Martin ThomassonThe curtain rises to reveal four young men, each naked but preserving a modicum of dignity by holding a small pile of his own clothing (shoes and all) at a strategic height. These four are the latest inmates, just arrived at Shawshank Maximum...
English National Ballet’s production of Swan Lake is entirely conventional. And perhaps, with such a classic piece, this is what audiences demand – after all, the magnificent sight of ballerinas in white tutus moving in unison is one of...
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...
Just under a ten minute stroll from Piccadilly railway station, allowing that your sense of direction is better than mine, (head down Fairfield St, turn left onto Travis St, then right into Gidding Rd), you’ll find the Track Brewery Company’s...
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...
First of all, an apology to the woman sitting next to me (a total stranger) for blurting out the reveal (in a determined stage whisper). I’m sure she was ahead of me on this, but even so… I’m sorry. (Note to self: Button it!) Written by Matthew...
Let’s pretend we’re contestants in that popular BBC quiz show, “Pointless”. “Identify these famous female vocalists, mimicked by LV in Jim Cartwright’s hit play The Rise and Fall of Little Voice.” A: Parisian chanteuse, affectionately known as the...
An older friend regularly liked to recite the following: “Never assume. To assume is to make an ‘ass’ of ‘u’ and ‘me’.” She did this for two reasons. Firstly, she was aware that I find such modern homilies twee and irri-tating. Secondly, she...
It was a very smart move of Tim Firth to adapt his 1998 TV comedy, Neville’s Island, for the stage in 2013. It has rarely – if ever – been out of production since. It looks like being another smart move for him to realise (or be...