Author: Kevin Bourke
Theatre Review: West Side Story, Royal Exchange, Manchester
West Side Story, conceived and nursed through a troubled birth in the 1950s by the powerhouse team of Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents and Leonard Bernstein with a bit of help from a youthful Stephen Sondheim, changed the face of musical theatre.
Music Review: Lines – Parts One, Two and Three, The Unthanks
Say what you like about The Unthanks, but I love them. Just to be clear, they’ve never been afraid of pushing boundaries, embracing challenges and kissing ambition on both cheeks.
Review: JB Shorts Reloaded, 53two, Manchester
I remember being invited to the first JB Shorts a decade ago and having little idea what to expect from a notion that had begun as a conversation over a few drinks between two writers, let alone imagining that it would blossom into one of the highlights of Manchester’s theatrical landscape.
Theatre Review: Barber Shop Chronicles, Royal Exchange, Manchester
Written by poet, playwright and performer Inua Ellams, Barber Shop Chronicles comes to Manchester’s Royal Exchange where it’s co-presented by Contact and credits Fuel, the National Theatre and Leeds Playhouse as co-producers (that being the nature of theatrical productions these days) following not only two sell-out runs at the National but also a world tour.
Theatre Review: Rags the Musical, Hope Mill, Ancoats
Stephen Schwartz launched his songwriting career aged just 23 with the score for Godspell.
Midnight and Closedown: Northern Soul chats to multi-award winning folk trio Lau
“In a way it’s been quite exciting to keep getting asked if calling this album Midnight and Closedown means it’s going to be our last album,” says guitarist and singer Kris Drever, one third of the multi-award winning folk-and-far-beyond trio Lau, along with Martin Green (accordion, piano, electronics) and Aidan O’Rourke (fiddle).
Theatre Review: SparkPlug, HOME, Manchester
As a self-proclaimed ‘launchpad for new talent’, Manchester-based Box Of Tricks pride themselves on championing the next generation of playwrights, commissioning and developing “bold and original new plays from the most exciting new voices”.
“As long as they’re making a sound it doesn’t really matter to me how they’re doing it.” Tom Doughty talks to Northern Soul
Frodsham-born Tom Doughty is a well-respected acoustic lap slide guitarist, performer, songwriter, recording artist and teacher, known throughout the UK and internationally.
“There’s nothing as exciting as sitting in the audience, waiting for the curtain to open.” Northern Soul talks to Mark Williams
You probably know Mark Williams best as Arthur Weasley in the blockbuster Harry Potter film series, or possibly from TV’s The Fast Show.
Theatre Review: The Producers, Royal Exchange, Manchester
Let’s not even get started on the unlikely ‘film to stage’ saga of The Producers.
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