Georgina WellsAfter the sadness and gloom of last year, I’m dreaming of a normal Christmas with all the essential ingredients – and where better to kick off festivities than at the Palace Theatre with White Christmas? With an audience keen for a night of...
Joe’s Pie Diner has opened its doors in Manchester for the first time, with the arrival of Waitress at the Opera House. Boasting a female creative team and a female-fronted cast and storyline, this heart-warming musical focuses on Jenna (Lucie...
Niamh MelodyFrom the roaring standing ovation to the audience hum of “You can’t stop the beat” following us into the street, it’s abundantly clear the opening night of Hairspray at the Palace Theatre was a resounding success. After more than 30 years on the...
Steve TimmsThere’s no such thing as an unlikely musical, though some don’t stick around long enough to make an impression. Does anyone remember Fields of Ambrosia, a mid 90’s affair about a travelling executioner who falls in love with one of his victims...
Paul ThomasonFour years after the world premiere at Manchester Opera House, Bat out of Hell makes a triumphant return, bringing back a string of awards. Unlike some other jukebox musicals, the songs make perfect sense in their placement and in moving the story...
Liz RatcliffeLiz Ratcliffe now understands why everyone is talking about Jamie. I had heard about Everyone’s talking about Jamie and seen that it had won award after award after award, but with the onset of Covid and being locked-down, the show took a little...
As Hope Mill Theatre’s Executive Director William Whelton observes in his programme notes, the journey to bring their production of Rent to the stage has been a difficult one. Originally scheduled for performance in the summer, national lockdown and...
Carmel ThomasonHope Mill Theatre owners, William Whelton and Joseph Houston reflect on the challenges of Covid for the theatre and their excitement at bringing a brand new production of RENT to audiences both live and online. Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester was...
Six the Musical makes history again as it becomes the first West End musical to resume performances since lockdown. Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s histore-mix look at Henry VIII’s wives has become a global phenomenon since its early days as a student...
Moses KabungaOne of the best things about seeing a brand-new work, is just that – it’s brand new. And after watching the premiere of Bourgeois and Maurice’s new musical, ‘Insane Animals’ I can tell you, knowing very little about the performance...