Tag Archives: Drama

Writer: Willy Russell Director: Bob Tomson & Bill Kenwright Reviewer: Matt Forrest It’s hard to believe that Blood Brothers just celebrated its 36th year, if anything, it feels older purely because the affection with which it is held. It’s certainly an institution of the theatre circuit and there’s no question why: this is a timeless, heart-breaking tale, of love, class and ...

Writers: Mary Cooper and MW Sun Composer: Nicola Chang Director: David K S Tse   Reviewer: Dave Cunningham From Shore to Shore has a sense of ‘‘come for the food but stay for the play’’. Even someone with little interest in the niceties of dining out will be aware that Manchester’s Yang Sing Restaurant has a reputation for quality so ...

Writer:  Dan Gordon Director: Jonathan O Boyle Reviewer: Matt Forrest Back in 1988 Barry Levinson directed the hugely commercial and critically successful film Rain Man. The film was a vehicle for Hollywood heavyweights Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. It was the highest grossing film of 1988 and bagged four Academy awards. However, more importantly, it managed to bring autism to ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Adaptation:  Helen Jeffery Director: Daniel Taylor Reviewer: Matt Forrest Following on from last year’s successful productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet at the Epstein Theatre, they once again have turned to the bard to welcome in the spring with something far more sinister; Macbeth. “The Scottish play” is as revered as Hamlet and King Lear and ...

Writer: Malorie Blackman Adaptor:  Sabrina Mahfouz Director: Esther Richardson Reviewer: Dave Cunningham Producers are unanimous in their belief in the dramatic potential of Malorie Blackman’s Noughts & Crossesnovels. There has already been one stage adaptation and later this year there will be a TV version on the BBC. The story is set in an alternative reality where society is strictly ...

Writer: James Kettle Director:  Didi Hopkins & Selina Cadell Review: Matt Forrest Mary Poppins seems to be in the public conscience an awful lot at the moment. This is of course due to the recent cinematic release of Mary Poppins Returns, which is keeping the magic alive. However writer James Kettle is also doing his bit for the ‘Poppins’ legacy, all ...

Writer: Bertolt Brecht  Composer: Jim Fortune Adptor/Director: Amy Hodge Reviewer: Dave Cunningham Many people argue Mother Courage and Her Children is the best play of the 20thCentury but that doesn’t mean it is easy to watch. Author Bertolt Brecht regarded theatre as a means by which he could communicate his political views and treated niceties like set design, characterisation and even ...

Writer: David Judge Director: Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder Reviewer: Dave Cunningham You have to pay attention during the opening monologue in David Judge’s autobiographical single-person play SparkPlug. Mishear and it may take some time to appreciate that, although Judge is describing his childhood, he is doing so by performing in the role of his adoptive father ; confusingly also named David Judge. ...