Tag Archives: Grand Theatre

Book and Lyrics: Gerome Ragni and James Rado Music: Galt McDermot Director: Jonathan O’Boyle Reviewer: Selwyn Knight It’s hard to imagine now that until 1968, the Lord Chamberlain’s Office had the power to censor theatre in Britain so that only licensed plays could be performed. Literally the day after censorship ended, Hair, the brainchild of friends Gerome Ragni and James ...

Writer: Willy Russell Director: Max Roberts Reviewer: Selwyn Knight Frank is a bitter failed poet and university lecturer. His life is spiralling downwards as his drinking threatens to get out of control. Indeed, in order to finance his drinking, he says, he signs up as a tutor with the Open University and is allocated Susan – or Rita as she ...

Writer: Alexander Dinelaris Director: Thea Sharrock Reviewer: Selwyn Knight Rachel Marron is a superstar actress and singer. Her concerts are spectacular events with dazzling dancing, powerful pyrotechnics and lurid lights. She also has a ten-year-old son, Fletcher, of whom she is fiercely protective, an entourage of publicists and agents … and a menacing stalker. Wraithlike, the stalker is able to ...

Writer: Chris D’Arienzo Director: Nick Winston Reviewer: Hannah Powell Depicting the birth and survival of the legacy of rock culture on the famous Sunset Blvd, Rock of Ages  bursts onto the stage showing musical fans and rockers alike there is no one set way to make a musical. Featuring classic rock songs like Cum On Feel the Noize, We Built ...

Book: Kevin Del Aguila Music and Lyrics: George Noriega and Joel Someillan Director: Kirk Jameson Reviewer: Clare White The musical stage version of Dreamworks animation Madagascar is in safe hands with Selladoor, the theatre production company behind Shrek the Musical. The family favourite is a vibrant and fun-filled animal adventure, packed with laughs for all ages. Marty the Zebra is disillusioned with ...

Writer: Michael Gyngell Directors:  Samuel Holmes and Nick Winston Reviewer: Selwyn Knight Under the leadership of business partners Serena and Robert, the Club Tropicana hotel has gone from strength to strength and is now a real contender for Hotel of the Year. However, with the arrival of the incognito inspector imminent, they realise too late that they’ve been the victim ...

Writer: Jon Brittain Director: Donnacadh O’Briain Reviewer: Selwyn Knight For most of us, where we live is a positive choice; for the characters in Rotterdam, however, their choice to live there has been one of a perceived necessity. They’re living there because there’s nowhere else they can see to go. As one character says, Rotterdam is a port, everything is ...

Writer: Eleanor Bergstein Director: Federico Bellone Reviewer: Clare White Dirty Dancing, the film,  enjoyed reasonable box office success when it was released in 1987, but it was its subsequent soundtrack that elevated the coming-of-age tale into a much-loved cult classic. Now, three decades later, that soundtrack is well used in the latest stage adaptation of film featuring over 40 songs including ...