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THE ANSWER IS EUROBEAT

Following its sell-out run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, performances in New York, Los Angeles and Australia, unanimous critical acclaim and a stunning audience response, the multi-award-winning Black Watch comes to Salford as part of a world tour.

THE SHOW:
Hurtling from a pool room in Fife to an armoured wagon in Iraq, Black Watch is based on recent interviews conducted by Gregory Burke with former soldiers who served in the Black Watch Regiment. Viewed through the eyes of those on the ground, Black Watch reveals what it means to be part of the legendary Scottish regiment, what it means to be part of the ‘war on terror’ and what it means to make the journey home again.

See a trailer for Black Watch here and see what audience members thought about the production.

John Tiffany’s production makes powerful and inventive use of movement, music and song to create a visceral, complex and urgent piece of theatre. (more…)

Contact hosts the world premiere of a new drama that reveals the devastating effects of a crisis that is currently playing out across much of India.

In the cotton fields of Punjab, a farmer pins his hopes on GM seeds and Western pesticides as his crops begin to suffer and fail. Frustrated by limited prospects, his son turns to drink and dreams of migration, while his daughter must choose between staying in poverty on the land she loves or following the man she adores to seek a better life in the West…

Zameen (Land) is a beautifully written new drama that explores the disastrous environmental damage and effects on real human lives triggered when the forces of nature, tradition and globalisation collide. This topical and timely work explores the reality of a major global issue that will ultimately affect us all. (more…)

I reviewed John Barrowman’s gig at the Bridgewater Hall on Tuesday night. I was really looking forward to it as I am a fan of his TV and stage work. But there was something really schmaltzy about the gig which left me feeling really detatched. The audience though went wild for him, screaming out his name at every opportunity.

He sang some brilliant musicals numbers, but the mediocre covers from his current album were really dull live too. No amount of talent could hide the fact that the gig was aimed squarely at housewives. A shame, as he has built up a real cult following in Torchwood. But cult appeal, alone does not fill a venue.

JB sure has some energy though. Every time you turn the telly on, he’s there. What with his quiz show, Torchwood, Dr Who, a new album in the pipeline and I’d Do Anything, when does he relax?

To read the review, click here.

In the theatre world, you get the chance to meet some great and some not so great people. When I moved to Manchester from London in 2000, I met a very special lady. Her name was Angela Kendall-Carpenter. This friendly and witty lady was press officer at the Library Theatre, which quickly became my favourite venue.

After she left the Library, our paths have continued to cross over the years. She was on the M.E.N Theatre Awards Panel and bemoaned the exclusion of Angels In America (which she and I both adored) from the shortlist. She also covered the role of Press Officer at the Octagon for a few months.

Never one to sit still, this hard working lady also promoted zany comedy duo Lipservice, as they toured the North. (more…)

Venue: The Royal Exchange
Date Reviewed: 15th April 2008

Tennessee Williams‘ The Glass Menagerie was revived last year in the West End to critical acclaim. I was lucky enough to see Robert Gould’s stunning staging of this classic. Jessica Lange’s Amanda Whigfield was a pretty but lonely Southern belle who resorted to coquettish charms to find her daughter a husband.

Here, Brenda Blethyn plays the role differently, bringing out the comedy and the pathos, with ease. It is a thrill to see this brilliant actress grace a stage in the North, but this is a far from simply being a star vehicle.

Braham Murray captures the biographical nature of this claustrophobic drama, perfectly. Mark Arends‘ Tom Whigfield is essentially Williams; a would-be writer, frustrated by his mundane factory job and his over-bearing mother, Amanda. The only positive influence in his life is his sweet, but sick sister, Laura (played by Emma Hamilton). (more…)