilst still featuring the key aspects of Shakespeare’s story, such as the iconic balcony scene that is still ingeniously included and beautifully portrayed by Paris Fitzpatrick (Romeo) and Cordelia Braithwaite (Juliet) – whose performances where both outstanding from start to finish. Other notable performances were those of Reece Causton (Mercutio) and Jackson Fisch (Balthasar), who not only portray the characters well but also explore a new and interesting side to the characters.

Due to Bourne’s wonderful direction and beautiful choreography, the production is extremely easy to understand. Which is impressive considering that the whole production contains no dialogue and relies on the cast to tell the story and convey the emotions purely through movement and facial expression, which is achieved due to an extremely talented and resilient cast of young performers.

This production boasts the stunning set design and costumes of Lez Brotherston – with the set design bringing the institute to life and giving it an imposing atmosphere; the costumes beautifully supported the gracefulness of the performers’ movements while also indicating who the members of the cast were portraying.

Romeo and Juliet is beautifully accompanied by the stunning musical score of Sergei Prokofiev, who expertly blends classical music with aspects of Edvard Grieg and hints of Leonard Bernstein to create a wonderfully expressive and emotional dynamic within the production.

Capturing the essence of the original story, and receiving a standing ovation from the audience, Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet is an enjoyable, interesting take on the age-old story with some innovative twists along the way. Unmissable.

-Rachael Hankinson

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet runs at The Lowry until Saturday 15 June 2019.

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Upstaged Rating:⭐⭐⭐

The Royal Exchange’s latest offering is an adaptation of Harold Brighouse’s 1916 play Hobson’s Choice, with the action updated from Victorian-era Salford to Ancoats in the 1980s. This adaptation by Tanika Gupta centres on a Ugandan-Asian family, which broadens the thematic reach of the play to touch on modern issues such as the integration of refugees, as well as the original core themes of class, family and success.

The plot revolves around Hari Hobson who exploits the free labour of his three daughters in the family tailor business whilst he frequents the local pub. His eldest daughter Durga, upon being told by her father that she is too old to marry, sets in motion a plan which sees the three daughters free of their father and married to the man of their choosing.

The main problem with this production is that each scene runs on FAR too long. The play could easily shave 30 minutes from its running time without losing any actual content – most conversations seem to address the same topic two or three times. Despite the valiant efforts of a talented cast, this makes the pacing impossibly slow and limits how enjoyable the evening can be.

The cast put in some strong comic performances, but the production as a whole seems to swerve the dramatic heart of the play in favour of the comedic. This makes for a few awkward tonal shifts where otherwise loveable characters perform cruel acts seemingly out of the blue. Shalini Peiris is a particular highlight as Durga Hobson, providing an impressively composed centre for the more comic characters to revolve around.

Designed by Rosa Maggiora, the set keeps things simple yet colourful and establishes the changing setting efficiently. A portrait of Ted Heath descending from the ceiling makes for a strong visual gag which lands well with the audience, who are kept laughing for the majority of the evening.

The sum of all this means that the bittersweet conclusion of the play – a chronically alcoholic Hobson being manipulated into a business deal by a newly successful Durga – feels more brutal than it was perhaps intended to be. An enjoyable evening then, but one which lacks in substance where it doesn’t need to.

-Daniel Shipman

Hobson’s Choice runs at the Royal Exchange until 6 July 2019.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Running at just 60 minutes long, Silent Lines is a beautifully seductive experience which bears all of the hallmarks of British choreographer Russell Maliphant’s visually rich style. A cast of five performers twist and drop, spin and shift, with athletic fluidity, to an ethereal and at times, tribal beat. The result is hauntingly hypnotic.

Since its creation in 1996, the Russell Maliphant Company has received two Olivier awards, two South Bank Show awards and three Critics’ Circle National Dance awards for best modern choreography, amongst many other international awards and nominations.

Silent Lines draws on Russell Maliphant’s extensive research and exploration of dance and anatomy. Favouring abstract originality over traditional narrative storytelling, his choreography borrows slices of movement from a range of genres, from classical ballet to capoeira and breakdancing. Blending highly original movement with often shadowy lighting, and animated video projection by Panagiotis Tomaras, Silent Lines seeks to explore and celebrate the range of poetic possibilities that can be expressed through movement.

At times the performers appear almost like holograms or ghost-like. Muscular, agile and graceful – they are truly beautiful to watch. In a stunning solo, Grace Jabbari billows, swirls and shifts, as light as air; Edd Arnold and Alethia Antonia are equally as mesmerising throughout their solos, fluid and sensual, and Moronfoluwa Odimayo and Will Thompson complete the dreamlike, and utterly compelling, ensemble.

The title, Silent Lines, leaves itself open to the audience’s interpretation – Maliphant doesn’t believe in spoon-feeding his audience ideas on how they should react to his work. However, whether you’re a contemporary-dance-curious newcomer or a die-hard fan of Maliphant’s exquisite vision and choreography, Silent Lines is a beautifully serene though sharply executed performance.

-Kristy Stott

Silent Lines will play at Wycombe Swan on 1 June 2019. For further tour dates please click here.

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sometimes the obvious jokes are the best ones. So it is with the titular pun of Drag Becomes Her, a drag spoof of the cult 90s film Death Becomes Her.

Replete with in-jokes and references to Drag Race herstory, this show leans just as heavily on a grounding in drag culture as it does on the film it parodies. This comedic variety helps ensure that it doesn’t become one note, although some of the Drag Race references are lazy attempts to get laughs or cheers by merely mentioning something/someone that the audience will recognise.

The show has little to offer people who aren’t already reasonably familiar with Drag Race or Death Becomes Her. This isn’t a criticism; the show is patently not intended as an introduction to drag, and the vast majority of the audience will have been motivated to buy tickets by the two star names of BenDeLaCreme and Jinx Monsoon.

Manchester’s own Donna Trump more than holds her own against the bigger names here. She rightfully receives some of the biggest laughs of the night but also gets handed the biggest misstep in the form of a misguided Anna Nicole Smith impersonation.

The show has more than its fair share of corpsing, ad-libbing and missed cues, but this is all part of the fun. The amount of talent on stage ensures that anything which might have been an awkward moment in lesser hands is exploited for full comic potential.

Despite its flaws, you can tell the performers genuinely enjoy being in this show, and that joy soon becomes infectious. By the end of the show, the audience are on their feet and the affection between those on and off stage is tangible.

-Daniel Shipman

Drag Become Her runs at HOME Manchester until Saturday 11 May.

Guest Reviewer: Gillian Potter-Merrigan

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transplanting a Shakespeare to a more modern timeframe is always a task fraught with difficulty; will the jokes translate, will the themes remain intact and will the overall storyline hold up to such a move. I am happy to say that the Northern Broadsides and the New Vic’s touring production of Much Ado About Nothing at The Lowry manages to tick all three boxes.

Moving the action to the end of the Second World War provides the audience with a reference point we are all familiar with and evolving the watchmen into a Dad’s Army evokes a well-loved comedy routine. The sergeant played with the right touch of camp with an ever-present string bag of provisions, the Pike-esque character and the right amount of pomposity from David Nellist in the role of the head of the unit, Dogberry.

As we have come to expect from Shakespeare there are two plots running during the play; Sarah Kameela Impey as Hero and Linford Johnson as Claudio are the more innocent lovers, swept along in the machinations of others. The second concerns the sparing and reluctant to admit it loves of fiercely independent Land Army girl Beatrice played by Isobel Middleton and RAF pilot Benedick played by Robin Simpson. Both plots are interwoven nicely whilst still standing on their own and as usual both conclude in a satisfactory manner; the aaaah from the audience when Beatrice and Benedick finally declare their love is a testament to how well these two parts are played. Robin Simpson especially excels in the comedic side of his role and the scene in the orchard is a tour de force in timing and the use of one of Shakespeare’s most loved comedic devices, the aside.

The play is long running at 185 minutes (including an interval) but for all that the pace fairly rattles along with the sharp and witty dialogue of Shakespeare a joy to listen to. It may be Shakespeare but thanks to the ensemble cast and their excellent interpretation it could not be described as stuffy, taking the audience from high comedy to moments of dramatic tension in minutes. The design by Lis Evans along with the direction from Conrad Nelson also helps to update the play to a familiar territory well used by drama writers and the production is to be commended for their full use of the music of the day to plant this production firmly in the era.

-Gillian Potter-Merrigan

Much Ado About Nothing runs at The Lowry until Saturday 11 May.

Reviewer: Ciaran Ward

Upstaged rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

In 2019, a gendered reimagining of Hamlet is no longer unprecedented territory within Manchester theatre: following Maxine Peake’s esteemed portrayal of the tragic hero in Sarah Frankcom’s 2014 production, such a concept has been firmly embedded within the public consciousness. As such, GirlGang Manchester’s and Unseemly Women’s all-female production does not feel particularly revolutionary. Wisely avoiding the complexities of gender swapping all the play’s characters, Kayleigh Hawkin’s direction is free to navigate and interpret the tragedy in this authentic and invigorating production.

Eve Shotton mesmerises the entire audience in her captivating performance as Hamlet; she glides effortlessly between the comedic inconstancy and the indignant ferocity that the role naturally demands. The dramatic fervour of her performance is consolidated by a strong supporting cast: the disturbed Ophelia (Maryam Ali), valiant Horatio (Sophie Giddens), and resolute Laertes (Zoey Barnes) all help to untap the play’s dramatic potential. Also worthy of note is Amy Gavin (Clown 1) who deftly sustains an impertinent bravado throughout the Gravediggers’ scene.

For those who are familiar with the layout of Hope Mill Theatre, the confined space of the stage could be seen as a hindrance for a production like Hamlet, given the intense action that takes place throughout the runtime. The production is conscious in its use – and lack of – space, with Movement Director Tilda O’Grady envisaging this problem and utilising the somewhat cramped space to her advantage. Placing characters in close proximity to each other during heated discussions and directing an increasingly erratic Hamlet to push herself into other character’s faces, emphasises the tense and provocative atmosphere that swiftly develops within the Danish court.

Though the gender of the performers did not have a significant impact upon the play, some performances in the first half did feel somewhat forced, with male characters often displaying overtly masculine mannerisms (such as manspreading when seated and gripping other male characters in a bear hug). Here, the production suffered through an almost pantomimic exaggeration where a more neutral performance would have sufficed. Thankfully, these issues became less pronounced in the second half, with the actors delivering a more comfortable and natural performance after the interval.

Discounting moments in between scenes where characters unnecessarily stride across the stage to the rhythm of Eliyana Evans’ incongruous sound design, this production of Hamlet asserts itself as the authentic, entertaining and thrilling rendition that it consciously aims to be.

-Ciaran Ward
Hamlet runs at Hope Mill Theatre until Saturday 11 May 2019.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

2019 is the year of the West Side Story revival. Leicester Curve has announced the iconic musical as their Christmas production; Ivo van Hove is working on a Broadway reimagining with choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Stephen Spielberg is set to make a new film version. Proudly, Manchester’s Royal Exchange is running in front with fresh and contemporary Converse clad choreography by Aletta Collins.

Arguably West Side Story is one of the most dynamic and dazzling Broadway productions. Director Sarah Frankcom is never one to shy away from big American classics. Revered for her perceptive reimaginings of A Streetcar Named Desire, Our Town and more recently, Death of a Salesman – West Side Story is her first major musical production. And it is nothing short of a complete triumph.

Anna Fleischle’s moveable climbing frame design intelligently maximises the floor space of the Royal Exchange. This production is all about the new dance moves – beautifully balletic and loaded with emotion. Twisted. Coiled.

The casting of this production is top-notch. Mexican born Gabriela Garcia shines as Maria. Deceptively delicate and diminutive, she also shows strength, youthfulness and resilience. Andy Coxon has endless appeal as Tony. These two performers make a delightful pairing on Bernstein’s much-loved musical score. Gripping. Goosebumps.

On the night I attended, West Side Story played to a packed house with many in the audience singing and swaying along – obviously the musical score features all of the well-loved songs – ‘Maria’, ‘America’, ‘Somewhere’ and ‘Tonight’. The show came down to tumultuous applause, some tears and a well-deserved standing ovation. There aren’t many tickets left for the run (if any, I’m afraid), I just hope the Royal Exchange extend this production because it is truly fabulous.

-Kristy Stott

West Side Story plays at the Royal Exchange until 25 May.

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

At first glance, a one-hour performance which claims to cover the disparate topics of bananas, capitalism, masculinity and King Kong might seem to be lacking focus a little (or a lot). The genius of Kingdom – from Barcelona-based theatre company Señor Serrano – is that these topics soon begin to seem like totally logical bedfellows.

Using a live-feed camera, a keyboard, a guitar, some microphones and a huge variety of props, the five performers create ‘cinema-in-real-time’ which is then projected on the back wall of the stage. This provides fertile territory for humour; stray limbs pass through otherwise serious shots, and bananas appear at every possible juncture. These cinematic sequences are interspersed with banana-based songs which zip through English, Spanish and Chinese lyrics seemingly at random but are always enjoyable.

The only significant downside is that viewing angles for this feat of theatrical ingenuity are highly restricted from the stalls. Whilst audience members in the circle can see what is being filmed to create the live footage, those in the stalls are confined to only seeing the resulting footage and are consequently left feeling a little excluded at times.

Despite this minor niggle, most of Kingdom manages to achieve that all too elusive balance of interesting and entertaining. Occasional sections don’t manage to achieve either, but luckily the short running time ensures that better material is always just around the corner. The show pulls out some genuinely interesting historical nuggets, frames them in intelligent ways and yet never once comes anywhere near being dry or dull.

Just once you think you’ve worked out the formula for this show, the company pull the rug from under you and end with an increasingly intense, almost ritualistic dance routine, accompanied by loud dance music, smoke and confetti cannons. You will leave the theatre wanting more. And also wanting a banana.

-Daniel Shipman

Kingdom runs at HOME Manchester until Saturday 13th April.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Beauty and the Beast is certainly a ‘tale as old as time’, and in this beautiful interpretation by Birmingham Royal Ballet the magical relationship between Belle and the Beast appears more captivating than ever.

Since it was first created in 2003, David Bintley’s Beauty and the Beast has become a timeless classic in the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s repertoire. The honest and charming narrative makes it the perfect ballet for younger dance enthusiasts, and the masterful, heartfelt solos and tender pas de deux are sure to leave any audience member feeling warm and fuzzy – touched by a sprinkling of ballet magic. This fairytale production is presented as part of Bintley’s final season with the company.

Philip Prowse’s wonderfully gothic set design is ingeniously layered – opening and closing like a storybook to transform a dark, misty woodland into the interior of the Beast’s castle. The eerie lighting design by Mark Jonathan moves smoothly through the shadows of an enchanted forest to the warmth of candlelight inside the castle. Accompanied by a live orchestra with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Canadian composer Glenn Buhr’s specially commissioned rich musical score offers the perfect backdrop for Bintley’s animated choreography.

Yvette Knight dances Belle with elegance and vulnerability – a truly stunning performance. Brandon Lawrence’s Beast portrays muscular agility and humility. Balancing grace with storytelling – the pas de deux between Belle and the Beast are truly dazzling.

Every year, I look forward to Birmingham Royal Ballet’s performance at The Lowry and this year is no exception. With a playful dash of humour, Beauty and the Beast is sure to lift the heaviest of hearts – leaving seasoned ballet lovers and dance newbies with a spring in their step all the way home.

-Kristy Stott

Beauty and the Beast runs at The Lowry until Saturday 23 March 2019.