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…
Author: The Reviews Hub - North West
The Reviews Hub - North West
The North West team is under the editorship of John McRoberts. The Reviews Hub was set up in 2007. Our mission is to provide the most in-depth, nationwide arts coverage online.
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…
Director: Bryony Kimmings There are theatrical productions that cast a spell over their audience, and true to its name, Bog Witch does exactly that from the moment Bryony Kimmings steps onto the stage. Equal parts folklore, memoir and fever dream, this striking solo show is an exquisitely crafted exploration of identity, belonging and the wild places that exist both around us and within us. As the audience settled into their seats at Storyhouse, there was an undeniable sense of uncertainty. No one quite seemed to know what they were about to witness. Kimmings emerges in a delightfully bedraggled costume, immediately…
Writer: Helen Redcliffe Director: Rob Green & Lucy Thatcher This summer, Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre and Storyhouse in the Park are taking us back to the summer of 1969. In a quiet little country village, clinging on to Britain’s ‘glorious past’ or should I say, frozen in time following the tragedies of war, the locals are suddenly imposed upon by a music festival, set up to save a local farm. Through the drab and dreary airs of Abide With Me come the songs of revolution and hope, as the audience are placed right in the centre of the Sun…
Book: Daniel Bye Music: Bay Bryan and Claire O’Connor Director: Elvi Piper It’s the season where outdoor theatre takes centre stage and in the spotlight this year at Williamson Park in Lancaster it’s Robin Hood. Written by Daniel Bye, directed by Elvi Piper and presented by The Dukes, this adaptation of a well known classic is full of humour, with catchy music by Bay Bryan and Claire O’Connor. It follows Rob (Joe Parker), who suddenly finds himself a hero after killing the original Robin Hood, as he navigates the baddy Sheriff (Ian Crowe) who is trying to marry off the…