Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Following their last visit to HOME in 2017, Bourgeois and Maurice (George Heyworth and Liz Morris) return with their first full-length musical. The step up from alternative cabaret duo to full-blown musical theatre could have been a stumbling block, but this pair have nailed it. With its blend of science fiction, myth, sex and a killer soundtrack, this is Rocky Horror for the 21^st Century, a camp cult classic in the making.

Split between ancient Mesopotamia and the modern-day, (it makes sense in context, I promise) Insane Animals attempts to get to the heart of what it means to be human and why it feels like we’re all getting it so wrong at the moment. Touching on mortality, civilisation, trans-humanism and the nature of storytelling itself, one might think the evening would feel overladen with weighty ideas. This couldn’t be further from the truth – the show breezes from one hilarious musical number to the next so easily that you don’t realise how much is happening.

The sheer volume of information which is transmitted through the lyrics of ‘Welcome to Today’ left me breathless from watching it, so props to the pair for following it with the rest of the second act without fainting. Unusually for a two-hour-plus musical, there really isn’t a weak number amongst the entire song list, which is a credit to Heyworth and Morris as both writers and performers.

An absurdly talented collection of actor-musicians make up the rest of the cast, with voices which, frankly, would leave most big-budget West End shows in the dust. The set (Michael Hankin) and costumes (Julian Smith) are as glittery and fabulous as you would expect for a show this flamboyant.

This is the show that cements Bourgeois and Maurice as top tier artists, and I cannot wait to see where the drag aliens take us next on their quest to save humanity from itself.

-Daniel Shipman

Insane Animals runs at HOME Manchester until Saturday 14 March 2020.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This season the Birmingham Royal Ballet bring Swan Lake to The Lowry, Salford; a personal favourite of mine and arguably the most famous ballet in the classical repertoire.

Ballet lovers are in for a treat. However, whether it’s your first visit to the ballet or your eighty-third, this production of Swan Lake tells the iconic story beautifully making it suitable for everyone to enjoy. Following the appointment of Carlos Acosta CBE as Company Director earlier this year, the Birmingham Royal Ballet bring an unmissable revival of Peter Wright and Galina Samsova’s 1981 production of this popular classic; one of the finest you will ever see.

Told in four acts with two intervals, Swan Lake depicts the story of Prince Siegfried’s love for a beautiful princess named Odette. Odette has been cursed by the evil sorcerer Baron von Rothbart and must spend her days as a swan, only returning to human form between midnight and dawn. The sorcerer’s wicked enchantment can only be broken if someone who has never loved before swears an oath of undying love. However, Rothbart further complicates the lovers by introducing a beautiful black swan, Odile.

Prima ballerina, Momoko Hirata is captivating in the twin roles of Odette and Odile; contrasting the feather-soft innocence and purity of Odette with the seductive and calculating Odile. A dramatic Act III sees Hirata perform an impressive 32 fouette turns, which was met with huge applause on the night I attended. The whole company are outstanding – but the harmony between the two principles during their pas de deux is spectacular. César Morales, as Prince Siegfried, demonstrates strength, energy and passion; both dancers are masterful storytellers.

Philip Prowse’s set design is majestic and detailed from the grand setting of the reception at the castle to the haunting embankment at dawn. The costume design is a marvel – rich attire for the regal scenes, yet the dancers move with ease. The twinkling white tutu’s worn by the swans give a stark contrast against the medieval backdrop of black and gold opulence. Peter Teigan’s lighting design complements the graceful magic on stage by conjuring up a sense of autumn and the haze of sunlight drifting through the trees; the cascading dry ice creates a haunting lakeside setting for the shimmering and spectacular female corps de ballet.

The twinkling formation of the tutued swans and wonderful sound of the soft padding of pointe shoes fully supported by Tchaikovsky’s powerfully lyrical score, delivered by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, make for a thrilling, awe-inspiring and faultless production.

-Kristy Stott

Birmingham Royal Ballet: Swan Lake runs at The Lowry, Salford until Saturday 7 March 2020.

Reviewer: Rachel Foster

Upstaged rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Green Door is a one-woman (Arts Council funded) play created by Ann Brown (who also plays herself) and Made It Theatre. It’s about a woman who falls in love, gets married and sadly the fairytale of the white picket fence isn’t quite what’s expected, or what she gets.

This play is the full version of an earlier preview which was based on Ann’s life events, starting when she’s divorced, in her 30’s and on holiday meets Danny a man with shiny shoes who initially seems to be prince charming but turns out to be a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing.’

Brown has a great delivery from the get-go that brings this pared-back strikingly honest play to life. She gives the audience a glimpse into her world, with witty commentary on the working-class nuclear family. It’s simple but effective.

The play explores her relationship with her parents (her Dad has Alzheimer’s disease), uses music to show the entertainment carefree side of the situation.

Her careful choice of words, relayed in such an honest open way, makes a big impact on the audience. How fun everything is at first with dancing and holidays. Danny seems to be the perfect romantic, hanging on her every word, sharing her love for rock n roll and Shakin’ Stevens.

Things inevitably take a turn for the worse when he dumps her cruelly just before Valentine’s Day…with more to come. It highlights how women often feel that ‘something just isn’t right’, dealing in the emotional, rather than logic.

It’s also important to mention the healing process, so the play’s theme is not all doom and gloom, a phoenix rising from the ashes as it was. Brown was consumed with fear she was challenged to face it by her therapy group. Public speaking was her Achilles heel. From not daring to say boo to a goose she has overcome this (stemming from coercive control and gaslighting). Thus her being here tonight to perform her play. She’s nothing to hide behind in the glare of the stage lights. But she’s here to tell her story, and as she gains momentum will keep telling it again and again and again.

This is a different take on the play to the preview – it seems rawer – Ann is still tackling a lot of the pain and the destruction that hampered her life. Briefly, Brown bravely lets us in on it all. Let’s hope more people find the strength to do this and even those that don’t, can’t fail to be inspired.

Green Door is a really powerful and positive play about overcoming adversity; with a special message saying no matter how alone you feel, there is always someone who cares. Sadly, the domestic violence statistics in this country tell us that Ann is not alone in suffering, and that is why she is using theatre as a tool to get her message and voice to reach as many people as possible.

-Rachel Foster

You can catch Green Door next at Square Chapel Arts, Halifax on Thursday 2 April 2020.

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Veteran comedy theatre troupe Told by an Idiot are no strangers to physical comedy, creating inventive, energetic live performances since 1993. They state that their work aims to ‘inhabit the space between laughter and pain’, and so there is seemingly no better fit for their work than the lives of dual showbusiness legends of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel. Whilst they are renowned for hilarity, there is pain behind the public persona – Chaplin’s mother was admitted to an asylum in whilst he was still a child.

This one act, silent movie-style performance is based on a boat journey the two took together before they became international stars but is based more on playful fiction than strict fact. The company uses this as a springboard for comedic vignettes pulled from the past and future of the two performers, with inventive and impressive transitions between the ‘present’ and the flashbacks/forwards.

Certain sections of the show do run too long without a specific gag, which gives the show the air of a showcase of the cast’s considerable musical and physical talent rather than a cohesive comedy. A stricter edit of the material would reduce the running time to something slightly more tolerable and improve the overall flow. That said, I cannot deny the pleasure which is to be found in watching Amalia Vitale’s impeccably observed Chaplin explore the stage with that iconic walk.

The dry spells do little to detract from the high moments. Paul Hunter’s direction betrays his decades of experience as director and performer of first-class stage comedy and it perfectly suits the slapstick style of this piece.

For the most part, the way the company negotiates the lack of dialogue is ingenious but there were occasionally confused mumbles from an audience that was straining to keep track of the loose plot in the absence of dialogue. This doesn’t affect the final reception though, which is one of thunderous applause and appreciation.

Whilst the show might be flawed, it is an affectionate and utterly charming tribute to two era-defining greats of comedy.

-Daniel Shipman

The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel runs at HOME until Saturday 8 February 2020.

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Royal Exchange has built a reputation for consistently delivering knockout versions of classic musicals as an alternative to the traditional pantomime. I’m pleased to be able to say that the standard remains just as high this year – Gypsy is an absolute triumph.

The cast are remarkable. Ria Jones gives a powerhouse performance as Rose. Closing both acts with the musical theatre standards of ‘Everything’s Coming up Roses’ and ‘Rose’s Turn’, Jones’ vocal prowess enables her to capture the vulnerability behind the pushy mother whilst also giving the songs the raw power they deserve. This reading of the character is much more interesting and nuanced than the brash stage mother which Rose is often presented as, and the production should be applauded for emphasizing this dimension in the character.

Melissa James traces Louise’s journey from supporting character to a break out star in her own right with an attention to detail I have rarely witnessed on stage before. In ‘All I Need Is the Girl’, her halting, hesitant dance duet with Louis Gaunt as Tulsa serves to highlight the timid nature of her character at that moment, whilst also allowing Gaunt space to truly shine as a dancer of immense talent.

The skill in this production is not confined to those on stage either. Francis O’Connor’s sparse set design lends a slick pace to the production whilst still capturing the fading, grimy glamour of the vaudeville circuits which Rose and her children inhabit. To take a show which centres itself on the traditional proscenium arch and stage it in the round is no mean feat, but the rotating arch of this production is a clever solution that manages to look impressive without seeming like a gimmick.

Gypsy has just extended its run to the 1st February so you have no excuse not to grab a ticket. The infectious energy of this show means you’ll be smiling all the way through and for the journey home as well.

-Daniel Shipman

Gypsy runs at the Royal Exchange until Saturday 1st February 2020.

Every year, a trip up to Oldham Coliseum for their Christmas show officially signals the start of the festive season for our family. This year the team at Oldham bring a new take on Jack and the Beanstalk and while the show delivers much traditional pantomime fun, it also brings a modern twist to the well-known fairytale.

Following Kevin Shaw’s departure, this year’s panto is written by Fine Time Fontayne and Artistic Director, Chris Lawson. This year’s show sees Jack (Sam Glen) joined by his best friend Jill (Shorelle Hepkin), together the two must save Oldham from the tech-crazy giant’s wife (Jenny Platt), who is stealing mobile phones, laptops and any other electronic devices that she can get her hands on. The giant’s wife holds the local children under a magic spell as they deliver all of their prize techy gadgets to her, she then uses the seized goods to build a robot. It is quite a departure from the familiar story and there are no booms of ‘Fee Fi Fo Fum’ in this panto. 

Despite these modern change-ups, the cast all shine with energy and enthusiasm. Oldham panto regular Richard J Fletcher springs into the role of Dame Dotty Trott and versatile Jenny Platt doubles up as eco-friendly Good Fairy Greenfield and the evil Mary Moorside, the giant’s wife. Flanked by Shorelle Hepkin’s Jill, Sam Glen is a hit with the audience as Jack Trott, bubbling with warmth and charm. 

Jack’s cow, played by Mitesh Soni, is given a pleasing modern overhaul as Hazy the Hippy Cow. Soni gives a psychedelically comical performance and the vegan cow is a great source of humour throughout, particularly during his trippy rendition of Kelis’ ‘Milkshake’.

The show delivers all of the traditional panto quirks that you would normally expect, David Bintley’s lively musical score bounces along and features current hits from Lizzo, Sigala and Ava Max; there’s plenty of audience interaction and laugh-out-loud moments. There are also some more pressing messages, around single-use plastics and our environment, woven into the silliness. 

We love that Oldham bring a fun-filled family show year after year – all taking place in an ideal sized theatre where everybody can interact and feel part of the show. With a pleasing price-tag, Jack and the Beanstalk is the perfect production to share with all of the family this Christmas.

-Kristy Stott

Jack and the Beanstalk runs at Oldham Coliseum until 4 January 2020.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Future Bodies has been produced as a trailblazer event for the Manchester Science Festival and is the result of a smashing collaboration between RashDash and Theatre Unlimited. Future Bodies explores notions around the development of human enhancement technology to improve our cognition, our health, our productivity in the workplace, and our bragging rights around our child’s intelligence in the playground…the list goes on…

Future Bodies presents many themes and current debates around human enhancement technology as a series of sketches and asks the audience to consider the impact of such developments on our bodies, our relationships, our memories and everything that makes us human. How far can human enhancement technology push us? Ideas of immortality and omnipotence are explored. If we modify our natural body to overcome its limitations – do we still feel? Do we need our body to be looked upon as human? Impressively, Future Bodies really allows the audience to engage with and reflect on the subject matter, never appearing moralistic or preachy.

Following an initial period of devising, the cast only had three weeks to rehearse with the text – however, the result is a very impressive, profound piece of performance. Rashdash’s Becky Wilkie stands at the side of the stage, dressed as a pregnant blue alien (of course), to provide a brilliantly surreal soundtrack. The sound is dirty, other-worldly; the lyrics witty and catchy.

The cast move through ideas surrounding technological advances to cure diseases such as cancer, improve a child’s intelligence at school, deal with issues such as grief and depression and by considering enhancement implants with their necessary ‘updates’ as a mandatory requirement of employers. The play also tackles the financial implications of science and technology and those who may not be able to afford to keep up with the latest developments. The final section of the piece explores physicality and the corporeal presence of our human shape as a means to explore individuality, movement and what it means to be present in the here and now of performance. This section was a particular highlight for me.

Pleasingly and to complement the innovative theme, the whole show is accompanied by creative subtitles which are projected next to each performer as they are speaking.

There’s an entertaining, and deeply resonating, section in which all of the cast look at their smartphones in silence, their faces lit by flashes of light from the small yet powerful screens. We’re already reliant on these devices as an extension of our memory and communication capabilities, are human enhancement implants really much different?

-Kristy Stott

Future Bodies runs at HOME Manchester until 13 October 2018.

Reviewer: Charlie Spargo

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐