Author: The Reviews Hub - North West

Writer: Frederick Knott Director: Josh Mathieson Dial M for Murder is a show which encourages conspiratorial laughs and bated breath. Its disjointed first and second acts have some pacing issues, but die-hard fans of the film will be pleasantly met with a new way to digest the famed story.  Famously known as the iconic Alfred Hitchcock film starring Grace Kelly, Dial M for Murder follows Tony Wendice as he plots his revenge on his wife, Margot, after discovering her affair with American crime novelist, Max Halliday. The plan is all laid out, but can he go through with it, and…

Curator and set designer: Leslie Travers Head of costume: Tracy Dunk Manchester’s Royal Exchange stages theatre-in-the-round which gives audiences the opportunity to sit very close to the actors. This gives rise to challenges for costume designers as, up close, synthetic clothes are unconvincing necessitating the use of demanding authentic materials. Such costumes, however, offer the advantage of being durable and this longevity facilitates the staging of Mythic Reinvention, a free admission celebration of the craft of making costumes featuring actual outfits from productions at the theatre over its fifty year history. The Royal Exchange lacks a formal exhibition space so…

Writer: Ayub Khan Din Director: Kash Arshad Octagon Theatre, Bolton, marks the 30thanniversary of Ayub Khan Din’s East Is East in an unusual manner. During the interval audiences are given the option to purchase a portion of chips in addition to the usual drinks and snacks. In 1970s Salford, George Khan (Bhasker Patel) runs a fish and chip shop with his wife Ella (Samantha Power) and their children. He raises his family in the Pakistani tradition but is blind to the impact upon them of cultural and generational changes which have arisen since he immigrated to the UK in 1930.…

Director: Hannah Noone Something new has landed at Theatr Clwyd, and it is bright, noisy and very much attached to its phone. Teenage, co-created by the Teenage Young Company, brings the world of adolescence to the stage in all its wonderfully chaotic forms, from social media and influencers to friendship, identity and the seemingly endless question of where today’s teenagers fit in. Developed by young people aged 12–18, Teenage gives its young company the chance to work alongside professional theatre-makers. Through this wondrous opportunity, they have shaped a production that draws directly from their own experiences of growing up in…

Writer: Simon Stephens Director: Sadie Mears In an unexpected yet refreshing move for one of the UK’s most decorated and acclaimed dramatists, Simon Stephens’ Maria is staged at Manchester fringe theatre 53Two – an unassuming 150-capacity theatre nestled under the arches behind Deansgate. Directed by Sadie Mears – fresh off the back of an Assistant Director tenure at the Royal Exchange – it’s a thoughtful, fitting setting for this production, which studies life in a post-industrial society, navigating isolation and seeking love in an age where the world is at the click of a button, connection with anyone in the…

Music/Lyrics: Matthew Gerrard, Robie Nevil, Ray Cham, Greg Cham, Andrew Seeley, Randy Petersen, Kevin Quinn, Andy Dodd, Adam Watts, Bryan Louiselle, David N Lawrence, Faye Greenberg, Jamie Houston Book: David Simpatico Directors: Joseph Houston & William Whelton There is something rather fitting about High School Musical arriving at The Lowry in a production that feels like a graduation of sorts for Hope Mill Theatre. The Manchester-based company has come a long way from its fringe beginnings, and this ambitious production demonstrates that it is now firmly establishing itself as one of the strongest regional producers working in the country. Directors…

Writers and co-lyricists: Jonathan Ainscough and Caitlyn Burt Composer and co-lyricist: Yshani Perinpanayagam Director: Natasha Harrison The British Youth Music Theatre, producers of The Clockmaker’s City, is a charitable organisation offering 11-21 year olds training and opportunities to realise their creative potential. The Covid lockdown necessitated changes to working practices including staff working from home and meetings being held remotely over the internet. This introduced a degree of flexibility often perceived as beneficial to staff. The Clockmaker’s City imagines the reverse – a city so tightly regulated deviation from the norm is not permitted and workers are liable to be…

Writer: Le Navet Bete (Nick Bunt, Al Dunn, & Matt Freeman) and John Nicholson Director: John Nicholson Mighty Boosh meets Greek mythology in Oh Zeus!. Anyone who loves surreal comedy will find Oh Zeus! a fun night out with friends. Packed with slapstick, wigs and strange antics, Oh Zeus! follows the king of the gods, Zeus, as he begrudgingly comes to terms with his daughter Hebe’s wedding to a mortal. Twists and turns make even the wildest fever dreams seem mundane. With the three actors of Le Navet Bête sharing 40 characters throughout the production, the action centres on mortal…