Writers: Harry Michaels, Jason Manford and Ben Nickless Director and choreographer: Gary Lloyd During a scene where props malfunction and dialogue is flubbed Jason Manford adlibs the observation it is lucky the press are not in attendance tonight. Robin Hood, from Crossroads Pantomimes at Manchester’s Opera House, contains all the traditional elements of a panto but takes a refreshing irreverent approach to avoid being stale or ritualised. The comic highpoint of the evening is the traditional ‘list’ song ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ during which the singers constantly undermine and sabotage each other until the sketch concludes with a deliberately…
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/Director Ben Richards The season of all-out family entertainment is here. Like everything else about Christmas, panto season seems to come around so quickly, and with so many choices in the North West it might be hard to decide where to spend your ticket money. After all, taking the family to the theatre is quite a stretch. So, if you’re anywhere near Bury, The Met’s offering this year might just be the answer. The Met is a friendly, welcoming theatre, full of cheer all year round, with ticket prices kept as affordable as possible. The ideal place, then, to kick…
Writer: Christian Pattinson Director: Daniel Lloyd It is the festive season, and Theatr Clwyd’s Cinderella: Rock ’n’ Roll Panto builds up the excitement to the big day with an absolute riot. From sprinkles of snowfall to splashes from the Super Soaker, this musical comedy emits a distinctly Christmassy Clwydian familiarity. With a cast who play their own instruments on stage, the tale follows the kind-hearted servant girl Cinderella (Rhianna Goodwin) and her life with her mother, Dame Hettie Hardup (Phylip Harries). Goodwin brings a beautiful innocence to the role and a magical quality that is expected of pantomime. Her vocals are steady,…
Writer: Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan Director: Nick Winston If there is one thing Young Frankenstein (the 1974 Mel Brooks classic, adapted for the stage by Brooks and Thomas Meehan) guarantees, it is that subtlety will not be joining us for the evening. Instead, this musical adaptation jolts onto the Liverpool Playhouse stage with a crack of lightning and the creaking of old doors. The plot kicks off in familiar fashion: Dr Frederick Frankenstein – or as he insists, “Fronkensteen” arrives in Transylvania to face the legacy of his infamous grandfather. Daniel Brocklebank steps into the lab coat with committed…
Screenplay: Betty Comden and Adolph Green Songs: Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed Director: Raz Shaw MGM’s 1952 pot boiler is now generally regarded as one of the greatest musical films ever made, and undeniably one of the most popular. Manchester’s reputation for persistent showers must have seemed a natural fit for this production, but of course there is much more to the film – and this show – than the iconic song and dance routine by Gene Kelly. Movie-makers love making films about the movies, particularly the period of transition from silent cinema to the Talkies. Recent indulgence in…
Writer: C.S. Lewis Music: Barnaby Race/Benji Bower Director: Michael Fentiman This all important Christmas show for the Lowry Theatre this year is an adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Although the story itself is well known and beloved by many, this bold, innovative and daring retelling is certain to wow audiences. Under the insightful, careful direction of Michael Fentiman, the Pevensie children are evacuated to the Scottish countryside during World War 2. Whilst exploring the house of the Professor they have been sent to live with, Lucy (Kudzai Mangombe), the youngest child, finds another world…
Writer: David Phipps Davis Director: Chantelle Joseph The countdown to Christmas has officially now begun in St Helens as it basks under the reflection of a million sparkling diamantes, in this bumper panto production. Our delightful Fairy Bow Bells (Rachael Wood) officially rings in the start of the festive panto season, with the air of a cheeky Barbara Windsor, there are plenty of Carry-On capers to be relished. From the off, we pick up the pace with a medley of song and dance routines as the characters cascade onto the stage. No stone is left unturned, featuring show tunes from…
Writer: Kevin Fearon Director: Mark Chatterton The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come may appear on the stage of Liverpool’s Royal Court, but this production is far from a humbug. It is a lively and spirited seasonal treat that delivers laughter in abundance and showcases some of the finest performances seen at the venue in recent years. Executive Producer Kevin Fearon once again takes up the pen to give Dickens’ classic tale a distinctly scouse flavour. The familiar hallmarks of the original remain, yet the addition of a love interest brings a heartfelt layer of sentimentality that…