Writer: Joseph Stein revised by David Thompson Music: Charles Strouse Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Director: Bronagh Lagan Reviewer: Dave Cunningham With themes including difficulties faced by immigrants, the conflict between individualism and the collective good, cultural identity and the exploitation of workers there is no question that Rags the Musicalis relevant to a contemporary audience. But relevant does not necessarily mean ...
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Music and lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Director: Bronagh Lagan Reviewer: Richard Hall One of the many reasons why Hope Mill Theatre and Aria Entertainment continue to produce hit after hit is their uncanny and almost god-like gift for choosing intimate and sophisticated shows that are perfectly suited to being performed in this beautifully renovated warehouse. Their latest offering Putting It Together is ...
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Composer and lyricist: Howard Goodall Writer: Nick Stimson Director: Bronagh Lagan Reviewer: Stephen Bates Some shows have no luck at all. In the same week that the arts pages of the national press have, along with The Reviews Hub, been heaping extravagant praise on the National Theatre for its groundbreaking pro/am musical version of Shakespeare’s Pericles, along comes a youth ...
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Book: Nadim Naaman Music and lyrics: Nadim Naaman and Dana Al Farden Director: Bronagh Lagan Reviewer: David Guest Important social issues mix with a heartbreaking love story in a new musical with a story to tell across decades, languages and cultures. Broken Wings is a tale of doomed passion set in turn of the century Beirut, based on the seminal ...
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Book: Alan Knee Lyrics: Mindi Dickstein Music: Jason Howland Director: Bronagh Lagan Reviewer: Richard Hall In less than two years, Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre has become a byword for high quality, accessible, musical theatre. At the heart of the venue’s runaway success are its owners Joseph Houston and Willian Whelton. The dynamic duo has deservedly received widespread acclaim for the ...
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Writer: Neil Simon Music: Burt Bacharach Lyrics: Hal David Director: Bronagh Lagan Reviewer: Heather Deacon The ’60s were a lot of fun, what with the sexual revolution and relatively cheap rent in NYC ($86.50 a month, say what?) and nothing has really changed, executive types still play away with their naive secretaries and love still inevitably sucks. This revival of ...
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Music and Lyrics: Tim Connor Book: Susannah Pearse Director: Bronagh Lagan Reviewer: Maryam Philpott Telling the truth is always the right thing to do because in the end it will come out anyway. This is the message behind Tim Connor and Susannah Pearse’s new musical The Stationmaster which opens for a 2-week run at the Tristan Bates Theatre. As ...
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Writer: Marina Carr Director: Bronagh Lagan Reviewer: Stephen Bates Director Bronagh Lagan turns the small space at the Old Red Lion into a cauldron with her revival of Marina Carr’s harrowing drama, last seen in London at the Royal Court in 1996. Set in a small lakeside town in modern day rural Ireland, the play centres on a family ...
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