Directed by Matthew White and written by Marshall Brickmman and Rick Elice, this musical follows Wednesday Addams, the 18-year-old daughter of Gomez and Morticia who loves shooting at all objects with her crossbow and torturing her brother Pugsley. Wednesday has recently fallen in love with a ‘normal’ boy Lucas. The problem starts when Wednesday invites Lucas and his family to meet her slightly more unusual one. One normal night is all they want but, as drama has it, that certainly doesn’t go to plan. Secrets, rings, potions and one little game threatens to tear the two families apart in more ways than one.

The cast is relatively small but all of the characters are so clear cut that it works perfectly for this musical. The ensemble play their role of ancestors impeccably, providing all the Addams characters with support in their musical numbers, particularly standing out in their scenes with Fester. Scott Paige as Uncle Fester is so in tune with the character and his song ‘The Moon & Me’ showcases Paige’s brilliant voice as well as his comedic acting and narration.

Kingsley Morton as Wednesday is incredible throughout, executing every note perfectly, with a particularly great rendition of her song ‘Pulled’ in Act 1.

Joanne Clifton is as beautiful as ever as the elusive Morticia and she shines in all of her scenes. The five minute long tango in Act 2 – with choreography by Alistair David – allows Clifton’s flawless dancing to take centre stage and she truly looks at home on the stage and in this role.

But a special mention must go to seasoned performer, Cameron Blakely as the ever charming and hilarious Gomez Addams. Blakely truly captures Gomez’ brilliance and his comedic timing is flawless, drawing so many laughs from the audience throughout the show. His mannerisms and facial expressions add layers to the character and it is immediately clear why Blakely is reprising his role as it’s hard to imagine anyone else doing it so well.

Clever lyrics and one liners have the audience in pieces throughout the show and there is a great mix of mature jokes for the adults and sillier ones for the younger members of the audience. “Wednesday’s growing up… she’ll be Thursday before you know it,’ sums up the musical’s comedic direction perfectly and the humour is so quintessentially Addams-esque that every joke lands.

It’s hard to imagine someone attending this show and not having a great time, the music by Andrew Lippa is fantastic with Spanish inspiration throughout, the cast work brilliantly together and the production as a whole is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face – although the Addams Family might prefer a grimace!

The Addams Family is at the Opera House, Manchester from 19-23 April 2022 before continuing its tour.

The post The Addams Family with Joanne Clifton: Review appeared first on Quays Life.

Fantastically Great Women who Changed the World is a new musical directed by Amy Hodge and based on the picture book by Kate Pankhurst (who is, in fact, a very distant relative of the legendary Emmeline Pankhurst) and it has a brilliantly simple concept that means it can be executed incredibly on stage.

Jade (played by Kudzai Mangombe) is an 11-year-old girl who feels like she’s not being heard by anyone in her life and while on a school trip, she stumbles into a closed area and ends up meeting many inspirational women from across the globe who try to make her realise that every woman can change the world just by being in it.

This musical has a truly fantastic message and theme for young children and adults alike. And the catchy songs (written by Miranda Cooper and Jennifer Decilveo) have a popstar and girl band vibe, which of course appeals even more to the young members of the audience. These songs include an abundance of information in easily remembered tunes – which only adds to the show’s educational value for schools and children.

It shouldn’t have been surprising to see an all female band (Audra Cramer, Rhiannon Hopkins and Chloe Rianna) playing above the cast, but unfortunately it is still rare to see women in these roles. This musical showcases women as pioneers but also as people who can do whatever they want, just the way men can. And that is such an important message for all generations.

The choreography by Dannielle ‘Rhimes’ Lecointe is synchronised, not too much to distract from the lyrics of each song but enough to make them all the more memorable. A standout moment is when Gertrude Ederle (played by Christina Modestou) demonstrates swimming the English Channel and the other cast members let a blue sheet rip through her to create more of an illusion to make it feel likewe’re really there with her in the moment.

Frida Kahlo, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie, Emmeline Pankhurst are just a few of the famous women portrayed. All led such different lives and yet their common trait is that they made a difference for other women and inspired so many. This musical combines education and performance as well as giving the audience the true stories of how women were treated differently in the past and in many ways still are.

For a small cast, the production was impeccably executed and there were many clever decisions that made it even more engaging and exciting. This included incorporating the set into a lot of the songs and having the cast members use their costumes during songs to display their characters even more.

This is a show that truly deserves to grow and take over the theatre world – not only is it important it’s so fun at the same time. Isn’t that exactly what every musical needs?

Fantastically Great Women who Changed the World is at The Lowry from 2022 before continuing its UK tour.

The post Fantastically Great Women who Changed the World: Review appeared first on Quays Life.

Miray draws on bread as a metaphor but also as a physical representation of the struggles Egypt has faced in the past and still does today. A consistent message throughout is ‘bread is life’ and the audience are able to understand that by the end of the show. Miray goes through the history of bread and its origins in Egypt and tells the story chronologically which allows us to feel like we’re on a journey with her through her culture.

The set is unusual with different shaped patches on the ground in an oval shape. This set soon makes sense as Miray uses it to enhance her movement throughout, creating an authentic feeling of being transported to a place that many of us do not know. On one side of the stage is a microphone and audio system – which juxtaposes the sand and flour spread out around it. Miray uses this to create a live audio loop, creating a raw, personable emotion that adds to the audience engagement. Miray comes across completely calm and composed throughout this process. The only downside is the looped audio sometimes overshadows Miray’s words, taking attention away from her and towards the sound system instead.

The physical movement – directed by Mele Broomes – is a key part of this show and it is clear Miray is paying homage to her heritage and culture with the care and detail that has gone into it. Every outstretched leg and uplifted arm seems to have a purpose and the changing tempo of the accompanying drums complements Miray perfectly.

The Bread We Break offers an engaging and important view of how the simplest and most taken for granted items can have impact and create change. And as her story weaves between personal and political we are invited to think about how everyday aspects of our lives cam be politicised and controlled. Given the current conflicts around the world it feels even more important to have these conversations and open our minds to other cultures and issues. Miray gives a great performance and has a charm and power to her words that keeps the audience hooked the entire time.

The Bread We Break is at Contact from 24 to 31 March 2022.

The post The Bread We Break: Review appeared first on Quays Life.

Bright pink and purple lights flood the main entrance to Moxy Manchester City, Manchester’s freshest hotel located in Spinningfields.

Inside guests gather around the bar, chat in assorted and colourful seats and join in the playful activities that are all part of the social vibe of this modern hotel.

The atmosphere is incredible. The hotel lobby has been designed to create a vibrant, eccentric setting with carefully structured pipes hanging artfully on the ceiling and various prints lining the walls. The attention to detail is clear, as all areas of the lobby and bar complement each other perfectly creating an aesthetically pleasing environment for the guests.

There’s a ping pong table, giant Jenga and adult drinking game, Prosecco pong (similar to the more popular but less classy beer pong). At the launch there were also caricature drawings courtesy of Sensible Pencil and a guest photo booth, both of which are hugely popular with constant queues throughout the night. The party also has a pillow room –one of the hotel rooms filled with hundreds of pillows for guests to throw themselves onto.

The space has a quirky, modern vibe with decor and lighting adding pops of colour all over the venue. There’s a clever nod to the area’s history of hat shops and silk factories, with an eye-catching display of hats against one corner and a beautiful cloud design, with thousands of threads hanging underneath, in the lobby.

The drinks flow all night and include the locally produced Didsbury Gin, a range of hand-distilled, 100% natural fruit infused, vegan friendly gins. The staff and service at Moxy are impeccable with servers making sure no-one is without a drink and constantly walking around with trays of food. And the friendly bar staff keep pleasant and upbeat despite a seemingly constant queue at the bar.

The music brings some of Manchester’s most respected club nights to Moxy – Joey Jackson – Animal Crossing, Sharples – La Discothèque and Mix-Stress – RebeccaNeverBecky & Queer Latifah.

The hotel is a beautiful mix of classy and modern and will appeal to couples, friends and even bigger groups coming to Manchester for events. Check-in is at the bar where the party vibe starts straight away with a complimentary cocktail along with your room key.

With a great bar, unique artwork and brilliant staff, it’s clear Moxy Manchester City is ready to make its mark on Manchester.

The post Moxy Manchester City brings a new type of Marriott to the city appeared first on Quays Life.

In fact, the plot is so baffling and nonsensical that it is hard to explain. Directed by Christopher Luscombe, the story starts with girl next door, Janet (Haley Flaherty) and her new fiancé, Brad (Ore Oduba) having to take shelter from the rain in a spooky castle in the middle of nowhere – which never exactly ends well. There they meet various strange characters including servants, Riff Raff (Kristian Lavercombe) and Magenta (Suzie McAdam) and of course, the charismatic, confident and ambiguous in every way possible, Frank N Furter played by the incredible, Stephen Webb.

Frank N Furter is a mad scientist and he unveils his newest experiment to everyone in the form of Rocky, an artificial human played by Ben Westhead. From there, relationships are formed, broken and chaos ensues.

Despite the constant plot twists and turns, the production suits the 1950s sci-fi meets low budget horror style down to the ground and the cast pull off every number with ease, particularly fan favourites ‘Time Warp’ which has the audience out of their seats dancing along and ‘Touch-a, touch-a, touch-a, touch me’ in which Westhead and Flaherty bounce off each other brilliantly.

Phillip Franks as the narrator brings constant comedy to his lines, improvising with current anecdotes that has the audience cheering and clapping every time he walks on stage and Lauren Ingram as Columbia has a great standout scene where it’s surprising she’s able to keep a straight face by the end of it.

There’s copious innuendo and is a mature show in every aspect. But it is also refreshing to see gender and sexual fluidity completely normalised and not treated as a joke or gag in the show.

The costumes by Sue Blane are flawless, with each one looking tailored to perfection, capturing each character and personality and it’s fascinating to see how the costumes become more edgy and dark as the show does too.

By the end, the constant back and forth dialogue and hard to follow storyline becomes slightly tiresome but Stephen Webb captures the audience entirely and is the perfect Frank N Furter, which means any small critiques can be brushed aside.

Funny, raunchy and packed with a talented cast, The Rocky Horror Show is guaranteed to make you laugh and leave with a smile on your face even if you have no idea how to describe what you just experienced.

The Rocky Horror Show is at The Palace Theatre, Manchester from 17-22 January 2022 and touring until July.

The post Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show with Ore Oduba: Review appeared first on Quays Life.

It certainly lived up to those expectations and then some on the opening night of its Christmas run at the Palace Theatre.

Directed by Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker (who is one of the original creators of the musical) the story opens with the truly hilarious song “Hello” where all the Mormons gather to demonstrate how they knock on doors to try to convert the general public to their church. Elder Price (played by Robert Colvin) is anticipating being told where he will be serving his two year mission that all young Mormons go on.

However, he is somewhat disappointed when he is told that his partner is Elder Cunningham (Conner Peirson) – who regularly tells lies and causes problems – and that they are being sent to Uganda for their mission. Peirson and Colvin bounce off each other effortlessly, singing brilliant harmonies (even while lying down for “I am here for you”) and “You and Me (but mostly me)” is a standout in the show with it’s witty lyrics and comedic timing from both characters. Props to Stephen Oremus on the Vocal arrangements in this show, which blend a more current style with a classic gospel choir sound.

The two Mormons then travel to Uganda to start converting the inhabitants but discover upon arriving that an evil General has taken over the nearby villages (Thomas Vernal) and the whole town is too terrified to stand up to him. This sets up the main plot of how Price and Cunningham spend their time in Uganda and introduces one of the other main characters Nabulungi (Aviva Tulley) who is one of the young Ugandan women. Tulley is a breath of fresh air in this production and her song “Sal Tlay Ka Siti” – despite being a funny bit all about Salt Lake City – is performed flawlessly and her clear vocals shone throughout the show.

Another stand out performer is Jordan Lee Davies playing Elder McKinley – a closeted gay man who berates himself constantly for his “sinful” thoughts. Davies leads the performance of “Turn it off” which caused huge applause and shouts of laughter throughout the audience and the tap dancing included in it is executed brilliantly with choreography by Casey Nicholaw.

There are points in the production where jokes are overly repeated to the point of becoming boring and predictable and the plot gets a little lost by the second act but this cast do a great job of bringing amazing energy to every single song and the show seems to fly by with the way scenes transition seamlessly to the next.

Scott Pask on scenic design and Brian Macdevitt on lighting design did a great job by allowing the set and lighting to elevate each moment perfectly. This stands during the song “Man Up”, where the stage turns into a mock concert venue and the multi-coloured lighting flashes in time with the beat cleverly.

Book of Mormon is full of crude language throughout, is definitely not appropriate for children and includes some jokes that could be considered to push the taste boundaries over the edge, especially today. But it is also performed outstandingly well, with each cast member bringing their own flair to the performance and it is a truly satirical experience throughout. Take it all with a pinch of salt and it will go down a treat!

The Book of Mormon is at The Palace Theatre, Manchester from 8 December 2021 to 1 January 2022.

The post The Book of Mormon: Review appeared first on Quays Life.

Imitating the dog and Leeds Playhouse have successfully turned a classic horror story into a gripping, technologically advanced piece of theatre with Dracula: The Untold Story – in a way that somehow seems natural and easy, despite it being clear that it must have taken months of hard work to put this production together.

The story is told through scenes from the present (New Years Eve 1965) and many flashbacks. It features a small cast of Riana Duce, Matt Prendergast and Adela Rajnović with the latter two taking on the roles of police officers, WPC Williams and DS Donaldson.

The officers are questioning Mina Harker – played by Riana Duce – who appeared that night confessing to the murder of a body they recently found and claiming to be Mina, despite not looking like the 90-year-old woman that people would expect from the original story of Dracula.

Riana Duce as the strong-willed yet weary Mina Harker is impeccable, bouncing between elaborate monologues and difficult physical acting with ease. The character starts off as mysterious and elusive and gradually shows that she is clever but also seemingly heartless in what she has had to do to prevent Dracula and his brand of evil from taking over the world. Mina’s difficult story brings about the question of what true evil is and whether good people can do terrible things without also succumbing to evil eventually.

The police officers create a necessary connection to the realistic world for the audience – with humour and dialogue between the two that is reminiscent of modern TV crime dramas (think Law and Order) which neatly contrasts the gothic atmosphere of Mina’s flashbacks.

Impressively, Prendergast and Rajnović also take on other roles in the story with one standout being the way Dracula is cleverly portrayed through shadow play and voice effects from the two cast members and great sound by Rory Howson. The eerie way this is created makes the figure of Dracula more intimidating and hellish than other interpretations have previously.

The incorporation of the graphic novel aspect – with Simon Wainwright on projection and video design – is done seamlessly with the trio of actors moving cameras onstage to capture their faces and placing them in the graphic novel screen in real time while they’re also reciting long monologues – including conversations in many different languages which seems effortless.

Co-directors and writers, Andrew Quick and Peter Brooks clearly did immense amounts of research and it couldn’t be more evident how much time and thought went into this idea.
This is a great new perspective on the story of Dracula, adding a unique and contemporary twist to the production by showcasing the way Mina Harker was treated differently as a woman through the 1900s and using the innovative and effective graphic novel style to present the story.

Dracula: The Untold Story is a thrilling breath of fresh air for a story that has been revived many times before.

Dracula: The Untold Story opens at The Lowry, Salford Quays where it runs for 2 nights from 12-13 November 2021 before touring. The show is also available to watch digitally on demand. Age guidance 14+.

Read our interview with writer and director Andrew Quick.

The post Dracula The Untold Story: Review appeared first on Quays Life.

Following their unique shot-for-shot stage recreation of George A. Romero’s classic 1968 zombie movie – Night of The Living Dead – Remix, imitating the dog and Leeds Playhouse have joined forces again for a radical adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Dracula: The Untold Story promises audiences a glimpse of the famous vampire as never seen before, retelling the gothic horror as a live action, graphic novel from the point of view of the novel’s heroine, Mina Harker.

Niamh Melody met writer and director, Andrew Quick to find out more:

What inspired you to write and direct a production based on Dracula?

Andrew: “Dracula had been on our radar for a few years, we looked at the film Nosferatu but then we got really intrigued by the novel. The person that intrigued us the most was the figure of Mina Harker as she’s the secret author of the novel, really, within the fiction – on the one hand you have all these men and violence and then you’ve got this clever woman on the other side. We got thinking about whether we trust Mina and what her version of the story is. So we started by looking at the end of the novel and what happened in her life after, through the 1900s, as it’s an era that we’re really interested in”.

Did you feel a sense of responsibility as a male director to portray this female perspective accurately?

Andrew: “Theatre is a collaborative process, so you do share a lot of the development but it was about responsibility in one sense. The story’s been told in so many viewpoints so we looked at a new air we could breathe into it and it felt like Mina’s story post Dracula was really interesting, which meant it wasn’t a difficult narrative to build up. And as it’s told in a graphic novel style there isn’t a huge psychological depth as it’s not that type of show – there is a clear character and a story to be told but she’s also a superhero figure really so in that sense she’s both complicated and easier to write.

“We did feel an ethical imperative to get it right so that she has a resistance and attitude to the male world which feels contemporary. And in the novel the author, Bram Stoker seems to worry about the new woman arriving and he has this fear about what women might become, and our Mina in the 20th century is a more proactive version of that possibility.

“And then of course the actors come in and they reshape it with you so it all comes back to being collaborative. In the end theatre is a thing made with a large group of people all chipping in”.

Dracula: The Untold Story combines live stage with graphic novel. What is it that draws you to writing and directing these types of productions?

Andrew: “It’s very difficult in the contemporary world not to acknowledge that technology is how we shape and engage with other people. So the screen feels like a very present dynamic and the company (imitating the dog) has always been interested in our interactions with technology. Now graphic novels are really interesting because they combine literary, the graphic and the cinematic in its storytelling and we’ve always been interested in the style that it uses.

“Part of this idea actually came out of COVID as we didn’t know how restricted we’d be [by the time rehearsals started] so when we first constructed the idea, the graphic novel panels would be made live on stage by the actors and it meant that we could keep the actors separate.

“In the past Dracula is either this charming seducer or he’s a creature from hell with very little character. And we take the latter on in our show, he’s more of a shadow which suits the graphic novel style where you don’t have the classic psychological realism”.

How was bringing the show to life difficult because of COVID and the situation in the past year?

Andrew: “It was difficult – when we actually started rehearsals properly in June we were losing people everyday to isolation and positive contacts and so on. So we were working with all the restrictions but it was very disruptive and none of us knew how it was going to pan out. But luckily the second rehearsal period was when things were opening up slightly so we pulled it together and made what I think is a really great show. By September I knew that it was going to work”.

What do you think audiences can expect from this production?

Andrew: “We’ve got this phrase ‘We want them to be entertained so that they’ll entertain our ideas’ which I think is a really important idea. First of all we want the audience to be engaged by the story and find the theatrical production exciting. At the same time I hope the audience picks up on the ideas that we circulate in the show, one of which is if you take on evil how can you stop becoming evil yourself and that’s the great conundrum of Mina Harker in this show. Then there’s ideas from that about responsibility and evil and ethics and because these are heavy topics they’re not overtly discussed but they are in the background, so I hope the audience get a sense of that”.

Do you hope that theatre will be appreciated more after the events of the last two years?

Andrew: “I hope so. I think people appreciate a lot more about all aspects of life that they took for granted before. Theatre is all about being in the space with people so I’m hoping that people will come back, and they are so far. One of the things the theatre industry did, is it adapted really well to the pandemic. Companies like ours tried really hard to keep freelancers in employment, and by doing that we developed new forms of performance making, which is exciting. One of the things we need to get used to is the idea that this might happen again, in a different way, so an online presence of theatre is important and theatre people are very capable of adapting to that world and showing that we can make great work in all sorts of different contexts”.

Written and directed by imitating the dog’s co-artistic directors Andrew Quick and Pete Brooks, Dracula: The Untold Story will open at The Lowry, Salford Quays where it runs for 2 nights from 12-13 November 2021 before touring. The show is also available to watch digitally on demand. Age guidance 14+.

Read our review of Dracula: The Untold Story at The Lowry.

The post Live action graphic novel brings a new look Dracula to the stage appeared first on Quays Life.

After more than 30 years on the road this musical shows no signs of tiring. And under director, Paul Kerryson, the vibrant cast take the show to even bigger heights through their effortless singing (with Ben Atkinson as Musical Director) and perfect choreography (by Drew McOnie) which was complemented by great use of lighting by Philip Gladwell to create a technicolour stage constantly changing to fit the song and scenes.

You’d never guess Katie Brace makes her professional debut as Tracy Turnblad. She shines on stage, bringing all the comedy and talent needed for a big role such as hers. In particular, her performances of ‘Welcome to the 60s’ and ‘Without love’ showcase her strong singing voice and unstoppable energy.

Tracy is a 1960s schoolgirl who dreams of making it big in her town of Baltimore and dances her way into a role on The Corny Collins show with her long-time crush Link Larkin (played by Ross Clifton) but ends up making a stand to end racial segregation on TV – a plot point which strikes a chord but also sadly reminds us that after all this time there is still work to be done when it comes to fighting racism. Although the severity of this deeper storyline gets a little lost within all the dancing, the true message manages to shine through – unity is the solution.

Alex Bourne and Norman Pace as Edna and Wilbur Turnblad make a dynamic duo with a standout moment being their duet, ‘You’re Timeless to Me’, full of heartfelt singing and hilarious one-liners which had the audience cheering well before the song even ended.

Akeem Ellis-Hyman is the perfect Seaweed showing off incredible dance skills in his song ‘Run and Tell That’ and Rebecca Jayne Davis gives a squeaky but convincing portrayal of Tracy’s best friend Penny, whose every move is controlled by her religious and racist mother culminating in her tying Penny to her bed as punishment (and yes, it does get a little ridiculous by this point). Rebecca Thornhill makes for an ideal villain as Velma Von Tussle with wince-worthy remarks and a great performance of ‘Miss Baltimore Crabs’ supported by the brilliant ensemble cast.

Brenda Edwards lives up to every expectation with her incredible portrayal of Motormouth Maybelle, performing a stunning rendition of ‘I Know Where I’ve Been’; the standout song of the night with its poignant and relevant lyrics.

The set is rather simplistic and lacklustre unfortunately and this made the transitioning of scenes a little jumbled and harder to follow. But the cast’s energy and outstanding choreography more than made up for this, especially in the final performance of its best-known song ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’ which wraps the show up perfectly and ends it on such a high.

This production is fabulous and heart-warming, if a little unrealistic, and every cast member truly brought their all to the stage and it showed. Full of such outstanding performances, it guarantees an evening of pure fun and enjoyment for all the family.

Hairspray UK Tour is at The Palace Theatre, Manchester from 25-30 Oct and touring until April 2022.

The post Hairspray The UK Tour with Norman Pace: Review appeared first on Quays Life.

Seeing a production that’s only been on the stage for a year or so is always a treat for the well versed theatre-goers. There’s a different sense of anticipation when there’s less of a reputation for the cast to live up to – in comparison to acclaimed and globally well known musicals who’s entire soundtracks are listened to non-stop.

But the downside to this is that new productions have to stand out more to make their mark; the audience won’t know the plot or have a standout song to look forward to which means the cast have to land their jokes, hit all the notes and leave the audience talking about it for days afterwards.

Death Drop certainly did just that. The show starts with Vinegar Strokes – as seen on Drag Race UK – as the fabulous yet mysterious host, Lady Von Fistenburg and she fits naturally into this role with dramatic mannerisms and ominous cackling throughout. Set in 1991, a supposedly random group of guests are joining the Lady on Tuck Island to celebrate Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ wedding anniversary. Within no time, the party has turned into a murder mystery as the guests seem to be dropping like flies – only to miraculously rise again to deliver key one-liners – and typically, they also realise they’re stranded on the island because of a terrible storm.

The plot becomes almost irrelevant however, as the focus is much more on the characters themselves and the constant gags they provide. Drag race legend, Willam is pitch perfect as Shazza, a washed-up pop star who reminds everyone constantly that she does “not” want to be asked to sing. Ra’Jah O’Hara is also a delight to watch as Summer Raines, bubbly weather girl with more to her than meets the eye. A special mention should go to costume designer, Isobel Pellow as the outfits were eye-catching throughout especially when it came to Shazza, Summer and the Lady’s varying outfit changes in typical drag queen fashion.

Although predictable and occasionally too close to ‘panto’, this show proves that drag artists really do own every stage they stand on. Holly Stars (also the writer of Death Drop) stands out as all three of the hilarious Bottomley sisters hired as the help for the party, providing hilarious quips – including several about the delicacy that is crispy pancakes – that kept the audience laughing. Equally scene-stealing is Karen from Finance – known from Drag Race Down Under – who plays Morgan Pierce, an outrageously funny reversal of Piers Morgan, who spends the show playing up the role of the journalist with her camera flashing and recorder always at the ready to get a new scoop.

Drag Kings, Richard Energy (as Rich Whiteman) and Georgia Frost (as Phil Maker) are both cringeworthy but entertainingly so with their very accurate portrayals of unapologetically misogynistic men.

Breaking of the fourth wall is done continuously throughout which can always be risky, but with a show such as this, verging so close to pantomime standard, it worked well and had the audience laughing out loud consistently. The murder mystery side of the show does get lost in the framework with no real suspense felt over who is behind everything. But director, Jesse Jones deserves kudos for the way the show is so perfectly chaotic in every aspect, with crude jokes, incredible albeit unfortunately short musical numbers and great onstage chemistry between a very small cast.

Death Drop is light-hearted, packed with comedy and is exactly what everyone needs after almost two years away from the stage.

Death Drop is at The Lowry, Salford from 13-16 October 2021.

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