theatre
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Sweeney Todd At The Rep Is Gothically Good.
The notorious tale of Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street is quite rightly considered a modern masterpiece of musical theatre. The Stephen Sondheim musical classic is a dark and macabre tale of murder, madness and cannibalism, all held together by a glorious score and just a little humour. The newest production, directed by Joe Wright, is currently wowing audiences at the Birmingham Rep, and last night I went to see it and was frankly astounded by its absolute brilliance and horror. The show has the power to thrill and horrify an audience at the same time. Benjamin Barnes has just arrived back in London, 15 years after being…
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Richard lll Is A Triumph At The Gatehouse Theatre
Richard lll is arguably the greatest of Shakespeare’s history plays. It brings to an end the saga of the War of the Roses, whilst telling the sordid story of the last, and certainly the most infamous, of the Plantagenet kings. It is hard to think how a production could make this play feel new as it is just so well known and loved. Last night, however, the Gatehouse Theatre, Stafford, did just that, turning the 15th century story into one set in the 1930’s, in the grounds of a bombed out pub, with the protagonists very much resembling the gangs of the Peaky Blinders. It worked brilliantly, with Richard lll…
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On Tuesdays We Love Mean Girls
Mean Girls, the iconic film that made a star of Lindsey Lohan, is now a fun and frothy musical that is absolutely ‘fetch’. It has arrived in Wolverhampton for a run at the Grand this week, and it truly is the ultimate Summer musical with great songs, cool bitchy performances and a killer of a storyline thst has a lot to say about friendships and the cult of High School cliques. Cady Herron comes to a high school in America fresh from living and home schooling in Kenya. She is adopted by Janis and Damian, who promise to help her find her tribe, but to the surprise of everyone she…
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream At The Rep
The Birmingham Rep has always had an affinity with Shakespeare adaptations with a twist, and their latest staging illustrates this just beautifully. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a wonderfully entertaining spectacle that brings the bard kicking and screaming into the 21st Century. It is beautiful to look at, and a joy to listen to, as the Shakespearean dialect is all in tact. But it is also very, very funny, and ultimately joyous as it proves that ‘the course of true love never did run smooth.’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is Shakespeare at both his most Dreamy, and most mischievous. Directors Joe Murphy and Madeleine Kludje have taken both of those…
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The Rocky Horror Show: A Naughty Delight!
Damn it, Janet! The ultimate in cult musicals returned to the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre last night. Yes I can only be talking about the ‘astounding’ Richard O’ Brien’s Rocky Horror Show, a musical like no other, with an audience who heckle virtually every word and enjoy every single mucky minute. If you’ve never seen it before, it’s a shock to the system, one that leaves you laughing out loud and gasping with shock. In short, It’s a hoot! Based on those late night double features that played at cinema’s during the 1950s, The Rocky Horror Show is a pastiche on B Movies of the Science Fiction and horror variety. Squeaky…
