Liverpool

Return of the Gods

★★★★★

World Museum Liverpool’s latest temporary exhibition is a family-friendly exploration into the earliest superhero tales; the mythology of the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome.

Displaying the extensive collection of 18th Century antiquarian Henry Blundell of Sefton, statues over 2 metres tall have been combined with over 100 sculptures and objects to show how everyday life was influenced by mythology. This is the first time so much of Henry Blundell’s collection has been displayed in one exhibition.

Lights On Lights Off

★★★★★

As part of their programme to celebrate The Bard’s birthday, Shakespeare North Playhouse’s production of Lights On / Lights Off is a remarkable exploration of The First Folio. Utilising Elizabethan style rehearsals, local actors, and improvisation, Lights On / Lights Off is a production made up of a scene from each of the 36 plays that make up The First Folio; 18 of them with the theatre lights on, and 18 of them by candlelight with the theatre lights off.

Macbeth

★★★★☆

Double, Double, toil and….yakuza?

The Scottish play is possibly one of Shakespeare’s best known tragedies, telling the tale of Macbeth’s rise to power and his attempts to retain that power against a backdrop of murder. This production of Macbeth by Imitating The Dog was unlike any other production we have ever seen, and completely modernises the play in a way that Baz Luhrmann did for Romeo and Juliet in the 90’s.

Transporting the play to Estuary City, a gritty neon world that invokes images of London and Tokyo, this version of Macbeth incorporates video technology, modern language and a violent noir backdrop to stunning effect. Throughout the production, two cameras capture Macbeth and Lady Macbeth on the stage. These images appear on screens above the stage, and in combination with the sectional staging give individual perspectives of the action on stage. With background films projected onto the staging, Imitating The Dog have created a cinematic masterpiece within a live theatre environment. Our favourite example of this was Lady Macbeth riding a subway train to meet Macbeth. The camera focussed on each of them individually to set them apart on stage whilst being only metres away from each other, whilst also delivering the feeling of motion through the subway train; incredibly creative and effective.

Richard III

★★★★☆

Set against a backdrop of Morris dancing, and following her critically acclaimed production of Richard II at Shakespeare’s Globe, Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh brings a powerful performance of Richard III to the Liverpool Playhouse for a limited time run.

Given that Richard III is the second longest of Shakespeare’s plays, and that this was the first time we’d been to watch a performance of any of The Bard’s historical plays, there was a slight apprehension that we wouldn’t enjoy the performance. Within the first scene, we knew that wasn’t going to be the case and we were about to watch something special.

Bingo Star

★★★☆☆

What do you get if you cross a Henry hoover, an ageing hippie and three games of bingo during a musical theatre show? A classic night out at Liverpool’s Royal Court theatre for their latest Scouse comedy Bingo Star!

For 50 years, Arthur (Alan Stocks) has ran the local bingo hall, but spiralling debts mean the hall is facing closure. Supported by his daughter Lesley (Keddy Sutton), granddaughter Bella (Paige Fenton), and bingo hall employees Debbie (Helen Carter) and Keith (Jonathan Markwood), Arthur thinks his prayers have been answered when Tony (Paul Duckworth) from the council claims a redevelopment of the area will provide an influx of new members to the bingo hall. But can Tony be trusted? With the bingo hall doubling as the local food bank, there’s more at stake than just a few games of bingo.

Comedy of Errors

★★★★★

The Comedy of Errors is one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays and features an almost Parent Trap style mix up of identical twins. In the original play, Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse visit Ephesus and end up confused with the Antipholus and Dromio that live there, leading to a lot of slapstick, declarations of love and a commotion around a necklace.

A new, modernised version produced by Shakespeare North Playhouse and Stephen Joseph Theatre transports the action to the 1980’s and the towns of Prescot and Scarborough where each theatre is located. This self-described “more or less” version by Elizabeth Godber and Nick Lane has, by their own admission, been “messed about with”, and now features classic 80’s songs, shell suits, and a return of the War of the Roses.

Six

★★★☆☆

Starting life as a student show at the Edinburgh Fringe, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss have created a cultural phenomenon that does for Tudor history what Hamilton has done for American history. Detailing - in a loose sense - how history has reduced the six wives of Henry VIII to a rhyme, Six delves into the life of each wife in a Horrible Histories meets The X Factor sassy pop-rock concert.

During the 75 minute musical, the wives tell their individual story in a bid to work out who suffered the most at the hands of Henry VIII, and should therefore become the leader of the girl band that they have created. The topics of the wives songs range from childbirth, unwanted sexual advances, forced marriages, and of course death. Almost every musical genre is covered, from R&B, big power ballads, and pop.