Orfeo, poet and musician, the biggest pop star of his era, was endowed with a lyre which he strummed and plucked all day, enchanting everybody and everything, animals, trees, rocks, you name it. He even tamed the Sirens. The golden lyre was a gift from his dad, Apollo, god of music and poetry. The opera… Continue reading Orfeo
Month: October 2022
Jumpers for Goalposts
I don’t usually review shows like this, but it was an irresistible invitation, so here I am in Seaton Delaval Community Centre, watching Meta4 Dance in Jumpers for Goalposts, their new touring show for families. Meta4 Dance was founded by Lily Horgan and Charlie Dunne in 2018 and has increasing community access to dance and widening… Continue reading Jumpers for Goalposts
Twopence to Cross the Mersey
With the country and indeed the world facing unparalleled problems, many people have been yearning for life as it used to be. The cost-of-living crisis and energy supply issues have meant that families have had to make cutbacks. For some members of society, making ends meet has become a difficult if not impossible task. So… Continue reading Twopence to Cross the Mersey
King Hamlin
In the last but one Tory leadership race, Rishi Sunak told a gathering of ordinary Tory members in some countryside constituency that Labour had been putting money into deprived areas and that the Tories were now taking it out of those areas. An academic listening to that supposed Tory achievement wryly commented, “then they are… Continue reading King Hamlin
Invincible – The Musical Announces World-Premiere Casting
The new musical, inspired by Romeo and Juliet, will feature the music of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo. Casting has been announced for the world premiere of Invincible – The Musical, featuring the music of Grammy Award-winning collaborators Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo. Performances are set to run November 22-December 18 at the Wallis Annenberg Center… Continue reading Invincible – The Musical Announces World-Premiere Casting
Seymour “Red” Press, Prolific Music Contractor for Hundreds of Broadway Shows, Dies at 98
As of his death, Press had six shows running on Broadway. Seymour “Red” Press, one of Broadway’s most prolific behind-the-scenes music-makers, has died at the age of 98. He was a music contractor, responsible for hiring all members of a show’s orchestra pit. He began his career as a musician himself, playing saxophone in a… Continue reading Seymour “Red” Press, Prolific Music Contractor for Hundreds of Broadway Shows, Dies at 98
Theatres Beyond the Stage—Regional reconnection
Mercury Theatre Colchester, New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch have worked with Professor Klich and postdoctoral researcher Dr James Rowson from East 15 Acting School, University of Essex to take a snap shot of the position of regional theatre. The report, Theatres Beyond the Stage , looks at the role of theatres in… Continue reading Theatres Beyond the Stage—Regional reconnection
A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain
A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain, Sami Ibrahim’s latest play, is a poetic fable that begins with a young woman in a field shearing a sheep in a surreal land where the heavy fleece of an unsheared sheep doesn’t weigh it down to earth but enables it to float in the air and shit down… Continue reading A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain
Brief Encounter
After a short tour of its co-producers—and following the sell-out run of The Book Thief, which is a tough act to follow—this new production of Emma Rice’s adaptation of Brief Encounter arrives in Bolton. The original Kneehigh production was a spectacular West End show that toured to big stages, but director Paul Robinson and designer… Continue reading Brief Encounter
Mosquitoes
The buzz you get from this play is the kind that keeps your mind racing, long after. It’s about life, the universe and everything—but is so much more than that. Writer Lucy Kirkwood made her name with the award-winning Chimerica, later made into a TV series, and has set a standard for turning epic stories… Continue reading Mosquitoes