Tag Archives: Deborah McAndrew

Northern Broadsides Commemorates The First World War Centenary With An August Bank Holiday Lark At The Playhouse.

Northern Broadsides are set to commemorate the centenary of the start of the First World War with the world premiere of Deborah McAndrew’s moving new play An August Bank Holiday Lark, coming to the Liverpool Playhouse from Tuesday 29th April to Saturday 3rd May.

Taking its title from a line in Philip Larkin’s poem MCMXIV, An August Bank Holiday Lark explores the impact of the First World War on a rural community in East Lancashire. Set in the idyllic summer of 1914, the play charts the preparations and celebrations of the Rushbearing Festival, featuring – in true Broadsides’ style – music, song and dance, clogs and Morris Dancing.

The Grand Gesture, Theatre Review. Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool.

Cast: Michael Hugo, Samantha Robinson, Angela Bain, Howard Chadwick, Claire Storey, Paul Barnhill, Alan McMahon, Robert Pickavance, Dyfig Morris, Sophie Hatfield, Hester Arden.

Whilst the overall central theme of The Grand Gesture may be worrying to some and have others wondering how you can have a comedy set around the premise of a man wanting to end his life, it shouldn’t though detract from the very superb way that Northern Broadsides, perhaps one of the keenly anticipated companies that makes its way on regular basis to the Liverpool Playhouse Theatre, took on Nikolai Erdman’s brilliant work The Suicide.

Northern Broadsides Make A ‘Grand Gesture’ At The Playhouse With Adaptation Of Russian Black Comedy.

Following the critical success of last year’s A Government Inspector, Northern Broadsides’ associate director Conrad Nelson and playwright Deborah McAndrew once again team up with The Grand Gesture. Based on Nikolai Erdman’s rarely-performed comic classic The Suicide, this pitch-black, break-neck farce of a man living on the edge comes to the Liverpool Playhouse from Tuesday 12th to Saturday 16th November.

Simeon Duff is desperate. After a failed last-ditch attempt to solve his problems by learning to play the tuba, he finally decides there’s only one way out: suicide.

A Government Inspector, Theatre Review. Liverpool Playhouse.

Photograph by Nobby Clarke.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: Howard Chadwick, Andrew Price, Clara Darcy, Andy Cresswell, Anthony Hunt, Susie Emmett, Jill Cardo, Kraig Thornber, Andy Cryer, Richard Colvin, Jon Trenchard, Tim Frances.

Whenever Northern Broadsides comes to the Liverpool Playhouse or its fantastic times up at the Everyman Theatre, the city’s audiences fall over themselves in their droves to make sure they are one of the fortunate ones to witness a night of exceptional theatre. In the latest classic that gets a welcome Northern representation, the brilliant ensemble; under the excellent tutelage of the director and composer Conrad Nelson, wrapped themselves in the cosy and biting satirical humour of Gogol’s inspired comedy A Government Inspector.  This guidance extended to the actors doubling up and performing as a bass band during the performance. An exceptional feat to include into a show!