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The Good (Inte)review – Petra Jane Tauscher
There is just so much write about Walter Meierjohann’s latest world premiere production The Funfair. I’ve been lucky enough to preview the first two scenes, sneaking into a rehearsal, and it is...
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Rules For Living – National Theatre
If you believe that the devices by which playwrights reveal their characters’ thoughts are the very essence of theatre, then Sam Holcroft’s bitter, black, cruel, and outrageously funny play is for...
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The Rolling Stone – Royal Exchange, Manchester
★★★★ It is easy to forget, in our relatively progressive country, that it is only within the last fifty years or so that homosexuality was legalised. But The Rolling Stone, a Royal Exchange premiere,...
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Unseen Artists – The Director
We’ve had a little break, and now we’re reading to jump right back into Unseen Artists. Name and Profession Karl Barnsley, Theatre Director What’s your background, how did you get into this...
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The Rise and Fall of Little Voice – King’s Arms Theatre, Salford
★★★★ It’s all sparkle and no frills at this gem of a theatre. The little flat the play is set in is presented on a well-designed split-level stage to an audience of no more than sixty cosily seated...
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JB Shorts 13 – Joshua Brooks, Manchester
★★★★ Reviewer: Richard Hall From the topical to the plain ridiculous, JB Shorts 13 once again brings together some of Manchester’s finest acting and writing talent. The writers for this latest...
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The Lady’s Not for Walking Like an Egyptian – Royal Exchange Studio, Manchester
★★★ Reviewer: Richard Hall To coincide with this year’s General Election campaign, the Royal Exchange has shrewdly, programmed this witty and thoughtful revue like show, which cleverly crosses the...
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Secret Diaries – Lowry Theatre, Salford
★★★★ This is an enjoyable performance, fun at times as well as moving. Writer Sarah Evans states drama enables us to unhinge the doors we hide behind, see the world more clearly and explore what it...
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Anna Karenina – Royal Exchange, Manchester
★★★★ There are so many interlinking characters in Anna Karenina, that I did play with the idea of drawing a spider diagram to show all the connections. But that’s not to say that this is an...
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The Strangeness of Others – LIPA, The Black-E, Liverpool
★★★★ The Strangeness of Others is a play originally written by Nick Ward, directed on this occasion by Gari Jones and produced by LIPA as part of their 2015 Spring/Summer Season of Public Performances....
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Scuttlers – Royal Exchange, Manchester
★★★★ The Royal Exchange treat us to a bit of local history with their first play of 2015, the world premiere of Rona Munro’s Scuttlers. The play follows the lives of young Manchester street gangs of...
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Unseen Artists – The Writer
Welcome to the first in our series of features on Unseen Artists, celebrating the “unsung heroes” in the world of theatre. This week is the turn of writer Mark Griffiths. What’s your background? How...
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The Mist in the Mirror – Oldham Coliseum
★★★★ The Mist in the Mirror, written by Ian Kershaw, is a brilliant adaptation of Susan Hill’s spooky novel. She is better known for The Woman in Black, but this is new show, an Oldham Coliseum...
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Play-4-Free Festival: The Queen of Horror – King’s Arms Theatre, Salford
★★★★ Caution: Review may contain spoilers The concept of The Queen of Horror alone was enough to drag me in. A young lady goes to visit renowned horror author (tick) to interview her for her podcast...
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Blind Date – Joshua Brooks, Manchester
★★★★ The evolution of Blind Date is interesting. It started life as a short play as part of JB Shorts, and audiences really responded to the two adorable central characters, Andrew and Angela. So much...
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Re:play 2015: Tuesdays at Tescos – HOME, Manchester
★★★★ Tuesdays at Tescos is a well-done monologue. It is the first English adaptation of Emmanuel Darley’s Le Mardi a Monoprix, premiered in Paris in 2009. This version was translated by Sarah Vermande...
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A View From The Bridge – Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Reviewer: Richard Hall ★★★★ A View From The Bridge, along with The Crucible, is one of Arthur Miller’s most frequently revived plays and in this excellent production, it is easy to see why audiences...
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Re:play 2015: Colder Than Here – HOME, Manchester
★★★★★ January can be something of a desolate place. Venture into Manchester City Centre on a cold, wintry Saturday night and you’ll find it quiet; bars, pubs and clubs not half as busy as they would be...
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Play-4-Free Festival: Peaceful – King’s Arms Theatre, Salford
★★★★ It’s pretty difficult to create a genuinely unsettling, spooky piece of theatre. In recent memory, I can only recall being terrified at Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black, Andy Nyman and Jeremy...
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Re:play 2015: Spur of the Moment – HOME, Manchester
★★★ The opening scene of Spur Of The Moment is promising, lively and full of humour. Delilah aged twelve, turning thirteen, is with her two friends singing songs from High School Musical to make into...
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