Tag Archives: James Brining

Writer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Director: James Brining Conductor: George Jackson Reviewer: Frances Scott The imaginative, operatic world of The Magic Fluteoriginally begins in the middle of a chase following the character Tamino as he is tailed through a forest by an oversized serpent. Here, director James Brining has opted to open the production at a dinner party where we watch an ...

Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Libretto: Emanuel Schikaneder Director: James Brining Reviewer: Dawn Smallwood This popular two-act opera makes a return after ten years, albeit a new production where James Brining, Leeds Playhouse’s artistic director, makes his opera directing debut. The Magic Flute premiered in 1791, set to Emanuel Schikaneder’s libretto – loosely linked to fairy stories written at the time.  Unlike ...

Writer: David Greig Director: James Brining Reviewer: Jay Nuttall For the last couple of years, there hasn’t been a day gone by without Brexit being front page news. It is no surprise, therefore, that David Greig’s Europe is being staged by Leeds Playhouse as the UK’s departure from the European Union looms. A timely yet timeless play it has much ...

Book: Stephen Greenhorn Music and Lyrics: Craig and Charlie Reid Director: James Brining Reviewer: Lauren Humphreys Stephen Greenhorn’s original musical, Sunshine on Leith, predates the movie version by seven years. Originally commissioned by Dundee Rep’s artistic director James Brining. Brining, now artistic director at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, returns to the work, breathing new life into the piece for this ...

Writer – Alan Bennett Directors: James Brining, Amy Leach & John R Wilkinson Reviewer: Jay Nuttall It has been thirty years since the BBC commissioned a series of single voice plays from Leeds playwright Alan Bennett for BBC 2. These televisual treats became iconic, won BAFTAs, spawned a second volume of monologues and have been performed in theatres ever since. ...

Writer: Alan Bennett Directors: James Brining, Amy Leach, John R. Wilkinson Designer: Laura Ann Price Reviewer: Ron Simpson As West Yorkshire Playhouse prepares to close for a major refurbishment Artistic Director James Brining has opted to end with an appropriate, rather than original, choice of play, saving the originality for a performance schedule that re-affirms the theatre’s commitment to the ...

Writer: Stephen Greenhorn Songs by: The Proclaimers Director: James Brining Reviewer: Gareth Davies The original production of this Scottish jukebox musical was one of the highlights of James Brining’s tenure as artistic director at Dundee Rep. Created back in 2007 in collaboration with Stephen Greenhorn, who also gave us River City, the plan was to utilise the songs of the ...

Writer: Stephen Greenhorn Music: The Proclaimers Music Supervisor: David Shrubsole Director: James Brining Choreographer: Emily-Jane Boyle Reviewer: Janet Jepson West Yorkshire Playhouse has definitely chosen a winner with Sunshine on Leith, the modern musical based on the songs of the Scottish band The Proclaimers. Although the work was only premiered in 2007, it already has a strong fanbase, probably due ...