Tag Archives: Huddersfield

Film Director: William A. Wellman Composer: Carl Davis Orchestra: Orchestra of Opera North Conductor: Carl Davis Reviewer: Ron Simpson At the end of the showing of Wings at Huddersfield Town Hall, a sizable proportion of the audience rose in a standing ovation. Who or what were they applauding? William Wellman, dead these 40-odd years, for an inspired piece of film-making? ...

Writer: Neil Gore Adapted from the novel by Robert Tressell Director: Louise Townsend Reviewer: Ron Simpson Townsend Productions’ first two-man tour was of Neil Gore’s cut-down version of Stephen Lowe’s adaptation of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists. The success of that tour has led to five more tours of powerful, committed, imaginatively and entertainingly presented agit-prop pieces based on real events, ...

Conductor: Tobias Ringborg Reviewer: Laura Stimpson The Orchestra of Opera North once again brings an absolute musical treat to Huddersfield Town Hall as part of the Kirklees Concert Season. From Hollywood With Love brings to the stage an evening of film music presented by Andrew Collins, Classic FM presenter and film editor the Radio Times. Collins’ comparing is informative and ...

Writer: Andrew Pollard Director: Joyce Branagh Musical Director: Rebekah Hughes Choreographer: Rachel Gee Designer: Mark Walters Reviewer: Ron Simpson The Lawrence Batley Theatre’s Jack and the Beanstalk is billed as “a traditional family pantomime” which is fair enough. Audiences in the middle-sized theatres in this area – Wakefield, Harrogate, Huddersfield, etc. – know that they are in safe hands come ...

Halloween hit Huddersfield early this weekend, attracting ghosts and ghoulies and killer clowns galore into the Lawrence Batley Theatre for a Spooktacular take over by the paranormal. A mixture of regularly repeated short plays and walkabout experiences supported two singular main stage events, with a much-appreciated pie and peas supper available to the wandering fancy dress-clad audience. The main stage ...

Producers: Chloë Whitehead and Alexander Palmer with Proper Job Theatre Company Artistic Director: James Beale Writer: Helen Mort Reviewer: Ruth Jepson In the light of the Harvey Weinstein revelations this month, Proper Job Theatre Company's production of Medusa is a timely contribution to the #metoo conversation. With a mix of monologue, duologue, live music, and singing, five actors tell a ...

Conductor: Alpesh Chauhan Reviewer: Laura Stimpson From the Old World to the New is the opening concert of Kirklees and Opera North’s 2017/18 concert season and, wow, what an opening concert. Glinka, Borodin and Dvorak are the composers on show tonight, a popular choice and a perfect trio to whet the audiences’ appetite for what to expect from future concerts. ...

Writer: Ted Hughes Dramaturgy: Kate Papi, Oliviero Papi Director: Kate Papi Reviewer: Ron Simpson Gaudete is one of the more controversial of Ted Hughes’ writings. Variously described as a prose poem or a poetic novel, it takes as its bizarre subject the abduction of the Rev. Nicholas Lumb from his West Riding village by elemental spirits and his replacement by ...