Writer: J M Barrie Director: Laurie Sansom Reviving a once-popular play that has been neglected for many years is always a risk. But Northern Broadsides are to be commended for bringing JM Barrie’s charming comedy back for modern audiences to enjoy. And considering this production was interrupted by the events of 2020 and is only now returning to the stage, their persistence is also to be celebrated. Quality Street is the only play to have ever inspired the creation of a range of chocolates and Laurie Sansom, adaptor and director of the production, adds a neat framing device by incorporating…
Author: The Reviews Hub - Central
The Reviews Hub - Central
The Central team is under the editorship of Selwyn Knight. The Reviews Hub was set up in 2007. Our mission is to provide the most in-depth, nationwide arts coverage online.
Writer: Olga Tokarczuk Director: Simon McBurney Humans have always had a tenuous relationship with nature – sometimes working in partnership, but more often in opposition. What happens when we forego the traditions of partnership and opt for domination and destruction? The inhabitants of a rural town in Poland bordering the Czech Republic are forced to come to terms with these questions in Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead. This latest piece by internationally renowned Complicité, adapted from the novel of the same name by Olga Tokarczuk, utilises the recognisably surrealist style which has kept audiences enthralled since…
Book: Thomas Meehan Music: Charles Strouse Lyrics: Martin Charner Director: Nikolai Foster Miss Hannigan’s NYC orphanage is definitely on the wrong side of the tracks. It’s 1933 and the height of the Great Depression and Miss Hannigan uses her charges as cheap labour. Among them is Annie, abandoned at birth with only a note from her parents promising to return sometime. And it is this promise that helps Annie, despite Miss Hannigan’s careless cruelty, to maintain a sunny disposition and childlike faith in Tomorrow. She manages to escape the orphanage to seek her parents, but instead finds her way to…
Book: Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce Director: Craig Revel Horwood Director and co-choreographer Craig Revel Horwood brings a vibrant new show to tour the UK. Based onthe 1992 Baz Luhrmann movie of the same name, Strictly Ballroom is a story set in the world of Australian competitive dance. With a book written by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce, the musical contains the best elements of the classic film and follows a formulaic fairy tale structure. Whilst visually the show manages to capture the quirkiness of its source material in a series of over-the-top paired tableaux, the storyline is sparse, and the…
Writer: Stephen King Adaptors: Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns Director: David Esbjornson As a film, Frank Darabont’s, The Shawshank Redemption is well-loved and regularly appears on top ten all-time best film lists. It is based on a Stephen King short story, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and follows the story of Andy Dufresne, a convict serving life for a crime he claims he never committed. It is also about fellow convict Allis Redding, alias Red, a cynical dealer in contraband who has spent all his adult life in prison. Andy is played capably by Joe Absolom with no hint…
Writer & Director: Freddy Just Runs until: 1 April 2023 “All you need is love… it’s easy” It may well be easy for some, but for Jonathon ‘Romeo’ Hanley and Julie Montague, the word love sends a shiver down their spines as they are reminded of past tensions and conflicting emotions whilst on their journey to find their happy ever after. This is Shakespeare with a twist; a modern day twist full of comedy and tragedy in equal measure. The play begins with Jonathon belting out his finest operatic voice, fully appreciated by his bathroom shower every morning, but also…
Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Atri Banerjee There are nights in the theatre that surprise and delight. There are nights in the theatre that baffle and frustrate. As a rule, trips to the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) fall into the former category. On this occasion, this production of Julius Caesar is very definitely in the latter. One of the characteristics of the current season at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre is the decision to do away with companies that work together over a number of productions and to focus on standalone teams. This undoubtedly brings a greater number of opportunities for more actors…
Book, Music and Lyrics: Willy Russell Directors: Bill Kenwright and Bob Tomson First penned by Willy Russell in 1983, Blood Brothers started its life in a shorter format touring around schools. After a great reception, it was extended and a version of the musical we see today was born. Billed as telling a moving story of two twins separated at birth, it follows the stories of Mickey (Sean Jones) and Eddie (Joe Sleight) as they navigate the fun and pitfalls of childhood. Despite its immediate sinister undertones and serious nature, a charming, childlike innocence shines through from the off and we…