Martin ThomassonTo begin at the ending. The audience loved it. Sadler’s Wells’ take on the 1979 film, based on The Who’s 1973 album, Quadrophenia, choreographed by Paul Roberts and directed by Rob Ashford, has a comfortable majority of us on our feet. By “us” I...
Dave PorterIn 1945, a week-long series of meetings took place in Manchester which was to change the course of history in Africa. Several of the attendees went on to become presidents of African nations and it has been argued that the Fifth Pan-African...
Carmel ThomasonMatthew Bourne’s New Adventures has grown a strong following at Lowry with innovative takes on classics like Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. The company’s latest production the Midnight Bell, which premiered in 2021, comes to...
Lorraine Worsley-CarterTake a stroll down any high street in the UK or across Europe, and it’s clear that the pet dog population has boomed since the pandemic. With more people welcoming a furry friend into the family, holidays are starting to look a little different...
Sarah AntonieSo, you want to start a career in music? That’s exciting. Whether you’ve been singing into a hairbrush since you were five or you’ve just discovered a passion for songwriting, the good news is there are loads of ways in. You don’t need to have...
Theatrical experiences are rarely all good or all bad. Sometimes a reviewer wants to rave about certain aspects of a production, while other features leave him cold. So it is for me with this physical theatre adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s 1891...
A new musical is waiting to sweep you off your feet Bollywood style at the Opera House this week as the venue hosts the UK premiere of Come Fall in Love: the DDLJ Musical. For those who don’t know what DDLJ stands for, it is short for the 1995 Hindi...
“England is not a trick question – I promise you.” So says Gareth Southgate in the National Theatre’s brilliantly entertaining production of James Graham’s take on Southgate’s time managing the England men’s football team. Southgate (played...
If you’re not a fan of audience participation, this show is probably best avoided. The cast mingle with the audience queuing up outside the theatre to get in and once inside anyone sat in the first few rows is seen as fair game for some friendly...
Lucy Tobin“I’m hoping for absolute chaos!” It’s an unusual aspiration for the creative behind a brand-new musical to want from his audience reaction – especially when he adds that he wants the audience to be “shouting out and jumping up and down and...