Book: Rupert Holmes Lyrics: Fred Ebb Music: John Kander Director: Paul Foster Reviewer: Dan English Curtains up, or is it? The Jason Manford-fronted musical Curtains is full of fun as it reaches Dartford’s Orchard Theatre ahead of its run in London’s West End. The premise is reasonably straightforward in this musical murder-mystery mashup. The cast of ‘Robbin Hood’ are begrudgingly ...
Read More »
Writers: Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss Directors: Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage Choreographer: Carrie-Anne Ingrouille Set Design: Emma Bailey Costume: Gabriella Slade Reviewer: Lauren Humphreys Divorced. Beheaded. Died. Divorced. Beheaded. Survived. Aragorn. Boleyn. Seymour. Cleves. Howard. Parr. Six women, six British Queens, reduced to six words in a rhyme. Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss give sassy 21st Century voices to ...
Read More »
Writer: Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss Director: Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage Reviewer: Frances Scott The chopped and changed wives of Henry VIII have moved heaven and earth to tell their side of the story. Overshadowed by their husband’s reign, these queens have taken over the Quays theatre to upgrade the audiences limited knowledge of their lives. Assuming that you ...
Read More »
Writers: Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss Directors: Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage Choreographer: Carrie-Anne Ingrouille Reviewer: Jo Payne ‘You remember us from your GCSEs?’ Everyone knows the story. Everyone knows the rhyme. The most famous king of England’s six wives, whose fates are a familiar rhyme, step out from behind the curtain to take centre stage in their own histo-mixed ...
Read More »
Book/Lyrics: Steven Sater Music: Duncan Sheik Director: Luke Sheppard Reviewer: John Roberts Over the past few years, the exciting partnership between Katy Lipson of Aria Entertainment and Joe Houston and Will Whelton of Hope Mill Theatre have single handed changed the face of the Manchester Fringe Scene. In the atmospheric warehouse space in Ancoats, magic really does take place, mainly ...
Read More »
Writer: Oscar Wilde Director: Alastair Whatley Reviewer: Bill Avenell What a wonderful conceit it is that a relationship should be founded upon a name and what a wickedly witty script Oscar Wilde produces to lure audiences into that conceit. But alas the input of the author is the only really wonderful part of the Original Theatre Company’s production of this ...
Read More »
Writer: Joe Orton Director: Michel Fentiman Reviewer: Stephen Bates When Joe Orton’s life was cut short so cruelly in 1967, he left behind only a small body of works. Loot was his second stage hit, following quickly on the heels of Entertaining Mr Sloane and, 52 years after its first appearance, its ability to shock audiences has, inevitably, diminished. ...
Read More »
Book, Music and Lyrics: Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair Director: Luke Shepherd Review: David Jobson This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Watermill Theatre, and to start off this special year the venue is once again delving into a genre that they’ve come to specialise in. The small-scale musical where the cast play both actor and musician. This ...
Read More »
The Reviews Hub Champions of truly nationwide theatre coverage