A tropical forest isn’t the setting you might imagine for a Christmas musical. But when temperatures are minus 7 outside, the idea of being transported to a lush green land, if only for a couple of hours is inviting. The adventure starts from first...
The glittering ball that awaits audiences at Hope Mill Theatre this Christmas has been a long-time in the making. Owners, Joseph Houston and William Whelton had this show in their sights for four years, and twice its staging was stalled due to Covid...
When you stop and think about it, it’s incredible that a musical parody based on a US television series which finished airing over 18 years ago is touring the UK, and that people are paying to go and see it. Such is the cultural phenomenon of...
A staple of school set texts no doubt, Blood Brothers is testimony to this fact with what felt like hordes of schoolchildren descending upon The Lowry for this most primeval of shows. The tightly-structured plot and allusions to Greek tragedy make...
The region’s cultural shores are currently awash with new musicals. Bolton’s Octagon Theatre is right now premiering, “The Book Thief – the musical”. A couple of weeks back, here at the Lowry, your doughty reviewer saw, “Identical – the...
In handing over his entire back catalogue (40 albums) with permission to “use any songs in any way he liked”, Bob Dylan dealt the gifted Irish writer, Conor McPherson a far better hand than, for example, Benny and Bjorn allowed Catherine Johnson...
The best showbiz anecdote I’ve heard concerns bequiffed 50’s rock n’ roller Little Richard, and the time he was pulled over by traffic Police in a state of agitation. Where was ‘Richard Perryman’ (real name) driving to so early on Sunday morning? A...
Erich Kästner was an exceptional writer of fiction for children (Emile and the Detectives is perhaps his best known work). Identical is a new musical adaptation of another of Kästner’s tales, Lisa and Lottie. If you’ve seen any of the film versions...
Finisterre, the sixth studio album by English pop group Saint Etienne, features a series of spoken word interludes from actor Michael Jayston. ‘Rock could be so good’, he solemnly intones, ‘but we make it all so rubbishy.’ It’s hard to disagree...
Singin’ in the Rain is the musical equivalent of comfort food. We know what we’re getting but it’s so good we never grow tired of it. In many ways it is an easy sell – audiences come because they love the 1952 movie. But once the theatre is...
Carmel Thomason
Georgina Wells
Dave Porter
Martin Thomasson
Steve Timms