Tag Archives: Liverpool

Footloose: The Musical, Theatre Review. Royal Court, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: Gareth Gates, Maureen Nolan, Joshua Dowen, Grace Lancaster, Reuven Gershon, Emma Fraser, Lauren Storer, Gracie Lai, Laura Sillett, Luke Dowling, Dominic Gee Burch, Connor Going, Alex Marshall, Lawrence Libor, Lindsay Goodhead, Thomas Wolstenhome, Jamie Ross.

Dancing is a right, unalienable and not for removing, it is up there with singing, being able to stand on stage and deliver a poem, recite a monologue or doing anything that gives you pleasure and in which does not hurt another person. Even if you cannot do something well, even if you make yourself look a fool in the eyes of others, does it matter, does it mean a thing if you get an ounce of self worth from the very act.

Footloose: The Musical, Theatre Review. Royal Court, Liverpool. full post

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

They Call Her Natasha, Theatre Review. Everyman Theatre, Liverpool.

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

Cast: Lou Dalgleish, Michael Weston King, Gladstone Wilson.

We are all familiar with the idea with obsession, so much so that in a way we can all claim to have one, but what happens when the fixation takes over your life and takes you to places that should be well left alone. In the Everyman Theatre’s new season of productions They Call Her Natasha looks at this obsession from the point of a fan gripped with Liverpool raised musician Elvis Costello.

They Call Her Natasha, Theatre Review. Everyman Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(313 words, estimated 1:15 mins reading time)

Aladdin, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. December 15th 2010.

Cast: Pamela Anderson, Les Dennis, Mark Moraghan, Pete Price, Dani Rayner, Marc Mulcahey, Sean Kearns, Djalenga Scott, Conleth Kane.

For the second year running the Empire Theatre pulled off a masterstroke of casting and persuaded one of the Hollywood glitterati to be the main draw at their Christmas spectacular pantomime. Last year, Liverpool was treated to the sight of Henry Winkler playing Captain Hook to great acclaim; this year treading the boards of the Empire was Baywatch star Pamela Anderson in the wonderful story of Aladdin.

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

(434 words, estimated 1:44 mins reading time)

The Red Shoes, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. December 4th 2010.

Cast: Holly Wilson-Guy, Julie Langford, Harriet Leah Preston, Aiden Lee Brooks, Graham Geoffrey Hicks, Mike Idris.

The Unity Theatre may be one of the smaller theatres in Liverpool but the productions it puts on are as big as the heart at its core. Groundbreaking and enthusiastic, its successes are numerous and with The Red Shoes it looks as though they can chalk up another much loved production to their expanding list of theatre accomplishments.

The Red Shoes, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(308 words, estimated 1:14 mins reading time)

Sleeping Beauty, The Rock And Roll Panto. Theatre Review. Everyman Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. December 2nd 2010.

Cast: Jonny Bower, Adam Day Howard, Catherine Henderson, Adam Keast, David McGranaghan, Nicky Swift, Francis Tucker, Sarah Yezmar, Matthew Wycliffe.

To a lot of people in Liverpool, Christmas is nothing without the chance to visit the Everyman Theatre and attend their much talked about Rock and Roll Panto. This year’s production of Sleeping Beauty lived up to all that had been promised and added just a few sprinkles of fairy dust into the mix to deliver a stand out family night of good music, wonderful use of double entendres and wonderfully crafted tale of jealousy, love and water spraying gnomes.

Sleeping Beauty, The Rock And Roll Panto. Theatre Review. Everyman Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(332 words, estimated 1:20 mins reading time)

Gold Mountain, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool.

Cast: David Yip, Eugene Salleh.

What is never in doubt about Liverpool is how the city has survived and thrived as a hotch-potch of different cultures and ideals. From the Irish who disembarked at Liverpool docks during the potato famine and who arrived with not the slightest idea of what was going to happen to their lives or culture, to the Chinese who had to cross oceans and the thoughts of internal tyranny to arrive in Liverpool to face prejudice and suspicion at every corner.

Gold Mountain, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(326 words, estimated 1:18 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)

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)

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)