Manchester
Hamilton
Palace TheatreHe is the A-L-E-X-A-N-D-E-R we are here to see, and for the first time we are doing so outside of London as the show embarks on it’s first ever UK tour which kicked off in Manchester. We went to two performances before writing this review; opening night and then the Saturday night performance a week later. We wanted to wait before writing this review as we know opening night may not be reflective of the full show, but if you want to see our opening night thoughts our YouTube channel has a review of that performance.
I Should Be So Lucky
Manchester Opera HouseStock Aitken Waterman are synonymous with the music of the 80’s. In 1989 alone, they were responsible for 27% of the UK music singles market sales! They are even responsible for the global phenomenon that is Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up. Now, Debbie Isitt who is best known for creating The Nativity films and musical has taken some of Stock Aitken Waterman’s best loved works to create the new musical I Should Be So Lucky.
Noises Off
The LowryA play within a play performed across three acts, Michael Frayn’s Noises Off is the original “goes wrong” play. Following the on and off stage antics of a touring theatre company as they perform ‘Nothing On’, Frayn’s work is timeless and this latest touring production directed by Lindsay Posner is brilliantly bad. The show begins with the cast of ‘Nothing On’ completing a final rehearsal before opening night. The cast are woefully underprepared; Dotty (Liza Goddard) is constantly getting lines wrong and misplacing sardines, Frederick (Simon Coates) keeps finding plot holes, and Brooke (Lisa Ambalavanar) is not only extremely inexperienced but has an uncanny ability to lose contact lenses.
The Crown Jewels
The LowryBased on the true story of 17th Century Irish Rebel Thomas Blood (Aiden McArdle), and his attempt to steal The Crown Jewels from King Charles II (Al Murray), a play written by the person behind Men Behaving Badly and featuring some of Britain’s most critically acclaimed comedy performers should, in theory, result in an outstanding stage show full of satire and humour. In reality, this production is the antithesis of this.
Jesus Christ Superstar
Palace TheatreJesus Christ Superstar is arguable the original rock musical. Telling the story of the final days of Jesus, the sung through musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice hasn’t toured for a number of years, but seems to go through a revival every decade. This revival was directed by Timothy Sheader in his capacity as Artistic Director of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre where this production originated, and where it won an Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival in 2017.
42nd Street
Liverpool EmpireTapping it’s way into Liverpool for a limited time, the UK and Ireland tour of 42nd Street brought Depression-era Broadway glamour in a way that only this classical musical within a musical can. Based on a 1933 film, which itself is based on an earlier novel, 42nd Street as a stage show originated in the 1980’s and features well-known musical numbers such as We’re In The Money, Keep Young And Beautiful, and the eponymous 42nd Street.
Buffy Revamped
The LowryBuffy Revamped is a one man show by Brendon Murphy that covers all 7 seasons of the cult classic Buffy The Vampire Slayer in just 70 minutes. With Murphy taking on the role of Spike, the exploits of The Slayer, the Scooby Gang, plus various bad guys are re-told. We had no idea what to expect ahead of the show, but I (Jo) am a massive Buffy fan and re-watch the entire 7 seasons (The Body episode aside!
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical
The LowryMost musical theatre writers spend years perfecting their work, testing out with audiences, and undoubtedly scrapping a fair few drafts along the way. Showstopper The Improvised Musical does away with all that, and instead produces a brand new musical at every performance using suggestions from the audience. They’re not just good at this, they’re Olivier award-winning good, so when we saw that they were performing at The Lowry there was no question that we had to go.
Icelandic Symphony Orchestra
The Bridgewater HallMaking their Manchester debut as part of The Bridgewater Hall’s International Concert Series, the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra brought a mesmerising performance to the stage. Conducted by Eva Ollikainen, the orchestra combined the spectacular Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s Metacosmos with the works of Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky. Eva Ollikainen. Image via Intermusica. The evening started with Metacosmos. Composed by Anna Thorvaldsdottir, the piece is a symphonic poem meant to take you on a journey through a black hole and out the other side.