Review
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.
Douze Points
Liverpool PhilharmonicAs huge Eurovision fans, we could have easily written an entire website of reviews covering all the different Eurovision events we have been to over the previous week (turquoise carpet, two semi final rehearsals, two live shows including the final, copious amounts of concerts within the Eurovision village and around the city). Eurovision has undoubtedly been one of the best weeks of our lives, but rather than review every single thing we have done, we’ve decided to focus on the one that best fits in with this website’s content; Douze Points at the Liverpool Philharmonic.
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.
Lights On Lights Off
Shakespeare North PlayhouseAs 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
Liverpool PlayhouseDouble, 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.
Musicals Rock
The Bridgewater HallSince the late 60’s, rock musicals have been a mainstay of musical theatre. Shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Rent and The Rocky Horror Show have contributed to a rock revolution that continues today with shows like Dear Evan Hanson and Waitress. As part of the Halle Orchestra’s 2002/2003 concert season, conductor Alfonso Casado Trigo has selected some of his favourite rock musicals for the Halle orchestra to perform alongside seasoned singers Emma Kingston, Debbie Kurup, David Thaxton and Ricardo Afonso.
Richard III
Liverpool PlayhouseSet 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.
Bingo Star
Liverpool Royal CourtWhat 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.
Comedy of Errors
Shakespeare North PlayhouseThe 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.