Tag: review

REVIEW: Impossible @ The Palace, Manchester

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Some of the world’s greatest illusionists are united in  fast-paced stage spectacular – which is fluid, extremely entertaining and very funny, featuring death-defying stunts, technological trickery, grand stage illusions and close-up magic

Fresh from its hit run in London’s West End, Impossible tells the history of magic told through a wide range of impressive magicians, including a daredevil and mind reader.

The show is interactive,  with comedy performer Lee Thompson, who has entertained on stage, screen and TV for over 25 years, starring in shows for Cirque du Soleil, Mugler Follies in Paris, Cannes and Hollywood, getting the whole audience performing a trick together.
One to watch is  Magical Bones, the hip hop magician whose card act was a brilliant illustration to the music set by DJ Yoda. Starting out in the music industry as a dancer for the likes of Madonna and the Black Eyed Peas, Bones has since turned his attention to wowing the public with expert sleight-of-hand. He doesn’t disappoint.
Audience participation features heavily in the show and every time we saw the house lights turned on to seek out their next audience participation victim we hid in fear, but secretly wanting to be welcomed on stage and experience the magic close up.
Chris Cox mind reading audience members was highly impressive and baffling  and escapologist Jonathan Goodwin whose performances gave a nod to Harry Houdini set the stage alight, quite literally.
The only negative is over sexualised illusion act performed by the only female illusionist, Josephine Lee which  was the weakest part of the show. It was a shame Josephine didn’t didn’t fly the flag for equality.
Ben Hart magician and magician designer was an absolute treat, when he joined the audience just a couple of rows in front of us and enlisted the help of two young boys to join in his magic act. He said to one of them: “You have a great grasp of imaginary, don’t lose that as you get older” and in this show we were all taken into a journey of imagination, illusion and magic.
It is a fantastic night out and comes highly recommended.

Runs till Saturday March 26.

Gemma Bowden

REVIEW: Chicago @ The Opera House, Manchester

CHICAGOThere is no doubt that this Opera House production of the smash hit musical, Chicago, has pulled out all the stops to give audiences all that jazz… and more.

The show fizzes with energy and faultless performances from every cast member from chorus line to leading characters.

 

Based on real life observations of Chicago Tribune reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins in the roaring 1920s,  the show tells the story of nightclub singer Roxie Hart who shoots her lover and  cell block rival, double-murderess Velma Kelly, who fight to keep from death row with the help of sliver-tongued lawyer, Billy Flynn. Continue reading “REVIEW: Chicago @ The Opera House, Manchester”

REVIEW: King Charles III @ The Opera House, Manchester

Robert Powell in King Charles III UK Tour. Credit Richard Hubert Smith.jpgIt was a bold and ambitious project to attempt a modern history play exploring the characters of our current royal family as well as what makes our constitution tick.

There will be those snooty enough to turn their noses up at the audacity of dabbling in Shakespeare’s form and no doubt some will be outraged at this imagining of the shaky transition between the reign of Elizabeth and that of her successor.

But writer, Mike Bartlett has pulled off a remarkable feat of producing a weighty yet accessible play which is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

And Salford-born Robert Powell is excellent as the troubled monarch finding his feet in his new role as he awaits his coronation, wasting no time in hurtling head-long into a constitutional clash with the government.

The play has all the ingredients of a Shakespearean tragedy – a lofty, some might say intransigent, figure set up for a devastating fall, told in verse, with plotting and intrigue and the appearance of a ghost.

The trouble starts when the conscience of the king prevents Charles from giving the royal assent to a bill guaranteeing a statutory right to privacy and a shackling of press freedom. The subsequent stand-off between a parliament determined to exercise its democratic mandate and a king bound by a sense of duty and what is right, leads to a crisis which threatens the future of the monarchy.

But this is not a crusty worthy tome about the British constitution. At the heart of this play is a clash of characters and ideals. It is is about duty, family and betrayal.

And no-one should be put off by the fact the drama is acted out in verse. The form serves to emphasise the weight of history and tradition but in a style which is contemporary and accessible.

These lines are delivered by a very strong cast with a convincing performance by Ben Wrighton as Prince William who is torn between loyalty to his father and a sense of duty to the future of the monarchy.

This is well worth a look.

Dave Toomer

Runs till Saturday March 12

 

 

REVIEW: Let It Be @Opera House, Manchester

image003There’s a blast from the past at the Opera House this week as the music of legends of pop, the Beatles, is celebrated in a hit-packed show.

The  show charts The Beatles’ meteoric rise from their humble beginnings in Liverpool’s Cavern Club, through the height of Beatlemania, to their later studio masterpieces. Four boys from Liverpool who went on to change the world.

If you’re a Beatles fan and expecting a decent performance from a good tribute band paying homage to those timeless classics, you will be satisfied.

But if you want a  more than that and a strong narrative which tells the story of the Fab Four you will be disappointed. I fall into the latter category and after seeing the imagination put into the staging and presentation of productions like Thriller Live, this show seemed a little flat for me.

That said, there were plenty of people in the first night audience who lapped it up and there is no doubt that the performers are very accomplished musicians providing some superb renditions of those now legendary tunes.

Paul Mannion’s guitar solo in While My Guitar Gently Weeps stood out as a highlight of the show and the magnificent effects in Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds was another show-stopper.

It’s worth a trip if  you know what to expect. The show is basically a  concert with some bells and whistles.

Runs till Saturday March 5.

By Dave Toomer

 

 

 

 

Review: Goodnight Mr Tom @ The Opera House, Manchester

1. Alex Taylor-McDowall (William) and David Troughton (Tom Oakley) in Goodnight Mister Tom 2015 Credit Dan Tsantilis.jpgThere wasn’t a dry eye in the house at the end of the very moving and brilliantly realised stage adaptation of the classic novel, Goodnight Mr Tom, at the Opera House.

David Troughton in the title role is excellent as the reluctant carer for a war time evacuee finding a new lease of life having endured his own personal tragedies.

The uncompromising portrayal of a nation at war pulls no punches in dealing with horrors faced on the home front and a series of strong performance makes this production a memorable and rewarding theatre experience.

Young William escaping the wartime blitz is brilliantly brought to life by Alex Taylor-McDowell and Oliver Loades is similarly superb as his flamboyant best friend Zach.

The novel by Michelle Magorian  is celebrating its 35th anniversary and  follows young William Beech, who is evacuated to the idyllic English countryside and forges a remarkable and heart-warming friendship with the elderly recluse, Tom Oakley.

The story is sad and at the same time gloriously uplifting. Well worth at visit.