Author: The Reviews Hub - Central

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Libretto: Lorenzo Da Ponte  Director: Max Hoehn Conductor: Frederick Brown It is hard to imagine a more accessible, charming and well sung production of Mozart’s ever popular opera about the trials of love than Max Hoehn’s new version for Welsh National Opera. Hoehn reimagines the piece as taking place in a secondary school during the late 60s. This immediately gives audiences a clear understanding of the key relationships and how teenagers can be prone to heightened emotions as well as being easily manipulated by people in authority. It also provides ample opportunity to draw out the…

Conductor: Michael Seal The latest in the series of lighter classical concerts from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) sees it collaborating with trumpeter Niall O’Sullivan and soprano Danielle de Niese to bring us Baroque to Broadway. The title doesn’t make it entirely obvious who the intended audience is, a confusion that might be behind the fact that the turnout feels smaller than is typical for these concerts; however, de Niese’s career to date has successfully spanned both worlds presented, earning her plaudits in both, while O’Sullivan’s career similarly crosses genres making them ideal candidates to perform tonight. Before…

Book: Garry Marshall and J.F. Lawton Music and Lyrics: Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance Director: Jerry Mitchell Pretty Woman is the latest early 90s rom-com to receive the Broadway treatment. A Cinderella story of sorts, it tells the tale of Edward (Oliver Savile), a ruthless businessman whose life is changed on a visit to LA after he picks up Vivian (Amber Davies), a free-spirited hooker. The overriding message feels very much that everything, including love, is simply a matter of cost, with Marshall and Lawton’s book leaving no real scope to scrutinize the underlying politics of the story. As with…

Writer: William Shakespeare Adaptor: Robin Belfield Director: Philip J Morris Selly Park Girls’ is a secondary school serving over 700 students with innovative, passionate teaching. They have welcomed the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) into their school and are working in partnership with eight other schools in Birmingham to ensure that young people in our city are able to access high-quality theatre and learning opportunities. RSC’s First Encounters: Romeo & Juliet is a high-energy, approachable production of one of Shakespeare’s most recognisable tragedies. Travelling with eight actors to schools and small theatres across the country, this show pares down the classic story…

Writers: Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields Director: Adam Meggido Mischief Theatre is back, taking us to Cornley for the Polytechnic Drama Society’s production of the J.M Barrie classic Peter Pan – and it’s as joyous as ever. Many of us have been there at some point – going to see a production where nothing seems to go right, to the point where the entire show descends into complete mayhem, creating an increasing amount of chaos and embarrassment for the audience. Mischief Theatre has taken the concept and developed it to a fine art with their series of plays,…

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Richard Twyman Macbeth is not an easy play. The writing is uneven, almost inconsistent, there are too many indistinct supporting characters and the plot is often said to have a number of holes. It is understandable when directors seek radical solutions to bring the piece to the stage for modern audiences. Richard Twyman and his team have indeed adopted a radical approach and, whilst that may provide A Level Drama students plenty of material for their essays, it actually does the play, and audiences, a disservice. This is a fractured and frustrating piece of work. The…

Writers: Hannah Walker and Rosa Postlethwaite  Director: Paula Penman Much of life can be considered a gamble. The decisions we make all carry high stakes as the pressure of the daily grind takes its toll. What doesn’t always get the attention it deserves though is the harmful act of gambling itself. Hannah Walker aims to set the record straight in this colourful, charismatic, yet heart-breaking story. Based on facts presented in the show, the gambling industry is worth over £15 billion a year, with nearly half of the adult population believed to have gambled at some point in their lives.…

Book: Winnie Holzman Music and Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Director: Joe Mantello There’s no escaping the ubiquitous poster-splash campaign when Wicked comes to town: the spell-by-stealth eponymous, conspiratorial faces of co-protagonists, Glinda, the alabaster beautiful, and the Greened-upon one, Elphaba, are a worldwide phenomenon. More awards than could have a conductor’s baton shaken at and recently having celebrated its 20th Anniversary – let the stats do the talking. With a plot so mystifyingly contrived as to set even Alan Partridge adrift in a Sargasso Sea of cliches it’s down to the unquestionable near genius of the scenic designs from talented- part…