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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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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…
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Hairspray Is A Sunny Delight!
With the self proclaimed ‘nicest kids in town’ entertaining you, Hairspray rates very highly when it comes to the feelgood factor. It was back in Wolverhampton last night at the city’s Grand Theatre, bringing the story of the larger than life Tracy Turnblad, and her battles against racism and sizism in 1960s Baltimore. As ever, it was as fun and frothy as a musical can be, but with a real moral story behind it. For audiences old and new, it once again proved that you really can’t stop the beat! 1960s Baltimore is a bastion of segregation, and this is highlighted perfectly in the teen music programme ‘The Corny Collins…
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Christmas Magic with The Nutcracker
Christmas really came to town in Birmingham on Friday with the opening night of The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky’s yuletide classic at the Birmingham Hippodrome. A full house for the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production showed that this evergreen classic shows no sign of losing its ability to enchant, with this particular production stunning in both dance and visually through the incredible sets. The Nutcracker tells the story of a wonderful family Christmas Eve, with the initial scenes dominated by a wonderful Christmas tree. This is a picture box Victorian Christmas scene, one that could’ve come from a Christmas card, or the top of a quality street tin, the tableaux is so vivid…
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The Woman in Black – The Ultimate Spinechiller
A virtually bare stage of a 1950’s Theatre. An actor and an old man with a story to tell. Imaginary horses and a dog called Spider. None of it sounds particularly scary, but these are the ingredients of the most celebrated theatre chiller of them all. The Woman in Black has been frightening theatre audiences for more than 30 years, and last night it brought its own brand of menace to the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, and the audience loved it. The play is a two (three?) hander. An old man Arthur Kipps (Malcolm James) wants to tell his horrific story of The Woman in Black in the hope it will…
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Blood Brothers at the Wolverhampton Grand
