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Library Theatre closes for two days, Royal Exchange invite writers

March 31, 2007

LIBRARY THEATRE CLOSED FOR TWO DAYS DUE TO FIRE

Yesterday evening the Central Library in Manchester had a small fire down in the basement. As locals will know, the basement houses the Library Theatre. The fire service were called to the scene and the area was cordoned off. The theatre have issued a statement. See below:

“We regret to inform customers that due to unforseen circumstances there will be no performances all day on Saturday 31
March and Monday 2 April. Please contact the box office on (0161) 236 7110 for further information. We apologise for any inconvenience.”

So, although the theatre will be closed, it will only be for a couple of days. I wish the management team all the best and look foward to visiting the venue again soon.

UPDATE- the fire broke out in a props area. The theatre itself has minor smoke damage.

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Lumley brings grace to weekend

March 26, 2007

This weekend I got to see Joanna Lumley in The Cherry Orchard in Sheffield. It’s a beautiful play which is enhanced by the great lady herself. She carries herself so elegantly - you wish that she would do more theatre. The packed audience loved it. I do hope that The Crucible comes back following the rennovation with some good productions. With Fiddler In The Roof transferring to the West End, this theatre is proof that all is well in the regions.

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Behind The Scenes at The Royal Exchange

March 25, 2007

Have you ever wanted to get right behind the scenes within your local theatre? Ever been to the Royal Exchange and wanted to know, how do they do that?

Well next weekend the unique Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester is opening its doors for a fantastic free event.

Running from 11am until 5pm and it will feature: workshops, theatre tours and a costume fashion show. For a complete schedule for the day click here:
http://www.royalexchange.co.uk/downloads/openday.pdf

There is no need to book. This sounds like a great opportunity to glimpse behind the curtain as one of the North West’s finest theatres. For more information- ring 0161 833 9833

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Dodgy American accents

March 24, 2007

In Manchester at the moment there is a strange accent. It veers from “Are You Talkin’ To Me?” De Niro style - to Betty Boop American. I’m talking about dodgy American accents on stage. Barbara Marten’s Martha in Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf is more Bronx than anything and slightly distracting. David Fleeshman’s Willy Loman in Death Of A Salesman veers in and out of American. But the prize for the worst must go to Claire Sweeney in Guys and Dolls, currently on tour. Her Miss Adelaide grates as she is Lyndsey Corkhill at times and Betty Boop at others.

The best American accent in the North West is Jennifer Lee Jellicorse in Neil Simon’s Chapter Two at the Library Theatre. Her accent is impeccable. Why? Well, she is an American and it’s refreshing to hear after so many bad attempts. Catch Jennifer until 14th April. www.librarytheatre.com

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Whatsonstage In Manchester

March 22, 2007

Hi,

It’s been a while. But with this new blog entry, I am to bring you the latest news, theatre review and goss from Manchester. If you live here, you will realise how vibrant the theatre scene is. We currently have Guys And Dolls and The Producers playing to packed houses. Recently opened plays include; Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Wolf and Neil Simon’s Chapter Two. The choice is second to the West End. With the Lowry about to stage Angels In America and Into The Woods, there really is something here to suit everyone.

This page is going to develop over the coming months. What we at at WOS hope to do is to set up a micro site for the Manchester theatre scene. This means that you too can have some input.

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