Category: Theatre
REVIEW: CREATIVE COW PRESENTS…BORN IN THE GARDENS
Many theatre companies, when reviving a play that was first staged more than thirty years ago, would seek to update the piece with elaborate re-staging or contextual changes. Creative Cow’s triumph with Peter Nichols’ 1979 comedy is, in large part, down to the fact that they have remained faithful to the era and have staged [...]
REVIEW: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT PLYMOUTH’S THEATRE ROYAL (13/03/12)
The Phantom of the Opera has been a long running success for Andrew Lloyd Webber and now in it’s 25th year, I went along to see what all the fuss was about. Seated in the circle seats I first noticed a massive chandelier hanging precariously over the audience in the seats below. The first night [...]
THE DEVIL IS AN ASS AT PLYMOUTH DRUM THEATRE
The Peoples’ Company is open to anyone aged over eighteen and it supported by the Theatre Royal’s Creative Learning Department. They regularly put on full-scale productions within the Drum Theatre and 247 spoke to Matt Hall the director of their latest show, to ask what had attracted them this time to The Devil is an [...]
CAST REVEALED FOR PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT PLYMOUTH THEATRE ROYAL
Cameron Mackintosh has announced full casting for the spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, which premieres at the Theatre Royal Plymouth next month. Simon Bailey will star as ‘Raoul’, Angela M. Caesar as ‘Carlotta’, Andy Hockley as ‘Monsieur Firmin’, Simon Green as ‘Monsieur Andre’, Elizabeth Marsh as ‘Madame Giry’, [...]
GOING DARK OPENS AT THE DRUM THEATRE, PLYMOUTH
How far can you see? A mile? A hundred miles? Or to the furthest shores of the universe to a far away galaxy? These are the questions posed to us in Going Dark, a new play by devised by the Sound and Fury company. 247 spoke to writer Hattie Naylor to discuss her vision: Firstly [...]
FORMER EASTENDERS STAR JAMES ALEXANDROU FEATURES IN DNA AT PLYMOUTH’S DRUM THEATRE
A recognisable play and very recognisable face are coming to The Drum in Plymouth at the beginning in February. DNA was first written by Dennis Kelly as part of the National Theatre’s Connections project but since that time has become a core set text on the GCSE English syllabus. 247 spoke to actor James Alexandrou [...]
HORSE PISS FOR BLOOD DEBUTS AT PLYMOUTH’S DRUM THEATRE
The Drum Theatre Plymouth presents Horse Piss For Blood, a new play by Carl Grose. Horse Piss For Blood runs in the Drum Theatre from Thursday 23 February until Saturday 10 March and is directed by Theatre Royal Artistic Director Simon Stokes. Cornish conspiracy theorist Virgil Ploy is paranoid. He thinks that everyone is out [...]
IAN DURY’S REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL COMES TO TRURO’S HALL FOR CORNWALL
Following a hugely successful run in 2010, the hit show Reasons To Be Cheerful will be coming to Hall for Cornwall from 21 to 25 February. The Graeae and the New Wolsey Theatre’s critically acclaimed production is a high-energy coming of age tale set in 1979 and celebrating the infectious music of Ian Dury and [...]
KEEP BREATHING AT THE DRUM THEATRE, PLYMOUTH
Chris Goode is a regular visitor to The Drum in Plymouth with groundbreaking shows such as King Pelican and Woundman and Shirley. For this show, however, Chris has decided to do something very new to engage with his audience and set up a website asking people to share something about their lives with him So [...]
REVIEW: EARTHQUAKES IN LONDON AT BATH THEATRE ROYAL (30/09/11)
The last few pieces of contemporary theatre I saw were pretty poor, so much so that I’d kind of given up on modern theatre altogether. That is until I saw Earthquakes in Londonat Bath’s Theatre Royal. The play’s exceptional use of music, without descending into the realms of a musical, was a real draw for [...]
BLUES BROTHERS BANNED AT EXMOUTH PAVILION
One of the UK’s favourite young show bands, Blues Brothers Banned return to the West Country playing Exmouth Pavilion on Friday 30 September and Carnglaze Caverns on Saturday 1 October. The high energy ten piece band present a jam packed night of music and mayhem with hits from the cult Blues Brothers and Commitments movies [...]
DIRTY DANCING HEADS TO BRISTOL HIPPODROME
The producers of the first ever national tour of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage, one of the most successful musicals in West End history, are delighted to announce the lead casting of one of the most iconic couples in cinematic history as part of the tour’s original company. Paul-Michael Jones will be [...]
SOMERSET’S TACCHI-MORRIS ARTS CENTRE HOSTS SCRIPTWRITING COMPETITION
The Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre has teamed up with Bridgwater Arts Centre to offer new and emerging playwrights in the South West the opportunity to take their work from the page to the stage. There is just two weeks to go for budding writers to submit their scripts! Winning entries will be offered a performance slot [...]
VW CAMPER OBSCURA TOURS THE SOUTH WEST AND WALES
For many people, the Camper Van has become a symbol of opting out of normal everyday life; even if just for a few days, and finding a way to live differently away from the normal day to day issues that define our existence. Perhaps because of the sense of exploration, which the camper van has [...]
EXPLORE THE ‘LISTED LIDO’ ON THE HOE, PLYMOUTH
The Listed Theatre Company have brought their very unique production to Plymouth to engage the city’s audience with a part of their past, present and future that they may have otherwise overlooked. The show, which is preformed in and around the city’s Tinside Lido covers the history of this lido as well as others around [...]
BOUND AT THE DRUM THEATRE, PLYMOUTH
Men, and their relationship with masculinity, takes centre stage at The Drum Theatre again this week. Bound is the multi award winning play, from Bear Trap theatre, which chronicles the voyage of a six-man crew on the fishing trawler “The Violet”. Amongst its awards are Fringe First, Herald Angel, NSDF and Methuen Drama Emerging Artists [...]
THE PILLOWMAN AT BRISTOL ALMA TAVERN
Small Moving Parts Theatre Company Presents: Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman at Bristol Alma Tavern this month. A writer in a totalitarian regime is interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories and their copycat similarity to a number of child murders that have occurred in his town. Gradually this unlikely nightmare scenario takes on [...]
THE MAN AT PLYMOUTH THEATRE ROYAL
Tax and the taxman may not seem an obvious choice for a fun night out at the theatre but writer James Graham believes otherwise. Following on from his success at the Drum Theatre, as part of the writing team of Suddenlossofdignity.com, he believes the story of Ben Edwards and his struggle with his tax receipts [...]
GOLDEN DRAGON AT PLYMOUTH’S DRUM THEATRE
The Golden Dragon is a theatrical fable written by Roland Schimmelpfennig which is receiving its English language premiere in the Drum this month. Schimmelpfenning is widely regarded as one Europe’s most exciting dramatic voices and is currently the most performed playwright in Germany. 247 spoke to Ramin Gray the ATC Company’s artistic director to ask [...]
CONTROVERSIAL MUSICAL SPRING AWAKENING OPENS IN EXETER
A play banned in the 1960’s due to its celebration of adolescent sexuality and attacks on conventional morals, is making a comeback as one of the sexiest and most provocative musicals ever written. Spring Awakening opens its first ever UK tour at Exeter’s Northcott Theatre and following in the steps of other rock-opera musicals like [...]
