Theatre through the eyes of a Manc
With parliament suspended, and a no-deal Brexit looking more probable than ever, you could be forgiven for thinking that the country is going to the dogs. Our democracy is under threat. The Amazon Rainforest is on fire, as the effects of climate change are already becoming apparent. These are truly depressing times that we live... Continue Reading →
Sub-titled "Scenes from the Luddite Rebellion", this play has no relation to the song of the same name by The Smiths. What we get is a fascinating history lesson about the Luddite Rebellion and how the rise of the machine in the Industrial Revolution devastated the livelihoods of the working-classes, when their jobs were replaced with... Continue Reading →
Falling smack bang in-between the Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter seasons, August is usually considered as a fallow month for theatre productions, as people flock to the Edinburgh Fringe for their theatre fix. In Manchester, there's no rest though, with plenty of great shows available throughout the month. Here are a handful of suggestions for what theatre... Continue Reading →
When I heard that the Royal Exchange had selected Hobson's Choice as part of its spring/summer season, I was excited to see that it would a version adapted by Tanika Gupta. I have been a fan of her work for quite some time, and I was eager to see what she could do with Harold... Continue Reading →
"Who has power over you and what do you want to say to them?" Created by Jeremy Goldstein, Truth to Power Café provides ordinary people a platform to voice their own 'Truth to Power' responses to this question. Beginning its UK tour at The Royal Exchange, each night is different, as people of all ages and... Continue Reading →
The inclusion of West Side Story to the Royal Exchange Theatre's Spring/Summer season is undeniably relevant to our current climate. With youths becoming increasingly dissociated in society and gang related knife crime increasing, the comparisons with this classic story become all too apparent. In the musical, loosely based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the streets... Continue Reading →
Hailed as one of the greatest anti-war plays, Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and her Children was written in the midst of the Second World War, as the Nazi party controlled the majority of Europe. Anna Jordan's adaptation is set in a dystopian 2080, with Europe being divided into different grid sections, much like The Hunger Games. Warring factions fight... Continue Reading →
The Royal Exchange's decision to stage The Producers as their Christmas show is a risky choice to make. Like most of Mel Brooks' work, it is unashamedly controversial. It satirically depicts the lengths that failing Broadway producer, Max Bialystock, will go to in order to make money. With his accountant, Leo Bloom, he comes to the realisation that... Continue Reading →
The Mysteries is a series of six one-act plays rooted around different locations in England, depicting a day in the life of their inhabitants. Two plays are staged each night, with 'Eskdale' and 'Manchester' being performed on the night I attended. As soon as you enter the studio, you feel like you are part of... Continue Reading →
