Tag Archives: Theatre Review. Empire Theatre

Chicago, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. july 3rd 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: Ali Bastian, Tupele Dorgu, Stefan Booth, Bernie Nolan, Jamie Baughan, Alex Wetherhill, Chloe Ames, Daniele Arbisi, Karen Aspinall, Nick Blair, Claire Rogers, Ian Oswald, Gregor Stewart, Kate Morris, Genevieve Nicole, Melanie Cripps, Jennifer Hilton, Adam Salter, Dominic Lamb, Ashley Rumble.

Chicago – the very whisper of intrigue, scandal, murder, vice and jazz that’s stalks this musical sets audiences into one of those wild surges of expectation which can make or break every performances. The bigger the expectation can lead to a much bigger and dramatic fall.

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

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

Avenue Q, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Cast: Stephen Arden, Sarah Harlington, Arina II, Richard Lowe, Richard Morse, Jessica Parker, Etisyai Philip, Rhiane Drummond, Gracie Lai, Cameron Sharp, Josh Tevendale.

Life is complicated, life is not always a bed of roses, neither is it a series of petals that cover up a piece of human anatomy at a time; life, like Time, is brutal, funny, sarcastic and sometimes downright terrifying, we have no way to control it, we have no way to subject it to our own whims; when you share a planet with seven billion other souls, getting everything you want is impossible and for that life is so much more interesting than ever.

Avenue Q, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(405 words, estimated 1:37 mins reading time)

Sister Act, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. May 23rd 2012.

L.S. Media Rating *****

Cast: Denise Black, Michael Starke, Cynthia Erivo, Julie Atherton, Edward Baruwa, Gavin Cornwall, Gavin Alex, Jacqueline Clarke, Tyrone Huntley, Laurie Scarth, Daniel Stockton.

It is possibly the hardest job in the acting profession, to out act and outperform Whoopi Goldberg in possibly her most iconic role of Deloris Van Cartier from the hit 1992 movie Sister Act. In Cynthia Erivo, that was achieved with room to spare as she took on the role for the stage version of the film at the Liverpool Empire.

Sister Act, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(420 words, estimated 1:41 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)

We Will Rock You, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. September 9th 2011.

L.S. Media Rating * * * * *

Cast: Ian Reddington, Earl Carpenter, Noel Sullivan, Amanda Coutts, Ashley J Russell, Leon Lopez, jenny Douglas, Mathew Craig, Nicola Poustie.

It took time, but finally the global smash hit We Will Rock You found its way to Liverpool, ripped up the rule book on entertaining an audience that were already near to giving a standing ovation before they even opened the curtain and gave the kind of performance that the culture capital of the U.K. deserved and gave every other production due to come to Liverpool this year a very big headache and a huge hurdle to overcome.

We Will Rock You, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(484 words, estimated 1:56 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 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)

White Christmas, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. December 30th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating * * * * *

Cast: Aled Jones, Adam Cooper, Kerry Washington, Ken Farrington, Amy Ellen Richardson, Louise Bowden, Mark Dickinson, David Lucas.

Liverpool may not have had a White Christmas to end 2011; however there can be no doubt in anybody’s minds on how sumptuous and grand the performance at the Empire Theatre this year of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. The amount of joy it visibly put on people’s faces and even more so than the sight of a foot of snow outside your door on the big day.

White Christmas, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(426 words, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

The Mousetrap, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7/10

Cast: Steven France, Karl Howman, Bruno Langley, Elizabeth Power, Bob Saul, Graham Seed, Jemma Walker, Clare Wilkie.

It all starts with a radio announcement in which a murder has been announced…The Mousetrap is perhaps the most eagerly awaited plays to come to Liverpool for a long time. Unless people have been able to see down in the heart of London’s theatre land at any point in the last 60 years and with a waiting list longer than it took to write it for the then Queen Mary’s 80th Birthday that means the vast majority of the population in the country still have not had the pleasure, then the Agatha Christie play remains a huge pull of the theatre goers heart strings as it celebrates its diamond jubilee going round the country.

The Mousetrap, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(448 words, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)

Les Misérables, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Cast: Killian Donnelly, Nic Greenshields, Martin Ball, Katie Hall, Tegan Bannister, Bronwen Hanson, Harry Apps, Brian James Leys, Jordan Simon Pollard, Mary-Jane Caldwell Lee Ormsby, Jamie Birkett, Emma Warren, Jessie Hart, Megan Gardiner, Ruby Lyon, Helen Aylott Teleri Hughes, Eva Mairead Connor, Francesca Lidguard, Sadie Horwich, Sophie-Louise Dann, Ava Hope Smith, Lydia Jane Prosser, Eilish Mair Williams, Joseph Sheppard, Noah Walton, Dexter Barry, Leo Miles, Michael Burgen, Will Richardson, Aaron Pryce-Lewis, Shane O’ Riordan, Zac Hamilton, Danny Colligan, Ruben Van Keer, Keoni Blockx, Corrine Priest, Janne Snellen, Joseph Anthony, Nicholas Carter, Nicholas Corrie.

Les Misérables, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

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