It isnât horrorâs job to be kind to you. It goes to the very extremes of negative emotions. Fear and paranoia are in charge of a horror story, and with Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dysonâs Ghost Stories they have a very tight grip. The premise is that...
Itâs arguable that in youth-obsessed culture thereâs a distinct lack of older people represented on stage, giving scant roles for those getting on in years. Beckett had some memorable characters and Arnold Wesker made some headway with The Old Ones...
Not every popular novel transfers successfully to the stage. If you want proof, check out this touring production from Simon Friend Entertainment and Josh Andrews. The Girl on the Train is a clunky, lukewarm mess – albeit one with...
âWeâre going to need a bigger boatâ. For people of a certain age â reader, include your reviewer in that category â these immortal lines evoke both terror and nostalgic fascination. Looking back to the heady days of 1970’s hot summers itâs...
Cast your mind back to the days before streaming platform playlists. If thatâs before your time, the staging will give you a hint. Tom Rogers and Toots Butcherâ set places the action within a big box of blank tapes that frame the stage. Yes, weâre...
The staging is simple: four straight-backed chairs, a backdrop for projections and, overhead, two rows of clothing hung on lines (theatre is a place for costumes and dressing-up, but also, we are reminded, the theatre we are here to pay our respects...
The standing ovation said it all really. I was on my way up anyway, but my nine-year-old positively wrenched me the rest of the way out of my seat at the end of A Christmas Carol The Musical. Heâs watched a good bit of theatre over the years, but I...
Immersive art shows have a chequered reputation, but Lightroomâs collaboration with David Hockney is something of a triumph. Perhaps it is that Hockney often works in light (quite literally, given his now famous iPad âpaintingsâ). Or perhaps it is...
A story about the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US doesnât sound like a topic for either your typical feelgood musical or Christmas production. But âCome From Awayâ is far from your average show. It tells the true story of what...
The Smiths remain one of Manchesterâs most beloved bands. The musical alliance between Morrissey and Marr gifted the world a catalogue of melodic pop songs with lyrics which spoke to those on the margins of life: the lonely, depressed and...
Cathy Crabb
Dave Porter
Steve Timms
Carmel Thomason
Martin Thomasson
Nic Dowling