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Departure Lounge, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. February 3rd 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: Glenn Adamson, Jamie Barnard, Michael Fletcher, Joshua Meredith, Hayley Clarke.

Douglas Irvine’s 2008 tour de force Departure Lounge has to go down as one of the best musical comedies to have graced the Unity Theatre ever! Its premise of four lads embarking on a final fling of youth in Spain before heading off to University will resonate with those who went down the same wonderful and somewhat reckless path and greatly amuse those that didn’t.

Spamalot. Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. January 19th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: Marcus Brigstocke, Jodie Prenger, Todd Carty, Robin Armstrong, Rob Delaney, Adam Ellis, Kit Orton, Eric Idle, Jon Robyns, Eric Idle.

You either love, some would say adore, Monty Python or you just don’t get it. For those that don’t understand the concept, there is help available. For those that love it, high tail it down to the Empire Theatre and take in the majesty of absurdity of Monty Python’s Spamalot.

Snow White And The Seven Dwarves. Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. December 21st 2011.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: Tina Malone, Jamie Rickers, Pete Price, Craig Philips, Mickey Finn, Leanne Campbell, Lizzie Warburton, Chris Crookhall, James Waud.

To have one hit Christmas show over the festive period is good fortune, to have two is nothing short of incredibly superb.

Into The Woods, Theatre Review. The Black-E, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. December 18th 2011.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: Jack McGraa, Elen Royles, Solomon Andrews, Elena Stephenson, Mark Rawle, Tash Hutchinson, Ellie Gray, Andrew Abrahamson, Sarah Brown, Stephanie Minshall, Camillie Machin, Jenny Martyn, Jack Malone, Jamie Barfield, Andy Godden, Frankie Burke, Rebecca Patterson, Shaun Holdom-Eyles.

Orchestra: Michael Bourne, Tom Sutherland-Grant, Tony Shorrocks, Sophie Patterson, Connie Hilton, James Warwick, Paul Fegan, Christian Ryan, Nicola Rossiter, David Mintz, Jonas Tattersall, Karolina Hentze, Misery Steele, Simeon Scheuber, Harry Leather, Matt Filer.

The Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. December 4th 2011.

L.S.Media Review ****

Cast: Mike Idris, Alice Bunker-Whitney, Rebecca Riley, Carl Roberts, Jamie Stuart, Beatrice McEvoy.

Last year the Unity Theatre put on the stunning Christmas show, The Red Shoes; full of delicate and brilliant acting and brought to the audience’s attention the acting talent of Mike Idris. This Christmas period has seen the Unity Theatre bring back Mr. Idris amongst a superb cast that includes the delightful Alice Bunker-Whitney and the emerging talent of Rebecca Riley in a tale of intrigue, daring and puppets galore – The Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor.

Little Scouse On The Prairie. Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media November 30th 2011.

L.S. Media Rating *****

Cast: Paul Duckworth, Stephen Fletcher,  Lindzi Germain,  Rachel Rae, Andrew Schofield, Alan Stocks, Zeoi Cozens, Niamh  Fitzgerald, Kay Stanton, Sarah Walker.

Every great story deserves a sequel. Every drunk Irish Catholic Father who is best friends with four former gambling mad nuns and who escaped the island of Secosu merits the chance to have his story continued.

Calendar Girls, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. November 22nd 2011.

L.S Media Rating * * * * *

Cast: Ruth Madoc, Jennifer Ellison, Lynda Bellingham, Jan Harvey, Rula Lenska, Debbie Chazen, Joe McGann, Bruno Langley, Jane Lambert, John Labasnowski, Camilla Dallerup.

It takes a play of some magnificence to come back to Liverpool two years running, then again, they don’t come much more magnificent than Tim Firth’s Calendar Girls.  Based on a true story of a Womens’ Institute that took on establishment ideals and went on to become a global phenomenon, Calendar Girls reaches out to the audience’s soul and melts even the stoniest of hearts in its powerful, heart-breaking and supremely funny story.

Withering Looks, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. October 23rd 2011.

DirectionNoreen Kershaw.

Cast: Sue Ryding, Maggie Fox.

LSMedia Rating: ****

The company’s name may be Lip Service but the two actors who make up this wonderful duo do more than pay the barest glimpse into the lives of two of the leading literary lights of the 19th Century, they bring Charlotte and Emily Bronte to life in a way not thought of but in a style that was highly original and warmly greeted by all those in attendance.

It’s Uniformation Day, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool

Originally published by L.S. Media. October 12th 2011.

Cast: Britt Jurgensen, Ben Philips, Mary Pearson.

One of the fascinating and tremendous things about spending the night in the theatre is that occasionally you get challenged to think outside of the metaphorical box and tackle something that will really get the imagination going and the fingers poised over the top of your head ready to scratch just in case you might not realise what’s going on.

The Daily Times, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. September 14th 2011.

Cast: Oliver Reynolds,  Mike Idris, Amy Stokes.

The Unity is one of those rare examples of a theatre that is prepared to take chances and offer a wide range of productions that can be fresh, exciting and mind blowing to sit through, the enjoyment is there regardless and even in a play that doesn’t quite hit the mark, the theatre should be congratulated for putting it on and letting audiences decide for themselves.