*

Archive for November, 2010

Ghost Stories – Duke of York Theatre, London

Writers: Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman Directors: Jeremy Dyson, Sean Holmes & Andy Nyman Reviewer: Gareth Ellis The Public Reviews Rating: ★★★★☆ I was looking forward to this night, being a huge League of Gentlemen fanboy and also liking the acting prowess of Reece Shearsmith…although I was worried that they wouldn’t be able to scare me. I don’t scare [...]

Read On →

Measure for Measure – The Provincial, Cardiff Bay

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Amy Hodge Reviewer: Lucy Thackray The Public Reviews Rating: ★★★★☆ Their theatre on Senghennydd road is closed for redevelopment until next autumn, but the Sherman Cymru creative team continue to champion new writing and edgy directing elsewhere in Cardiff. Their Measure for Measure, a sadly under-performed Shakespeare play, is set in an indeterminate time and [...]

Read On →

Remember Me – Contact Theatre, Manchester

Writer: Jason Crouch Director: Sarah Meadows Reviewer: Dave Cunningham The Public Reviews Rating: ★★★☆☆ After the early death of her mother, Sophie (Yusra Warsama ), sixteen year old Jessica ( Mandip Gill ) sets out to confront Darren ( Clyve Bonelle) the father who is unaware of her existence . ‘ Remember Me ‘ is less a voyage of [...]

Read On →

End of the Rainbow – Trafalgar Studios, London

Writer: Peter Quilter Director: Terry Johnson Reviewer: Johnny Fox The Public Reviews Rating: ★★★★★ Can you imagine what it would be like if Judy Garland were still alive? In her late eighties would she be shuffling from one tacky daytime chat show to the next still living off ancient glories like The Wizard of Oz and Easter Parade, trotting [...]

Read On →

The Rivals – Theatre Royal Haymarket, London

Writer: Richard Brinsley Sheridan Director: Peter Hall Reviewer: Natalie Barker The Public Reviews Rating: ★★★★☆ Following quite closely on the heels of another comedy of manners, London Assurance at the National Theatre earlier in the year, comes Sheridan’s The Rivals. Rivalling Fiona Shaw in the lead role of that former play is Penelope Keith and she, like Shaw, will [...]

Read On →

The Full Monty – Theatre Royal Brighton

Music and Lyrics: David Yazbek Book: Terrance McNally Director: Michael Burnie Reviewer: David Griffiths The Public Reviews Rating: ★★★★☆ Based on the motion picture released by Fox Searchlight Productions. Written by Simon Beaufoy, originally produced by Uberto Pasolini and originally directed by Peter Cattaneo. This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Limited on behalf of Music [...]

Read On →

Richard III – Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Edward Hall Reviewer: Catherine Love The Public Reviews Rating: ★★★★☆ An all-male production of Shakespeare is always an intriguing prospect. In a play such as Twelfth Night it adds another teasing layer to the gender confusion, or sometimes merely the sight of a man flouncing around the stage in petticoats is enough to give an [...]

Read On →

The Nutcracker: Northern Ballet – Palace Theatre, Manchester

Music: Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky Director and Choreography: David Nixon Conductor: John Pryce-Jones Reviewer: Peter Jacobs The Public Reviews Rating: ★★★★½ The Nutcracker may be something of a Christmas cliché but it is one of the popular standards of the classical repertoire and is a show so Christmassy that it is hard to imagine any company choosing to programme it [...]

Read On →