Tag Archives: Janie Phillips

Happily Ever After, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound & Vision Rating: * * * *

Cast: Paul Curley, Ady Thompson, Eve Shotton, Bruno Mendes.

Happily Ever After is inspired by Linda De Haan and Stern Nijland book King & King which was published in 2002, which tells the story of two young princes who fall in love and marry. It opened up the debate of how young do children have to be to be able to understand gay relationships. The book has made its mark and has since been published in eight languages. It has gone on to receive great success, as well as hitting opposition from parents, teachers and social conservatives.

Happily Ever After, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(338 words, estimated 1:21 mins reading time)

The Boy Who Kicked Pigs, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound & Vision Rating: * * * * *

Cast: David Cumming, Natasha Hodgson, Oliver Jones, Zoe Roberts.

Kill The Beast Theatre Company have only been on the scene for a mere three years, but are already proving their worth as one of the best inventive new theatre companies around. Their latest show is packed full of grotesque, over the top characters based on Tom Baker’s children’s book The Boy Who Kicked Pigs. Written in 1999, Baker’s truly grotesque story still has a strong following today and is as popular as ever.

The Boy Who Kicked Pigs, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(380 words, estimated 1:31 mins reading time)

The Debt Collectors, Theatre Review. Liverpool Actors Studio, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound & Vision Rating: * * *

Cast: Michael Swift, John Doull.

If you have ever wondered what kind of jobs out of work actors will do, then John Godber’s play The Debt Collectors gives you a good insight into just how desperate some people can be when looking for work. When a vacancy opens up for debt recovery, actors Spud (John Doull) and Loz (Michael Swift) think that they are the perfect pair for the role, with no hint of any acting work and broke to boot they throw themselves into demanding money from the good citizens of Liverpool. Along the way, they discover some home truths and are reminded of just how lucky they actually are.

The Debt Collectors, Theatre Review. Liverpool Actors Studio, Liverpool. full post

(340 words, estimated 1:22 mins reading time)

Finding Joy, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre Liverpool (2014).

Liverpool Sound & Vision rating * * * * *

Cast: James Greaves, Richard J Fletcher, Nanou Harry, Sarah Hawkins

Finding Joy is a beautiful story about one woman’s decline into dementia and the people left behind to care for her. Created by Vamos Theatre, the story is inspired by true events and the show focuses on the relationship between Joy and her grandson. Vamos is unique as there is no script, rather all the drama is told through masks. For those who have never really seen this in a show before (it was a first time experience for me) it took only a few moments for the expressive masks and the physicality of the actors to work their magic and any doubt as to how this could work soon melted away.

Finding Joy, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre Liverpool (2014). full post

(337 words, estimated 1:21 mins reading time)