Theatre Archives - Page 3 of 5 - UPSTAGED MANCHESTER

REVIEW – Hetty Feather (The Lowry, Salford)

December 20, 2015kristobel

Jacqueline Wilson's --Hetty Feather-- at The Lowry until 10 January 2016 © Copyright Helen Murray 2015 — Jacqueline Wilson’s
–Hetty Feather–
at The Lowry until 10 January 2016
© Copyright Helen Murray 2015

Upstaged Rating:

Thingstars:

“Only a few days old and lost everything – my home, my mother and my name”

Hetty Feather was left by her mother at the London Foundling Hospital as a newborn baby. Written by best-selling author Jacqueline Wilson, Hetty Feather traces the life and experiences of a foundling child – her experience in foster care, her dalliances with the travelling circus and her return into education at the Foundling Hospital. Hetty is a feisty little thing – kindhearted, intelligent and imaginative- we follow her story as she battles to overcome all odds in the search to find her real mother.

This Olivier Award nominated production is a real treat for the Quays Theatre at The Lowry this Christmas – with a talented and award-winning creative team and an energetic, tumbling and climbing ensemble of performers. Hetty Feather is a thrilling, emotional and uplifting story adapted for the stage by writer Emma Reeves and directed by Sally Cookson.

The stage is set as a circus tent and a real playground for the performers – there are red aerial silks, ropes and ladders – designer Katie Sykes has really created the perfect canvas for Jacqueline Wilson’s characters to somersault and shine. Before the show opens, Musicians Seamus H Carey and Luke Potter set the tone for the audience with their lively folk music and we are transported back to Victorian England.

Casting is perfect with Phoebe Thomas taking the title role of Hetty Feather, with her long fiery red hair she is captivating – playing a five-year-old with ease and layering Hetty’s difficult start in life with humour and defiance. All six performers show their versatility in playing a variety of roles – they enthrall with their fusion of storytelling, live music and circus skills. Sarah Goddard tugs at our heartstrings playing foster mother Peg and Ida; talented Matt Costain takes on the contrasting roles of warm-hearted foster brother Jem and stony-faced Matron Bottomly; Nikki Warwick earns hefty applause as the trapeze artist Madame Adeline with Nik Howden as Saul and Mark Kane as Gideon completing the dynamic line-up.

Hetty Feather is an imaginative and innovative production – a fabulous adventure packed with colourful characters, a lively musical score and captivating performances. With a running time of 2 hours and 10 minutes, it’s a superb treat for older children who are so often overlooked in quality children’s theatre. Hetty Feather is an outstanding entertainment choice this Christmas – giving us all of the fun of the circus as we squeal, gasp, quake and applaud in Hetty Feather’s journey to find her mother.

-Kristy Stott

Hetty Feather runs at the Lowry in Salford until 10 January 2016.

REVIEW – Mr Popper’s Penguins (The Lowry, Salford)

December 14, 2015kristobel

Upstaged Rating:

Thingstars:

Adapted from popular children’s book by Richard and Florence Atwater, Mr Popper’s Penguins is a festive theatrical treat for all of the family. The story proved its popularity back in 2011 when it was released as a feature film with Jim Carrey taking the title role. With music reminiscent of golden era MGM, romance and charming penguin puppetry, Mr Popper’s Penguins certainly lends itself brilliantly to being adapted as a musical for the stage.

Mr Popper (Russell Morton) is a painter and decorator and lives with Mrs Popper (Roxanne Palmer) in a small American suburb called Stillwater. Nothing really happens in Stillwater and Mr Popper has dreams of being an explorer in Antartica. Fascinated with the South Pole, spending every spare moment reading about it – he decides to pen a letter to his idol Admiral Drake, to tell him how wonderful he thinks penguins are.

Soon after Admiral Drake responds to the mailing by sending a huge penguin-sized crate by return – Mr and Mrs Popper’s predictable daily life takes a sudden but exciting change as they soon find themselves chasing a rookery of penguins around their home.

A super talented cast of four tell the succinct and highly entertaining story well – with performers Toby Manley and Lucy Grattan doubling up as puppeteers for the mischievous penguins Captain Cook and Greta, designed by Nick Barnes. Musical numbers composed by Luke Bateman and written by Richy Hughes are catchy and appeal to the young audience; there is a magical snow shower and a penguin dance that the whole auditorium can get involved with too.

Recommended for ages 3 and over, Mr Popper’s Penguins has the perfect running time of 55 minutes – just long enough to keep those creative little minds transfixed. If you look below the funny feathery surface there is also quite a heartwarming message for you to take away too – the importance of having dreams and how something totally unexpected can suddenly land and change the course of your life forever.

Mr Popper’s Penguins is a gorgeous family show and guaranteed to warm your cockles this winter.
-Kristy Stott

Mr Popper’s Penguins runs at the Lowry in Salford until 10 January 2016.

REVIEW – Snow Queen (The Z-Arts Centre, Manchester)

December 5, 2015kristobel

Snow Queen at Z-Arts Centre in Hulme, Manchester.

Upstaged Rating:

THINGSTARS:

One of my earliest theatre memories is playing the part of Gerda in a very traditional production of Hans Christian Anderson’s Snow Queen. It’s always been one of my favourite stories and so I was particularly excited to hear that it would be the Christmas production at Manchester’s family-friendly Z-Arts this year. With the intelligent fusion of live performance, puppetry and digital storytelling – Z-Arts are nothing short of triumphant with their refreshing twist on the classic fable of the Snow Queen.

Set in the modern day, looked-after child Kai (Gordon Millar) is afraid that he may have to leave the comfortable home which he shares with his foster parent Aunty Jayne (Denise Kennedy) and Gerda (Nisa Cole), her adopted daughter. Kai is a keen gamer and uses his alternative existence in cyberspace to escape the reality that he may have to return to live with his father in the future. Becoming increasingly withdrawn from his beloved Gerda and spending longer time gaming, makes him susceptible to the evil Snow Queen (Bryony Thomas), a super virus intent on entering our world through Kai. Gerda sets out to rescue Kai from the clutches of the Snow Queen by following him into his alternative digital world.

Jane Linz Roberts’ set design moves fluidly to suggest a range of different settings – Aunty Jayne’s home, a range of eclectic settings in cyberspace and the Snow Queen’s ice palace. Powerful and highly effective digital projections by Cubic Flowers suggest the atmosphere perfectly – as we shiver through an ice cold blizzard and avert our eyes from the swarm of spiders. Humorous puppets by Liz Walker in the form of farting frogs, Robber Girl, and snowflake soldiers Derek and Keith make many children and their grown-ups giggle.

Bryony Thomas’ Snow Queen is a true villain, moving like an arachnid around the stage – low to the ground and contorted – just the right amount of horror for a young audience. Thing 1 and Thing 2 were impressed by Gordon Millar’s performance as Kai. Nisa Cole also played the young Gerda well and Ebony Feare and Denise Kennedy demonstrated their versatility playing a range of diverse characters between them.

Writer Philip Osment and director Jonathan McGrath have certainly delivered a fantastic family friendly show for Z-Arts this December. Following the show, Thing 1 and Thing 2 prompted a discussion about fostering and adoption, proving that theatre can educate as well as entertain.

-Kristy Stott

The Snow Queen glides to Z-Arts from the 3rd – 13th December 2015. For more information and to book tickets please click here.

This Christmas Z-Arts want to offer children in care FREE tickets – but they need your help.

Z-Arts have produced a cracking show with a difference – Hans Christian Andersen’s SNOW QUEEN becomes an evil online virus and the heroes, Kai and Gerda are brought together within the care system. It’s a story of friendship triumphing against all odds.

To help support Z-Arts as they seek to raise just £6 per child please click here.

REVIEW – Lord of the Flies (The Lowry, Salford)

December 4, 2015kristobel

LORD OF THE FLIES © Johan Persson/ — LORD OF THE FLIES
© Johan Persson

Upstaged Rating:

The sound of crickets chirping and the steady beat of tribal drums give way to shrieking and chanting. Boys with shredded school uniforms, ties wrapped around their heads and faces smeared with blood dart about the stage. Tumbling through foliage, climbing up mountains – they hold roughly sharpened sticks as they hunt down their prey.

Written in 1954, Lord of the Flies is a novel by Nobel Prize-winning English author William Golding. The novel has become a staple text for many British school children and tells the story of a group of schoolboys who survive a catastrophic plane crash. What starts out as a desert island adventure quickly descends into a savage struggle for survival. In a habitat far from modern civilisation, these well-educated children regress to a primitive state.

Recommended for ages 11 and over, this sharp stage adaptation by Nigel Williams is gripping from beginning to end. With references to modern culture – instagram, reality TV shows and 3G – the language is fluid and succinct depicting the gangs merciless descent from island paradise into horror.

Jon Bausor’s crashed jet set design impresses, scattered components of the aircraft fill the stage allowing for the action to take place on multiple levels, creating the illusion of difficult terrain. Under Timothy Sheader’s extraordinary direction, the boys swing and scramble over the strewn luggage and plane parts in their vicious fight for power and survival. Stylised slow motion choreography gives the production a cinematic feel, perfectly creating pace and tension; Nick Powell’s superb soundscape intelligently fuses natural sounds of the wild with the noise of pure horror and decay.

The cast have an unbelievable abundance of talent between them – their energetic performances were nothing short of faultless. Particular mentions must go to Connor Brabyn as Jack, the savage chief of the gang and his rival – moral minded Ralph, played by Luke Ward-Wilkinson. Anthony Roberts’ performance as Piggy was also phenomenal – the gasps from the audience during his final speech were a clear testament.

This is easily one of the finest pieces of theatre that I have seen this year. I spent most of the performance perched on the edge of my seat. Most of the audience was made up of school children and with not a peep or snigger heard from them throughout – that is a sign of a superb production.

Go and see.

-Kristy Stott

Lord of the Flies is at The Lowry until Saturday 5th December. The tour then continues at the Theatre Royal in Bath from the 12th January to 16th January 2016. For more tour dates through 2016 click here.

REVIEW – The BFG (Octagon Theatre, Bolton)

November 23, 2015kristobel1 Comment

Upstaged Rating:

Thingstars:

Following the success of James and the Giant Peach, Director Sarah Esdaile returns to Bolton Octagon to direct another Roald Dahl classic. In this adaptation by David Wood, The BFG tells the magical story of a little girl called Sophie who lives in the village orphanage. One night, Sophie spies a huge cloaked figure blowing something into the bedroom window further down the street and before she can hide from this mysterious creature, she is picked up and taken to his home in Giant Country.

Luckily for Sophie this giant is the BFG, one of the good guys – friendly, entertaining and most importantly kind hearted. He goes around at night when people are asleep to make sure that they have good dreams.

Obviously, one of the most challenging demands of producing a stage show of The BFG is managing to create the illusion of scale and height between the giants and little Sophie. Clever puppetry directed and designed by Michael Fowkes works perfectly – a delicately animated smaller version of Sophie and a trio of three huge bone-crunching ogres certainly does the trick.

Janet Bird’s design sees the Octagon main stage set on two levels allowing swift movement between scenes and different settings from the orphanage where Sophie lives to the formidable Giant Country. The design has a wonderfully home crafted quality to it – the giants with their huge papier-mâché heads and the use of cardboard and newsprint throughout. With comical dream sequences and a visit to Buckingham Palace, the story is told effectively and in a way that children can follow with ease. From the BFG’s head appearing at the Queen’s bedroom window to making Facetime calls on a huge iPhone – the design elements are a highlight.

Macy Nyman makes a noteworthy stage debut as Sophie, beautifully expressive and childlike, providing a wonderful narration as she brings the puppet of Sophie to life.

John Seaward is instantly loveable as the BFG – full of energy, kindness and humour – with a full head of flaming orange hair, he looks considerably different to the familiar Quentin Blake drawings. Introducing Sophie to his wondrous imaginative language, where the words sound very similar to English or are completely made up – so beautifully typical of Roald Dahl.

The talented pyjama-clad double up to play a range of different characters – Richard Booth, Philip Bosworth and Roddy Peters as the booming, ruthless ogres; Sarah Finigan impresses as The Queen and the cantankerous Mrs Clonkers and Emma MacLennan also adapts to a number of roles demonstrating her versatility as a performer.

Recommended for ages 5 and over, this is a fantastic ensemble production with a lot of heart. The BFG at Bolton Octagon offers families a high-quality production and a pleasing alternative from the traditional Christmas pantomime.

-Kristy Stott

The BFG runs at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton until 9 January 2016.

REVIEW – Mother Goose (Oldham Coliseum)

November 15, 2015kristobel

Mother Goose at Oldham Coliseum Photo credit -- ©Joel C Fildes — Mother Goose at Oldham Coliseum
Photo credit — ©Joel C Fildes

Date: 14 november 2015

Upstaged rating:

thingstars:

Pantomime is always a huge amount of fun for any creative team to work on and this year’s festive offering from the team at Oldham Coliseum is a sparkling example of this. Mother Goose offers all of the traditional pantomime fun – with audience interaction at its core, all your favourite current chart hits and hilariously messy slapstick – there is much for little ones and their grown-ups to enjoy this Christmas at Oldham Coliseum.

The story of Mother Goose has been co-written by Artistic Director Kevin Shaw and our nominal dame, Fine Time Fontayne – while the story maintains its timeless appeal, many of the comic sequences and gags zap the show giving a fresh take on the old classic tale. Mother Goose is poor until she finds Priscilla, a magical goose who lays golden eggs. Now that Mother Goose no longer has to worry about money – she wants to be young and beautiful – but will her new-found wealth, beauty and youth bring happiness?

Justine Elizabeth Bailey as Colin Goose and Richard J Fletcher as Billy Goose ©Joel C Fildes — Justine Elizabeth Bailey as Colin Goose and Richard J Fletcher as Billy Goose
©Joel C Fildes

This pantomime has a superb range of musical numbers ranging from contemporary pop music through to well known show tunes. With a funky soundtrack featuring The Jackson 5, Defying Gravity from Wicked and a humorous ditty which incorporates the names of stops on the Metrolink line – there is plenty for the audience to clap along to.

Fine Time Fontayne as Mother Goose ©Joel C Fildes — Fine Time Fontayne as Mother Goose
©Joel C Fildes

Fine Time Fontayne is a superb pantomime dame with an exceptional costume designer, Celia Perkins. With an array of over-the-top frocks and vibrant Doc Martens, Mother Goose could easily have been peeled from the pages of a story book. Under Kevin Shaw’s direction, costume changes occur off stage as well as in full view of the audience – in a clever illusion Mother Goose disappears through revolving doors only to reappear immediately looking just like Kim Kardashian. Well almost.

Alongside Fine Time Fontayne there is a host of Oldham Coliseum regulars – Richard J Fletcher is a comical success as the accident prone Billy Goose with Justine Elizabeth Bailey playing his sensible older brother Colin Goose. Andonis Anthony excels as evil baddie The Demon of Discontent – with no prompting needed to rally the audience into a booing and hissing frenzy. The chorus dancers deserve a special mention also, animated and light on their feet, filling the stage with energy.

Once again the Oldham Coliseum have egg-ceeded themselves and produced a most egg-cellent pantomime. With plenty of laugh out loud moments and opportunities to sing along, Mother Goose is packed with festive cheer and is certain to get all of the family warmed up and ready for Christmas.

-Kristy Stott

Mother Goose is on at Oldham Coliseum until Saturday 9th January 2016.

REVIEW – Pomona (The Royal Exchange, Manchester)

November 12, 2015kristobel

Orange Tree Theatre presents in association with the National Theatre and the Royal Exchange Theatre --POMONA-- — Orange Tree Theatre presents in association with the National Theatre and the Royal Exchange Theatre
–POMONA–

UPSTAGED RATING:

Alastair McDowall’s Pomona was first performed in the round at the Orange Tree Theatre in 2014 before transferring to the National Theatre in 2015. Now, it plays in the main stage at Manchester’s Royal Exchange which is a stone throw away from Pomona island where the play is set.

The play opens with a peculiar parka and pants wearing character called Zeppo giving a comically long-winded account of a famous scene from ‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’ to Ollie, a young woman who is searching for her missing twin sister. With a mouthful of chicken nugget Zeppo (Guy Rhys) tells Ollie (Nadia Clifford) that he owns the whole city but doesn’t get involved with anything and offers the scene from Indiana Jones to highlight why some things should just be left well alone.

Under Ned Bennett’s stylish direction, what follows is a series of scenes leading up to the disappearance of Ollie’s sister. This whole narrative is segmented and does not follow a simple linear structure – it’s more like a jigsaw puzzle which the audience have to try and piece together. Exploring themes around sub-culture, gaming and the sinister underworld, Pomona is a brutal and gritty sci-fi thriller.

Georgia Lowe’s stripped set design complements McDowall’s dark story thread which charts flashbacks to Ollie’s sister meeting Fay (Rebecca Humphries) when she gets a job in a brothel; we also encounter Gale ( Rochenda Sandall) a seemingly powerful presence in the criminal underworld and two security guards Charlie (Sam Swann) and Moe (Sean Rigby). Alongside this we meet squeaky and mouse-like Keaton (Sarah Middleton) who meets with Charlie regularly for a game of Dungeons and Dragons. Sam Swann is particularly impressive as oddball Charlie and provides some very funny moments amidst the hopelessness.

Some theatre goers may find Pomona hard going – there is frequent strong language and the characters inhabit a place which some of the audience may prefer not to visit. As the play progresses the outlook for the characters becomes bleaker and the line between fantasy and reality more blurred. There is a sense of confusion and a lot of questions still remain unanswered by the end of the play. Ultimately, Pomona is a powerful, menacing and intelligent piece of work by Alastair McDowall.

-Kristy Stott

Pomona is running at The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester until Sunday 21 November 2015.

REVIEW – The Possible Impossible House (The Z-Arts Centre, Manchester)

November 8, 2015kristobel

Being a huge fan of Sheffield based experimental theatre company Forced Entertainment – I was very keen to find out more about their first production for young people, The Possible Impossible House.

The Possible Impossible House --Forced Entertainment-- — The Possible Impossible House
–Forced Entertainment–

Upstaged Rating:

THINGSTARS:

The Possible Impossible House is a wonderful exploration of the power of storytelling and a lesson for all, young and old, in setting your imagination free. The magical adventure begins as we travel down the long winding corridors of The Possible Impossible House. Claire Marshall is our guide and she leads us through the twisting passageways. When we reach the library we meet a little girl who is sketched onto a blank page in an algebra book. This endearing little doodled character is desperately missing the matching scribbled spider who used inhabit the opposite page – we are invited to join her on her mission to find her little eight legged friend.

It’s essentially a two hander with Claire Marshall recounting the story to the audience while Cathy Naden provides the humorous soundtrack. Comedy is created through storyteller, Claire and sound-maker, Cathy as they both compete to take control of the story. Both performers are supported by wonderfully scruffy illustrations by Vlatka Horvat as our journey spans elaborate marble ballrooms, secret cupboards and black holes and we meet an array of familiar but surprising creatures – talking animals, a not-so-very-frightening-ghost and an army of dancing soldiers.

“I really liked Cathy. She made me laugh when she interrupted and when she ate celery and pretended to be a mouse…everybody was laughing!”

–Thing 1 (aged 9)

The storyline is beautifully childlike, as if penned by a 7 year old, it’s spontaneous and imaginative. Under Tim Etchells’ direction, Horvat’s magical doodles are projected on to large pieces of torn brown cardboard all going to prove that good quality children’s theatre does not have to rely on lavish sets or costumes.

This production is as much fun for the adults in the audience as it is for the little ones. As always Forced Entertainment blow apart our traditional expectations of theatre- which is children’s theatre in this case. The result is witty, engaging theatre that doesn’t patronise – layered with irony and humour and pitched at a level that both children and adults can appreciate.

-Kristy Stott

You can catch The Possible Impossible House at Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University on the 12th December.

The Snow Queen glides to Z-Arts from the 3rd – 13th December 2015. For more information and to book tickets please click here.

REVIEW – Nosferatu (The Lowry)

October 31, 2015kristobel

Nosferatu at The Lowry, Salford ©2015 Richard Mulhearn. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED — Nosferatu at The Lowry, Salford
©2015 Richard Mulhearn. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Date: 29 october 2015

Upstaged Rating:

The Proper Job Theatre Company arrived at The Lowry Theatre in Salford with their spine chilling Nosferatu just in time for All Hallows’ Eve. Their latest touring production, Nosferatu is written by acclaimed poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan and takes its inspiration from the 1922 German Expressionist film of the same name and the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula charts the journey of the Demeter as it sets sail for Whitby from Varna, Transylvania. The ship leaves with its full complement of crew only to arrive without them – the captain is still onboard but he is dead and strapped to the wheel and in place of his crew, there is a strange cargo of wooden boxes. The tale of Nosferatu unpicks the chilling fate of these sailors in the last hour before the sun rises.

Considering that this play is based on one of the most iconic monsters of all time -Dracula -very little happens in the running time of 80 minutes. The crew are waiting for the dawn which brings sunlight and safety from the mysterious and evil cargo that lurks below deck. McMillan’s language is poetic and uses some powerful imagery – however, at times the language felt repetitive which resulted in a feeling of detachment from the characters and their plight.

The highlight of this production was the beautiful musical accompaniment played by Anna Scott – both haunting and atmospheric. Through the simple combination of her skilled cello playing and her melodious soprano voice she did manage to conjure up the eerie atmosphere of the of the fateful night onboard the Demeter.

-Kristy Stott

Nosferatu visits The Plowright Theatre in Scunthorpe on the 30th October and Square Chapel Centre for the Arts in time for Halloween on the 31st October 2015.

REVIEW – We Want You To Watch (The Lowry)

October 23, 2015kristobel

RashDash and National Theatre present We Want You To Watch by Alice Birch Photo Credit: ©Richard Davenport 2015, — RashDash and National Theatre present We Want You To Watch by Alice Birch
Photo Credit: ©Richard Davenport 2015,

Date: 22 october 2015

Upstaged Rating:

What would the world be like if we could annihilate pornography? How different would our world be if we could ban online porn and just start again? It’s an interesting debate and the subject of Rash Dash Theatre Company’s current production, We Want You To Watch.

We Want You To Watch has been commissioned by The National Theatre and written by Alice Birch – it follows two women (Helen Goalen and Abbi Greenland) on a mission to end pornography once and for all. Prior to them meeting with a pint-size American internet hacker (Bettrys Jones), who they hope will be able to pull the plug on internet porn, they have brief and outlandish encounters with a brutal sex offender (Lloyd Everitt), the Queen (Helena Lynbery) and a primary school boy (Adam Charteris) who has been exposed to porn on a mobile phone.

Helen Goalen and Abbi Greenland give energetic and versatile performances – every word and movement is loaded with freshness and spontaneity. First they are CID investigating the brutal sexual torture of a dental student – they interview their male suspect arguing that his addiction to hardcore porn was the motive for the attack. The language is striking, intense and sickening. A few moments later, they are assisting each other with the zips on their ball gowns as they prepare to interrogate the Queen and cajole her into signing a decree to abolish porn. There’s dynamic physical imagery here as the three dance to Beyonce’s Run the World, waving huge flags amongst a colourful burst of confetti.

Each main section is punctuated by the two performers talking directly to the audience through a microphone – it’s random, it slows the pace slightly and serves to keep the audience prepared and alert for their next chunk of the extreme. Designer Oliver Townsend has framed the performance space with a scaffold construction. The top platform is labelled like a supermarket shelf and it is laden with cans of SEX.

Following the 70 minutes of high intensity performance, Goalen and Greenland leave the stage breathless and sweaty. I leave feeling as though my brain has had a work out – with cogs whirring, Rash Dash certainly leave their audience with plenty to consider.

-Kristy Stott

We Want You to Watch is at The Lowry Studio on Friday 23rd October 2015 at 8pm.