Tag Archives: Stephen Fletcher

Cinderalla Scouse, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Cast: Paul Duckworth, Michael Fletcher, Stephen Fletcher, Lindzi Germain, Eva McKenna, Andrew Schofield, Hayley Sheen, Keddy Sutton.

Musicians: Howard Gray, Ben Gladwin, Greg Joy, Emily Linden.

Liverpool faces every threat thrown at it by Government with one of the deadliest weapons known to humanity, the ability to laugh and fight back with savage, beautiful humour. In an age when the way we live is under constant threat, it is the greatest of attributes that we possess theatres, artists and writers who are unafraid to deliver the joke that entertains the many, whilst the undercurrent gladly riles the backs of those who see the world only in terms of doctrine and political dogma.

Cinderalla Scouse, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(527 words, estimated 2:06 mins reading time)

Mam! I’m ‘Ere!, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool. (2018).

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating  * * * * *

Cast: Jake Abrahams, Eithne Browne, Stephen Fletcher, Michael Fletcher, Lynn Francis, Lindzi Germain, Mia Molloy, Andrew Schofield, Hayley Sheen, Rachael Wood.

Musicians: Harry Burnett, Elliot Chapman, Amar Petur Stefansson, Danny Miller.

The hills of Wales are alive with the sound of music, not just any old tune, its heartbeat is quickened by the tunes that made the era of Disco one of infatuation for all who danced to its rhythm and overwhelming, upbeat musical personality. Like Disco though, Dave’s caravan site and Boogie Wonderland have become down at heel, the good times have come, partied, and left without even a last groove goodbye, times are hard, Disco only lives on in the memory of some; however, there is always time for one last turn on the dance floor, one last round of reminisces and disco kisses under the glitter ball.

Mam! I’m ‘Ere!, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool. (2018). full post

(501 words, estimated 2:00 mins reading time)

The Scouse Nativity, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Cast: Paul Duckworth, Michael Fletcher, Stephen Fletcher, Hayley Hampson, Lindzi Germain, Andrew Schofield, Keddy Sutton.

Band: Ben Gladwin, Greg Joy, Emily Linden.

Choir: Jay McWinen, Elaine Collins, Dee Spencer, Teresa Loughlie, Joan Pinnington, Rob Liston, Linda Martin, Barbara Davenport, Gretta Southern, Julia Hayes, Paul Davenport, Melanie Robson, Molly Madigan.

 

The Scouse Nativity, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(560 words, estimated 2:14 mins reading time)

Mam! I’m ‘Ere!, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Cast: Eithne Browne, Helen Carter, Paul Duckworth, Michael Fletcher, Rachael Rae, Andrew Schofield, Alan Stocks, Keddy Sutton, Jamie Hampson, Hayley Hampson.

Musicians: Emily Linden, Simeon Scheuber, Alex Smith, Lauren Williams.

 

One of the great musical comedies to have come out of Liverpool in the last few years has to be the outstanding Mam! I’m ‘Ere! Making its debut in the grand space of The Dome, it took audiences to a place where imagination and riotous laughter met, shook hands, frolicked in the winter cold and sent them home happier than a free weeks pass at a holiday camp with drink supplied.

Mam! I’m ‘Ere!, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(487 words, estimated 1:57 mins reading time)

Liverpool Sound And Vision: The Sunday Supplement, An Interview With Angela Simms. (2015).

Angela Simms has come so far in what seems such a short space of time. Undoubtedly one of the bright young things of Liverpool theatre comedy, her performances in productions such as in the superb If The Shoe Fits, Ladies Day, Special Measures, The Hitchhikers Guide To Fazakerley and The Rainbow Connection, have had audiences flocking to see more of this talented and approachable Liverpool actor.

From working with the gifted Donna Lesley Price and Richie Grice in the superb If The Shoe Fits, to performing at the Royal Court Theatre, Angela Simms has captivated audiences with a seamless elegance intertwined an a great aptitude to her craft and boundless energy.

Liverpool Sound And Vision: The Sunday Supplement, An Interview With Angela Simms. (2015). full post

(1286 words, estimated 5:09 mins reading time)

Canoeing For Beginners. Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Cast:  Pauline Fleming, Stephen Fletcher, Harry Katsari, Michael Ledwich, John McArdle, Angela Simms, Jack Taylor-Wood.

 

Everybody has surely dreamed of running away from it all, to hide away from all known responsibilities and start afresh somewhere new, somewhere where they can never be found and where the grass can grow under their feet in perfect isolation.  It either takes a lot of money, a lot of guts or the sheer force of will to make it happen…or you can buy a canoe, fake your own death and end up in a force ten hurricane with a picture of former Cuban President Fidel Castro looking at you with accusing stares and your children disowning you. Such is life on the open waves when you start Canoeing for Beginners.

Canoeing For Beginners. Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(567 words, estimated 2:16 mins reading time)

Noises Off, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Cast: Jennifer Bea, Tupele Dorgu, Jessica Dyas, Stephen Fletcher, Kim Hartman, Phil Hearne, Chris Jordan, Jonathan Markwood, Danny O Brien.

The show must go on…even if there are sardines cluttering up the stage, the leading ladies hate each other, one of the leading men wants to kill the other with a fire axe and the Director is left a gibbering wreck, even with his enormous ego, in the wake of being on stage amongst the carnage and destruction that an acting troupe can bring to a theatre. Think you know theatre, then the magical mayhem of arguably the finest British comedy of the 20th Century, Michael Frayn’s Noises Off, is one to behold.

Noises Off, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool. full post

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

Special Measures, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: Eithne Browne, Paul Broughton, Stephen Fletcher, Jessica Guise, Colin Hoult, Adam Search, Angela Simms, Michael Starke.

St Jude’s Primary School has been placed into Special Measures, the universal, one size fits all term, to denote that somewhere something is not right with the system.

When Tory M.P. Thomas Winters feels the wrath of the P.M.s anger at being hit by a croquet mallet in a particularly painful constituency, he is dispatched to tick the right sort of boxes in a North of England school and make amends. The fall out, the so called oppressed kicking downwards is not new but for the Head Master and staff of St. Jude’s the fall of basic humility and understanding looking them in the eyes is one that is too much to bear.

Special Measures, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(499 words, estimated 2:0 mins reading time)

The Last Five Years, Theatre Review. The Epstein Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Cast: Helen Carter, Stephen Fletcher.

There are times when a production can simply not be bettered, it has the most fantastic response to it and lingers on well in the memory as one of the absolute highlights of the theatre year. That production is The Last Five Years, it was considered by all who saw it at the Actor’s Studio, a rip roaring accomplished piece of art from start to finish. That is where the two productions stop being comparable, as Stephen Fletcher, one of the finest young actors in Liverpool and the exceptional Helen Carter bought Jason Robert Brown’s play back to the stage for the second time and in one fell swoop made it a gleaming example of artistic beauty, of tremendous fortitude and belief and overall simple elegance.

The Last Five Years, Theatre Review. The Epstein Theatre, Liverpool. full post

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

Our Day Out, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre.

Cast: Kieran Cunningham, Pauline Daniels, Stephen Fletcher, Mark Moraghan, Georgina White, Sophie Fraser, Chris Mason, Abby Mavers, Jack Rigby. Mia Molloy.

We have all been on one, no matter of our age. The school day out is one of those times that if pushed we will remember detail for detail, whether it was a day trip to the local seaside to let off steam or an exercise in futility where the teachers tried to show that they could be down with the kids and be their friends for one day.

Our Day Out, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre. full post

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