THEATRE REVIEW FRINGE MUSICAL NEW WRITING NUNS OF FURY SEVENOAKS PUB MANCHESTER

Rocket Whip Productions are certainly no strangers to the Greater Manchester Fringe scene, and I have seen several of their musicals before, starting at Tribeca, moving to Salford Arts Theatre and now, their latest incarnation, an original musical parody, 'Nuns Of Fury' in the upstairs performance space of Seven Oaks pub in the Chinese Village of Manchester. Based in the North West, Rocket Whip are a queer, female-led company and specialise in original material. This musical's composer, Liv Burton (book, lyrics and music) has had other original works of hers showcased by this company over the years, and here she turns her hand to directing the show too.

The premise of the musical is that three kung-fu / karate kicking 'Robin Hood' style nuns, steal from the rich and give to the needy (all in the sight and name of God!), aided and abetted by both the Mother Superior and the local priest, come up against their evil nemesis, which here comes in the form of bungling burglar comedy duo Benny and Angela. One of the nuns is heavily pregnant - a major part of the ongoing storyline, but of course, despite the existence of a mole, it all ends happily ever after!

The style of the show is very tongue-in-cheek, OTT, self-effacing, peopled by mono-dimensional caricatures, and is a combination and conglomeration of many different styles, but the show and its concept takes much inspiration from the Japanese films of the 1980s, TV's Comic Strip Presents series, with more than a hat nod towards films such as 'Sister Act', 'Kill Bill', and 'The Matrix'. 

The choice of venue sadly was not optimal. There was no set, just a black backcloth and a few stools, but entrances and exits were very problematic, meaning that I was banged and kicked several times by cast as they made their entrance / exit, and the nearness of cast to the audience was more than off-putting at times... there was only a couple of instances where the show / directing allowed for audience interaction, otherwise, it felt awkward and wrong. Costuming was adequate, and a comedic virtue was made from the obviously poor veils. Sound levels from the cast varied from almost inaudible at times (strange given the dimensions of the stage and their proximity to us) to the shouty and unnecessarily loud, whilst the music - presented here in the form of playbacks - was not loud enough and the balance of instruments not optimal at all.

The musical used a cast of 7. The three Nuns Of Fury (Emily Spiers, Hannah Millington and Molly Hirst), working well together. whilst Emily Millington stormed her way across the stage booming her RP-affected voice commandingly as the Mother Superior. Chris Williams impressed and the comedic and congenial Father Q, his understanding of the role, and his lovely ad libs and asides were a joy. The pantomimic comedy evil couple of Benny and Angela were played by Adam Gardiner and Hayley Boutty respectively. All seven put much into this show and obviously enjoyed their stage time. Some of the comedy though was a little trite and not executed with the correct timing or balance, and again due to the constraints of the performance space, the fights, prat falls, and physical comedy could not be given full reign sadly.  

Reviewer - Alastair Zyggu

on - 30.7.25

THEATRE REVIEW ALMOST HAUNTED by Laura Genders Northern Powerhouse Theatre at The Working Men’s Club, Buxton Festival Fringe

 

This production of ‘Almost Haunted’ was a development of a work which started as a full two-act play but the production was not simply shortened to festival length but had become darker whilst retaining its essential comedic character. It was hard to precisely pin down the genre because whilst the play was essentially a satire of a certain brand of reality television, at times it ventured into the realms of occult thriller whilst the characters were frequently from the world of farce.

The premise was a Buxton-based episode, set in a pub, of a ghost-hunting television show, fronted by a self-obsessed female presenter with a massive ego, aided by an ‘expert’ in the spirit world and a reputedly knowledgeable historian, each in their own way, decidedly eccentric. An interesting addition was a bar girl who had apparently actually experienced the ghost, but looked like a slimmer version of Vicky Pollard from Little Britain, speaking with a similar amount of clarity (or lack of it!). Unfortunately, this character had too little stage time.

The background team could have come out of a 70’s TV sit com with an aggressive make-up artist whose previous job was soldiering in Afghanistan and a sound recordist who remained remarkable aloof to all the ghostly going on, making funny interjections and frequently forgetting what he was there to do. The camera man almost provided the role of the ‘straight man’, but with not quite enough stage time to fully fulfil the role. Finally, the admin girl who was kept busy trying to keep this curious blend of ‘professionals’ on track.

All the settings were in place for what at times had all the hallmarks of a farce with almost every character not being quite what they claimed to be as the TV production became increasingly disorganised. Keeping the house lights on seemed at first to be a mistake but once the occultic atmosphere was developed, the reduction of stage lighting to just a few head torches was very effective and the play effectively changed tack to becoming a rather scary pieces of theatre.

One thing that marred this particular production, and could not be ignored, was the fact that the venue was underneath the function floor of the Working Man’s Club. This would not have been an issue had not a rock band decided to start a practice session some time into the performance so that speeches were being given by actors to the curious accompaniment of a base guitar. As the performance progressed other musicians started playing, with the volume being sufficiently low that it almost sounded like badly-chosen, background music. Buxton Arts Festival, please take note! 

Overall, this was a very funny and original piece of theatre and was certainly well appreciated by the audience. In the absence of a cast list, no names can be credited but the overall standard of acting was high. No spoilers have been given as to the many unexpected developments of both the story and the characters, suffice to say, everything was not as it seemed as a comedy took on an increasingly darker feel.

Reviewer - John Waterhouse

On - 24th July 2025

THEATRE REVIEW: A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED by Agatha Christie at the Guide Bridge Theatre, Audenshaw, Manchester

The killing doesn’t just happen in Agatha Christie’s play. It comes via an announcement in the local paper, stating that it will take place at Little Paddocks, Chipping Cleghorn – the genteel home of Letitia Blacklock (Samantha Wadsworth) on Friday the 13th at 6.30pm.

On that very evening Letitia hosts a gathering of family and friends, and as the clock strikes 6.30pm, guess what, no surprise, one of those present is murdered in the large drawing room! With a dead body, a room full of possible suspects, and lots of red herrings, the question that needs to be answered is… ‘Whodunnit?’ The wonderful nosy amateur detective Miss Marple (Jean Nicholson), comes onto the scene to investigate, ably assisted by the local police Inspector Craddock (Matt Stockwell). Between the two of them they reveal and unmask the murderer at the very end of the play. The murderer was definitely not anyone you would have suspected.

It lays all the clues out precisely, to tease you into thinking you know the murderers identity and all the different characters reasons to do the murder.

The 2nd murder of the beloved Dora Bunner (Jean Ratcliffe) who it appears was poisoned confuses the issue and at first appears totally unrelated but in the closing scene, again all is revealed.

The sets and music used all added to the atmosphere.

As the play progresses, the director John Cocks-Evans ensures that each character is clearly defined, delving into all the different characters, and their reasons to do a murder laying out all the clues precisely, to tease you into thinking you know the murderers identity.

Jean Nicholson brings her own style to her role as Miss Marple and appears as I remember Miss Marples did in my imagination. Inspector Craddock and Miss Marple are a joy to watch as the two bounce off each other brilliantly.

There are solid performances from all the cast, and Marijana Sevo who plays the refugee maid, Mitzi, was brilliant and definitely provided plenty of comic relief.

Well done to everyone at Guide Bridge Theatre for a superb show. The production delivers all the elements of a typical murder mystery and offers an enjoyable evening of pure entertainment!

The production runs from Mon 28 Jul - Sat 02 Aug 2025 (incl. Sat matinee).

Tickets and more information - https://www.gbtheatre.co.uk/index.html

Reviewer - Marilyn Shalks

On - 28th July 2025

REVIEW THEATRE new writing Young people / children / YOUTH THEATRE CHASING THE WIND Oldham Theatre Workshop The Performance Space, Oldham Library, Oldham

Oldham Theatre Workshop is one of the north west's most recognised and established training centres for children and young people, and each year they have, for quite some time, produced an original musical production which has been performed at the bijou Performance Space inside the Library in Oldham centre. And once again, we are here, with a full length original musical, written especially for this 32-strong cast. Written by Sarah Nelson with music composed by James Atherton, this particular musical, 'Chasing The Wind' tells the story of a 15 year-old boy who has spent much of his childhood in hospital with a heart condition find that he suddenly collapses and dies. He has however requested that his heart be donated to save another person's life, which is exactly what happens here, and thanks to his heart, he has given a young teenage girl the chance of a long and bright and healthy future.  

The musical explores both of their lives from being young children to teenagers, and hers as a twentysomething. We see the impact this has on not only these two but also those close to them; their family, their friends, and in particular the young boy's would-be girlfriend. This is done using a rather confusing, fragmenting and obfuscating series of flashbacks, and using three female protagonists at various ages, and two male for him as a young boy and at 15. It truly takes a long while for this to become apparent and we start to understand how this story fits together, since this is a linear storyline told in a very non-linear way. It would have helped I think had the same characters at various ages been lookalikes and wore the same clothing, but not having their character names in the programme, and not having a synopsis in the programme did not help either sadly.

The stage at Oldham Library truly is tiny, and in this instance the company had decided to make it even smaller by having a live 7-piece band take up roughly half of the available space. The band however, under the baton of Michael Edwards were extremely good and their sound quality and understanding of the score was superb. They certainly helped bring the music to life in a way that pre-recorded backing tracks never can.  This meant however, that the cast had only a small space in which to work, and when segueing from "present day" to "flashback" as they did with alarming regularity, then only half of that available space could be used. Wooden rostra had been erected to make it loom like a harbour jetty, with an upturned rowing boat which was also used as a platform. The musical was set on the Cornish coast. This did mean that sightlines, especially for those seated at the rear of the auditorium like myself, were much less of an issue than they are normally at this venue, and some interesting 'pictures' using different levels were used to good effect.

Sadly though the sound levels were not optimal this evening. As one might imagine having a live band playing in such a small and confined space, they were, even when playing quietly, still too loud for much of the underscored dialogue, and even for some of the lyrics in the songs. I got fed up of straining to try an understand the cast over the noise (albeit lyrical and tuneful noise) of the instrumentalists. Most of the cast were youngsters, aged I would imagine between 6 and 18, with a couple of adults thrown in for good measure, but even with the mics they were using, it was not sufficient sadly for a lot of the time. The lighting capabilities of this space are also quite limited, but this did not seem to deter since the design worked well and was always on cue. 

Directed by James Atherton there was little change to the pace and dynamics in this production. In fact, the entire second act did not progress or change the narrative in any way, and was more or less unnecessary.. This piece would make a superb one-act chamber opera, but in its present form it is overlong and over-indulgent. The acting and directing was self-indulgent and very 'worthy'. Undoubtedly the writing and the storyline as well as the obvious passion and commitment from the young cast all conspired in making it so, but there was little to lighten the mood, and little to change the downward dynamic spiral. Without having a cast list with character names I do not know who was who, but suffice to say that all involved truly gave their alls to this project. It was obviously something very close to their hearts, and the sincerity and love they gave to this show was inspiring. The chorus / ensemble singing (an harmonies) were truly lovely but the choreography was squashed sadly, and looked cramped, especially in the play-within-a-play at the hospital. It is a musical with heart (excuse the obvious pun.. couldn't resist it!)

An inspiring piece of original musical theatre performed with passion by a group of talented youths and young people. 

Reviewer - Alastair Zyggu

on - 25.7.25

Concert Review: Fleetwood Bac The Atkinson Southport

Fleetwood Bac are widely regarded as the country’s most authentic Fleetwood Mac tribute band, rated highly by Peter Green’s biographer, Martin Celmins, and considered by The Times newspaper to be one of the top five tribute acts in the UK.

They were the first Fleetwood Mac tribute band to fully replicate the classic 1970s line-up of Buckingham, Nicks, Fleetwood, and the McVies, John and Christine. The feeling was that we were in for a special night. 

Once the group took to the stage and the lights came up, it was clear that each member was inhabiting their role, having taken on the look and persona of the original band. For this review, then, I’m going to refer to the group by their Fleetwood Mac first names.

They opened with ‘The Chain’, a brilliant choice, as it gave each of them the opportunity to find their groove early: Mick’s drums, Lindsey’s guitar, and mixed vocals before Stevie approached the microphone for the lead. Instantly recognisable, her costume blended elements of bohemian, gothic, and romantic styles. And those boots! John’s growling, ominous, and now iconic, bass riff took the song home. The audience were hooked.

‘You Make Loving Fun’ and ‘Dreams’ from Rumours and ‘Say You Love Me’ from the eponymous Fleetwood Mac album followed, before Lindsey asked if there were any Peter Green fans in the theatre, as they wanted to play three of his songs from the original line-up. Obviously, there were, and the version of ‘Oh Well’ that followed was arguably the highlight of the first half, with Lindsey’s outstanding guitar playing to the fore.

Tango in the Night’s ‘Little Lies’ was next, before Christine had her moment in the spotlight. Well, two of them, actually. The rest of the band left the stage, and she sang ‘Songbird’, playing the keyboards herself. ‘Silver Springs’, the infamous Rumours track that never was, followed, before Stevie and Lindsey sang ‘I Don’t Want to Know’, the old Buckingham/Nicks song that had replaced ‘Silver Springs’ on Rumours. The chat between the musicians reflected the history of Fleetwood Mac, with Stevie giving Mick grief about the previous two songs. The first half of the set finished with Rumours’ ‘Second Hand News’ and Tango in the Night’s ‘Seven Wonders’.

The second half of the show really belonged to Stevie and Lindsey. The former returned to the stage with a trademark top hat adorned with feathers and a rose. She put everything into ‘Gold Dust Woman’. Lindsey introduced two Peter Green tracks, ‘Green Manalishi’ and ‘Need Your Love So Bad’, that allowed him to showcase his expressive and technically impressive playing style. Stevie returned to centre stage to sing the deeply personal ‘Gypsy’, a song dedicated to her late friend Robin Anderson. Lindsey’s ‘Big Love’ was next, then Stevie sang ‘Edge of Seventeen’, with the audience on their feet clapping and singing along. She really appeared to be the mystical, timeless enchantress who transcends eras.

The audience stayed on their feet for ‘Tusk’, ‘Rhiannon’, and the show’s closer, ‘Everywhere’. The encores were crowd favourites ‘Don’t Stop’ and ‘Go Your Own Way’. Fleetwood Bac certainly lived up to their pre-show billing, a celebratory homage that transports you back to the Rumours era. They offer an exceptionally polished performance, with instrumental and vocal depth, stagecraft, and a clear respect for the original band’s complexity and drama.

Reviewer – Adrian Cork 

On – 25.07.2025

Concert Review: Barry Steele’s The Roy Orbison Story The Atkinson Southport

Barry Steele’s Roy Orbison show is more than a tribute, it’s a heartfelt celebration of one of rock and roll’s most distinctive voices. From the moment Steele steps on stage, clad in black with Orbison’s trademark dark glasses, you’re transported into a world of emotional ballads, rockabilly rhythms, and spectacular vocal power.

Steele opens the show with one of Orbison’s signature tunes, ‘Only the Lonely’, and follows that up with ‘Uptown’ and ‘Candy Man’. He’s warmed the audience up now, so he introduces himself in a Texas-style accent that is more Dudley than Vernon, but his dry sense of humour allows him to get away with it.

The backdrop to the show is a series of projections that offer context and history for each song as it is performed. Whoever is responsible for these does need to proofread them though — “Elvis Castello,” “Jeff Lynn,” and “famouse” are not a thing.

Steele doesn’t merely impersonate Orbison, he channels him. His vocal range is remarkably close to the original, capturing the haunting falsetto and rich tone that made songs like ‘It’s Over’, ‘In Dreams’, and ‘Running Scared’ so timeless. Every note feels authentic, delivered with precision and deep respect for the material.

The show spans Orbison’s career, from his post Sun Records days through to the Traveling Wilburys and his solo comeback that was cut short by his sudden death in 1988. Much of the first half focuses on Roy Orbison’s Black and White Night, the iconic 1988 concert film that showcased Orbison’s unique vocals, backed by an all-star band of legendary musicians and filmed in black and white.

After performing ‘Crying’, Steele left the stage so his band could have their moment in the spotlight. Lead guitarist Aidan Underhill — playing only his second gig with the band — Robert Henson on bass guitar, Liam Bridgen on drums, Alan Whittam on piano, and Robert Grove on acoustic guitar and harmonica had a ball playing The Surfaris’ surf instrumental ‘Wipe Out’.

Steele returned to the stage and led the band through Orbison’s posthumous orchestral album, on which the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra provided new arrangements to archival vocals. ‘Blue Bayou’, ‘Penny Arcade’, and ‘Unchained Melody’ brought the first half of the show to an end. Steele’s stage presence had been humble and warm, mirroring Orbison’s own quiet charisma. It’s clear he has a deep affection for Orbison’s legacy, and that sincerity resonates with the audience.

The second half was as much a tribute to the artists who had worked with Orbison as to the man himself. We had the history of the Traveling Wilburys projected behind the band as they played ‘Handle with Care’, ‘Rattled’, ‘Not Alone Any More’, and ‘End of the Line;. Steele sang Chris Isaak’s ‘Blue Hotel and ‘Wicked Game’ before returning to Orbison’s final solo album, Mystery Girl, from which he sang ‘California Blue’, ‘A Love So Beautiful’, and ‘You Got It’. Covers of ‘Runaway’ and ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, sung by bassist Robert Henson, followed before ‘I Drove All Night’ and ‘Sweet Caroline’ brought the show to a close. The audience wanted an encore, so the only song left was ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’.

Fans of Orbison will be thrilled by the faithful renditions, while newcomers may walk away with a new appreciation for the man whose voice defined an era. This isn’t just a nostalgia act, Steele honours him, and in doing so, ensures his legacy will live on. 

Reviewer – Adrian Cork 

On – 24.07.2025

THEATRE REVIEW SOAKED The King's Arms, SALFORD

Produced and presented by La'Al Marra Productions, this is a new piece of writing from the pen of Cumbrian writer / actress Emma Rydal. 

Richard (Toby Gaffney) and Imogen (Emma Rydal) are an upwardly mobile professional married couple with two young children (unseen), who like many others, like to relax after a hard day's work with a glass or two of wine. And of course, if that is where it stays, it is (although the medical profession would not agree) harmless enough. However, for this couple, Imogen especially, they have a very low resistance level, and it takes only one tiny prompt from Richard for Imogen to put away her principles until tomorrow and spend yet another enjoyable evening very drunk. We join them as they relax one evening, despite resolutions to be good and not drink too much since she has a very important conference to chair in the morning, but despite everything, they end up rather more drunk than they would have liked, and this results in Imogen having to ring in sick! Things spiral out of control more and more, especially with the arrival of a new female worker at Imogen's firm, who ingratiates herself into this couple's life and encourages their drinking even more, since she seems to drink nothing but wine and like to get very drunk herself. Much of this script though almost played out very much like an episode of the TV sitcom, 'My Family' (this impression further enhanced by an uncanny resemblance of Rydal to Zoe Wannamaker!). It was only the very serious issues which were part of this script which stopped it.

The play's downward spiral is quite frightening, and yet, there is hope, since the couple do resolve to be abstemious and try out a fitness regime which makes them both healthier and happier........ or does it? 

There is humour (nicely placed) within this rather heavy text, but on the whole, the play is a little overlong and would benefit from a little editing. The singular storyline does become boring and predictable after a while and one needs respite (this comes in the form of a little comedy as already stated) but the subplot and reason for Maddie's (Stephanie Bradshaw) leaching comes too far into the play (almost at the end) and it too is heart-wrenching, sad. and serious 

The acting is excellent and truly believable by all three, and the dynamics and energy between husband and wife were life-like to a tee. The set design was apt and despite it being a little cluttered, there seemed to nothing extraneous. I applaud the fact that real food and "real wine" was consumed throughout; I can't abide miming in a naturalistic setting. Sensibly and sensitively directed by Peter MacQueen, the play highlights the dangers of alcohol, and why people drink it, although it never tries to make judgement. I did feel that the scene changes were very long though and overall the pace was not perhaps as swift as it could have been.

Good use of sound and lighting throughout. A notable attempt and definitely worth a watch. 

Reviewer - Alastair Zyggu

on - 24.7.25   

THEATRE REVIEW FRinge part of Greater Manchester Fringe Festival BLAVATSKY'S TOWER Social Refuge, Manchester

Sadly once again I am in a situation where called upon to review a production without programme, cast list or credits of any sort. What would it cost a company to produce a simple A% sheet with a list of creatives? Extremely annoying.

This, Manchester's Social Refuge, was a new venue for me this evening, and I arrived to find it not only was a cafe, but an LGBT bookshop too, with a large basement area which had been converted into a gig theatre space. Not at all ideal for theatrical productions, but stand-up comedians or spoken word events would be ideal in this location.

'Blavatsky's Tower' is a 1998/9 play by writer Moira Buffini, and is one that I have never seen before so again, another 'first' for me this evening. In this production by Morally?No Company the pace was set as really rather pedestrian throughout, and indeed it was only in the second act of this 120 minute play when, dictated by the writing, did the energies of this cast become apparent. The tiny oblong stage was hardly sufficient for the fighting and physicality which occurred at this time, but for me at least it was too little too late. The director obviously intended this piece as a 'slow burner' as we say in the profession, but such a an idea depends entirely upon the cleverness, talents and abilities of those tasked into presenting such a scenario.

The story follows a tyrannical but dying father - a blind architect, who, along with his three offspring, live in his own creation, on the top floor of a large tower. For fear of contamination with the outside world, he has never left this garret room, and for similar reasons, neither has his son and one of his daughters. The eldest daughter, Audrey has an unspecified job and is the only one to leave the rooms, bringing food, supplies, and money to keep the family alive. She therefore looks upon herself as the matriarch (in the absence of a mother) but she takes this role rather too sternly and becomes forceful and domineering. Her brother Roland it appears is very sensitive and is most probably suffering from Tourette's syndrome. The actor portraying this character this evening displayed sensitivity and understanding, giving the most believable and fully rounded portrayal in the cast. Her younger sister, Ingrid, is weak-willed but seems to have inherited some 'magical' power from her father (or at least she would like to believe this). However this may just have been a coping mechanism for her as she has been being abused sexually by Roland unbeknownst to Audrey for some time. This strange family's routine is interrupted by the appearance of a doctor, Tim Dunn, (struggling with his height and the venue's ceiling!) who tries to at first understand this 'Addams Family-esque' set-up, then, realising he is falling in love with Ingrid, tries to inveigle his way into their midst by treating the father (despite his protestations to the contrary), and after his death, by helping to arrange the funeral etc. 

It's a very strange play, and peopled by characters which are very difficult to sympathise with. Not being familiar with the play or playwright it is difficult to comment on why the director made the choices he did in terms of setting and time period. The set however, did not work. 4 chairs placed together and facing out to the audience in the centre of the stage was contrived and weird. What were they facing? What were meant to represent? The arm chair was laughable sadly, and the use of the bare metal staircase to make entrances and exits not only lengthened every entrance but also made a clanging noise too. The lighting at the venue is minimalist in the extreme, but again, the director's choice of using a hand-held torch for some scenes seemed ill-advised too. And sadly, the 'blackouts' when the cast were required to clear the stage or set up for the next scene, were done in full view of the audience. 

Vocally, the cast in general were not strong enough. Seated as I was on the front row, I was able to hear everything, but those to the rear would certainly have been struggling when their voices dropped, which they did frequently.

Overall a brave attempt at a rather difficult and obscure play but the pace was set very slow from the start and sadly it never truly came out of first gear the whole evening.

Reviewer - Alastair Zyggu

on - 21.7.25

THEATRE REVIEW Part of GM Fringe Festival ALMOST FAMOUS The King's Arms Pub Theatre, Salford.

Without a programme I am once again at a loss. 

The stage is an open set and we enter to see a chaise-longue, theatre posters and an aging actress sitting by a small table doing her make-up. This is a 50 minute monologue from said aging actress. First she takes us through her life story and tells us how she ended up living in not exactly squalor, but certainly not what she was used to (dahlink!), and she has to be quick because her agent is picking her up in an hour to take her to audition at The Wolverhampton Grand! Her tones are forced RP and she is obviously acting, and we wonder why. She then however, "comes clean" and she tells us her "true" life story", which of course is much more humble, seedy, and believable. Yet, she is still "acting" and I now do not understand why. She is obviously bitter and resentful of her industry. She comes, she tells us, originally from Australia, but there is no trace of Australian in her speech at all, but she is now a lush, and obviously has a higher opinion of her talents than the agents / casting directors etc. She is over the hill, and the OBE and Damehood has passed her by! In the second half the RP does not go altogether but instead, it seems that the actresses natural accent is actually quite "posh" and therefore perhaps doesn't realise that she is now playing the role of a unsuccessfully jobbing down-and-out Australian actress! She spends a lot of time talking to herself in the mirror, to the bottle , and to the air; but she also spends a lot of time breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to us to. This I found very odd indeed.

She is chatty, and her monologue is well presented and dynamically interesting. Her presentation is well thought through, although there is no jeopardy and the narrative offers no surprises, and somehow, we never lose the feeling that she is still acting. As she tells us, we all play parts and reinvent ourselves according to the situations and circumstances - and this actress reminded me in ways of Norma Desmond ('Sunset Boulevard').  "We all want to go back to the roles we never played - even if we shouldn't."

Reviewer - Alastair Zyggu

on - 19.7.25

THEATRE / MUSIC / PERFORMANCE REVIEW part of G M Fringe Festival DELUSIONS AND GRANDEUR The International Anthony Burgess Foundation Manchester.

It started with Bach, as these things often do. Cellist and performer Karen Hall has come over from her native Los Angeles to deliver a unique entertainment, which is part classical solo cello recital, but mostly neurotic and chaotic comedic rant. Not that the rant isn't grounded and based on rational thoughts and facts - it is; which of course makes it much more interesting and humorous than if it were just nonsense. It also makes it much more relatable too. I am not a cellist, but I am a musician with a love of classical music, and so much of what she told of her struggles resonated on a more personal level too.

Her unique start was siting there eating a sandwich simply chatting to us as friends - a lovely idea which helped both audience and performer to create a more solid bond before she started waving her arms and screaming like a lunatic! The ending was also something very different too - and her 60 minute monologue / concert was excellently thought through.

Her love / hate relationship with the cello came through, as well as did her grievances about learning it and having nothing else to fall back on - except when she was younger she was hired for her looks and body rather than her talent. A route that sadly far to many fall victim too. However unless that was the moment of her unhinging, it does not seem to have overly affected her fortunately. Apparently the human brain will forget up to 80% of everything we have seen and heard within 24 hours, and it takes 10,000 hours to master something completely. Two small facts which I learnt (and did not forget!) during her show. Hall flirts seamlessly from rational to neurotic in the blink of an eye, all intertwined with personal anecdote and Bach's cello music. 

Clever, memorable, and unique.

Reviewer - Alastair Zyggu

on - 19.7.25

AMATEUR THEATRE REVIEW Musical New Writing STREETZ NWTAC Theatre, Moston. Manchester

Yo blud,. listen up, innit! - Aaaagh enough!! 

A Musical written by and for Mancunians about life on our streets? On the surface this would sound rather like 'Coronation Street: The Musical', and in certain aspects, that is what we were given. But there was a lot more heart in this show too, with only one main storyline (and a believable one at that!), and before you ask, no they did not all have those irritating and unintelligible contemporary Manc accents either, thank goodness!

Written by NWTAC's owner and director  Prab Singh with music by Ross Johnson, this was a traditional book musical with songs a-la current MT mode, peopled with characters who were relatable and with whom we could emote. Set on a - what a one time would undoubtedly have been called a 'slum' - working class estate (unspecified), a family of five arrive from their upper-middle class existence in Cheadle, and the musical chronicles their eldest daughter's love affair with a local lad, Olly, whilst we understand that their father was born and brought up in this neighbourhood himself and learns that he also has more than just his roots here! It's a story of resilience, of acceptance, of love, reconciliation and ultimately understanding. Using a large cast, many very young and some appearing on stage for their first time, the quality of the acting overall was absolutely exemplary, whilst the cumulative choral singing was lyrical, tuneful and I loved the few harmonies and "Greek Style" choruses that entered into the music. Most unfortunately, some of the principal's didn't truly have the requisite singing voices to truly shine in this regard, but their acting and characterisations carried them through. 

Performing on the best set I have thus far seen on the tiny (but very deep) stage at this venue, we were given an open composite set which included a street, a front door, a playground and park bench, a cafe interior, and a bedroom, and there was still room for them all to manoeuvre through. One wall was on casters and opened up to reveal the interiors of the two protagonist's houses too, a nice touch. Sadly the lighting was not sufficient to cope with all these areas, and especially the bedroom at the rear of the stage - which was used many times throughout - was in almost darkness, meaning that scenes on this area were more shadow than actual sadly, and we only  truly got to see young Lucy Wilcox and her grandma when they came to take their curtain call! Sound levels were good throughout, and pre-recorded professional backing tracks were used since goodness knows where a band would have fit too!

'Streetz' it turns out isn't just the Manc slang for the streets / area where one lives, but in this show Streetz manifests itself in human form too (Mark Barnes-Moran). What starts as a truly interesting idea (albeit not original) to use the personification of the area to narrate and continue the narrative where characters wouldn't or couldn't articulate their own thoughts and actions, somehow dissipated and diluted as we went along, giving the dialogue more and more to the characters themselves making it rather stilted and unnatural at times. He perhaps could have been used more in order to truly be 'Everyman', more in the 'Blood Brothers' or 'Into The Woods' mould. 

The Streetz main protagonists comprised three families. These were a) the Bennet family; Karla Clarke ably portraying a mum on the edge of losing it and despairing with her two older siblings, Tasha (played with heart and mettle by Lilly Taylor), and Olly (played with simple sincerity by Szymon Tomczyk); b) The Wilcox family; Lucy,(Poppy Evans) having lost both her parents finding herself caring for her elderly grandma with dementia, whilst struggling to keep her own life together, and her aforementioned gran (played with a glint in the eye and a comedic bent by Jenny Powrie) and c) The Turner family. Elaine (Jes Astley), single mum and foster mum runs the local cafe, whilst her eldest daughter Olivia (Shauna Turner) is the mainstay and voice of reason for the family. Ginger-haired Connor (Harry Gardner) is the more wayward and perhaps slightly unhinged eldest sibling providing much of the comedy for the show; and the family is completed with Courtney (Hattie Healey), Max (Lexie Mullen), Kara (Amelia Zatorska) and Theo (Klay Turner).. The incoming 'posh' Thompson family comprised of parents Andrew and Julie (both played with realism and sensitivity by Billy Morrison and Melissa Grimes), and their three daughters Sam - the beautiful but stubborn and single-minded love interest of Olly, whose love for her provides not only the main storyline but a wonderful unrequited love triangle of 'Les Mis' proportions between them and Lucy - (Stephanie Canavan), Amy - seemingly unable to tolerate her descent into such squalor by playing up to her own poshness - (played with skill by Lily Ife), and the youngest daughter Laura, who easily and readily adapts to the change in her circumstances and quietly helps to bring about her sister's turn-about (again played with skill by Miley Kennedy). And as if that wasn't enough, there were several other smaller and cameo parts too as well as a chorus of 10!  

'Streetz' is a celebration of (Mancunian) life, and, like all true Mancunians, each and every one involved put energy, commitment, determination, grit, dedication and creative talent into this show in bucketfuls making this new musical most enjoyable and I left the auditorium humming the final song whilst walking to the bus stop! Job done! Mint!

Reviewer - Alastair Zyggu

on - 17.7.25

THEATRE REVIEW FRINGE part of GM Fringe Festival ALL THESE PRETTY THINGS: A Musical Memoir King's Arms, SALFORD

Performing as part of the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival, 'All These Pretty Things': A Musical Memoir', is a one-woman show, written and performed by Tracey Yarad, and in the 65 minutes of this performance she takes us through the story of her adult life from meeting and marrying her first husband, through to the adoption of a young daughter, to her husband's subsequent betrayal, and her moving away from her native Australia to New York and her healing. One also gets the very distinct feeling that despite the therapy and exorcising of these difficult and traumatising times, she is also using these performances as a continuation of that therapy. In her own words on the programme she boldly states, "What do you do when your husband leaves you for your teenage goddaughter? You dye your wedding dress black, write some killer songs and write a show about it!"

With a title such as it is, one was not truly expecting such a downbeat, heartfelt, and mostly miserable subject matter. There was bonhomie and some humour throughout, but we were never let off the hook completely. Using a screen above the stage to show photos and drawings etc to ameliorate and exemplify her narrative, emphasising all the time that this was her true life story, she was sincere and confidential, bringing us into her world, always only ever showing us her side of the story... and as we all know, every pale is multifaceted. We were therefore never given any opportunity to try to be objective about her situation, we were only told we had to sympathise.

Yarad is a singer / songwriter and her style is folk jazz, and so using several songs played ably at the keyboard and written especially for this show, she juggled narrative with song with ease, and her voice is a mellow soprano. Directed by Tessa Souter, Yarad is conversational and down-to-earth, and yet she still has not found a way of separating the story from the trauma. An interesting but instantly forgettable production.

Reviewer - Alastair Zyggu

on - 16.7.25

Opera Review The Impresario - Mozart Buxton International Festival. Buxton Opera House

Mozart’s brief 1786 one act opera Der Schauspieldirektor, here adapted under a new title, is contemporaneous with the composition of Le Nozze di Figaro; an amusing trifle with more dialogue than music (the first aria comes thirty minutes after curtain up), singer and writer Christopher Gillett has updated the action to 1800, a mere nine years after Mozart’s death but any idea this version will stay close to the period is quickly torpedoed by some distinctly topical jokes and some occasionally fruity language. Frequently the work verges into meta territory, where the audience is reminded that it is watching a musical comedy - about the production of a musical comedy.

Central to the action is the impresario himself, renamed ‘Leo’, a parody of the tight-fisted authoritarian old style ‘producer’ we know from Broadway satires, only here periwigged and frock-coated a la the period: energetically played by Richard McCabe, Leo dominates the action despite never singing a note and is very much the centre of this somewhat shapeless construction: not so much a play with music as a few arias interspersed with a few jokes, most of them on operatic/musical subjects - Regietheater, ‘difficult’ prima donnas (the appearance of one such from Romania named ‘Angela’ is a rather obvious reference to someone who doesn’t need to be nameless), cast members dropping out at the last minute, the heavy hand wielded by stage management. Some of this is amusing without quite managing to be hilarious but the essential thinness of the material becomes increasingly apparent as the evening goes on.

There is also the unfortunate fact that McCabe’s skill as an actor comfortably exceeds those of his singing colleagues: he can project confidently, reliably hitting the back wall so that every word of the text is heard. As spoken word actors, the singers seem somewhat underpowered, their characters not emerging as vividly in the dialogue as they do in the set piece musical pieces, all of which are well put across. They are baritones Owain Rowlands and Dan D’Souza, sopranos Jessica Hopkins, Nazan Filkret and Jane Burrell and tenors Conor Prendeville and Jamie MacDougall.

As for the score: only some numbers are from Mozart’s original opera, other arias and duets are flown in from Cosi Fan Tutte, Die Zauberflote (a particularly funny interpretation of the Papageno/Papagena duet) and Figaro. So, it’s a bit of a Mozart’s Greatest Hits.

In the pit, Jane Glover magisterially presides over the Buxton Festival Orchestra and there are splendid sets and costumes courtesy of Leo van den Boorn. Musically, this is fine, but one could wish it were a bit more substantial as an entertainment.

https://buxtonfestival.co.uk/whats-on/the-impresario

Reviewer: Paul Ashcroft

On: 17/7/2025

Concert Review: A Celebration of Liverpool Zoe’s Place M&S Bank Arena Liverpool

Those outside Liverpool may not know what Zoe’s Place is or why it would be celebrating the city, so here’s a brief telling of that story. Zoe’s Place is a specialist hospice for babies, infants, and very young children living with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. It offers respite care, palliative and end-of-life support, alongside professional therapies and holistic family care. In short, it’s a Liverpool institution.

In late 2024, the hospice faced closure as its lease was due to expire in mid-2025, and planning delays and rising costs left it without adequate funding to relocate. They were faced with the daunting task of raising £5 million in just 31 days to stay open.

Local community efforts, supported by the public, businesses, and celebrities, led to a remarkable fundraising success, raising over £7.5 million to secure the future of the hospice. If that isn’t a cause for celebration, I don’t know what is.

So we come to tonight’s concert, which promised a line-up of Liverpool stars for the ages.

Local DJ and former Brookside actress Billie Clements opened proceedings with a set of high-energy bangers that set the party mood. Compère Leanne Campbell introduced two dance groups: first, artists from the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, who danced to a medley of tunes including one from Moulin Rouge; then, Cody Urban Dance, who were similarly energetic.

A video featuring Michelle Wright, Head of Care at Zoe’s Place, was played on the big screen as a reminder of what they do and why it matters.

The main part of the evening got underway with Scouse poet Joseph Roberts reciting his popular ode ‘Scouse Slang’, which was greeted with huge applause. Backing the musicians was the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (RLPO), conducted by Richard Balcombe. They had their own moments in the spotlight, first with an orchestral version of ‘Ferry ‘Cross the Mersey’.

The show’s main compère, comedian Adam Rowe, introduced Ian Byrne MP, who had been a driving force behind the fundraising. He thanked the audience for attending before announcing the first band of the night: Cheap Thrills, who delivered an outstanding cover of The Beatles’ ‘Come Together’.

Next up was Scottish singer-songwriter and now Liverpool resident Rianne Downey, who sang The Beautiful South’s ‘Rotterdam’. She is currently the female vocalist working with ex-Housemartins and Beautiful South frontman Paul Heaton.

The audience went wild as the legendary Real Thing were announced, singing along with every word of ‘You to Me Are Everything’, surely one of the most popular songs ever by a Liverpool band.

Rowe then introduced Ian Prowse, who gave a powerful rendition of his love letter to Liverpool, ‘Does This Train Stop on Merseyside’. Alternative rock band Red Rum Club were on next, performing The Beatles’ ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’.

The ever-popular Lightning Seeds played three songs, ‘Lucky You’, ‘Pure’, and ‘The Life of Riley’. The sound up to this point had been exemplary, although Ian Broudie’s vocals seemed to get a little lost in the mix during ‘Pure’.

The interval featured a DJ set from Jonny Bongo, the main man behind Bongo’s Bingo. Comedian Paul Smith opened the second half before the RLPO played the ‘Theme from Z-Cars’ to a mixed chorus of cheers and boos due to its association with Everton FC.

Circa Waves performed a crowd-pleasing version of The La’s ‘There She Goes’ before The Zutons took to the stage. They treated the audience to ‘The Big Decider’ and, of course, ‘Valerie’.

The RLPO returned with an orchestral version of John Lennon’s Imagine, then X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson sang her hit ‘Hallelujah’.

One of the night’s undoubted highlights was self-taught classical pianist Brad Kella, who played ‘Eve & Frank’ and a composition dedicated to Liverpool FC footballer Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, who recently passed away. This segued beautifully into the RLPO playing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, with a projected image of Jota on screen. The audience spontaneously burst into the player’s song, an incredibly moving moment.

The Farm came out next and performed ‘All Together Now’, with singer Peter Hooton in fine voice. Next came The Mighty Wah!’s Pete Wylie, accompanied by his daughter Mersey, performing an emotional version of ‘Heart As Big As Liverpool’.

One of the most anticipated performances of the night was that of Echo & The Bunnymen frontman Ian McCulloch, who, accompanied by Jamie Webster, sang ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’.

Zoe’s Place is set to continue its work under a new name, Little Lights, which was revealed in a teaser video. 

The choir Sense of Sound sang two numbers before backing Rebecca Ferguson on her final song.

Actor James Nelson-Joyce then introduced Jamie Webster, who led the audience through ‘All You Need Is Love’, followed by his elegy to Liverpool, ‘This Place’, before closing the show with ‘Hey Jude’. All the performers returned to the stage for a full-on Beatles-style wig-out.

This had been a truly memorable night. In the same week the 40th anniversary of Live Aid was being widely celebrated; Liverpool had just hosted its own Scouse Aid.

Reviewer – Adrian Cork 

On – 17.07.2025

Opera Review Trouble In Tahiti (Leonard Bernstein) & La Voix Humaine (Francois Poulenc) Buxton International Festival, Buxton Opera House Buxton

 

Two highly disparate works from the 1950s are combined in this third new production of Buxton’s current Opera Festival. Leonard Bernstein’s Trouble In Tahiti (a slight misnomer of a title, as Tahiti itself is not the location of the opera and the place itself is only referenced obliquely) premiered in 1952 is a prescient and searching commentary on the spiritual desolation of consumerist America, while Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine is a monodrama for female voice, using the text of Jean Cocteau’s notorious stage monologue. Director Daisy Evans achieves a considerable dramatic feat in interlinking the two, so there appears to be an element of continuity at play - it’s tenuous, but it doesn’t feel contrived as it could easily have done (and it won’t be revealed here - go and see it to find out!).

The Bernstein work is an interesting hybrid - it opens like a Broadway musical (and in some ways anticipates the composer’s defining work West Side Story) but develops in a way that shows greater kinship with Bernstein’s contemporary, Gian-Carlo Menotti: Sam (Charles Rice) and Dinah (Hanna Hipp) are an aspirational New York couple whose perfect life is undermined by their own dissatisfaction with what they have - she, a housewife, feels trapped by maternity, he, a business executive, relieves the pressure of Wall Street by having affairs. Both are aware that a more fulfilling life exists somewhere, but it eludes them, while a trio of ‘commentators’ (Chloe Hare-Jones, Harun Tekin and Ross Cumming) offer witty apercus on their situation. The piece packs considerable depth into its forty-five minute length and the thoughtful staging certainly adds to the impact - as do the involved performances of Rice and Hipp - though it’s a shame one crucial scene was sited too far over to stage left, making what was going on less than clear to those in certain seats.

La Voix Humaine is a much darker prospect: an intense monologue delivered by a woman abandoned by her married lover but still seeking a connection with him via that infuriating twentieth century communication device, the telephone. Mezzo Allison Cook, bringing her vast experience of ‘solo’ shows to bear on the character only known as ‘Elle’, shows how to dominate the stage through sheer conviction, just as she does in the Festival’s concurrent production of Hamlet.

With adroit musical direction from Iwan Davies conducting a specially selected orchestra, an almost expressionist set by Loren Elstein and effective lighting from Jake Wiltshire, this double bill amounts to an artistic triumph for all concerned and is the most successful production of the Festival so far.

Further productions 19th, 23rd and 25th July.

https://buxtonfestival.co.uk/whats-on/opera-double-bill-trouble-in-taihiti-and-la-voix-humaine

Reviewer: Paul Ashcroft

On: 15/7/2025

REVIEW THEATRE FRINGE Part of G M FRINGE Festival PLAY EXTRA ORDINARY 53two Manchester

Behind The Door's production of this two-hander play is something quite extra ordinary! - yes, a two word phrase meaning "more ordinary" rather than the usual compound, extraordinary meaning "something much more than ordinary".

Without a cast list / programme, I cannot credit either performer, in this really rather obscure play that concerned itself far more on emotions and possibilities rather than any linear storyline. The premise being that... what would happen if rather then actually tackling the situation head on!

These two are a couple and she is pregnant; however there is a fair-to-middling chance that she will give birth to a child with Down's Syndrome. Arguments and prognoses follow, some more plausible than others, whilst we, the audience, are sked and challenged to consider ourselves how we would react and bring up something that is extra ordinary. If I have understood the plot correctly then it is not certain this will be the case, but with the addition of a certain chromosome 21 (?) then it is odds on favourite.

Linear progression of narrative is sparse to non-existent, but the characterisations are secure, even if they do seem quite passive rather than reactive at times. Some ideas are clearly fantasy, whilst others are more practical, and usually come from the mouth of the mother-to-be. 

All-in-all, this 55 minute production is more like a Q+A without the A, the A being supplied subliminally by the audience. Interesting, thought-provoking, and certainly different. What would you do if your child was born with Down's Syndrome...?

Reviewer - Chris Benchley

On - 14.7.25 

Opera Review La Descente D’Orphee Aux Enfers - Marc-Antoine Charpentier Buxton International Festival, Pavilion Arts Centre Buxton

Charpentier’s brief (barely over an hour), unfinished opera (1686) is based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as told in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The story - an allegory of grief over the premature death of a loved one, in which the hero travels to the Underworld to retrieve his bride after she is despatched by a snake-bite on their wedding day - is a familiar operatic subject, most famously covered by Gluck and most comically by Offenbach. It would be fair to say, without being unkind, that Charpentier’s work suffers greatly by comparison with those other works and the lack of memorable melodies and originality of treatment is felt in every bar. It is a strange choice for revival by the Vache Baroque company, presented as part of Buxton’s annual Opera Festival.

Happily, most cavils about this production centre on the thinness of the work itself rather than its presentation, which makes creative use of a small performance space and a talented ensemble cast to create a worthwhile evening. With an onstage band of six and a vaguely commedia del arte theme - Pierrots and Columbines are much in evidence - this is amiable fun that, while it may never touch the heart as Gluck’s work does, still manages to occasionally catch the ear.

Tenor Gwilym Bowen is an impassioned Orphee who avoids declamatory poses and sings from the heart and James Geidt is a resonant Pluton, Lord of the Underworld and Frances Gregory a charming Proserpine. It will be good to hear these voices, among others, given worthier and more memorable material to work with than this underwhelming half-opera with its jarringly abrupt ‘conclusion.’

Jeanne Pansard-Besson’s production is pleasantly uncluttered and makes maximum use of a limited space, though I could wish the lighting had been a little more sensitive - Orphee delivered one of his most prominent arias in relative darkness!

Further performances on 20th and 24th July.

https://buxtonfestival.co.uk/whats-on/la-descente-dorphee-aux-enfers

Reviewer: Paul Ashcroft

On: 14th July 2025