Carmel ThomasonI am struggling to think of a time when I’ve felt more disappointed with a play than I do now. On the face of it, I Am Thomas held much promise. It is a co-production from several excellent companies, whose previous work I have enjoyed very...
The Corrie factor just brought Beckett a whole new audience. There are many who have questioned what soap fans will make of the play. I think it’s likely they will find it as absurd and unsettling as anyone else. And if you’re searching for some...
For a solo dancer to perform a full-length show is an impressive feat and one which Aakash Odedra pulls off with ease. The last time I saw it done was the phenomenal Akram Khan, who mentored Aakash earlier in his career, and his influence can be...
Pirates of the Carabina originally came together in 2011 for a one-off commissioned performance of Flown at Glastonbury Festival. Such was the response, that more than 120 shows later, the circus is still touring worldwide. For three days we were...
It’s rare to see a spontaneous standing ovation at the Royal Exchange. I think this is partly because the intimacy of the space means the cast can see the audience clearly and those on the banquettes end up almost sharing the stage with the actors...
The language of dance is universal and this mixed bill, hosted by Manchester’s Company Chameleon at The Lowry, highlights the constants of the human condition beautifully. We all experience relationships, love, pain, fear and struggle, and the...
I never saw Michael Jackson live, but I imagine theatre was a large part of his concerts. Even his pop videos were events – think Thriller and Billie Jean, which were almost mini-movies. In this sense creating a stage show of his music makes perfect...
What a year it has been for Lucy O’Byrne. After becoming the first classical singer to get to the final of BBC1’s The Voice, she’s now back in Salford in one of the most iconic musical roles for the Lowry’s Christmas show, The Sound of Music. And...
When a children’s TV show has survived the generations, like Sooty, there has got to be some magic in it. The presenters have changed, of course. And after being in the Corbett family for 50 years (first Harry then his son Matthew), it’s now fronted...
There are many stories that have an element of shock value, but few that are so deeply shocking they stay with you a lifetime. William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies is one of them. It is decades since I read the novel as a young teenager yet I...