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Theatre – What’s on in Manchester during May?

May 4, 2015kristobel

FROM 2nd may – 9th may…

The Contact Theatre’s Flying Solo Festival runs from 5th until the 9th May 2015.

Jackie Hagan: Some People Have Too Many Legs ©Lee Baxter — Jackie Hagan: Some People Have Too Many Legs
©Lee Baxter

Now in its fifth year, it’s a week-long run of amazing solo and one-to-one live art, spoken word, comedy, dance and theatre performances. And this year Contact Theatre have a bold line-up of artists including Chris Brett Bailey, Jackie Hagan, Keisha Thompson, Cheryl Martin, Jamie Lewis Hadley and the vacuum cleaner, as well as premières from last year’s Contact Flying Solo commission winners Louise Orwin and Ester Natzijil.

For those fancying a bit of Shakespeare -Northern Broadsides production of King Lear is at The Lowry from 5th May until 9th May 2015. Renowned for their down-to-earth performance style, Northern Broadsides have won over a whole new generation of Shakespeare fans. And if you want to treat yourself to a rock ‘n’ roll musical inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the Olivier Award winning rock spectacular Return to the Forbidden Planet blasts into The Palace Theatre, Manchester from 4th May until 9th May 2015.

The premiere of Jim Cartwright’s The Ancient Secret of Youth and the Five Tibetans starring Denise Welch, Tom Mannion, Eric Potts, Lauren Drummond, and Matt Tait is running at Bolton Octagon until 23rd May 2015.

Box of Tricks Theatre Company present Plastic Figurines at The Lowry on the 6th May and 7th May 2015.

“Mum told me that there was something in his brain that was different, she said that he liked to put his toys in lines and that was a symptom or whatever. I used to go in his room and see all his stuffed animals in a line and I’d mess them up. I’d mess the line up.”

Inspired by events in the writer, Ella Carmen Greenhill’s own life, Plastic Figurines is a funny and moving new play that explores autism and the relationship between siblings with very different views of the world.

From 10th May- 17th May…

The story of the greatest middleweight never to be champion, Len Johnson ‘Fighter’ is showing at Studio Salford in The Kings Arms in Salford from 11th May until 13th May.

RITES is on at Contact Theatre from 12th May until 14th May. It is a powerful and provocative new production exploring the deep-rooted cultural practice of Female Genital Mutilation, a local and national issue in the UK. With a strong creative team behind this production, it is a verbatim piece based on interviews with girls, women and professionals who have been affected by the practice.

Told by an Idiot and The Royal Exchange present The Ghost Train from 14th May until 20th June 2015.

Told by an Idiot return to the Royal Exchange, bringing their trademark wit, flare and theatrical invention to this blisteringly funny take on the classic ghost story.

Newly opened HOME on First Street in Manchester kicks off with the world premiere of The Funfair on 14th May until 13th June. Featuring a live band playing a soundtrack of iconic tracks, The Funfair promises to be a theatrical experience that will immerse you in all the colour, chaos and fun of the fair.

Meanwhile, Boeing Boeing opens at Oldham Coliseum on the 15th May and runs until 6th June 2015.

The Three Minute Theatre, based in Afflecks Arcade present a FREE event, Three Friends and you, on 14th May 2015 – it’s an evening of spoken word with a focus on mental health, in support of Mental Health Awareness week.

Winner of the Best Studio Production Award at The Manchester Theatre Awards, He Had Hairy Hands returns to The Lowry on the 15th and 16th May 2015. It’s described as Hammer Horror meets the Wicker Man, Scooby Doo and The League of Gentlemen…

Other hot picks on at The Lowry this week are Different is Dangerous on the 14th May 2015 and Edinburgh Fringe sell-out, So It Goes on the 15th May 2015.

From 18th May -25th May…

The Call of Nature by Mike Heath runs for 7 nights from 18th May 2015 until 24th May 2015 in The Cellar at The Kings Arms, Salford. You are strongly recommended to get your tickets early for this event, as due to the intimate performance space, there will only be 18 tickets available per night.

Harper Lee’s much loved story – To Kill a Mockingbird is running at The Lowry from 19th May until 23rd May 2015.

Cuddles, the story of Eve a 13 year old vampire, is guaranteed to give you shivers in The Studio at The Royal Exchange from the 19th May until 23rd May 2015.

Billed as one of the best musical theatre nights of the year and acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels arrives at The Opera House Manchester on the 20th May and runs until 30th May 2015.

And if you didn’t catch Len Johnson ‘Fighter’ at Studio Salford earlier in the month – it is showing again at Bolton Octagon on the 20th and 21st May 2015.

The 56 arrives at The Studio in The Lowry Theatre on the 23rd May 2015, retelling the stories of those involved in the Bradford City Fire in 1985.

The Southbank Centre’s Alchemy Festival comes to Oldham on 23rd May 2015. With events taking place in and around Oldham Coliseum.

I’ll be doing another post with theatre and entertainment ideas for the family during the May half term – but for now there is The Journey Home at Z-Arts on the 23rd May 2015. It’s suitable for ages 2+ and is based on the book by Frann Preston -Gannon. There is also One Little Word, a beautiful story about friendship suitable for ages 3+, at The Lowry on the 24th and 25th May 2015.

From 26th May onwards…

Judy – The Songbook of Judy Garland is on at The Palace Theatre, Manchester from the 28th May until 30th May 2015. Along with never before seen film highlights and interviews, Judy’s dazzling songbook is brought to life by the creme of London’s West End.

On the 29th and 30th May 2015 HOME and Rosie Kay Dance Company present 5 Soldiers – The Body is the Frontline – it’s site specific with the Rusholme Army Reserve Centre providing the appropriate backdrop for a piece that weaves a story of physical transformation, helping us to understand what makes a soldier and how the experience of warfare affects those that choose to put their life on the line.

REVIEW – The Woman in Black (The Lowry)

April 29, 2015kristobel

Date: 28 APRIL 2015

Upstaged Rating:

Susan Hill’s well known thriller novel, The Woman in Black, adapted for the stage by Stephen Mallatratt, relies heavily on the audiences imagination to create the eerie tension and spine-tingling fear that it is renowned for. Interestingly the show first premiered in the intimate setting of the 70 seat studio at The Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough in 1987, before transferring to The West End.

Set in the 1950’s, the story unfolds in an empty Victorian theatre, where Arthur Kipps, now an old man, has hired a young actor to help to re-enact a manuscript that he has written about a ghostly, supernatural experience he endured as a young solicitor.

After an initial, but drawn out, disagreement over Arthur Kipps’ performance style, the two men agree to dramatise the story. The Actor (Matt Connor), playing a young Kipps and Arthur Kipps (Malcolm James) taking on the additional characters in the spooky tale.

Following this protracted introduction, the story that we have been waiting for finally begins. Under the direction of Robin Herford, the two actors give impressive performances and manage to generate some sense of tension as they illustrate Arthur Kipps’ spine-chilling experiences. However, this feeling of horror and uneasiness manages to get somewhat lost in the expanse of The Lowry’s Lyric theatre, giving way to audience laughter instead of gasps of horror.

The set design by Michael Holt and lighting design by Kevin Sleep deserve curtain calls in their own right. The artistic and resourceful use of lighting, sound effects and essential props was highly effective in aiding the narrative – transporting us from place to place and from character to character in a matter of seconds. And it was this which really tinkered with the audiences perception and created an unsettling atmosphere.

There are a few moments in this play that do make even the toughest and baddest of horror fans jump out of their seats, however, for the most part the production does not invest enough in the audiences imagination to generate a real chill of terror. Although, Act II does heat up with tension, the dark robed spectre does not live up to expectations and with echoes of the infamous Scream movie mask and halloween fancy dress, she isn’t a particularly scary prospect. Interestingly, the most unnerving scenes are the ones in which the low lighting and clever set designs leave your eyes searching for her silhouette in the shadows.

The Woman in Black isn’t particularly scary but it certainly is an amusing night of entertainment.

-Kristy Stott

The Woman in Black runs at The Lowry, Salford until 2 May 2015 and then continues its UK tour at New Theatre, Cardiff from 5 May until 9 May 2015. For more UK tour dates for The Woman in Black please click here.

REVIEW – Shooting With Light (The Lowry Studio)

April 24, 2015kristobel

Date: 22 April 2015

Upstaged Rating:

As the audience take their seats for Idle Motion’s Shooting With Light, I could hear some deep in discussion about photography – not just the technical intricacies but how it makes them feel. When the play opens with a scene revealing the discovery of a boxed set of negatives, it is reflective of the need to unearth the past through photography, shining some light on the stories of conflict and war, life and death, that need to be heard. Gerda Taro was the first female photojournalist who lost her life on the front-line and she is brought to light in this powerful, beautiful and passionate production.

The main story is set in the 1930’s and it is essentially a love story between Gerda, a German refugee and Andre, a budding Hungarian photographer. Through their shared love of photography, Gerda gives Andre the confidence to sell his work under the alternative name of Bob Capa and he teaches her how to use a camera. Meanwhile, a parallel story about Capa’s brother, Cornell, runs neatly alongside the main love story. This story is set at a later date and long after Capa’s death when Cornell, an old man, struggles to find a missing box of Capa’s negatives.

Sophie Cullen’s performance as Taro is spirited and charming – she conveys Gerda Taro’s positivity, independence and bravery well. Some of the scenes between Taro and Bob Capa, played by Tom Radford, are particularly poignant and well choreographed and their relationship is believable – from the moment they connect over a roll of film to the tense scene when Taro chooses to return to capture the Spanish Civil War.

The atmospheric soundscape by Chris Bartholomew really aids the narrative – moving through from the romantic and nostalgic to the claustrophobic and loud which suggests the chaos and brutality of war. The choreography in the physical sections is slick, and despite the parallel story and frequent flashbacks everything moves fluidly and without confusion. Most importantly, there is a real sense that Idle Motion worked collaboratively with Grace Chapman, Sophie Cullen, Nathan Parkinson, Ellie Simpson, Julian Spooner and Kate Stanley all devising, writing and directing, as well as 4 of these members performing also.

Ellen Nabarro’s set is minimalist with a grid of little doors forming the backdrop for a lot of the action. It is clever staging and with the help of the lighting design by Greg Cebula, film and photographs, it easily suggests an apartment window, a fridge, a cinema screen and a phone booth with ease. The cast move around the stage beautifully, with the physical sections adding a further dimension to the play -not only by aiding the passage of time and guiding the audience through the story but in the way that they felt as though they were choreographed with a photographers eye in mind.

Idol Motion really impressed with Shooting With Light – they are definitely a company I’ll be looking out for in future and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

-Kristy Stott

Shooting With Light is running in The Lowry Studio until Friday 24th April

WICKED is Ready to Cast a Spell over The Lowry

April 21, 2015kristobel

Emily Tierney as Glinda & Ashleigh Gray as Elphaba. ©Matt Crockett

WICKED FLIES INTO THE LOWRY FROM 3 JUNE 2015 FOR FINAL DATE OF MULTI RECORD-BREAKING, TWO-YEAR UK AND IRELAND TOUR

Wicked, the West End and Broadway musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz has won the This Morning Audience Award, the only Olivier Award which is voted for by the public. It was presented by the Olivier Awards 2015 at The Royal Opera House earlier this month.

The critically acclaimed, multi record-breaking UK & Ireland Tour will conclude its incredible two-year journey at The Lowry in Salford from 3 June 2015.

Wicked tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two sorcery students. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
With music by Academy Award® winner Stephen Schwartz, Wicked is based on the international best-selling novel, ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’ by Gregory Maguire.

Wicked is at The Lowry, Salford from 3rd June 2015.

REVIEW – Beautiful Thing (The Lowry)

April 14, 2015kristobel

Thomas Law & Sam Jackson © Anton Belmonte

Date: 13 april 2015

Upstaged rating:

Jonathan Harvey wrote Beautiful Thing when he was just 24 years old. The production first premiered in 1993 at the Bush Theatre and now this critically acclaimed award-winning play, directed by Nikolai Foster, returns to the stage at The Lowry.

Heated by the backdrop of a glorious summer, Beautiful Thing is an urban love story which captures how it feels to be a teenager, coming of age and the pangs of first love. Troubled teen Jamie (Sam Jackson) lives with his feisty mum, Sandra (Charlie Brooks) on a rundown council estate in South East London. When his neighbour and classmate Ste (Thomas Law) gets beaten so badly by his alcoholic father one night, Sandra suggests he stay with them and sleep ‘top-to-tail’ with Jamie.

Charlie Brooks’ comedy timing as the loud, brash, attention seeking Sandra is highly entertaining, particularly when all five characters are on stage together. Vanessa Babirye is outstanding in the role of Leah, the Mama Cass obsessed neighbour – she steals the show completely when she takes LSD, dresses up in Mama Cass attire and believes that she is the dead singer. And Sandra’s ‘artist’ boyfriend Tony (Gerard McCarthy) also puts in a superb performance as the latest in transient string of lovers.

Both actors, Sam Jackson and Thomas Law play the bedroom scenes with the right amount of teeny awkwardness. Jamie appears quite brave about his sexuality whereas Ste comes across as more vulnerable – their scenes together are well played with the right balance of fuzzy warmth and sexual tension.

Ben Cracknell’s balmy lighting design complements Colin Richmond’s gritty, urban set design, which includes a rising platform which offers itself as a bed and an outside air vent which swiftly transforms into a bedside table.

Jonathan Harvey’s writing is still immensely brilliant and still relevant; Nikolai Foster’s direction manages to bring out every nuance in the script and I found myself noticing elements that I hadn’t fully appreciated in any of the previous interpretations that I have seen. This production felt like a celebration and a salute to how far rights for gay, lesbian and transgender people have come over the last 20 years, and a recognition that we still have a fair way to go. It all stands to prove that this love story between two working class boys is still as beautiful and as powerful as when it was first written over two decades ago.

Beautiful Thing is at The Lowry, Salford until Saturday 18th April. There will be a post show Q & A with the cast on Thursday 16th April – hosted by Manchester Pride and chaired by British Actor and Writer Arthur Bostrom (‘Allo, Allo!). This event is free to ticket holders.

-Kristy Stott

REVIEW – Shappi Khorsandi: Because I’m Shappi (The Lowry)

April 13, 2015kristobel1 Comment

Date: 11 APRIL 2015

Upstaged Rating:

Shappi Khorsandi bounds on to the stage, sparkling like the sequinned trainers she wears and informs us that she is going to do her own warm-up – she quickly adds, “Times are hard.”

The aptly entitled show ‘Because I’m Shappi’ is uplifting and refreshing – it is not often you see a stand-up show which is built on happiness, a reflection on the good things in life and a celebration of the characters who have contributed to her stand-up career. It is clear to see that Shappi is a comic who loves her life on and off stage and she is happy when she is performing.

I can relate to Shappi- a mother of 2 children herself – she is proud and fearlessly independent, she is also highly likeable, mischievous and charming. During her warm-up act for ‘Big Shappi’ she handles her diverse Mancunian crowd with a razor sharp wit. She chats with a bride-to-be about how much she loathes hen parties and chocolate cocks and then starts to play a giant game of snap with her audience. And when she looks on edge and tells us that she is confiding in us, things that she has never divulged before – we believe her.

The whole show feels quite free-flowing and relaxed, with tales about childhood friends and family, Twitter trolls and internet porn while pregnant. We feel as though we are a confidant listening to a friend – Shappi’s tone is warm, engaging and conversational. Although, occasionally the material does feel a little too free-flowing and in covering such wide ranging subject matter, there didn’t always seem to be a main strand to follow and sometimes fluidity lacked as she jumped from one topic to another.

On leaving Shappi Khorsandi’s show I feel hopeful – her humour is infectious and refreshingly truthful- she fizzes energy and she is a charming and compelling entertainer. It seems that everyone in the theatre, including Shappi, has enjoyed themselves and that’s the most important thing.

-Kristy Stott

Shappi Khorsandi continues her show ‘Because I’m Shappi’ at The Ropetackle Arts Centre on Friday 24th April and she continues to tour the UK through May and June 2015. For more dates please click here.

REVIEW – Room on the Broom (The Lowry)

April 9, 2015kristobel

Date: 8 april 2015

Upstaged Rating:

THINGSTARS:

Tall Stories Theatre Company are well versed in adapting well-loved children’s stories for the stage. Using their trademark physical theatre style, catchy signature tunes and puppetry – they succeed in appealing to the adults in the audience just as much as they do the children.

And Tall Stories usually present the well-known childhood story with a frame story which serves to entertain the children as they enter the theatre. There is no waiting around for the action to start because as the audience file in to take their seats, the actors are all on stage improvising a camping trip to the woods. What is really clever is that the actors tap into older relatives experiences of a family camping trip too, particularly us parents who might find that we need to have “a ploughmans, a tiramisu and then…a shot!”

The camping trip setting leads through to a Blair Witch-esque sighting of something flying in the sky which leads neatly to the narrative that we have all been eagerly waiting for, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s, Room on the Broom.

Yvette Clutterbuck’s Witch is as scatty as is hinted at in Donaldson’s original story, a good likeable witch who struggles to cast a spell. Luckily, she has a super competent cat with plenty of ideas, a marvellous singing voice and an endless supply of sweets, played by Emma MacLennan.

As the witch and her cat fly along on their broom stick, they end up making friends with three other animals, who help her retrieve her belongings when they fall to the ground. The puppets, designed by Yvonne Stone, are well characterised by David Garrud, who plays the dog and the frog and Daniel Foxsmith as the green bird. The American country and western singing frog is a particular hit with the young audience, as is the dog, especially when the two puppets swap accents during an exchange. I’m not sure that this was intentional but it was a great source of humour for many in the audience.

Tall Stories Theatre Company, headed up by Artistic Directors Olivia Jacobs and Toby Mitchell, never fail to delight with their interpretations of Julia Donaldson’s well-loved tales. Although admittedly, Room on the Broom wasn’t my favourite Tall Stories production, they have certainly succeeded in producing superb children’s theatre consistently and they absolutely had the young audience at The Lowry under their spell for the full 55 minutes.

-Kristy Stott

Room on the Broom is at The Lowry, Salford until Sunday 12th April 2015. It then continues the tour at The Lyceum Theatre in Crewe for 14th and 15th April. Room on the Broom continues to tour nationally until 29th August 2015. For further UK tour dates click here.

What’s on in April 2015?

April 8, 2015kristobel

from 9 april 2015…

Always wanted to see Margaret Thatcher in a spandex leotard?

Then you should probably bag yourself a ticket to watch The Lady’s Not For Walking Like An Egyptian, showing in The Studio at The Royal Exchange from 9th April until 11th April 2015. This new play presented by Mars. Tarrab mixes the words of Margaret Thatcher with the lyrics of every top ten hit by a female artist in the 80’s. Sounds interesting doesn’t it?

On 11th April 2015, there are 2 performances of When I feel Like Crap I Google Kim Kardashian Fat at Ziferblat, Edge Street in the NQ. These are ‘pay what you feel’ performances to raise funds to keep this project developing so you do not need to buy a ticket in advance. Just turn up in good time & come hear these women’s stories. The name alone intrigues…find out more at The Mighty Heart.

from 13 april 2015…

The critically acclaimed award-winning play by Beautiful Thing arrives at The Lowry from 13th April until 18th April 2015. Directed by Nikolai Foster and starring Charlie Brooks, this cult classic from writer Jonathan Harvey promises to be worth catching.

Also heading to The Lowry from 13th April until 18th April 2015, for its world premiere, is The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Based on the best selling novel by John Boyne, this thought provoking and deeply moving production is recommended for ages 11 and upwards.

JB Shorts are back with their 13th edition. Running from 14th April through to 25th April 2015 at Joshua Brooks, Princess Street, Manchester.

JB Shorts is a really fun night with a fabulous reputation. Top TV writers and directors take over the cellar in Joshua Brooks to bring you 6 plays, each of 15 minutes duration. The night ends early so that you can get home for your supper or have a couple more drinks in the city…and it’s only £7.00.

Showing at Studio Salford, which is upstairs in The Kings Arms in Salford, is the eagerly anticipated Rise and Fall of Little Voice. Running from 15th April until 26th April 2015 and directed by James Baker, Assembled Junk Productions have been given 5 stars from me in the past, so the bar has been set high for Little Voice too… Musical theatre works so well in the intimate space at Studio Salford but I’d get your tickets quickly as a few of the dates have already sold out.

Hindle Wakes comes to Oldham Coliseum from 16th April until the 2nd May 2015.

Natasha Davidson as Fanny Hawthron and Barbara Drennan as Mrs Jeffcote — Natasha Davidson as Fanny Hawthron & Barbara Drennan as Mrs Jeffcote

Written in 1910 by Stanley Houghton, Hindle Wakes is a charming, witty and powerful Lancastrian play. Considered a theatrical landmark, Hindle Wakes was one of the first plays to have a working-class female lead and explored sexual double-standards and female emancipation. Hindle Wakes is on its last week of the run at the Octagon and will be opening at the Coliseum on 16^th April. The play itself has a really interesting history (professors at Oxford tried to ban it in case it was a bad influence on young women!).

FROM 20 APRIL 2015…

The Rolling Stone is showing at The Royal Exchange from 21st April until 1st May 2015. This Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting winner in 2013, plays in rep alongside Anna Karenina – using the same cast and creative team and depicting similar themes of lovers at odds with their society.

Showing in The Studio at The Lowry from 22nd April until 24th April 2015 is Shooting With Light. Lowry Associate Artists Idle Motion are masters of multimedia theatre and I will be so interested to see their latest show – which manages to weave a story about Gerda Taro, one of the first pioneering women to photograph the front line, with the phenomenon of photography, memories and the idea of framing our lives. This trailer from Idle Motion may shed more light…

Plastic Figurines by Box of Tricks is at The Met in Bury on the 22nd April 2015. And if you aren’t able to catch it at The Met, it is also coming to The Lowry on 6th and 7th May 2015.

“Mum told me that there was something in his brain that was different, she said that he liked to put his toys in lines and that was a symptom or whatever. I used to go in his room and see all his stuffed animals in a line and I’d mess them up. I’d mess the line up.”

The tour of The Woman in Black reaches The Lowry from 28th April until 2nd May and is guaranteed to send chills…

From 29th April until 1st May 2015, Waterside Arts in Sale present Writers For Sale. In 2013, 3 theatres (The Royal Exchange, The Everyman and Bolton Octagon) and 1 university came together to facilitate the first Masters degree in Playwriting and Writers For Sale is a showcase of their work. The evening consists of 7 short plays and it costs £8.00. Visit Waterside Arts to book.

REVIEW – Secret Diaries (The Lowry)

April 4, 2015kristobel

Date: 02 April 2015

Upstaged Rating:

Secret Diaries, presented by Art with Heart, pays homage to our teenage years, the awkward time when you realise that life isn’t going to be as straight forward as you originally thought that it would be. When a thirty something year old Hayley returns home and starts to look through her old belongings, it doesn’t take much more than the smell of an old school polo shirt and the familiar sound of her cassette player to transport her, and us, back to the 80’s.

As Hayley reminisces over her teenage experiences, laughs, loves and losses – she reads excerpts from her diary which are then animated and brought to life by the cast of three. Hayley is played well by Sarah Emmott, managing to portray the ups and downs of teenage angst vividly, as we follow her coming of age but also, more poignantly, her coming out as a gay woman.

Hayley is flanked by her best friend Deb (Catherine Pugh), a mouthy teen with a wet perm. The two friends work well together on stage, writer Sarah Evans has created two well layered characters, that we can laugh at and sympathise with all at once. Hayley’s father also seems to struggle to find his feet in an ever-changing world, played by Michael Forrest, we can empathise with his sentiment although his performance does feel awkward at times. Some of the scenes between Hayley and her father, particularly towards the end of the play did seem to lose some momentum.

Designer Lynsey Akehurst‘s stage design and soundtrack was a technical highlight and the star of the show for me. The flashbacks from the present to Hayley’s teenage years could have posed quite a challenge but Akehurst’s ingenious set design, 80’s soundtrack and speedy costume changes made light work of two decades. And Rachel Moorhouse‘s fluid direction ensured that the stage was swiftly changed to suggest a classroom, a teenage bedroom and a trusty old park bench with ease. Sound bites from a news reel signifying the Iron Curtain falling and snippets from the Band Aid II single all succeeded in suggesting the passage of time.

Secret Diaries is worth checking out for reminiscence purposes alone, packed full of guilty pleasures from the eighties and nineties, Sweater Shop jumpers and Smash Hits posters, that will make you smile and reminisce about your own experiences.

-Kristy Stott

REVIEW – Twelve Angry Men (The Lowry)

March 24, 2015kristobel

© 2015 Pamela Raith www.pamelaraith.com — © 2015 Pamela Raith
www.pamelaraith.com

Date: 23 march 2015

Upstaged Rating:

Twelve Angry Men opened at The Lowry last night following its record breaking run at the Garrick Theatre in the West End. Presented by Bill Kenwright, this powerful new production sees Reginald Rose‘s gripping courtroom drama and three-time Academy Award nominated screenplay, including best picture, suited perfectly for the stage.

It’s late summer in 1954 and the scene is a New York City courthouse, a jury of twelve men has murder on their minds as they decide the fate of a young delinquent accused of killing his father. If found guilty the boy faces the death penalty. At first the trial appears to be an open and shut case, with a unanimous verdict of guilty, but there is one juror who believes the case isn’t as straightforward as it first appears to be.

Olivier Award Winner, Tony Award Winner, Variety Award Winner and Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Tom Conti plays Juror 8, an architect, who believes it could be possible that the boy did not kill his father. The verdict of the case becomes a huge dilemma as tensions, prejudices and discriminations, from each of the jurors, towards the accused are laid bare and thrashed out.

Under the direction of Christopher Haydon, the whole play works perfectly in the one setting of the jury room, there are no scene changes and the walls of the jurors room become claustrophobic as the tension builds throughout. The thunderstorms and stifling summer weather transfer well into the jury room. Michael Pavelka‘s set design sees the rain pouring down the windows to the sound of thunder- it’s all very reflective of the pressures and anger of the twelve jurors confined to the room.

None of the jurors are known by their names instead they are referred to as a number, although, there is some reference made to their occupations. It is hard to pick out any stand-out performance in this show as it is extremely well cast with many strong performances, Tom Conti‘s performance as juror 8 is outstanding.

The production did start half an hour later than planned on its opening night, because of technical problems, however this did not detract from the show in the slightest. Twelve Angry Men is an edge of your seat courtroom drama that was well worth the wait, managing to keep the audience captivated from start to finish.

-Kristy Stott

Twelve Angry Men is at The Lowry until Saturday 28 March 2016.