Month: August 2025

Moulin Rouge

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Reviewed by Nikki Cotter

Opening Night verdict ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The multi award-winning stage version of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film has arrived in Manchester for a six-week stop as part of its first ever World Tour and my goodness is it worth the wait! This spectacular show mixes hedonism with heart oozing style and sass from the moment the sumptuous red curtain goes up.

Manchester’s Palace Theatre has been totally transformed into the iconic Montmartre cabaret club, upon entering the auditorium it soon becomes clear that audiences are in for a jaw-dropping, eye-popping treat. Derek McLane’s opulent set is deliciously decadent, with the world-famous windmill sitting high in the circle, watched over by a fabulously bejewelled elephant all centred around a glittering, glistening heart.

We’re swiftly whisked away to 1899 where Christian (Josh Rose at tonight’s performance), a talented but penniless songwriter from America who dreams of making his name in the Parisian city. He quickly falls for the charms of Satine (Verity Thompson), a cabaret star at the Moulin Rouge. The club however is under threat of closure, it’s here that wealthy aristocrat The Duke (James Bryers) steps in offering to save the debt-ridden club, however, he also wants Satine as part of the deal.

Satine now faces a dilemma, choose love and true happiness or loveless security while saving the club and careers of her cabaret family. As the club prepares for Christian’s new show this lavish love story plays out, it’s exhilarating, exuberant and utterly engaging.

Staying true to the film this remains a jukebox musical featuring inspired mashups of over 70 iconic songs, from David Bowie to Lady Gaga and everything in between. This high-energy romp through pop history grips you from the first note and holds every ounce of your attention right through to the curtain call. The mashups are truly inspired and will leave you thinking completely differently about classic songs you thought you knew.

Verity Thompson is entirely captivating as showgirl Satine. Entering spectacularly to Diamonds are Forever she truly shines on stage. Her delivery of Katy Perry’s Firework switches up the song completely as it becomes a touching, profound ballad, while her vocals throughout are sublime. The chemistry between her and Josh Rose is palpable, this is a love story you truly believe in.

Rose is superb as Christian, heartfelt and hopeful with an incredible vocal range. His delivery of Elton John’s Your Song is simply stunning while both Rose and Thompson break your heart a little with their incredible delivery of Come What May.

Cameron Blakely is a delight as he heaps on the flamboyance as the mischievous show master Harold Zidler while Kurt Kansley and Rodrigo Negrini and equally as wonderful as Christian’s brilliant Bohemian buddies, Toulouse-Lautrec and Santiago.

The enormously talented ensemble deliver each and every set piece with flair and incredible precision. From high kicks to hip hop, all genres are explored by choreographer Sonya Tayeh and perfectly executed by this talented cast. The Backstage Romance section which features amongst others Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance and Britney’s Toxic is quite probably one of the most impressive set pieces I’ve ever seen on stage, absolutely mesmerising and well worth the ticket price alone.

The creatives involved in this show deserve each and every award they’ve received from Catherine Zuber’s stunning costume design to Peter Hylenski’s unbeatable sound design everything hits the mark.

This crowd-pleaser of a show ticks every box, it’s lavish, loud, inclusive and exhilarating. A true spectacle, guaranteed to make you rush to the box office to book a return visit, sensational!

Moulin Rouge is on at Manchester’s Palace Theatre until Saturday 4th October tickets are available here.

The Addams Family

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Reviewed by Nikki Cotter

Opening Night verdict ⭐⭐⭐⭐

With hints of Halloween creeping into every supermarket home section despite the 30-degree temperatures outside it feels somewhat fitting that the spooky, ooky Addams family should also make an appearance, arriving at Salford’s Lowry theatre for one gloriously ghoulish week.

Written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice with original music and songs from Andrew Lippa, this musical comedy is packed with humour, heart and kooky theatrical flair.

The story is centred around the unconventional teenage love story of sadistic, gothic, Wednesday Adams (played by a brilliant Maria Garrett on as cover for tonight’s performance) and All-American Lucas Beineke (played by a charismatic Jacob Fowler). As the two families come together over dinner at the Addams family mansion, it’s here that the fun and games really begin.

Garrett takes the role of Wednesday and runs with it, passionate and intense with an loveable warmth, her punchy performance is perfection. Her delivery of ‘Pulled’ is every bit as spine tingling as Diego Pitarch’s captivating set design. Her pairing with Jacob Fowler as love-interest Lucas works wonderfully, the two combined give us heavenly harmonies and wicked chemistry.

The rest of the kooky clan are equally as impressive with Alexandra Burke as a sensuous, sophisticated Morticia while Ricardo Afonso hits every mark as a scene stealing Gomez, his vocals are without doubt are some of the best you’ll ever hear while his comedic timing is second to none.

Clive Rowe is a delightfully loveable Fester, while fan-favourite Lesley Joseph as Grandma Addams and Nicholas McLean as Pugsley, pack in the humour delivering their witty one-liners to perfection. Special mention must also go to Kara Lane as Lucas’ mother Alice Beineke who shifts deliciously from ‘normal to ‘unhinged’ right before our eyes at the close of Act One. While Dickon Gough returning to the role of Lurch is spooktacular.

The ensemble of seven skilled performers who make up the Ancestors fill the stage with enthusiasm and energy, helping to cleverly move the story on and bring the undead to glorious life, adding wonderfully to this already strong cast and cementing the true meaning of family by the end of Act Two.

While the Addams Family may have been around for almost 90 years there’s nothing ancient about this quirky, uplifting show. Matthew White’s direction combines nostalgia with fresh energy resulting in an enormously entertaining production. Add to this a cast at the top of their game and you’ve got a captivating, contemporary adventure for young and old alike, creepy, kooky and most fabulously spooky!

The Addams Family is on at The Lowry until Saturday 16th August tickets available here.

Sherlock Holmes

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Opening Night verdict ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The game is afoot at  Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre 2025 as Chester Storyhouse bring an all-new adventure by ever-popular sleuth Sherlock Holmes to life.

From misdirection to missing valuables, criminal masterminds to secret codes, ‘The Chester Conundrum’ is everything you’d want from an adventure featuring the deer stalker donning detective – ably assisted by his right hand woman Dr Jo Watson.

Written with wit and imagination by Molly Taylor and directed with pacy fun by Ellie Taylor, the open air theatre is the perfect setting for such an enjoyable summer romp.

The scene is set in modern day Chester (no musty Victorian parlours for our ‘Sherly’) at a popular ‘Crime Con’ convention (it’s fun to spot the various other famous crime icons including Poirot, Kojack and yes, Velma from Scooby Doo!)

Dr Watson (a sparky Alyce Liburd) is one of the guests at the convention, organised by a childhood friend (Eddy Westbury) who also doubles up as a delightfully daffy Duke of Westminster.

Organisers hope her partner Sherlock Holmes (a snarky and sardonic Ethan Reid) will also make an attendance – and they aren’t disappointed, although I won’t spoil the manner of his arrival.

But the duo’s Crime Con appearance sparks a madcap mystery featuring, among other things (and minus any spoilers that would ruin the fun) a missing painting, a grisly murder, a supremely silly bust-up in a Liverpool Irish boozer and even a mass karaoke session.

And of course, this being the open air theatre, some audiences members are also recruited to play a part in proceedings – which they gamely did, getting lots of laughs.

The cast are all first rate – we particularly enjoyed Howard Chadwick’s exasperated police detective DCI Chadwick, Victoria Brazier’s dotty Mrs Hudson and Jessica Jolley’s Scouse crimelord. And Lauren Chinery and Hannah Baker were also excellent in their various roles.

(It’s worth noting that not only do the cast play all the instruments that help bring the story to life, they also double up in the theatre’s other summer outdoor production Pride & Prejudice – in case you want to see them in alternative guises.)

It’s particularly nice to see two young actors, Morgan Lewis & Alex James Mason making their professional debut thanks to the Storyhouse Young Company training scheme – which the audience was encouraged to donate to on the night.

Packed with local gags and insider jokes, slapstick physical comedy but with moments of real menace – as well as all the twists and turns you’d expect from a Sherlock mystery, this is a crime caper that fully lives up to the Sherlock name.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is on at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre until Sunday 31st August tickets available here.