Olivier Award winning production The Play That Goes Wrong comes to Chester’s Storyhouse Theatre on Monday 29th January for one week only with a cast that includes Jake Curran (Chris), Catherine Dryden (Annie), Bobby Hirston (Max), Benjamin McMahon (Dennis), Gabriel Paul (Trevor), Steven Rostance (Jonathan), Kazeem Tosin Amore (Robert), Elena Valentine (Sandra) with David Kristopher-Brown (Understudy), Laura White (Understudy), Liam Horrigan (Understudy) and Louisa Sexton (Understudy).
Rebecca Ferguson Comes Back To Liverpool For One Night Only On Saturday 24th February
After coming runner-up on the seventh series of U.K.’s The X Factor, Rebecca Ferguson has not been short of success since her first appearance on the reality television show in 2010. Having co-written her record-breaking debut album Heaven, and going on to release a further three follow-ups, Rebecca has proven herself to be a recording artist with a passion for her craft that is second to none.
Released in 2011, Heaven, was a critical and commercial success selling 128,000 copies in its first week and peaked at No. 3 in the U.K. Official Charts, making her the fastest-selling debut solo artist of the past decade (2007-2017).
Rick Springfield, The King Snake. Album Review.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
They say in the land of Rock ‘N’ Roll you have to change lanes once in a while, that you have to put the hazards on, put the foot down and get off the freeway, let the Interstate be a distant memory and occasionally speed along the back roads, kicking up dust and kick down the doors of the roadhouses, order a beer or two, follow it up with indiscretion and listen to the conversation on your shoulders between any angel passing by and big Ol’ Red. In the land of Rock ‘N’ Roll you got to put on the radio, tune in to The King Snake and relax in the heart of The King Snake.
A Celluloid Cabaret.
There I was,
a celluloid cabaret, looking
as rough as following a night
celebrating an election win for Bill
in a bar full of dead winded strangers,
and not a dime passing my way
throughout, all toasting
this guest of wit and sarcasm,
piss drunk and fancy free,
my observations on Bush V Clinton
skewed by admiring Bill
and thinking he represented real change
here in this bar, tapped out, exhausted
by an early morning Greyhound race
from New York to Niagara Falls,
The Bad Flowers, Starting Gun. Album Review.
DateMonthYear, March. Single Review.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Grief is impossible to truly understand, the one emotion we all go through, perhaps many times, but it is the one that can shape our psyche arguably more than any other and it is one that is mostly private. Nobody’s anguish is the same and nobody can know what you are feeling, empathise yes, have compassion for; but to understand or even dare tell you that you should be over it by a certain date, then that is almost giving you a target or a limit on how the mental strength rebounds once the intensity starts to fade.
As I Fall Out Of A Tree (In Florida).
They fall from the trees in Florida
as the warmth leaves
their bodies, as temperatures head
towards freezing point, not dead
but inactive, I feel the same,
fingers numb, comfortably so
as my own head
once full of brightly coloured things
withstands the thaw of a frosted tongue,
and the chill of stimulation
is under ice, kept cold,
frigid and out of touch,
my blood is of iguana
my thoughts damaged
as I fall from the tree in Florida.
Ian D. Hall 2017
Half Term Family Fun With Crafty’s Creepy Castle At The Epstein Theatre.
Get down to The Epstein Theatre this February Half Term for a fun, spooky, musical adventure for the whole family, when Crafty’s Creepy Castle comes to the stage on Saturday 10 February.
Brought to audiences by Honalee Media, help Crafty the Crow and Sally the Scarecrow solve the mystery of the castle’s ghostly goings on, hunt for the hidden treasure and find out why Pirate Harry is making things go bump in the night.
There will also be opportunity after the show for Meet and Greet with the cast, and every child will receive a special present from puppet star Crafty the Cow.
The Jungle Book Heads To Liverpool For Half Term.
An exciting new adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s masterpiece The Jungle Book will visit the Playhouse from 13th-17th February for eight performances.
Originally written in 1894, Kipling’s beloved tale will be reimagined by Children’s Touring Partnership and Royal & Derngate, Northampton with a brand new score and script, exploring the universal themes of family, belonging and identity.
The Jungle Book tells the story of Mowgli – a man cub raised by wolves who battles for survival in the jungle. With the help of his animal friends, including Bagheera the panther, Balloo the bear and Kaa the python, Mowgli outwits the cruel and powerful tiger, Shere Khan, and learns the law of the jungle.
Hot Water Suds.
I love the way the running water
and soap suds get caught
between your back
and the started out clear glass,
squished,
constricted,
clear pop of lather
as bubbles and fizz make shapes
as they cuddle the steam
first thing in the morning
as you scream inwardly,
at the early morning cold
the season provides.
Ian D. Hall 2017