Review-Cabaret
January 27, 2009
Date Reviewed: 26th January, 2009
Venue: Sunderland Empire
Touring theatres around the country, as well as appearing in the West End, are would be Maria, Joseph and Nancy finalists. In the main they have turned out to be talented young people looking for that break and while not securing the winning role on the reality TV show they have gone on to better things since their TV appearances. Read more
Review-Blood Brothers
January 21, 2009
Date Reviewed: 20th January, 2009
Venue: Theatre Royal, Newcastle
Willy Russell’s musical Blood Brothers is a worldwide smash and usually gains a standing ovation at every performance. This latest tour compliments the West End version that is still running strong in the Capital and once again stars one of the Nolan sisters. Over the years the musical has provided an ideal vehicle for the Nolan’s as they take it in turns almost to play the put upon, down at heel, mother Mrs Johnstone. Read more
Check out the lastest on Robinson Crusoe
January 17, 2009
We know Christmas is well and truly over when the pantos finally leave town and today sees the final perfromances of Robinson Crusoe and the Carribbean Pirates, which has had a record breaking run at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle.
Last week we managed to see the show from a backstage point aview and chat to Chris Hayward, who plays Mrs Crusoe between shows.
Our backstage report can be found under featres and our chat with Chris is in the interview section. These articles nicely round off our year of following thes pantomime from its inception to opening night and beyond by our regular chats with Producer and Director Michael Harrison, MD of Qdos Pantomimes.
Chris Hayward : There’s Nothing Like A Dame
January 17, 2009
When you interview someone you never quite know what to expect. It can be prearranged questions only, a structured conversation where you know the interviewee does not really want to be there in the first place or the other extreme when the questions go out of the window and you end up chatting. Luckily for me that is what happened when I caught up with Chris Hayward at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle.
Chris is just ending his second panto run at the Theatre starring alongside North East favourites Clive Webb and Danny Adams, in Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates. He is already booked to join the father and son comedy act as they return to Newcastle next year in Cinderella.
I caught up with Chris immediately after he had finished the 1 p.m. Sunday performance and with just one and hours between shows I was delighted that he was willing to see me at all.
During the performance I had been in the wings so had seen all his costumes close at hand and noted how much work and detail went in to his fabulous creations. Chris has fifteen entrances during Robinson Crusoe and immediately on leaving the stage races to change in to the next costume. Read more
Backstage at Robinson Crusoe
January 15, 2009
At this time of year many pantomimes have already finished, while some still have a few performances left before the magic disappears for another year. So when we were offered the opportunity to go backstage at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, and watch a performance of Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates we jumped at the chance.
We have followed this show since Michael Harrison (producer and director of the show, as well as MD of Qdos Pantomimes) started writing it over a year ago so this visited rounded off the whole process. We had already reported on the writing and casting during 2008,then sets coming alive as the technical rehearsals started and finished with reviewing the whole production on press night.
Now to see the production from the cast and backstage crews perspective is not only very interesting it is a rare opportunity. During our visit Michael Harrison unexpectedly arrived at the Theatre Royal and had already started work on the synopsis of next year’s production Cinderella. So as we finished reporting on this year’s show, the whole cycle has begun again for a show opening in eleven months time. Read more
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