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EMPIRE THEATRE, LIVERPOOL – UNTIL 1 OCTOBER 2022

REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN

5*****

The English National Ballet returned last night to Liverpool with Derek Deane’s grand and long relied on production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. It was originally devised as an arena show, in-the-round performed at the Royal Albert Hall, and then adapted for traditional theatre staging. This revival of Deane’s 1997 staging is just as big and spectacular, in every way.

I have been very fortunate to have had the pleasure of seeing the ballet Swan Lake in different countries and last night’s performance of The English National Ballet at the Empire Theatre, had me sitting in my chair, flabbergasted. It was absolutely breath-taking.

The opening Act fulfilled all my expectations with the immersive set design, costumes and choreography. As a whole, the company is outstanding, every single dancer was superb.

The Lead Principle, Erina Takahashi who performs Odette, was stunning. The technically and artistically demanding double role of Odette (White Swan) and Odile (Black Swan) is perhaps the most difficult in all ballet and Takahashi executed both roles impeccably – there is something unreal about her. She was at her most captivating in the Black Swan section.

Prince Siegfried, performed by Lead Principle Francesco Gabriele Frola, is a gifted dancer. His solo’s were outstanding; his energy and leg positioning superb. He displayed remarkable control and neatness when he landed with his jumps.

First Soloist, the sorcerer Rothbart performed by James Streeter, was brilliant and his costume magnificent. For me the true standouts of the evening, were the swan maidens, with their united discipline, stamina and focus, they were mesmerising. The performance I was looking forward to the most, was the Dance of the Cygnets and I was not disappointed, the audience celebrated with a loud cheer.

Sometimes the storytelling in ballet can be difficult to follow but in last nights performance it was very clear and easy to follow. The orchestra needs commending, as they were just amazing! The score matched the action on stage and perfectly complimented the graceful swans of the corps de ballet.

This performance has two intervals with a pause after the first act.

It is no wonder Swan Lake is one of the most popular ballets of time and this production is most definitely a delight for the dedicated enthusiast or first-time ballet goer.

The Cast, Doncaster – until October 1st 2022

Reviewed by Janina Cairns

4****

This show tells the story of Ursula the Sea Witch from the story of The Little Mermaid. The show is a musical and a parody of the story and has Ursula, obviously as the main star. It has an age recommendation of 16+ which gives you an idea that this won’t be a fluffy family show. The basic story starts back when Ursula wanted to be a suitor for the Price of Atlantica. They have a bit of a connection, but the King frames her for murder and her heart turns cold. From there she is banished to the dark depths of the sea. Fast forward 20 years and that’s when the pact with Ariel is done. We all know Ariel gets her Prince Eric, but will Ursula? I won’t spoil the ending, so get your tickets and check for yourself.

The cast is small, 7 in total, interchanging various characters. The cast comprised of Miracle Chance (Ariel), Allie Dart (Sebastian), Robyn Grant (Ursula), Jack Gray (Scuttle), Jamie Mawson (Prince Eric), Danni Payne (Various parts) and George Whitty (Prince Triton). Robyn Grant who is also the Director of the show, has stepped in to play Ursula as their lead who was to play Ursula is unfortunately ill. Robyn did a wonderful performance. This is not surprising as I found out she co-wrote the script and lyrics. The songs in the show were catchy, original and funny.

The set backdrop was the same throughout and was 4 arcs on each side decreasing in size to represent the suckers of an octopus. At the side of the stage, visible throughout were the 3 musicians. The set looked quite effective. Throughout the show they brought various props on, quick assembly, use them, disassembly, props off. Seamless.

The show is a little rude, has subtle innuendoes and the occasional swear word. It takes a few good-humoured digs at the fact Disney is all sweetness and light but not necessarily inclusive.

This comedy has some good laugh out loud moments. The expressive performance by the whole cast was genius. I felt it gave a nod to the good old fashioned slapstick comedy of Norman Wisdom era. Their use of the puppets was very well choreographed. The costumes were totally original and well thought out.

The only thing that let it down for me, was the sound. Although they were all singing and acting well, sometimes I found the dialogue and lyrics weren’t as clear as they could have been. Not all the way through, just on occasion. Now, that could have been the acoustics of the room or possible the mic quality. I can’t say for sure.

But, in short, if you fancy a bit of sassy, saucy fun and don’t mind your childhood memories of The Little Mermaid ruined (ha ha) then go along for some light-hearted entertainment. It is well worth a watch.

Harrogate Theatre – Wednesday 28th September 2022. Touring until Saturday 22nd October

Reviewed by Aimee Liddington

5*****

Angel is a one woman show performed by Yasemin Özdemir which tells the story of a young girl who enters devotedly into a mission to find and protect her father in the face of ISIS soldiers. Rehana is a farmer’s daughter and an aspiring lawyer, much to her father’s disappointment (he’d rather her take over the farm). She’s grown up with a backdrop of violence and conflict and although she’s been prepared for it, she never thought she’d be faced with it herself. When trouble arrives Rehana’s innocent aspirations are ripped away from her and she is left to defend herself against an army of evil.

This story is the third in a trilogy written by Henry Naylor and first hit the stage at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2016. Since then, the performance which is directed by Peter Doran has been seen by many audiences around the world and continues to shed light onto the lives of faceless Kurdish families who were forced to flee their homes in Kobane in 2014.

With a simple set and lighting designed by Sean Crowley and Andrew Sturley, all eyes are on Özdemir who captures the audience’s attention from her first entrance onto the stage. She bewitches the audience with her careful and considered characterisation which has been developed and crafted with elegance and passion. We see Özdemir change her characterisation throughout the performance as she goes from being charming and childlike to stone faced and hardened by the death and destruction that falls around her. At the end of the performance, Özdemir’s passion for the cause is apparent as she comes out of character to thank the audience for watching.

Everyday thousands of families are forced to flee their homes to find refuge in safety. If that’s something you can’t even bring yourself to imagine then consider coming to see this production – it’ll help you gain an insight into the lives of so many people around the world.

Alhambra Theatre, Bradford – until 2^nd October 2022

Reviewed by Katie Brewerton

5*****

My Fair Lady is back! The classic musical is back on tour, currently mesmerising audiences at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford. Having never seen My Fair Lady, I went in with high expectations given its popularity and longevity and I was not disappointed. Based on ‘Pygmalion’ by George Bernard Shaw, My Fair Lady opened in 1956 and has been wowing audiences since, becoming one of the most celebrated musicals ever. 

My Fair Lady tells the story of Eliza Doolittle (Charlotte Kennedy) a poor flower seller in London and Henry Higgins (Michael D. Xavier),  who makes a bet with Colonel Pickering (John Middleton). Pickering bets Higgins that he can use his skills as a linguistic professor to turn Eliza in to a lady. Can she fool the Queen of Transylvania in to believing she is a real lady at the ball and help Higgins win the bet? 

The cast is full of familiar faces with Adam Woodyatt, best known for the role of Ian Beale in Eastenders, taking on the role of Eliza’s father, Alfred Doolittle. Emmerdale star, John Middleton best known for playing Ashley Thomas for over 20 years takes on the role of Colonel Pickering and Lesley Garrett stars Mrs Pearce, Professor Higgins’ housekeeper. While these well-known starts shine, so do the rest of the cast, they are all wonderful and a special mention must go to Tom Liggins who plays potential love interest, Freddy Eynsford-Hill whose rendition of ‘On the Street Where You Live’ was phenomenal. 

Another mention must go to the wonderful set, the stage revolves to reveal a different room of the magnificent house, which the cast moving effortlessly through the rooms as the stage revolved. With a range of well-known songs, if you’ve never seen My Fair Lady you will be sure to know a lot of the music, including ‘Wouldn’t It Be Loverly’, ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ and ‘Get Me To The Church On Time’. 

It’s clear to see why My Fair Lady has stood the test of time and it is a simply ‘Loverly’ show.

Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until Saturday 1st October 2022

Reviewed by Steph Lott

5*****

In recent days, with the death of Queen Elizabeth II, succession is a theme which is very much at the forefront of many people’s minds. In The Two Popes, director Fernando Meirelles and screenwriter Anthony McCarten, who wrote the screenplays for The Theory of Everything, Darkest Hour, and Bohemian Rhapsody, offer a dramatisation of what happened in 2013, when Pope Benedict XVI shook the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics by becoming the first pontiff to step down in 700 years. He was the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415, and the first to do so on his own initiative since Celestine V in 1294.

This play, (which was turned into a film starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce), is a speculation on what might have happened behind the scenes when Pope Benedict met the charismatic Argentinian Jorge Bergoglio, who would eventually succeed him and become the current Pope Francis. For the first time in human history, the world had two living popes.

The retiring Pope is played here by Anton Lesser, with Nicholas Woodeson as Francis. The portrayal of both men is full of warmth; how diverse they are and the issues and guilt that weigh so heavily upon them, is very skilfully depicted and I very much enjoyed the contrasts between the two men.

Their big debate was concerning whether the Catholic Church should renew or transform its 2,000-year-old traditions. Both McCarten and the actors focus on the two men as human beings who find themselves overwhelmed by the huge responsibility of taking that decision. It is not clear that it is even a responsibility that they want.

Lesser’s Benedict is an intellectual and an almost innocent soul. He has less experience of the material pleasures of the world and is much more conservative compared to Woodeson’s Francis who loves to tango and watch football.

Both popes have events in their past which cause them shame and guilt. However, despite their imperfections and misgivings, one of them must shoulder the burden of the papacy.

In addition to Lesser and Woodeson’s standout performances, I very much enjoyed the depiction of their respective nuns, who are both supportive yet challenging at times. (Lynsey Beauchamp and Leaphia Darko).

I loved the set and the staging. James Dacre’s production is tender yet intense. I was moved by the sounds of ‘Gloria! Gloria!’ echoing round the stage amid wafts of incense and ethereal lighting.

This is a thoughtful and moving production and one that definitely delights. ‘The Two Popes’ is a fascinating dramatised window into the events in the lives of two men who hold unique roles.

Soho Theatre London – until 15th October 2022

Reviewed by Emily Cliff

4****

Fresh from the Fringe, Karim Khan’s moving coming-of-age story Brown Boys Swim has taken up residence at Soho Theatre until 15th October 2022. Set in Oxford, the play follows two South Asian boys as they navigate life, friendship, social prejudice and most importantly, learning to swim ahead of the most significant event of their teen years – Jess Denvers pool party.

Beautifully set, the LED-lit poolside was magnificent in its simplicity and ability to change the entire scene. From the harsh white lights of a clothing store to the gentle blues and greens of the community leisure centre pool. The glow of the lights reflected that of the water, lighting the whole theatre in a hum of blue and green. The ambience of the pool with splashes and indistinct chatter seemed to fill the stage adding to the atmosphere created by the lights and the chemistry between Mohsan (Anish Roy) and Kash (Varun Raj)

Supburbly written, the play tackles societal issues that are all too present in the current age. The comedic timing of the production was fantastic without it seeming too forced or put on. It was delightfully charming but also serious when it needed to be, seamlessly switching between the two without feeling too clunky. The interludes during the scene changes were brilliantly artistic, however, in some parts they felt like they went on a little too long. The pool scenes, however, were beautifully choreographed.

Each character is uniquely complex in their own right. Kash can be seen trying to fit in with everyone at school and make the most of his youth whereas Moshan can be seen as the level-headed future-driven character bound for Oxford University – playing it safe. The chemistry between the two characters is fantastic, the bond between the two is one like brothers. From shared heritage to shared experiences of societal racism and Islamaphobia.

Charming and moving, this authentic coming-of-age story makes us examine the way we behave in order to comply to societal standards and how ultimately harmful that can be. This funny story is beautiful in every way, from the way it is written to the way it is performed, it certainly earned its standing ovation.

Chichester Festival Theatre – until 15th October 2022

Reviewed by Sally Lumley

4****

Woman In Mind, by Alan Ayckbourn, has been brought back to the stage at Chichester Festival Theatre. This dark comedy centres around Susan (Jenna Russell), a middle-aged woman who we meet as she comes round from a concussion, having knocked herself out by standing on a rake. This incident triggers a deterioration of her mental health and we, the audience, are the witnesses as she unravels.

The Susan we meet is happy, with her charming husband, dashing brother and adoring daughter in a sunny, rose-filled garden. However, as the play progresses, we understand that this is a world she has created to compensate for her reality. The real Susan feels trapped and unfulfilled in her life as housewife to an ungrateful husband, living with her resentful sister-in-law, feeling that she has failed as a mother to her absent son. Susan is a woman desperate to be seen and heard, and to be appreciated by those around her.

Jenna Russell’s outstanding performance as Susan was committed and nuanced. She depicts Susan’s journey perfectly throughout, from mild confusion at the start of the play, to her gut-wrenching collapse at the end. She thoughtfully portrays the terror and confusion of mental illness, and where it didn’t make sense to her character, the audience was also left feeling unsettled. This was often an uncomfortable watch, but it felt like that was the point, as we joined Susan and empathised with her journey.

Matthew Cottle as Bill Windsor provides some typical Ayckbourn light relief along the way as Susan’s doctor, an outsider caught up in the family drama. The use of humour is clever, lifting the audience out of moments of darkness, and perhaps reflecting society’s tendency to avoid dealing with mental health issues head on.

The staging is excellent, at first glance the stage represents a typical British back garden. However, in contrast to the luscious rose-filled garden of Susan’s imagination there isn’t a flower to be seen. The weather is also used throughout to mirror Susan’s turbulent and sometimes stormy state of mind; the rain is particularly effective in the second half to pinpoint how far she has declined.

Woman In Mind is at times confronting and uncomfortable, but the humour sprinkled throughout stops it from becoming overly dark and it is an evening very well spent. It is a gripping and very relevant depiction of mental health issues and leaves the audience with a lot to think about.

St Helens Theatre Royal – until Saturday 1 October 2022

Reviewed by Jennifer Daley

4****

As relevant today as it was in 1930’s England, Rob Fennahs’s adaptation of Helen Forrester’s best selling novel really packs a punch in portraying the impacts of social deprivation in 1930’s Liverpool.

With a cast of only 9 actors playing 48 character this really is a fast moving and cleverly directed piece. The viewer could clearly follow the plot thanks to the characters switch between portrayal and narration of their own role, often delivered with a very well received does of scouse humour to lighten the tone.

Whilst the physical appearance of Jenny Murphy’s Helen deteriorated before out eyes, powerfully we saw a young woman emerge, fighting against injustice of the political system and her neglectful upbringing in a way in which empowered her to better herself and succeed in her quest for her right to an education. With a voice packed full of emotion, her performance was truly captivating, and I found myself drawn to her every word and action.

Real, raw and authentic in its representation, at times I felt transported into real life Great Depression of Liverpool City Centre. The colloquialisms and Scouse dialect were well researched and delivered perfectly – and being a Scouser myself, impressing me is not an easy task!

A really excellent and thought-provoking watch, laced with factual socio-economic challenges, inequality and child slavery within the family. We’re all only one wrong turn from a very different life and for some, referenced poignantly, the struggle is just too much. A must see and I’m already looking forward to the sequel.

Theatre Royal Concert Hall Nottingham – until Saturday 1st October 2022

Reviewed by Amarjeet Singh

5*****

The weather is turning, the snow is falling in droves, Monkswell Manor and its fledging owners are expecting their first ever guests at any moment. Five in total, both expected and unexpected, but all welcome. Reports from London indicate a murderer on the loose, a phone call from the police informs the manor that they are sending someone out as investigations are causing them to suspect Monkswell Manor and its guests could be involved. Everyone is trapped in this guesthouse, they have no means of contacting the outside world, and the murderer is among them. No one is quite what they seem. They all have secrets.

Who will be the next to be murdered and why? Who are the guests and why are they at the manor? Who is the murderer and what is their motive? And here we take the bait to get caught up in this wonderful whodunnit!

You cannot imagine the theatre and not think of The Mousetrap. Penned by the skilled hand and mind of Agatha Christie, the queen of the murder-mystery, The Mousetrap is her most celebrated and accomplished play, loved the world over by audiences and critics alike. It has a skilfully written plot and holds suspense from start to finish, mainly by peppering the performance with truly comedic moments, perfectly timed and brilliantly executed. This gave the play a perfect balance of light and dark. The characters are well fleshed-out, with interesting personalities and back stories, even if told retrospectively, endearing us to them.

The set is simplistic but effective and reflects a Manor, drawing us into Monkswell. Use of lighting adds to the atmosphere, time changes and ambiance. Costumes were in keeping with the 1950s.

Tonight’s performance was superb. It was a wonderful treat to see some of British TVs big hitters from yesteryear, Todd Carty (EastEnders, The Bill) as Major Metcalf, John Altman (EastEnders) as Mr Paravicini and Gwyneth Strong (Only Fools and Horses, EastEnders) as Mrs Boyle. Although it was Elliot Clay as Christopher Wren and Joelle Dyson as Mollie Ralston who really stood out for me. However, the cast as a whole all came together to produce a hugely entertaining performance.

In keeping with tradition, there will be no spoilers, but I urge you to go see this performance of The Mousetrap. It’s fun, it’s exciting and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Have you ever seen such a thing in your life…not yet, but hopefully soon!

New Victoria Theatre Woking – until 8 October 2022

Reviewed by Lorna Hancock

5*****

Jersey Boys is a bio-musical telling the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. With book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, and the incredible hits of the band, written by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe. The smash hit musical has won 65 major awards and as the show starts to unfold it’s not hard to see why. It follows the story of four boys from the wrong side of town, and their rise to becoming one of the most successful bands in history, selling over 175 million records worldwide, all before they turned 30.

 The musical is structured into four ‘seasons’ each one brilliantly narrated by the different band members from their own perspective, which flows beautifully throughout the production. If you think this is your usual jukebox musical, you would be wrong, as their story is just as captivating as their sensational hits.

Michael Pickering was remarkable playing Frankie Valli, with his phenomenal vocal range and a falsetto to impressively match Valli’s. From the pleasing harmonies of ‘Sunday Kind of Love’ to his mesmerising rendition of ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ it’s quite clear his voice is truly something exceptional.

Dalton Wood plays a very believable Tommy DeVito with his flawless mobster demeanour. Along with Blair Gibson as Bob Gaudio and Christopher Short as Nick Massi, the energy and camaraderie between the group and Frankie was delightful to watch. The synchronisation of their simple choreography was very visually pleasing, and the charming harmonies they achieved together really showed us the stage was alive with magnificent talent.

When talking of talent, it came a plenty across the whole cast. However I couldn’t finish this review without mentioning Damien Winchester, playing Barry and numerous other bit parts throughout the show. With his electric energy, excellent characterisation and voice, he brought the stage to life every time he came on.

If you are looking for an entertaining experience to brighten up these gradually darkening Autumnal days, the charm of the Jersey Boys definitely won’t disappoint you. Oh what a story, and Oh What a Night!