Plays

Running Wild

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War Horse author Michael Morpurgo has created yet another stunning story which has now been adapted for stage, this time aimed at a younger audience.

Running Wild tells the tale of 9-year old Lilly (Jemima Bennett) who is struggling to come to terms with recent death of father, a soldier in Afghanistan. To ease her loss her Grandma suggests she takes a trip with her Mum to Indonesia for Christmas to make new memories and get the chance to ride her favourite animal, the elephant. When a tsunami hits the island though tragedy strikes again and Lilly is whisked off into the jungle on the back of Oona the elephant and about to face some of the biggest challenges of her life.

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Morpurgo based Running Wild on real life events he read about in a newspaper back in 2004, when a tsunami hit Sri Lanka killing over 300,000 people. Out of all that tragedy came a shining light – an uplifting story of a little boy who got stranded in the jungle after the elephant he was riding on charged off as soon as the quake hit, saving the boys’ life in the process.

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In the stage adaption by Samuel Adamson the boy in the book becomes a girl, played during this Children’s Touring Partnership production by three alternate young actresses. Jemima Bennett played Lilly on the night we saw Running Wild and gave a polished performance as the feisty tomboy. Bennett takes on the huge role with a professionalism beyond her young years, and demonstrates Lilly’s sheer determination to survive everything the jungle throws in her way.

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There’s a plethora of spectacular puppets on display created by former War Horse Puppetry designers and directors Fin Caldwell and Toby Olie; from Sumatran tigers, to crocodiles and Orangutans. All of them are beautiful crafted and expertly handled by the talented team of puppeteers that bring them to life onstage and give them a heart and soul.

James Whiteside compliments the thrilling action with his atmospheric lighting design which evokes the mood changes of each scene perfectly. Whiteside effectively uses frantic flashes of strip lighting to signify danger and beautiful firefly-esq lights that highlight moments of serenity.

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Running Wild isn’t a sugar coated ‘George of the Jungle’ story you might expect it to be, in parts it is quite upsetting and, for the younger children in the audience, a bit scary (I’d advise to ignore the guidance of age 6+ to be safe and take those aged 8 upwards). However, it is also a play that excites with its adventure and manages to leave both children and adults with some important moral messages about our society today and our relationship with animals.

Runs at The Lowry, Salford until 22nd April. Tickets available here; http://www.thelowry.com/events/running-wild

 

 

Cyrano

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Northern Broadsides together with New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme bring their swashbuckling tale of the legendary Cyrano De Bergerac to the Lowry this week in a newly adapted production from award-winning playwright Deborah McAndrew. Delivered in verse and littered with delightful blasts of baroque music director/ composer Conrad Nelson’s Cyrano is a gloriously fun interpretation of Edmond Rostand’s romantic comedy about unrequited love.

Husband and wife team McAndrew and Nelson stage this European classic with wit and regional charm and although we are in Paris amidst the golden age of the musketeers it is warm Northern voices which deliver the verse. A hint of “Robin Hood Men in tights” in its bold and clever comedy this new adaptation is bright and brilliant.

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Christian Edward makes for a charismatic and commanding Cyrano, entirely confident and cool unless his massive conk gets a mention. Retired to his fate that he’ll never find love with a hooter so large Cyrano becomes third wheel in the fledgling relationship of the blindingly beautiful Roxanne (Sharon Singh) and the ever so handsome Christian (Adam Barlow). Cyrano releases his inner longings for Roxanne onto parchment which she is led to believe comes from the hand of the perfectly formed Christian, who sadly flunked school when it came to prose. It is only many years later Roxanne learns the truth and realises the man she loves has been nose to nose with her for her entire life, quite literally.

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Edwards is exceptional as Cyrano, instantly likeable with bucket loads of swagger he is proud and combative but really loveable at heart. Throughout the piece we see drunken poet Ligniere (Michael Hugo) act almost as a narrator, vocalising the woes of our characters and commentating on the pains that are the Parisian nobles, Hugo is brilliant fun, entertaining and very witty. Francesca Mills takes on multiple roles and is exceptional in all, quick witted and engaging she makes for an excellent pick-pocket sidekick to our hero Cyrano.

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Northern Broadsides have succeeded in making their Cyrano both cheeky and passionate, the entire ensemble cast work brilliantly together, with laughs a plenty as well as tender and touching moments Cyrano has got it all, wit, vigour and the most impressive hooter you’ll ever see!

On at the Lowry until Saturday 22nd April tickets available here; https://www.thelowry.com/events/cyrano

Jane Eyre

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First staged at the Bristol Old Vic, where the story was performed over two evenings, director Sally Cookson brings her acclaimed production on tour, presenting Bronte’s much loved classic as a thrilling and inventive performance beautifully staged in the Lowry’s Lyric theatre.

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While many will be familiar with the story of Jane Eyre for some it’s one of those novels that you may have always intended to read but never quite got there, it is the biography of orphan girl Jane Eyre (Nadia Clifford) and bares striking similarity to Brontë’s own life, raised in the North of England Jane is taken in by her Uncle after the heartbreaking death of her parents, much to the disgust of his cruel wife, Jane’s Aunt, Mrs Reed (Lynda Rooke). When Jane’s Uncle becomes unwell, he asks Mrs Reed to promise to raise Jane as her own, sadly although she provides a house for Jane to dwell in she certainly doesn’t offer the love and warmth of the promised home subjecting Jane to a life of misery and abuse from not just her Aunt but her Cousins as well. At 10 years old she shipped off to Lowood, a school for orphaned girls, where she continues to experience a cruel and unforgiving life, despite this Jane manages to form a strong bond with her school friend Helen Burns (Hannah Bristow), tragedy however is never far away and Jane suffers more gut-wrenching loss.

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Eventually Jane becomes a teacher at Lowood but yearns for change and adventure, she advertises herself as a Governess and is soon summoned to Thornfield Hall to educate Edward Rochester’s (Tim Delap) French ward Adele. As the developing friendship between Jane and Rochester begins to build strange happenings within the house start to occur risking both the safety and the future of both Jane and Rochester.

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The staging of this production is immediately striking upon entering the theatre; set designer Michael Vale uses wooden pallets to create various levels and platforms accompanied by multiple ladders and steps which are used to maximum effect by the cast. Aideen Malone’s lighting design is bold and dynamic, creating and changing the atmosphere dramatically throughout the production.

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The small cast take on a multitude of roles throughout the play and are magnificent, their characterisation outstanding and utterly captivating. They strive to ensure we see Brontë’s work is just as relevant today as it was then; they deliver each and every character with commitment and style. The piece feels fresh and inspiring as the spirited and strong Jane fights for her own freedom and fulfilment. Jane is told early on in the play after being punished by her Aunt in the red room, “Perhaps you should learn to keep your passions under control” something we soon realise is a thing Jane in order to be true to herself could never do. Nadia Clifford is superb in the role of Jane, yearning for liberty and adventure her spirit is strong and her need for fulfilment, physically, spiritually and mentally never wavers. Clifford is mesmerising, charismatic and captivating you immediately warm to her and are desperate for her to succeed. Sally Cookson uses several cast members to verbalise Jane’s inner thoughts, this works beautifully, illustrating just how strong and determined Jane truly is as she battles with herself to do what she believes is right as heart-breaking as it may be.

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Melanie Marshall as Bertha Mason, the ‘lunatic in the attic,’ is superb, frequently appearing through musical interludes her vocals are hauntingly brilliant and pack a real punch. The effect feels almost like a musical narrative, with hugely inventive and highly original song choices that flow beautifully from one scene to the next offering more depth to an already magnificent production. The entire cast give their all; they make for a tight ensemble and move fluidly from one role to the next, accompanied by on stage musicians who add a further creative layer to this inventive piece.

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Jane Eyre is a truly exceptional piece of theatre, groundbreaking and utterly captivating. Brontë’s much loved masterpiece is delivered with freshness and intelligence, you can’t help but think how pleased she would be to see her Jane portrayed with such heart and soul. The National Theatre in partnership with Bristol Old Vic once again succeed in bringing a true masterpiece to life, full of passion, intensity and originality, an absolute must see.

Photo credits Brinkhoff/Mögenburg

On at the Lowry until Saturday 15th April https://www.thelowry.com/events/jane-eyre

Babe, The Sheep-Pig

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Based on the best-selling book by legendary children’s author Dick King-Smith, which inspired the Oscar-winning 1995 film, Babe, The Sheep-Pig is brought to life on the Quays stage in the most enchanting and charming of ways in Polka theatre’s delightful new production.

Babe arrives at the Lowry as part of an extensive UK tour which will see our little piglet entertain audiences from Salford to Southend with many stops along the way. Directed by Michael Fentiman whose previous productions include The Taming of the Shrew and Titus Andronicus (RSC), and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Kensington Gardens). Babe is a story of perseverance, friendship, understanding and bravery. When Babe arrives at Hogget’s Farm as a proposed addition to Christmas dinner he is taken under the wing of loyal sheep-dog Fly and soon discovers a talent for herding, (once he eventually works out his own unique way of encouraging the sheep on the farm to do things his way). But as cute as our little piggy is can he make it in a dog’s world? Will Babe be the hero of the hour when his farmyard friends are in trouble? Will Mrs Hogget find an alternative pork free recipe for their festive feast? That we won’t tell you, you’ll have to head down to the Lowry to find out!

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We will tell you however how truly enchanted we were by this beautiful production, the stunning hand-crafted puppets, created by award-winning puppet designer Max Humphries (Chief Puppet Designer, Cirque de Soleil) and Dik Downey, were expertly brought to life by the talented cast who delivered a masterclass in puppeteering and performance, the children in the audience were truly captivated.

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Madeleine Girling’s stage design sweeps you away to a countryside farm as cast members reside on the stage dressed as fluffy sheep, baah-ing and chomping on hay. The incredible puppetry direction by Matthew Forbes really makes you feel that the residents of Hogget’s Farm have come to life before you, so good is their fluidity and characterisation you soon begin to believe you really are down on the farm. The joy this production brings to its young audience is utterly heart-warming, the small cast deliver this production with heart and soul and the importance of true kindness and real friendship shines through. Babe will warm your heart, fill you with joy and remind you of just how much good there is in the world.

On at the Lowry until Saturday 15th April https://www.thelowry.com/events/babe

 

 

 

Silver Lining

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Set in a retirement home amidst the threat of raging storm Doris, we meet an all-female group of residents awaiting evacuation, only to realise like the families who left them there their desperately hoped for rescue may have been abandoned too. Far from doom and gloom writer Sandy Toksvig focuses on humour with some great comedic performances delivered well by her strong cast.

As the storm begins to worsen the ladies soon realise they have been forgotten as their only source of help comes from a young agency care worker from Croydon who’d much rather be snapchatting than hanging around with these long past it oldies. Once the reality that they have been abandoned sinks in the ladies characters and stories really begin to develop, which leads to both moments of laugh out loud hilarity and several more moving moments as they discuss their regrets, their struggles and make their apologies before their fighting spirit returns.

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Sheila Reid gives a strong performance as Gloria Bernhardt, a leopard print wearing, mobile phone addicted pensioner desperately clinging onto her youth. Sisters May Trickett and June Partridge played by Maggie McCarthy and Joanna Monro respectively bounce well of each other, bickering for most of the play, ultimately very different but both hurting inside yet keeping their stiff upper lips for the majority of the performance. Northerner Maureen played by Rachel Davies regrets having children and waiting her life on her husband, she harps back to her glory days as a film extra and theatre understudy, never quite getting her chance to shine. Dementia patient St Michael played by Amanda Walker offers some real comedic moments as she slips in and out of the present. As the storm worsens the ladies stories begin to flow and their walls start to break down, even agency worker Hope, Keziah Joseph goes through a transformation as we see just how much we can all learn from each other if we just take the time to listen and ultimately care.

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Silver Linings is a fun and thought-provoking piece, it gathers pace as it develops and offers audiences a light-hearted look at the resilience of a group of ladies who whilst elderly certainly haven’t given up on life.

On at The Lowry until Saturday 8th April www.thelowry.com/events/silver-lining

 

The Woman in Black

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It’s hard to believe that The Women in Black is celebrating its 30 year anniversary, such is its reputation and reverence it seems to have been around much longer. Doing for the horror genre what The Mousetrap has done for murder/mystery, the two plays are held in such high regard that seldom is mentioned of the shocks, frights, twists and turns: it is more just a case of take a seat and go along for the ride.

Based on the 1983 Novel by Susan Hill and adapted for the stage by the late Stephen Mallatratt, The Women in Black sees retired solicitor Arthur Kipps attempting to tell the terrifying story of his time at isolated and desolate Eel Marsh House, located in the market town of Crythin Gifford. To fully do justice to the horrors he encountered, Kipps enlists the assistance of an unnamed actor to help tell his tale. The two men are at odds with what they want from the experience: Kipps wants the courage to finally finish his story and put the nightmare behind him, whilst the keen actor wants to tell a fascinating tale using all the craft of theatre and performance at his disposal. What follows is a nightmarish journey filled with laughs and frights as we witness the full horror of Eel Marsh House and the sheer evil of The Women in Black.

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Both leads are outstanding: Matthew Spencer plays the confident unnamed actor, and the younger Arthur Kipps to perfection seamlessly drifting between brash showmen and a man trapped in a situation that is spiralling out of control. David Acton plays the older vulnerable Kipps as well as a variety of roles, both act as narrators throughout. Acton certainly borrows from Alec Guinness in Kind Hearts and Cornets to help with his transformation which is high praise indeed.

I would argue that the play has a third performer: the theatre itself. Within the first minute of the play Spencer strides from the back of auditorium and thus lets us know that space you occupy is part of the play and by design as the narrative progresses you aren’t safe in your seat either! Throughout the play you find yourself scanning the room to see where the next fright is coming. This is aided and abetted by some fantastic sound and lighting design from Gareth Owen and Kevin Sleep respectively.

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The script is surprisingly funny: punctured with humour, I laughed more in the first 15 minutes than I have at most supposed comedies; however this is a ploy, designed to sucker you in and make you complacent so that when the first scare comes it smacks you like a spade in the face. As the play progresses the laughs diminish and the frights more frequent.

It is a credit to not only the two leads: but Robin Herford’s direction that the play has the right balance of laughs, drama, and terror that keeps you keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. It is a slow beginning but once it hits its stride and it’s thoroughly enjoyable.

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I’m not going to spoil any frights or big scares, however what I will say is that the reaction of some patrons sat around said a great deal: one lady said she nearly lost her lunch (and later claimed she almost had an even worse accident than being sick), several people gasped our Lord and saviours name and my arm has some heavy bruises where my friend held on during some of the more terrifying scenes.

The Women in Black is what great theatre should do: take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, at times makes you laugh at the same time as scare the life out of you. This is a truly outstanding piece of theatre and one that will still be celebrated in another 30 years time. If I could give one piece of advice if you are going to see it may I suggest getting rid of that old rocking chair… it’ll be for the best.

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The Women in Black is on at The Lowry until 25th March 2017, tickets are available here;

http://www.thelowry.com/events/woman-in-black

 

 

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

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Returning to The Lowry as part of a new 25 city tour, The National Theatre’s multi-award winning production The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time, is as spellbinding and incredibly moving as ever. Adapted by Stockport born Simon Stephens and directed by Manchester’s own Marianne Elliott, Curious introduces us to a very, very special person, the utterly extraordinary, Christopher Boone.

 

The story follows fifteen year old Christopher (Scott Reid) upon his alarming discovery of the murder of his neighbour’s dog Wellington, whom he has found speared with a garden fork. Christopher, wrongfully under suspicion makes it his mission to solve the mystery of the murder by documenting the facts he discovers through his thorough and detailed investigations. Christopher is a complex yet truly remarkable boy, like many autistic people Christopher sees the world very differently to perhaps you and I, for one he truly ‘sees’ the world, he notices each and everything around him, he observes and processes every physical detail in his environment, colours, sounds, textures, everything Christopher sees is in exact and minute detail. His brain is as complex as it is fascinating, metaphors don’t make sense and people are generally confusing.

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Scott Reid as Christopher is fantastic, he makes such a physically and emotionally challenging role appear effortless, he is hugely likeable and engages the audience from his very first scene, you quite literally fall in love with Reid’s Christopher, you want him desperately to succeed and to be happy, safe and secure. The relationship he has with Siobhan (Lucianne McEvoy) his teacher is beautiful; she calms and soothes Christopher when things get too much and he stops being able to process the endless information his brain is constantly receiving, more importantly she totally and utterly believes in him.

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As the story develops we soon realise that Christopher like many people on the Autistic Spectrum is uncomfortable with touch, the amount of physical contact he will engage in is minimal and must be on his terms, this is beautifully directed and makes for some of the most poignant and emotional scenes in whole production as we witness Christopher’s parents battle to simply comfort their child.

Director Marianne Elliot along with Movement Directors Scott Graham, Steven Hoggett and Adrian Sutton have created something truly unique with their cast, from weightlessly floating through space to the trauma of using the unwelcoming and chaotic underground the way the cast move is mesmerising. The organisation and exact movement of the cast is outstanding, their fluid movement so intricate.

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Complementing the brilliant cast is a truly stunning set, it is in effect part of the cast as it is so involved in every aspect of what happens on stage, the cast and the set at times almost become one, moving fluidly together to astonishing effect. Designer Bunny Christie, Lighting Designer Paule Constable, Video Designer Finn Ross and Sound Designer Ian Dickinson have created something truly magical here.

Curious is a production that leaves an huge impact, at times heart-warming and funny it is also through provoking and incredibly moving, without doubt an absolute must see.

On at The Lowry until Saturday 4th February

http://www.thelowry.com/event/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-night-time

Love’s Labour’s Lost

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A wonderful additional to this years offerings celebrating 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare, The RSC bring not one but two of the Bard’s works to Manchester this Christmas time. Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing, argued by some that the latter is another name for Shakespeare’s missing play, Love’s Labour’s Won, the similarities between the two are plentiful, both being set on a large county estate, sparring couples, masked encounters, mistaken identities and of course hilarious high jinx including overheard and secretly observed sonnets. Playing back to back at Manchester’s Opera House before heading to the Theatre Royal Haymarket , both productions are an absolute triumph.

Opening with the King of Navarre (Sam Alexander) and his three Lords, Berowne (Edward Bennett), Longaville (William Belchambers), and Dumaine (Tunji Kasim), swearing an oath  which includes avoiding contact with women for a lengthy three years, shortly followed by the arrival of the beautiful Princess of France (Leah Whitaker) and her ladies Rosaline (Lisa Dillon), Katharine (Rebecca Collingworth) and Maria (Paige Carter) it soon becomes clear this was an oath that was never going to easily run it’s course. Cue much merriment and classic Shakespearean rhyme while completly against their oath the Lords fall in love with the ladies and of course the King with the Princess.

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Don Armado (John Hodgkinson), a Spaniard visiting the King’s court, is also hit by Cupid’s bow, but rather than with a Lady of the court he is taken by Jaquenetta, (Emma Manton) a local dairymaid who has recently been found cavorting with Costard (Nick Haverson) the gardner. So ensues the writing of love notes, delivered of course to the wrong recipient. The unconventional courtships continue with a wonderful scene where we see the King and his Lords disguising themselves as travelling Muscovites which leads to hilarious scenes of Russian dancing and the ladies switching identities themselves through the swapping of favours received by the Lords and the use of elegant masks.

Working with the same company of actors and setting both plays either side of the Great War adds real poignancy to the ending of Love’s Labour’s Lost, sometimes described at the ‘unfinished play’ the merriment and frivolity of the play comes to an abrupt end when the King and his Lord’s head off to war, much as life for many must have been as their young men suddenly headed off to the battlefields of Northern France.

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The cast are exceptional, the talent on stage an absolute joy to watch, from Edward Bennett’s brilliant Berowne to John Hodgkinson’s hilarious Don Armado the comic timing and delivering of the Bard’s script is just perfection. Special mention to Peter McGovern whose Moth was magnificent, not to mention his Hercules in the ‘Nine Worthies’ which had the audience in hysterics.

Visually stunning, Simon Higlet’s set is outstanding, with scene changes flowing beautifully due to the ingenious use of a large sliding truck and sub-stage trap. Where Much Ado is festive and twinkling, Love’s Labour’s Lost takes place in the summertime of 1914 when skies are blue and poppies, in a nod to the impending Great War are plentiful. Melody Wood’s luxurious costumes are delightful, perfectly encapsulating the period. The use of music by Nigel Hess, directed by Bob Broad, further enhances this production, filmically underscoring certain moments and offering some challenging vocal pieces which the cast embrace wonderfully.

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Love’s Labour’s Lost is an absolute joy, highly entertaining and wonderfully acted. Playing at Manchester’s Opera House until Saturday 3rd December.

http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/loves-labours-lost/opera-house-manchester/

Much Ado About Nothing – Opera House

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Now that we have witnessed the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Edward Bennett electrocuted inside a giant Christmas tree, the festive season can officially begin!
What better way to mark the conclusion of 2016 – and the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death – than with two of the Bard’s best-loved comedies, played on consecutive nights at the Opera House Manchester, with the same cast?
Director Christopher Luscombe and production manager Paul Hennessey’s grand experiment examines the long-rumoured synergies between Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing – setting them in the same country estate (modelled on Charlecote Park, near Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon) and bookmarking them in summer and winter, before and after the Great War. 
Both deliver a witty, sparring couple; a supporting cast of characters that include a policeman, a curate and many domestic servants; masked encounters between lovers; and – one of Shakespeare’s favourite devices – endless cases of mistaken identity. 
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Associate director Guy Unsworth concludes that Shakespeare ‘deliberately shows us two sides of the same coin’ and ‘does indeed want us to view them as an extended double-bill’… Mark thee well!
Anon – immersing ourselves in Much Ado About Nothing’s wintry scenes on a cold Mancunian night – we encounter fast-talking, resolutely single bachelorette Beatrice (Lisa Dillon), who declares: ‘I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me’. The equally marriage-adverse Benedick (Edward Bennett) has just returned from the war, yet it is Beatrice’s quick-fire degradations of his character – spoken at a masked dance – that leave him mortally wounded. 
Their union seems doomed until their eavesdropping antics reveal a surprising fact… they are each madly in love with the other. These revelatory conversations – staged by Benedick and Beatrice’s family and friends, for their benefit – are some of the funniest scenes in the production. Bennett’s comedic antics inside the family Christmas tree solicit great guffaws of appreciation from the audience; it feels inevitable when he breaks the fourth wall – dissolving into barely suppressed laughter himself.  
In another plot, Beatrice’s cousin Hero (Rebecca Collingwood), who radiates chastity and goodness, is due to be married to besotted Claudio (Tunji Kasim); however, he jilts her at the altar when her name is sullied by an accusation of infidelity. With Beatrice and Benedict’s – and Hero and Claudio’s – unions both hanging in the balance, could it be that all hopes rest on hapless constable Dogberry (Nick Haverson) riding to the rescue?
Gripped in a fit of body spasms and crashing around the set, it feels as though he is perilously close to tumbling from the stage; Haverson gives every fibre of his being to the slapstick comedic stylings of Dogberry. Along with Lisa Dillon, his performance is a highlight among the sublime cast – assembled by Gabrielle Dawes and Helena Palmer.  
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Designer Simon Higlett has created a sumptuous Christmas card-style stage – rich, festive and twinkling. His team seamlessly interchange between the house and its grounds by virtue of a large sliding truck and the sub-stage trap. It’s as ingenious as it is beautiful – complemented by Melody Wood’s sumptuous period costumes that brilliantly encapsulate fashion on the cusp of the 1920s. 
This is the second time that composer Nigel Hess has scored the two plays for the RSC, but with exception of a couple of affection quotes, he has revisited them again with completely new music. To further explore the cohesion between the comedies, he uses musical cross-references between the two productions. It’s a triumph, with nuances that complement the on-stage gusto and frivolity to perfection. 
Christmas is a season of laughter and good cheer – and you will find both in these sparkling, immaculate productions by one of our nation’s greatest treasures: the Royal Shakespeare Company. 
Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing are on at Opera House Manchester until Saturday, 3 December.

Cinderella

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Cinderella at The Bolton Octagon

photo credit: Richard Davenport

Hats off to the Bolton Octagon for always trying to push the boundaries when it comes to their Christmas shows. From Alice in Wonderland to last year’s BFG the northern theatre has shunned the traditional panto and instead presented their audiences with contemporary productions to delight them over the festive season. You’d be forgiven for thinking they had changed tact this year with Cinderella being their production of choice for 2016 but, as ever with the Octagon, it has a clever twist!

Told through the eyes of five charismatic rats;  Whiskers (Alexander Bean), Claws (Alicia McKenzie), Teeth (Anne O’Riordan), Tail (Felicity Sparks) and Ears (Tomas Wolstenholme) this is a modern day version of the fairy-tale classic, jam-packed with live music and audience participation.

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photo credit: Richard Davenport

The show starts with the rats lamenting over the fact that Cinderella has left them to go and live a new life at the Palace. One by one the energetic rodents don costumes to take on different roles and explain just how Cinders went from rags to riches.

All five actors excel at creating some well-rounded characters but the leader of the pack has to be Anne O’Riordan who puts in a sparkling performance as Teeth. ‘Pocket rocket’ O’Riordan is delightful as she exudes cheekiness and has both the children and adults laughing along at her facial expressions and ‘dodgy’ dancing.

The cast of six is completed by Lucy Faint as Cinderella whose northern accent brings a down to earth charm to the role and she manages to make her both vulnerable and straight-talking. There’s some great moments when Faint journeys into the audience sitting next to them to sing a song, making the children’s jaws drop as a result.

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photo credit: Richard Davenport

Don’t be fooled by Ellen Nabarro’s set design, (which at first glance looks like a cluttered space filled with a centrepiece of musical instruments from piano to xylophone), everything used to dress the stage cleverly doubles up as a prop or a costume and can be returned back to the set when it’s finished with. The lighting is one of the true stars of this production though as the stage transforms into a magical space filled with hundreds of lightbulbs, topped off by a huge glitterball hanging from the ceiling and even lights in Cinders ballgown!

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photo credit: Richard Davenport

If you are looking for something a bit different this Christmas then look no further, the Bolton Octagon’s blown the cobwebs off an old fashioned fairy-tale and produced a great offering for all the family.

Cinderella runs at the Bolton Octagon until 14th January 2017

www.octagonbolton.co.uk

 

 

 

 

George’s Marvellous Medicine

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Photo by Mark Douet

Since 1992 The Birmingham Stage Company have produced more Dahl shows than any other company in the world. Their recent hit shows have included Horrible Histories and the world premiere of Gangsta Granny by David Walliams. Now the company brings George’s Marvellous Medicine to audiences across the UK, stopping at Manchester’s Opera house for 5 dates, running until 19th November.

Olivier award-winning David Wood’s adaptation of this Ronald Dahl classic is perfect in every way, ensuring fans of the original book are not disappointed and children can happily join in reciting the many humorous lines at every stage of the production. Dubbed the ‘National children’s dramatist’ by The Times it is clear that the task of bringing Dahl’s eccentric characters to life is in very safe hands with Woods.

The story centres around likable lad George, played energetically here by Ed Thorpe, and his desire to turn his grumpy and mean Grandma into a much lovelier relative who treats him with love and showers him in kindness. There are some hilarious dream sequences which bring George’s inner thoughts to life and even see Grandma twerking!

Deborah Vale is Grandma and plays the role very much in the mould of 90s sitcom favourite Hyacinth Bucket. Not only is there a strong resemblance to Hyacinth but the likeness between George’s Mum and Grandma is uncanny until you realise it goes deeper than that – the actresses are actually identical twin sisters in real life – perfect casting!

The packed house of children and parents lap up the slapstick action as George is left alone to give Grandma her medicine and he systematically goes from room to room in the house filling a huge pan with crazy ingredients to replace it with his own special potion.

“Grandma, if you only knew what George has in store for you” is met with screams of delight and derision.

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Photo by Mark Douet

 

Grandma’s transformation is worth the price of a ticket alone as she gulps down George’s marvellous medicine and grows 30 foot tall in the blink of an eye. The children in the audience are amazed and enthralled at the sight, with wide eyes and open mouths as Grandma’s head crashes through the roof of the house. Hats off, or should we say roof’s off, to Jaqueline Trousdale who has designed a very clever set which enables the magic of this book to make an effortless transition from page to stage.

George’s Marvellous Medicine is everything a children’s show should be, with its eccentric humour and larger than life characters providing 90 minutes of non-stop entertainment for all the family.

George’s Marvellous Medicine runs at the Opera House, Manchester until Sat 19 Nov

www.atgtickets.com/manchester 

 

Helen Forrester’s Twopence To Cross The Mersey

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Cast of Twopence To Cross The Mersey. Photo by Dave the Pap.

Set during the time of the Great Depression Twopence to Cross The Mersey is a bleak play which highlights the poverty and squalor of the dark days of the 1930s. Adapted for the stage from Helen Forrester’s most famous novel it is a semi-autobiographical tale of a middle-class family who fall on hard times and move to Liverpool to start over again. Helen (Maria Lovelady) is just twelve years old when her father (Christopher Jordan) is made bankrupt and her plus her six siblings make their way to Merseyside with their socialite mother (Emma Dears) dragging her heels behind. As the oldest child in the family Helen is made to stay at home and look after her newborn brother whilst the others go to school and her parents look for work.

Maria Lovelady puts in a touching performance as the put upon Helen who is made to grow up fast when all she yearns for is to enjoy being young and to go to school to learn. Lovelady has played the role previously and, despite being an adult playing a child, is extremely believable making the audience root for her to get a happy ending.

There’s a plethora of characters throughout the play, portrayed by the eight strong cast, with some impressive quick costume changes from one to another. Hats off to actress Eithne Browne who takes on a massive nine roles, making each one as well-rounded as the other and stealing every scene she is in.

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Photo by Dave the Pap.

Christopher Jordan and Emma Dears are great in the supporting roles of Helen’s Mother and Father. Dears’ facial expressions and cut glass accent had the audience simmering in disgust as she expertly displayed the self-absorbed Mother and her inability to think of her children’s welfare before her own.

With a minimal set of little more than two wooden door frames, a table and two chairs the cast had to work hard to create the image of a deprived Liverpool through their acting ,with the help of inventive sound effects and mood lighting. They pulled it off though and proved you don’t always need lavish sets for a production to work.

My only criticism would be the overuse of narration by the characters, in particular Helen, who on numerous occasion went from narrating in character to talking to others onstage which was a little confusing and took a while to get used to. There’s less narration in the second half of the play which makes for smoother viewing and less stilted action.

St. Helen’s Theatre Royal is the last stop on Twopence To Cross The Mersey’s seven venue tour across the North West and North Wales beginning back in September at Liverpool’s well-renowned Royal Court Theatre.

Runs at St. Helen’s Theatre Royal until 12th November.

www.twopencetocrossthemersey.com