Category Archives: Theatre

Brick Up, The Wirral Strikes Back. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. Theatre Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. September 8th 2010.

Cast: Warren Donnelly, Dean Sullivan, Bernadette Foley, Eithne Browne, Kate McEvoy, Kris Mochrie, Marc Hughes, Emma Nowell.

Sequels can either be hit or miss, whether on stage or at the cinema the hard task of the writer is to make the next part of the story just as enjoyable as the previous one. Sometimes this doesn’t work; there is too much affection for the characters in the first story that any derivation from the plot is never forgiven.

Brick Up, The Wirral Strikes Back. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. Theatre Review. full post

(446 words, estimated 1:47 mins reading time)

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Cast: Darren Bennett, Tony Jackson, Edward peel, Kim Ismay, Nigel Garton, Richard Ashton, Rachel Stanley, Dean Maynard, John Griffiths, Lucy Buckingham, Moray Treadwell, Alex France, Andrew Waldron.

If ever there was a film that was ripe for the theatre then surely it is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. This 1968 cinema graphic smash had all the ingredients of a fine story (much of this down to the original book by James Bond creator Ian Fleming and subsequent script adaptation by Roald Dahl and Liverpool born Ken Hughes), a slightly eccentric inventor with a fantastic name, Caractacus Potts, a sweet factory owned by the Scrumptious family, foreign enemies and of course the most fantasmagorical (sic) car!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

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

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists. Theatre Review. Liverpool Everyman Theatre.

Cast: Dean Ashton, Will Beer, Louise Bush, Larry Dann, Tim Francis, Finbar Lynch, Des McAleer, Thomas Morrison, Laura Rees, Paul Regan, Gyuri Sarossy, Nicholas Tennant.

It is without doubt that it is a shame that Robert Tressell never got to see how his seminal piece of work, The Ragged Trousered Philanthopists, inspired and influenced a generation to the point that the old order was swept away and in its place stood the promise of better times for all. Certainly for those who have attended the production during its run at the Everyman will have come away with certain ideas shaken or reinforced.

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists. Theatre Review. Liverpool Everyman Theatre. full post

(359 words, estimated 1:26 mins reading time)

The Woman In Black, Theatre Review. Liverpool Playhouse Theatre.

Originally published by L.S. Media. June 3rd 2010.

Cast: Robert Demeger, Peter Bramhill.

The Playhouse has put on some very fine pieces of theatre so far this year and with some truly remarkable performances including Bob Golding’s superb interpretation of national treasure Eric Morecambe and the team behind the season’s opener “Ghost Stories”. To finish the season in a similar fashion they have commissioned the wonderful and spine tingling The Woman in Black.

The Woman In Black, Theatre Review. Liverpool Playhouse Theatre. full post

(376 words, estimated 1:30 mins reading time)

One Night In Istanbul, Theatre Review. Liverpool Empire Theatre.

Originally published by L.S. Media. May 18th 2010.

Cast: John McArdle, Neil Fitzmaurice, Ann Marie Davies, James Spofforth, Steven Fletcher, Tony Caveney, Darren Farley, Kate McEvoy, Anthony Goddfrey, Marc Hughes, James Johnson, Ian Kellgren.

Every Liverpool or football fan knows where they were the night Liverpool won the European Cup/Champions League in 2005 for the fifth time. Some were possibly were around the country enjoying the late May evening and getting more and more despondent as the first half drew on to its bitter conclusion, certainly they would have felt helpless as they were so far away from the Ataturk Stadium that their cheers and groans were only audible to those sharing a pub with them in Bootle, Toxteth, and all points in between.

One Night In Istanbul, Theatre Review. Liverpool Empire Theatre. full post

(514 words, estimated 2:03 mins reading time)

Daniel Kitson, 66a Church Road. Theatre Review, Everyman Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. May 17th 2010.

Everybody has a favourite place they have lived, the one place where no matter what was wrong with it, it was home. The squeaky floorboard on the stairs which woke everybody up every time you trod on it and the mould stain that would never quite go away no matter how much mould killer you put on it, all add to the memories of somewhere which is safe, loved and yours.

Daniel Kitson, 66a Church Road. Theatre Review, Everyman Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(388 words, estimated 1:33 mins reading time)

Oh, What A Lovely War, Theatre Review. Liverpool Playhouse Theatre.

Originally published by L.S. Media. April 1st 2010.

Cast: Joanna Croll, Victoria Elliott, Helen Embleton, Karen Fisher-Pollard, Robert Hands, Gary Kithing, Tarek Merchant, Sam O’Mahony-Adams, Thomas Padden, Christopher Price, Theone Rashleigh, Jon Trenchard.

As we near the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, it is apt that one of cinemas and theatres greatest satires is brought back to the public’s attention. Oh what a lovely War is one of those plays that demands attention and the respect for all those who take part in such a sensitive subject.

Oh, What A Lovely War, Theatre Review. Liverpool Playhouse Theatre. full post

(371 words, estimated 1:29 mins reading time)

Stop Messing About, Theatre Review. Theatre Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. March 5th 2010.

Cast: Robin Sebastian, Charles Armstrong, Nigel Harrison, India Fisher, Timothy Dodd.

In the days when radio programmes could make a nation come to a standstill, there were a few performers that stood out as the real deal. Amongst those, were the talents of Ted Ray, Tony Hancock, Kenneth Horne and of course the superb Kenneth Williams. Well known for his ability to turn everything into a double entendre and an infectious sense of humour, there was much laughter that he shared with the world, as well as his own private demons that surfaced later in life.

Stop Messing About, Theatre Review. Theatre Review. full post

(348 words, estimated 1:24 mins reading time)

The Rocky Horror Show, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Cast: Kara Lane, Haley Flaherty, Mark Evans, Michael Starke, Brian McCann, Ceris Hine, David Bedella, Dominic Tribuzio, Nathen Amzi.

Over thirty five years since its inception, The Rocky Horror Show still shows no sign of slowing down and resting on its sparkly top hat or putting down its feather boa. As ever the public still love this story of mad transvestites, spooky houses and tongue in cheek gore which can thrill, chill and fulfil even the stoniest of hearts.

The Rocky Horror Show, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(392 words, estimated 1:34 mins reading time)

Spymonkeys, Moby Dick. Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. October 21st 2009.

Cast: Aitor Basauri, Petra Massey, Toby Park, Stephen Kreiss.

If a classic book is worth recreating on stage then it is worth doing absurdly and with much gusto and insanely as possible.

In all honesty, not even straight theatre would tackle Herman Melville’s classic Moby Dick without some trepidation and a crateful of memory loss inducing alcohol to forget the whole idea. It would be too overblown, expensive and almost impossible to re-create but such is the excellence of the four-strong cast that they were able to play nearly every part that was required of them with quickest of costume changes possible and with some of the greatest use of the imagination possible and not a quibble between them.

Spymonkeys, Moby Dick. Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(350 words, estimated 1:24 mins reading time)