The Jungle Book - Altrincham Garrick


ROS Greenwood, take a bow.

Not only has she directed what is sure to be an Easter hit for all the family at the Garrick, she’s designed an appealing set, complete with overhanging flora and fauna, that provides the perfect backdrop for Kipling’s timeless and heart warming children’s classic.

I needed little persuading to swap soggy south Trafford for a jungle setting, warm enough for Mowgli the man cub to scamper around the stage minus his top as I sat in the auditorium, next to my overcoat.

Myles Ryan is an instantly likeable, wholesome and heroic Mowgli and the actor makes us care that he doesn’t end up being gobbled up by Shere Khan, the tyrant tiger, played by Peter Birch.

All your favourite characters are here in a two hour fun filled show that is a great way to introduce kids to the wonders of the theatre and reminds both them and their parents that entertainment doesn’t have to be screen shaped.

Mathew Spilsbury is very watchable as Baloo the bear and I laughed when he scooped up Mowgli in one of his huge bear hugs.

Ellidh Pollard fascinated the little ones in the audience as Kaa the snake and there were many volunteers when Kaa threatened to have them for dinner. “Eat me, eat me,” shouted one girl near the front of the stage.

While there’s a smattering of audience participation in this Garrick show it is kept to a minimum and unlike in panto there aren’t the jokes that make you cringe. Or maybe, that’s just me.

Until April 16. The box office is on 0161 928 1677 or www.altrinchamgarrick.co.uk. When booking please note there are no performances on certain nights of the week.

Star rating - 3.5 out of 5.

Photo by Martin Ogden

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof - Royal Exchange Theatre


Family strife - Cat On A Hot Tin Roof at the Royal Exchange

TO say certain members of the Pollitt clan are going through challenging times would probably rank as understatement of the year.

Brick is married to Maggie who tries and tries and tries some more to re-ignite the passion in their marriage, despite the ageing sports star insisting he can no longer stand the sight of her and seeking solace in the booze bottle.

Add to the mix his very well heeled father Big Daddy, a man so tactless it’s a miracle his wife has endured him for so many years as he delivers a string of barbs and insults to anyone who happens to rile him. But Big Daddy is nursing a secret and beneath his bluster lies a certain and expected vulnerability.

Then we have Gooper, Brick’s brother who might be about to take advantage of Brick’s alcohol addled brain and - well, no spoilers here.

Tennessee Williams’ classic is given a modern setting by director Roy Alexander Weise and it generally worked extremely well when it comes to holding my attention for three and a quarter hours including an interval.

My only moan is Weise’s use of music, which, without want to sound like an old fogey, which sounded out of place.

It may be useful to read the director’s programme notes before the play starts in which he gives a revealing and thoughtful insight into his mindset surrounding a play which Williams finished in the mid 50s and its major themes, many of which are relevant today.

Patrick Robinson gives the performance of the evening as Big Daddy - when he simply looked in my direction I flinched. But I enjoyed enjoyed Boyo Gbdadamosi and Ntombizodwa Ndllovu as Maggie, as they very convincingly picked over the bones of their relationship.

Three and a quarter hours may sound like a slog. But in the hands of a gifted director and a cast teeming with talent it’s a theatrical journey that’s well worth taking.

Highly recommended.

Tickets are available from 0161 833 9833 or royalexchange.co.uk.

Photo - Helen Murray.

The Laramie Project - Lauriston Studio at Altrincham Garrick


Outstanding - The Laramie Project

MATTHEW Shephard, a 21 year old student at Wyoming University was beaten and tortured and left for dead after a brutal attack in October 1998.

A few days later he died as a result of his injuries, the victim of a notorious hate crime. Matthew was murdered because he was gay.

Moises Kaufman’s remarkable play was inspired by the incident and you’re certain to experience the whole gamut of human emotions at the Lauriston this week.

But ultimately this piece, born out of interviews conducted with residents by Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project, is ultimately a play about forgiveness, of the deeply humbling kind.

When the interviews begin Laramie seems like another Stepford, a small town paradise where residents leave their back doors open and kids can play out until the light fades, without parents fearing for their safety.

But scratch the surface and we soon discover the people who live there are deluded and intolerant, their intolerance fuelled by a bigoted and blinkered church.

Can Laramie change?

Kaufman’s script is so painfully evocative, so emotional without the writer playing on our emotions. Even Matthew Shephard himself would have applauded this.

This production is a high water mark for the Garrick and for amateur theatre in general. It’s ambitious, engrossing and sure to leave a lasting impression on those who see it thanks to a multi-talented cast who played a multitude of different roles, flitting from one to another with an effortless ease.

Director Joe Meighan has made it all possible and while The Laramie Project is a difficult watch, it’s well worth watching.

Quite outstanding.

Until March 26. The box office is on 0161 928 1677 or www.altrinchamgarrick.co.uk - returns only.

Star rating - *****

Photo - Martin Ogden


Beginning - Royal Exchange Theatre


Perfect combination - Gerard Kearns as Danny and Erin Shanagher as Laura

I CAN’T remember the last time I laughed so loud in a theatre.

But behind the laughter lies more serious themes in Beginning, from a fear of loneliness to the pain of being estranged from your own flesh and blood to a burning desire for marital bliss.

However, David Eldridge’s beautifully crafted piece is anything but a whine fest, thanks to a superb script that contains just the right amount of the serious stuff.

There must be something in the water in Oldham, a town that’s produced a number of fine and very watchable actors over the years, including Sarah Lancashire. You can add Gerard Kearns to that list.

Kearns plays Danny, the last guest to leave a party held by Laura at her flat in trendy Didsbury. He and Erin Shanagher treat us to a masterclass in comic timing as Laura flirts with her socially awkward guest, with Kearns looking like a rabbit caught in headlights as things start getting a little too serious in his wary eyes.

Some of Kearns’ facial expressions are priceless.

Both actors bring their characters so engagingly to life you’ll find yourself aching for a happy ending. This is a romantic comedy withoutt slushy stuff. Danny and Laura are both vulnerable in different ways even if Laura hides behind a vivacious veneer when we first meet her.

Director Bryony Shanahan and the two strong cast serve up a production that’s a treat from beginning to end and while it’s obvious Danny and Laura are living proof of that old saying opposites attract, Eldridge keeps the audience guessing as to whether their post party relationship will evolve into something more.

I loved this. Make sure you don’t miss the best production at the RET this season so far.

Until March 11. The box office is on 0161 833 9833 or www.royalexchange.co.uk.

Star rating - ****

Photo - Helen Murray

Shakespeare in Love - Altrincham Garrick


I HAVE been reviewing Garrick productions for nearly 40 years - I really am THAT old - and Shakespeare in Love gave me one of the best evenings I’ve ever had at this theatre.

Under the direction of Joseph Meighan, it captures perfectly the bawdy lawlessness of Elizabethan London, with the entire cast enjoying every minute of their time on stage.

We have two engaging, charismatic and likeable leads in Loui Quelcutti and Clara Alexandra-Booker who play out a purely fictional romance between Shakespeare and Viola de Lesseps, who capture the magic of the movie of the same name quite brilliantly.

The play begins with the Bard struggling for inspiration for Romeo and Juliet and we see him slaving over a hot quill, only to be bowled over by the lovely Viola, who becomes his muse. The love scenes have a tenderness to them that is certainly touching.

There are many other acting performances to enjoy including Connor J Ryan as the scandalously under performed Christopher Marlowe, Tom Broughton as Wessex and a show stealing performance from a four legged and furry thespian called Ness as Spot the dog.

It would be wrong not to hand out the plaudits to set designer Trevor McKie or Mike Shaw and his wardrobe team, for really giving us as flavour of the Eliizabethan era with their respective creations or musical director Mark Goggins for the musical element of the evening.

One thing I liked about Shakespeare in Love is the way it humanised the Bard, who lived, loved and even got drunk.

I hope some people don’t stay away because they’re fearful you need to know your Shakespeare to fully appreciate a feel good tale that offers a temporary reprieve from the grim times in which we live today.

A production you’re sure to full in love with and a high water mark for Altrincham Garrick.

Unmissable.

Until February 11. The box office is on 0161 928 1677. Star rating - *****

Photo - Nick Ogden.

Edith - The Lowry


Ivy Corbin as Edith Thompson

THIS is an intriguing story, the deeply thought provoking and engrossing tale of Edith Thompson, one of the last women in this country to be hanged.

Thompson was sent to the gallows for inciting the murder of her husband, Percy. She didn’t carry out what proved to be the fatal stabbing of her controlling and staid spouse.

It was her lover Freddie Bywaters, a decade her junior, who wielded the fatal blow, stabbing Percy in the street after the Thompsons had been for a night at the theatre.

Bywaters claimed it was her love letters to him that spurred him on to do the deed.

The judge allowed the letters to be used in court and the rest, as they say, is history.

Ever since I spent a day as a trainee reporter at court in Sheffield I’ve always been fascinated by the judicial process so this play was grist to the mill for me.

Crowded Room tells the Thompson story in a non sensationalist way that gives the audience the illusion of being part of a real trial. We’re even told to all rise when the judge enters to begin the proceedings.

A largely female cast do a great deal of gender swapping with a mixed amount of success. Ivy Corbin has quite a presence as Edith, looking stunning in an elegant red dress. The decision to place this story in modern times also works, with a set that gives a futuristic feel to proceedings.

When it comes to Edith’s lovelorn missives to Bywaters I don’t think they were really a motivation to murder, just a woman aching for a more exciting existence.

It’s exactly 100 years since the hanging of Edith Thompson and this play is sure to set tongues wagging, as audience drift off into the night or to the car park for their journey home.

Until February 4. Tickets are available from 0343 208 6000 or www.thelowry.com.

Star rating - 3.5 out of 5.

Photo by John Chester Fildes.