South Pacific. Theatre Review. Liverpool Empire Theatre.

Originally published by L.S. Media. February 24th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: Samantha Womack, Matthew Cammelle, Alex Ferns, Daniel Koek, Loretta Ables Sayre, Elizabeth Chong, Cameron Jack, Luke Kempner, Dominic Taylor, Nigel Williams.

There is a memorable song half way through the second act of Rogers and Hammerstein’s superb musical South Pacific that not only gets into your head so much you end up whistling or humming on the late bus home but that is also very apt for the conversation and good natured chatter as the audiences spilled out on to Lime Street after the show, there really was nothing but Happy Talk.

South Pacific. Theatre Review. Liverpool Empire Theatre. full post

(475 words, estimated 1:54 mins reading time)

A Streetcar Named Desire. Theatre Review. Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. February 22nd 2012.

L.S. Media Rating *****

Cast: Leanne Best, Amanda Drew, Annabelle Apsion, Russell Bentley, Stephen Fletcher, Matthew Flynn, Alan Stocks, Mandi Symonds. Sam Troughton.

Tennessee Williams’ play, A Streetcar Named Desire, is one that can cast dread into any Director charged with keeping the flame alive of one of the most accomplished American playwrights of his generation. In Gemma Bodinetz there is such a Director who not only has the honesty to go through every single pause, every full stop and understand how complex Williams and his writing actually was, but to install this attentive belief into the acting fraternity who are in the play.

A Streetcar Named Desire. Theatre Review. Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(429 words, estimated 1:43 mins reading time)

Legally Blonde, Theatre Review. Liverpool Empire Theatre.

Originally published by L.S. Media.  February 8th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating *****

Cast: Faye Brookes, Iwan Lewis, Les Dennis, Claire Sweeney, Ray Quinn, Charlotte Harwood, Hannah Grover, Sinead Long, Sophie Isaacs, Micha Richardson, Zak Nemorin, Jon Reynolds, Graham Lappin, Nia Jermin.

If you just want a one sentence or even a word to sum up Legally Blonde, then can I just say phenomenal, must see, brilliant, and every other platitude that you will no doubt see on billboards and in papers for this exceptional and heart-warming musical.

Legally Blonde, Theatre Review. Liverpool Empire Theatre. full post

(467 words, estimated 1:52 mins reading time)

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.

Departure Lounge, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(383 words, estimated 1:32 mins reading time)

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.

Spamalot. Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(505 words, estimated 2:01 mins reading time)

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.

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

(417 words, estimated 1:40 mins reading time)

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.

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

(508 words, estimated 2:02 mins reading time)

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.

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

(439 words, estimated 1:45 mins reading time)

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.

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

(414 words, estimated 1:39 mins reading time)

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.

Calendar Girls, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(457 words, estimated 1:50 mins reading time)