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Writer: Lucia Cox Director: James Foster Reviewer: Clare Boswell The Public Reviews Rating: ‘Blackbird’ currently playing as part of Manchester’s RePlay Festival is the creation of writer and performer Lucia Cox. Performed alone onstage amongst a simplistic set, ‘Blackbird’ is a dark and mesmerising tale of the truly complex nature of love. Southern belle ‘Blackbird’ emerges from a [...]

Writer: Henrik Ibsen Adaptor: Bryony Lavery Director: Chris Honer Reviewer: Poppy Helm The Public Reviews Rating: Often regarded as one of the very first feminist plays, Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House was truly controversial in it’s time. Although the subject matter has certainly lost it’s sensationalism in the intervening years, the Library Theatre Company’s current production still packs [...]

Writers: Brian M Clarke & Tom Elliott Director: Helen Parry Reviewer: John Lovelock The Public Reviews Rating: Iffy title aside (this has nothing to do with Paul Weller), Beat Surrender is a solid piece of theatre, made all the more remarkable by dint of the fact that it’s writing duo Clarke & Elliot’s stage debut. Taking a [...]

Writer: Dick Curran Director: Clare Howdon Reviewer: Rebecca Mickler The Public Reviews Rating: Part of The Library Theatre Company and Contact Theatres’ Re:Play Festival showcasing some of the best of Manchester’s fringe theatre of 2010; Islanders is a prime choice for this year’s festival. Set on The Farne Islands off the coast of Northumberland, the play centres around [...]

Writer -Susi Wrenshaw Director: Matthew Ganley Reviewer: Rebecca Mickler The Public Reviews Rating: Be Rain For Me has been chosen to be included in this year’s Re:Play Festival showing at the Contact Theatre. The Festival which runs over a fortnight and ends this weekend, offers a second chance to see some of 2010’s best new writing. After watching [...]

Writers: Sally Lawton & Luke Walker Director: Alyx Tole Reviewer: John Lovelock The Public Reviews Rating: Seemingly fluffy to begin, Make Believe is shot through with darkness and melancholy as we spend an hour in the company of a woman known only as The Ballerina (brilliantly played by co-writer Sally Lawton). She’s a bizarre creature – dressed in [...]

Writer: Tom Stoppard Director: Chris Honer Reviewer: John Roberts The Public Reviews Rating: After 58 years in their intimate home underneath Manchester’s Central Library, The Library Theatre Company have gone on the move and opened their new season at the Lowry Theatre’s courtyard-style Quays Theatre, with one of Tom Stoppard’s most revered plays: Arcadia. Stoppard’s play is set [...]

Writer: Oscar Wilde Director: Chris Honer Reviewer: John Roberts The Public Reviews Rating: The Library Theatre Company come to a stunning conclusion of their residency at Manchester’s Central Library with a play that was performed in their inaugural season back in 1952, and it couldn’t be a more fitting or entertaining production. The Importance of Being Earnest written [...]