SHREK - Palace Theatre

Reviewed by Matthew Dougall January 2018

Dreamworks Theatricals presented their stage version of the hit children's film, Shrek, this evening at Manchester Palace Theatre. With the same company behind this as the original film, then one would have thought it would have been stunning and engaging. One would have expected the children in the audience, (of whom there were many), to be thrilled and laughing all the way. Since this was not the case, then something clearly was not quite right.

[insert slogan here] at HOME

Part of Push2018

Reviewed by Matthew Dougall January 2018

Manchester-based award winning theatre company Yesyesnono premiered their newest work this evening at HOME as part of their PUSH Festival.

The Manchester Project at HOME

Part of Push2018

Reviewed by Matthew Dougall January 2018

This is Manchester-based, Manchester-proud Monkeywood Theatre's theatrical ode to their city. Performed as part of HOME's PUSH Festival, there are 19 sketches each taking a different Manchester town as its starting point, and one of these plays will be performed before every performance in Theatre 2 during the PUSH Festival, and all 19 performed back-to-back for one more time only on the 27th January.

The Return at HOME

Part of Push2018

Reviewed by Matthew Dougall January 2018

The Return is a work-in-progress piece of physical theatre presented by Square Peg Theatre as part of HOME's PUSH Festival. PUSH is HOME’s annual celebration of the North West’s most creative talents.

Vampires Rock: The Ghost Train

at Palace Theatre, Manchester

Reviewed by Johanna Hassouna-Smith, January 2018

Steve Steinman, writer, director and lead role, has created this rock musical which is touring the country throughout 2018 and 2019, so there is plenty of opportunities to catch this lively show.

Kicking against the Pricks

Three short plays by Sam Orton and Hilly Barber

at Studio Salford, The Kings Arms, Salford

Reviewed by John Waterhouse January 2018

Kicking against the Pricks is in fact three short plays of equal length, loosely connected by the common theme of some of the struggles faced by the less advantaged in modern life. The overall result is a surprisingly varied cocktail of comedy and drama with some insightful observations of situations, which most of pray we never find ourselves in but are sadly not uncommon.

Blue/Orange

at Stockport Garrick Studio

Reviewed by Matthew Dougall January 2018

My first visit to Stockport's amateur theatre flagship company, The Garrick, this evening proved to be a most interesting and thought-provoking one indeed.

The play was new to me, and although it is a very wordy and quite lengthy play, it sustained my and the whole audience's interest and concentration right to the end.

The Extraordinary Tale of Holly Christmas

at Lowry, Salford

Reviewed by Victoria Wilmot December 2017

The Extraordinary Tale of Holly Christmas is staged at The Lowry Theatre in Salford, from December 20-31st 2017 at The Aldridge Studio and is suitable for children aged 3 to 8. Presented by Colour The Clouds Theatre Company, and commissioned by The Lowry through its Association Artists programme, this original festive adventure is full of songs, puppetry, a little bit of magic and oodles of Christmas joy.

Holly Christmas (Hollie Steel) is clever, fun and fearless; full of energy and ideas, and all that she wants is for her dad (Richard De Winter) to let some fun into his life and join in her adventures, but all Dad wants is for Holly to sit down and stay safe.

A magic book, a Christmas wish and two Elfish-ly brilliant Christmas helpers (Jack Alexander played Bob, and there was a cast change for Sparks so sadly I don’t have the performers name) launch Holly on an adventure she’ll never forget, creating everything she thinks Christmas should be and teaching Holly, and her Dad, what a perfect Christmas really should look like.

Cinderella

at The Dancehouse, Manchester

Reviewed by Matthew Dougall December 2017

Eight Freestyle and The Dancehouse have been collaborating and producing pantomime for the past 4 years and so this is their 5th pantomime together. Cinderella is such a classic story for panto, and so trying to strike that balance between finding something new and keeping it traditional can be a very hard one.