Author: The Reviews Hub - North West

Writer: Mark Griffiths Director: Kerry Ely Stop me if you’ve heard this one: an actor, a painter and a scholar walk into a bar… The Actor (Jonathon Carley) holds court in his favourite Soho bohemian drinking club, putting forth his highbrow opinions on the mysteries and beauty of Art while anxiously awaiting a possible job offer. He is joined by his friend The Painter (Richard Unwin) and his new boyfriend The Scholar (Adam Gardiner). The latter, whilst not a philistine, feels the value of scientific rationality should not be ignored which brings him into conflict with The Actor’s somewhat snobbish…

Writer: Dylan Thomas Director: Kate Wasserberg To begin at the beginning, it seems excellent timing for Theatr Clwyd’s production of Under Milk Wood to open on a bright Spring Day. Originally commissioned as a BBC radio play and more aptly described as a play for voices by Dyan Thomas himself, we are indulged into the thoughts, dreams, desires and ruminations of the eclectic and eccentric residents of the sleepy coastal village of Llareggyb. Embedded into the very fabric of Welsh literature, it is a beloved piece of lyricism, poetry and performance.  The challenge for any director of this piece so firmly rooted in the audio is just how to stage…

Music: Benjamin Britten Director: Phyllida Lloyd Revival Director: Karolina Sofulak/Tim Claydon Conductor: Garry Walker Peter Grimes is the town misfit, a bit of a loner, mostly out on his boat or holed up in his fisherman’s hut on the edge of town. He doesn’t have many friends, although widowed school mistress Ellen has a bit of a thing for him. When his young apprentice dies at sea, suspicion arises through town gossip, and when he takes on a new apprentice, a boy from the work house, who subsequently goes missing, the townsfolk quickly turn into an ugly mob. The first…

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Director: Louisa Muller Conductor: Valentina Peleggi Few operas arrive with the reputation of The Marriage of Figaro. Bursting with intrigue, mistaken identities and social satire, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s celebrated work has long been regarded as one of the greatest operas ever written. In this production by Opera North at The Lowry, the company attempts to bring the eighteenth century comedy into a more modern setting, though the results prove somewhat uneven. The opera follows the quick witted servant Figaro as he prepares to marry Susanna while navigating the schemes of his employer, Count Almaviva. Along the…

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Jamie Sophia Fletcher Shakespeare’s twisted tragedy returns to the stage in an electric, modern production at Storyhouse in Chester. It isn’t a reinvention but a re-imagining, and offers a gripping and atmospheric evening of theatre. Directed by Jamie Sophia Fletcher, this product leans into the psychological intensity the play is known for, delivering a version of Macbeth that feels harrowing and engaging. Presented on the venue’s intimate thrust stage with the audience surrounding the action on three sides, the play unfolds in close quarters, pulling viewers directly into Macbeth’s spiralling descent into power and madness. It…

Writer: Jim Cartwright Director: Lisa O’Neill-Rogan Pubs are places where stories spill out as easily as the drinks, and in Two the regulars of a northern boozer reveal far more than what is in their glasses. At the intimate Shakespeare North Playhouse, Jim Cartwright’s celebrated two hander unfolds as a bittersweet portrait of working class life and pain, where humour and heartbreak sit side by side at the bar. First staged in 1989 and often regarded as one of Cartwright’s most enduring works, Two centres on a landlord and landlady presiding over an evening in their pub while a parade…

Writer: Léa des Garets Director: Rute Costa George tells of a brief period of time in the life of the French author George Sand.  Sand was born Amantine Dupin in 1804 but became one of many notable nineteenth-century women who chose to wear men’s clothing in public.  In 1831, she obtained the ‘transvestite permit’, required in France for women to be out in society in male apparel.  That same year, she chose her pseudonym, George Sand.  Sand went on to become one of the most popular authors of her era, but there was a level of scandal around her writing.…

Music: Ludwig Minkus, Hans Vercauteren Writer: Miguel De Cervantes Choreographer: Carlos Acosta, Marius Petipa Conductor: Thomas Jung While it might not be one you’re familiar with, if you’re looking for a classic ballet, Don Quixote turns out to be one that will absolutely deliver. There are vast ensemble scenes, plenty of en pointe and tutus, and more solos and duets than you can count. Carlos Acosta, never one to shy away from tradition, has created a wonderfully rich and opulent production. Poor old Sancho Panza (Alfie-Lee Hall) has a lot to put up with. His master, Don Quixote (Dominic Antonucci),…