Friday 25th March 2022 at Leeds Playhouse (Bramall Rock Void). ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tess Seddon writes and stars in this tongue-in-cheek new musical about a young lass who, with no prior political experience or interest at all, accidentally finds herself the candidate for the Yorkshire Party (yes, such a thing really happened). That lass is Seddon -... Continue Reading →
Review: Queen of the Mist at Charing Cross Theatre
Wednesday 28th August 2019 at the Charing Cross Theatre. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What happens when a woman goes above and beyond what others do in the same field, outshining the lot of them with an audaciously unwavering self-belief leading to unprecedented success? She doesn’t get what she’d hoped for, naturally! Such is the case in 1901 as... Continue Reading →
Review: Come From Away at the Phoenix Theatre, London
Wednesday 27th February 2019 at the Phoenix Theatre, London. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Come From Away is first and foremost an excellent piece of ensemble theatre. The show doesn’t fuss with multiple sets or big costume changes and it completely bypasses the formulaic approach found in many musicals. It’s 1hr 40 with no interval, which allows the swirling... Continue Reading →
Cilla The Musical: A Whole Lot of Love
Tuesday 16th October 2018 at the Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cilla The Musical is based on Jeff Pope’s ITV mini-series and it’s a love letter from Director Bill Kenwright and creative team to its muse, Cilla Black. As far as biopic musicals go, this work from Pope and Kenwright as a joint... Continue Reading →
Matilda the Musical (Tour): Roald Dahl’s Classic Finds a Perfect Second Home in Musical Theatre
Saturday 22nd September 2018 at Manchester Palace Theatre. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Roald Dahl’s Matilda is an undisputed modern classic and this stage musical from the RSC is truly worthy of Dahl’s original magic. It’s a whole lot of fun with a thin veiling of darkness and melancholy as befits any of Roald Dahl’s tales - but particularly... Continue Reading →
Calendar Girls the Musical: A Warm-Hearted Hoot
Wednesday 15th August 2018 at The Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds (final Dress Rehearsal). Calendar Girls is inspired by the real women of a Yorkshire WI who created a nude calendar after a loved one was lost - first a real story, then a play and a film, and now a musical; this is certainly... Continue Reading →
This is Elvis: An Impressive Evening of Illusion
Monday 4th June 2018 at The Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Bill Kenwright defends his position as heavyweight in the world of musical theatre with This is Elvis, a new musical presented by Kenwright and Laurie Mansfield. The success lies with the perfectly cast Steve Michaels who is a force of nature as... Continue Reading →
The Last Ship: Making the Political Personal & Defiance Beautiful
Tuesday 1st May 2018 at The Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ You’ll see the word rousing used everywhere in relation to The Last Ship, and with very good reason; the musical is a celebration of northern pride and also a call to arms for all those working within dying industries. In what is... Continue Reading →
An Officer and a Gentleman The Musical: A Busy Crowd-Pleaser
Tuesday 24th April 2018 at the Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Based on the Paramount movie and original screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart, An Officer and a Gentleman The Musical brings a movie classic to the stage. But despite big hits, big sets and generous drama, it doesn’t quite deliver the magic of... Continue Reading →
Spotlight On: The Launch of The Last Ship
The Last Ship is Sting’s debut musical - having first courted Broadway, garnering favourable reviews, this uniquely framed and personal new musical is set for a 4-week season in Newcastle before embarking on a major UK & Ireland Tour (venues, dates and ticket links below). I went along to the launch at Leeds City Varieties... Continue Reading →