Vibrating with colour, 9 to 5 is a dazzling comedy with an arsenal of original songs by the legendary queen of country, Dolly Parton. The live production serves the interests of Dolly fans and shoulder pad aficionados alike, with a reprisal of the 1980s film that merges sisterhood and solidarity under the banner of its Grammy-winning theme song. The vigilante justice story has been successfully reincarnated into a television series that ran for 5 seasons, a stage show that first opened in 2009 and has an upcoming sequel to the film in the works. Grounded by a trio of secretaries, the story follows the unlikely heroines as their daydreams of getting even with their smug and sexist boss turns into a scheme to enact real revenge. Concocting fantasies that quickly begin to bleed onto the Palace theatre stage, the three independent women speak of equal pay for equal work, giving this story and their characters some weight within the playful comedy. Held together by the Oscar, Grammy and Tony-nominated soundtrack, a string of euphemisms and the energetic vocals of its leads, this production simply wants to show people a good time. Refusing to shoehorn in her familiar hits, Dolly’s original music and lyrics performed by Louise Redknapp (Violet), Amber Davies (Judy) and Georgina Castle (Doralee), elevate the fantasy and expand on the impassioned pleas concerning gender imbalance. The musical adaptation directed by Jeff Calhoun merges the multiple set pieces seamlessly with the addition of disco coloured staging and floor to ceiling screens that are worked alongside supersized office appliances spewing a nightmarish (yet believable) amount of paperwork. Together with songs like Backwoods Barbie and One of the Boys, that soften the edges of its source material, the show delivers a fanciful production teeming with energy. Its pace is ramped up further by the second half as the women go all out to settle the score with their contemptuous boss Franklin Hart Jr. (played by Sean Needham). Needham’s scenery-chewing scenes leave him suspended in mid-air for much of the interval with the audience ensuring to add to the entertainment. The glass ceiling has not yet been shattered, but 9 to 5’s marketplace feminism remains relatable 39 years after the film’s release. Justifying its frequent resurgences, the live stage show preserves the positive messaging of its original while uplifting audiences with its sparkling sense of humour. 9to5theMusical PalaceTheatre #Manchester

A Taste of Honey places audiences in a gloomy, post-war Salford where single mother Helen (Jodie Prenger) and her daughter Jo (Gemma Dobson) command a warped tale of love, shaped by people living on the margin. Written by Shelagh Delaney in 1958, the story follows the daily lives of the self-centred Helen and her independent teenage daughter Jo. Far from a helicopter parent, Helen is delighted to leave her seventeen-year-old alone to fend for herself in order to appear young, single and malleable to her latest “fancy man” (a one-eyed drunk who owns his own home). As Helen searches for a partner who can place her outside of the poverty line, Jo unable to rely on her mother, also looks on the kindness of strangers in an effort to find love. Despite the pair struggling through relationships with boyfriends, platonic friends and baby daddies, the two are never presented as deer trapped in headlights. Presenting more like bears on the prowl, the women’s fiercely worded comebacks results in a sharp, energetic and vibrant production that works to unpack the differences in our ‘Britishness’. Driven by these smartly determined characters, Delaney’s forward-thinking play remains rooted in realism and encourages audiences to engage with the intimate lives of the working-class experience. In a set devoid of colour, the gritty, harsh realities of Salford are counted by the wonderfully frank and witty banter between its female leads. The weathered beauty of their lives makes the National Theatres perfectly crafted kitchen drama a believable and thoughtful success. Peppered with issues surrounding homosexuality, race and economic power, the production, directed by Jodie Prenger, remains relevant 61 years after it was originally written. As the show sits between its five characters, the diversity of experience that binds its cast together is reaffirmed by its live band, who performing alongside the cast, backing local nursery rhymes and amplifying their regional identity. All confined to share the Lowry space, the set is restricted to play all the scenes out in a single room that forces the dark humour to unfold in uncomfortable quarters. The show emerges all the more impressive for its longstanding, beguiling story that is seldom represented on stage. The simple tale has been refresh by its inclusion of live music and the fantastic casting of Prenger and Dobson, who takes on the desires, regrets and endurance of Helen and Jo. The two allow their audience to view white working class women’s struggles without playing into their innocence or victimhood. It does not offer a fairy-tale story of women’s independence, but A Taste of Honey continues to represent the resilience of the marginalised in a surprisingly entertaining fashion. NationalTheatre ATasteofHoney #Manchester #TheLowry

Taking on more transformations than Cinderella, the Lowry theatre sets the stage for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s gender swapping production of the Taming of the Shrew. Justin Audibert’s direction plays with the 1590’s dated societal constructs that sees women traded for property and muzzled for speaking out. Sanitised through its reimagining, that styles the shrews as men and embeds the production with lovably abusive women, the Shakespeare story of social immobility and gender struggles is a difficult tale to progress. In a world where women rule supreme and men run their mouths at the risk of being associated with the devil, the RSC’s take on Shakespeare’s problematic messaging can be forgiven for its tongue in cheek approach. The tone of Audibert’s production is far more frivolous, gathering its cast around in a gloriously immature collaboration of musical asides, impractical costumes and wit. Shakespeare’s take on courtship follows the domineering Petruchia (Claire Price) and her talkative husband, Katherine’s (Joseph Arkley) tumultuous relationship. As Katherine’s mother attempts to have her married off before her younger brother, Bianco (James Cooney), Pertuchio takes it upon herself to tame Katharine using tortuous techniques that are assured to keep him obedient. With a large dowry on the line, Pertuchio’s methods that include keeping Katharine starved and sleep deprived until he submits are hard to stomach regardless of the gender inflicting the pain. At the same time suitors, Hortensia (Amelia Donkor), Gremia (Sophie Stanton) and Lucentia (Emily Johnstone) swarm Bianco in the hopes to take the already respectable man as their husband. With gifts, trickery and disguises afoot, the RSC interject memorable moments that keep the production refreshingly uplifting despite being honestly bonded to Shakespeare’s classic. With an updated production that is carried by its fantastically animated female cast, the story that exposes the pre-packaged commodity of marriage places more spectacle onto the costumes, music and casting to improve on its message. While the story is carried by its piercing language and upgraded by the powerful casting, the production ultimately chooses to keep most conventions in place. Affirming that anyone too uppity must be shown their rightful place in society, the power imbalance between all involved remains intact. Despite the show being flexible enough to change the gender roles, it remains stilted by Shakespeare’s constructs of marriage that sees a good taming as the only way to keep an honourable marriage. However, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s dramatic take on the 1590’s text is a wonderful transgression from the original play as its serves up the wicked wording by a sharp, diverse cast in an extremely animated and entertaining reboot. RoyalShakespeareCompany #TheTamingOfTheShrew #Manchester TheLowry #Shakespeare

For the final instalment of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s touring trilogy, the 1604 comedy Measure for Measure has been adapted for the #MeToo generation. In an absorbing production that sees its multifaceted cast members taking on the issue of justice, mercy and sincerity, director Gregory Doran forces us to question if attitudes have shifted. After the duke of Vienna unexpectedly leaves his deputy Angelo (played by Sandy Grierson) in charge, the new commander begins imposing the moralistic laws upon the citizens. While brothels were never legal, they were never raided, but Angelo’s fierce interpretation of the laws leads to their closures, along with the arrest of the unmarried Claudio. Facing execution for impregnating his girlfriend before marriage, Claudio leans on his sister Isabella (Lucy Phelps) to plead for his freedom. The soon to be nun, Isabella attempts to convince Angelo but unsurprisingly, finds that the new moralistic leader is content with propositioning her to trade her chastity for her brother’s freedom. Expanding on Shakespeare’s world, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 27 actors have taken three dated but trusted plays in an effort to expand them to the masses. With reimagined retellings of the stories, including diverse casting, playful costumes and untraditional staging, the shows have been elevated by the RSC’s meta approach. Yet, unlike As You Like It and Taming of the Shrew, that shines the house lights straight at the audience with welcoming and vibrant sets, Doran’s direction of Measure for Measure sits silent and lonely. With the on-stage band rarely featured, the sanctuary of the Lowry theatre immerses audiences in a Vienna packed with mirrors and projections. Offering us a window into our own world, the grounded production has cast members hold moments in spot lit scenes that carry across their message of justice or mercy. Measure for Measure is a minimalist production that turns around its provocative story and engaging cast. The revolving RSC cast are gloriously bold, and this stalk rendition moves Phelps from the flamboyant Rosalind in As You Like It, to the reserved Isabella. It speaks to the casts versatility and range that they can move the audience equally with their flashier productions as they can with the softer remodels. However, the show remains filled with the usual trickery, deceit and whimsical wordplay you can expect from a Shakespeare production. Doran also guides the audience to an uncomfortable conclusion, as this clever reimagining of the tale parallels the current climate and continues to speak directly to the audience about our troubled times. Understandably, the RSC’s thoughtful production doesn’t offer any solid conclusions to the issues it raises, but it will certainly leave you pondering over the production long after it’s over. RoyalShakespeareCompany #MeasureforMeasure TheLowry #Manchester #Shakespeare

Paul Foster’s showstopping musical offers audiences the comical theatrics of a live production, in front and behind the stage curtain. Playfully embodying Agatha Christie and Columbo within its plot, Curtains certainly revels in its startling moments within its twisty, turny narrative. After the lead in Robbin Hood has been mysteriously murdered on opening night, it is left to the singing detective, Frank Cioffi to investigate the cast and crew while they attempt to keep the show afloat. Allowing us to join the dots between its questionable collection of theatre talent, audiences are introduced to a barrage of would-be criminals including the cast, the producer, chorographer, composer, understudy and theatre critic, who are stirred up in a boiling pot of love triangles, bribery and revenge. With more than enough backstage dealings to keep audiences overanalysing all the characters motives until the finale, the show is weighted by its cast’s backstories and score, that is chiefly used to develop the casts motives. Comedian Jason Manford, who starred in the stage adaptions of The Producers and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang leads as detective Frank. The musical loving lieutenant, assisted by Ore Oduba (Aaron Fox) and Carley Stenson (Georgina Hendricks), offers solid performances in the energetic whodunnit, with a range of stage and screen talent keeping the sense of mystery and music alive. In a haze of smoke, cardboard cut-out set pieces and stage lights, the shift between the casts chaos lives off stage issues and the shows “live” musical performances keeps the songs flowing freely. Manford’s eccentric performance as the theatre loving detective brought the levity to this light drama, alongside the scene-stealing Samuel Holmes as the director. Full of one-liners, the musical interludes by the fantastic Stenson (Les Miserable), Rebecca Lock (Heathers and Mamma Mia), and Samuel Holmes (The Wedding Singer), bring boundless energy to the musical acts. The Palace theatre stage is left relatively bare for this 1950’s Boston period piece, with painted backdrops and costume changes taking precedent. The blank guise does allow its cast to fill the space with their peculiar personalities and allows for several full company performances that harken back to the memorable musical classics like Guys and Dolls. Originally written by Peter Stones and adapted by Rupert Holmes after Stones death, Curtains features the music of the classic Broadway duo John Kander and Fred Ebb. With the Tony award-winning composers behind the songs of Cabaret and Chicago, the shows musical flares feed the delightful murder mystery with toe-tapping numbers between its scenes of jolting reveals. The best moments in the show are when it leans on its laidback numbers plucked from its vague cowboy-themed production. The fantasy elements bring ambitious, high kicking choreography and ambiguous but ultimately catchy songs. The track Thataway! could have been plucked from Chicago as scantily clad southern belles, scandalously dance in a saloon, bathed in red lighting, singing about how to seduce a man. Curtains split life between its on and off-stage antics makes it a distinct production that offers subtle musical moments interweaved in its fully-fledged murder mystery narrative. It is an old-fashioned show despite initially premiering in 2006, but its familiar feel makes it a charming addition. Jason’s comedic touches aids in prolonging the surprisingly lavishly cast of suspects, but it is a show that ensures audiences will be kept laughing and in the dark until the final moments. Curtains #PalaceTheatre #Manchester

The contemporary dance company, ZooNation have reassembled their surreal 2011 production of Some Like It Hip Hop. The hit show is back at the Lowry with a welcoming pre-show that presents a merger of The Kate Prince Company, The Lowry and 0161 Studios, to introduce local talent to the larger stage. With a medley of tracks including Stormzy, Ed Sheeran and Bugsy Malone, The Spice of Life showcase warms up the crowd for the themes of intimidation and discrimination in a shadow of the main show. Alive with slapstick, the adventurous piece written by Kate Prince and Felix Harrison, takes place in a city where books have been outlawed and women are second-class citizens. The tale follows Jo-Jo and Kerri after the two women have been discovered breaking the law, leading to their exile from the city. Choosing to return disguised as men, the women veil themselves in Steve Harvey suits with moustaches and ties to match, before heading back to show their worth. Despite containing numerous characters fighting their way out of darkness, the shadowy, regimented space does not darken the Lowry doors with a set utterly devoid of colour. Instead, the comedy is preserved by its visual jokes, expressive lyrics and charismatic characters that fill the space. In a narrative that intermingles ideas surrounding Some Like It Hot, Mad Men and Twelfth Night, ZooNation open audiences up to an exciting world of dance with a simple message. Eight years after its initial release, its music and choreography remain fresh and energising to the audience, who are encouraged to partake in the show. In a reversal of the 1959 comedy Some Like It Hot, this joyful play on the classic remains rooted by its high-flying dance number and live musical performances. Motivated by its daring cast of impressively versatile performers, the show celebrates hip hop culture by including a variety of styles. From its krumping, tutting, locking, popping and breakdancing numbers, the show assembles a fantastic team who perform against an original soundtrack throughout the production. ZooNation offers an accessible story with a warm and charismatic production teeming with humour and driven by the desire to entertain. Incorporating everything from beatboxing, gospel-inspired musical moments and the beautiful acoustic track Invisible Me; the show is awash with inventive style. Some Like It Hip Hop’s playful nature and reimaging of the classics brings a unique take of It’s a Man’s World that allows the women to go head to head with the boys and embrace the message of tolerance and acceptance through quality choreography. With seriously stunning moves by the elusive team and talented choreographers, Prince, Tommy Franzen and Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, the show reaches out to the broadest audience to join in the dance. SomeLikeItHipHop #ZooNation TheLowry #Manchester

The Great Northern Warehouse is playing host to an exhibition dedicated to all LEGO creations. Artist, Nathan Sawaya’s wonderfully immersive works spans five chapters, opening audiences up to over fifty life-size pieces of LEGO art. Having quit his job as an attorney to follow everyone’s dream of playing with LEGO, Sawaya decided to put a personal stamp on the childhood toy, rebuilding the world with expansive sculptures and replicas that welcome lovers of LEGO into the art world. Aiming to highlight the importance of art in developing self-awareness, combating depression and building self-esteem, the thoughtful exhibition reflects the endless themes and possibilities that LEGO provides. Parading a colourful collection of skulls in response to the LEGO Groups first cease and desist email to his unauthorised artwork, the Skulls collection underscores Sawaya’s unique take on the toy, offering bright yellow, red, green and blue death-themed pieces to voice his initial frustrations with the company. Since being endorsed as a certified LEGO professional, his works continue to splinter into unexpected territories. Alongside personal pieces such as Yellow, that holds the cover of the exhibition, displaying a man tearing himself apart and spilling his LEGO kernels onto the ground, Sawaya has taken inspiration for his Red Mask self-image from the Hall of African Peoples in the American Museum of National History, displayed together with the human forms of a circle, triangle and square. Challenging himself to sculpt the simple building blocks into spectacular figures, Sawaya’s work is infused with the hyperrealist photographs of Dean West. The collaboration is shown in the In Pieces series that unveils Sawaya’s works in real-life scenarios, showing a woman wearing his LEGO dress creation while standing outside a ticket booth, as well as dropping his cloud sculptures into the sky. Alongside videos explaining how his art is produced, the Red Dress creation stands centre stage of the room, suspending its scattered LEGO fabric in the air. LEGO often sell miniature replicas of famous landmarks and characters, but the discovery of Sawaya’s recreations of the Venus de Milo, Michelangelo’s David and the Mona Lisa are unequal spectacles. Addressed with the official brick count to highlight the immense number of LEGO pieces used to create and inspire the work, the largest room of the exhibit is dedicated to recreations, paying homage to significant moments in art history. Including tributes to Girl with a Pearl Earring, Starry Night, and a portrait of Andy Warhol, the fine art inspirations ensure that younger audiences are given a stunning history lesson while appreciating the intricate contemporary creations. Impressively, the exhibit even offers LEGO pool pits for children to curate their own pieces at the end of the show. Leaving audiences with the awe-inspiring Dinosaur that appears to be plucked straight out of the National History Museum, Sawaya’s three-month construction engulfs the room as his final farewell. Despite having a loyal, built-in LEGO audience, The Art of the Brick is an exciting and unexpected show that captures themes of anxiety, love and rejuvenation to ensure that Sawaya’s personal passion brings a smile to adults and children everywhere. This review was originally written for Northern Soul #Manchester NathanSawaya

Rose, the meddling momager of nightmares has been resurrected for this year’s Royal Exchange Christmas musical. The wannabe star is back to put Kris Jenner and her daughters June and Louise in their place with her endless supply of gumption. With enough energy to power the Round, Rebecca Thornhill subbed the role of Rose for Ria Jones in the performance I witnessed. Playing a washed-up and pushy stage mother, living vicariously through her children is not an easy sell. However, Thornhill brings a relatability to Rose, selling her dreams to the audience in an engaging and unwavering performance. Originally released in 1959, the musical revises Gypsy Rose Lee’s memoir that recounts how the striptease artist’s, ruthless mother motivated her move into burlesque. The mature musical loosely retells Lee’s bottomless ambition through Stephen Sondheim’s defiant lyrics, playing out the hardships and realities of show business. The West Side Story lyricist’s, Grammy Award-winning soundtrack explores the behind the scenes lifestyle of children June and Louise through Rose-coloured glasses. Rose’s unsettling philosophy is played straight to the audience in Some People and Everything’s Coming Up Roses, which are a testament to her survival instincts despite also ringing with an underlying darkness. The captivating and complex character of Rose makes Gypsy a fantastic story in its own right. Still, the Royal Exchange’s slick production enhances the realistic tale with a few surprisingly fantastical layers. Showbusiness is a fickle business but director Jo Davies uplifts the travellers search for fame with a prop a minute turnover. Showcasing June and Louise’s lives from childhood to adulthood, the production neatly inserts a trampoline into the set of Let Me Entertain You to transition the cast from children to adults. It’s a sizeable ensemble for an Exchange show, and the talented children featured in the opening dance sequences weren’t even around to take the final bow, clearly past their bedtime. In one of the best moments of the musical, the You Gotta Get a Gimmick number split between Suzie Chard, Lizzie Nance and Kate O’Donnell is a show-stealer. With over the top, increasingly ridiculous stripper gimmicks being played to the crowd, O’Donnell as Electra ends up wielding a circular saw at her crotch. Plugging variety entertainment, 56 years after its release, Gypsy shows what running on ambition alone can get a person. It is not the sugary Christmas classic audiences may expect this time of year, but Gypsy is a timeless tale to the draws of fame and what people are willing to do to make a name for themselves. You can also watch Gypsy the Musical on Amazon GypsyTheMusical #TheRoyalExchange #Manchester

Band of Gold is more than a 90s nostalgia kick as its brutal story uncovers a forgotten and vulnerable, underclass of society that remains hidden. Tales from the red-light district are rarely placed on screen, let alone portrayed on stage, but Kay Mellor’s 1995 TV series has proven popular enough to be dusted off and revamped for a live audience. With the original show writer and Fat Friends creator overseeing its transition onto the stage, the production manages to stuff its first, 6-part season into a 2-hour staged thriller. Following four working poor women of Bradford, the production plays through the daily lives of Rose (Gaynor Faye), Anita (Laurie Brett) and Carol (Emma Osman), which are filled with threats of loan sharks, corrupt coppers and vengeful exes. As single mother, Gina (Sacha Parkinson) struggles to keep a roof over her head flogging Avon cosmetics; she turns to self-employed streetworker, Carol for support with a plan to turn tricks and pay off her expanding debts. However, rather than showcase the life of luxury headed by the red-light district, director Mellor flickers between Bradford’s streets, the local pub and the women’s sofas, for a spiralling tale of tragedy. The comical whodunnit is comprised of a who's who of soap stars, with the celebrity casting formed solely for its stage production. Nevertheless, the women have a believable comradery, banding together to reflect both the emotional cost and the sense of humour needed to carry out their duelling lives. For the generation that grew up with the crime drama, its northern humour and honest characters stack up to the series, but as the stage show is forced to fast forward through character developments, it may leave newcomers feeling detached due to its jolting direction. Despite keeping the characters grounded between their school runs and baby daddy dramas, Mellor’s direction brings an abstract open world, that places grungy sliding walls and square light panels onto the stage. While its TV’s series injects mysterious men leering in cars, out of bushes and into windows, the stage environment removes some of the suspense by continuously blacking out its stage to reframe and reset the production. The shows use of limited sound effects keeps the atmosphere eerie, but its broad casting and time pressures leaves too many mysteries unsolved. Band of Gold is not a graphic murder mystery. With an empathetic look into the world of sex work, Mellor’s story breaks down some of the assumptions of the women entering the business by pulling focus on their ordinary lives. This retro TV is worth a repeat as its feisty leads rehash the importance of compassion and community, banding together to create their own in the face of desperation. Balancing the comedy and reality for a raw and relatable story, the characters continue to resonate with audiences, and the result makes for an entertaining and uplifting production. This review was originally written for The Review Hub BandOfGold #KayMellor TheLowry #Manchester

The Coronavirus pandemic has put a temporary stop to all live performances. However, a silver lining has come in the form a collection of free to stream productions, including an early release of Hamilton’s 2016 original cast recording, which is now available on Disney+. As we cross our fingers and desperately hope our favourite theatre haunts make it through the pandemic, Hamilton’s filmed performance serves as a beautiful reminder of theatre’s necessity, its lack of diversity and the films ability to touch a broader audience, previously unable to afford the price of admission. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s music and lyrics serve the audience an absorbing and imaginative rewrite of America's origin story. Performing as Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton, the hip-hop biography is partly narrated by Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.), reflecting on their mirrored lives, distinctly opposing principles and ties, throughout their clashing careers. Mixing tradition with innovation, the tumultuous life and death of Hamilton is surrounded by a glorious hip-hop, soul and R&B heavy soundtrack. Not confined to the aesthetics and stylings of the 17-1800s, each character’s personality is reflected through the musical genre they deliver their solos, emphasised in the speed of their delivery and underscored by their movements across the stage. Fugees, The Notorious B.I.G, and an autotuned upgrade to The Reynolds Pamphlet makes the show rich in lyrical detail, youthful in energy and painless for a repeat viewing of its 2 hour and 55-minute experience. Director, Thomas Kail brings a fresh-faced production with a set that showcases the humble beginnings that the country was founded on, while Paul Tazewell’s romantic costumes embrace the period without feeling overproduced with unnecessary wigs and props. Relatable in its visceral approach, the shows broad remit to engulf its audience in historical references and introduce a large cast of characters brings unexpected and powerful theatrical moments. Casting her spell further than Elsa, Angelica Schuyler (Renée Elise Goldsberry) freezes time on her audience with a striking effect that reverses part of the narrative and allows her to retell the story from her perspective. Alongside duels and rap battles, the narrative remains timely and relevant with its universal themes of betrayal, love, ambition, senseless gun violence and activism. With its minimalist, scaffolding set depicting the foundations of a new nation, live audiences aren’t forced to wrestle their focus away from the actors whose often centre stage performances are circulated around each other. However, the recording of the film does have some sound mixing issues, along with a few distractions and unnecessary liberties taken with its edited edition. Generous close-ups, side shots and some of the more frustrating crane shots play out performances from so far afield its casts expressions are unreadable. Hamilton’s filmed production is sensational, but nothing beats live theatre. Hopefully, we will see Victoria Palace Theatre reopen next year with its 2020 Hamilton cast, led by the remarkable Trevor Dion Nicholas, who moved from playing the Genie in Disney’s live production of Aladdin to lead as Hamilton. In the meantime, the film is a fantastic substitute. Much of the criticism surrounding Hamilton comes from its removal of the problematic parts of history, seen as a whitewashing of slavery and genocide despite this shows unique opportunity to layer different voices and new perspectives into the story. However, Hamilton is not a documentary, and as its production moves outside of the exclusive enclosures of the theatre, straight into our living rooms, it should spark enough joy to inspire a personal history lesson. One that this restricted musical rendition and its soulful, self-serving characters are restricted in retelling. Hamilton is available to watch on Disney+ #Hamilton #DisneyPlus VictoriaPalaceTheatre Manchester #HamiltonFilm

Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers are taking to the Palace theatre stage in a traditional production of Romeo and Juliet the ballet. The Moscow City Ballet have reinterpreted the 1597 text to charming effect, revelling in the couple’s battle with family rivalries and forbidden love through classical dance. The Shakespeare inspired piece is set far away in Verona, where the two fated lovers from feuding families marry in secret. Despite relocating the couple’s untimely death to the first scene of the first act, the show carries a suspenseful and lively atmosphere throughout its production. Evidence of destruction and prosperity lay in the distinctive weighty dance style of choreographer Victor Smirnov-Golovanov, that is heightened by the live Moscow City Ballet Orchestra. With an extensive history representing and updating the narrative through film and theatre, the Moscow City Ballet flourishing with a naturalistic celebration of their love. The old-school romance is given a classic look with the Palace theatre stage adorned with static painted backdrops of stained-glass church windows, the streets of Verona and Juliet’s night garden. The company’s sizable ensemble brings surges of energy and drama through visually exciting swashbuckling duels and conflicts that move between the couple’s personal journey. The passionate Dmitry Lazovik (Romeo) and angelic Ksnia Stankevich (Juliet) soak the audience in light, sumptuously love scenes. After barely touching from their first encounter, the lovers gradually merge their routines into more intense and enduring duets. Leaving lavish set pieces aside, Moscow City Ballet’s emotional performances bring the tragic romance to life with gentle and venerable routines. Stankevich solos feel dynamic alongside the beautiful score that supports and holds the character in her forbidden love. Moscow City Ballet has simplified the complex layers of Shakespeare’s narrative of feuding families, religious barriers and fate into a style that is accessible. Reaching out to encourage a younger audience to engage with the story, the production has toured with the company for over twenty-five years and remains a staple in their repertoire. Pulling focus on the emotion from the dancers in their open and simplic interpretation, the show relishes in the feelings Shakespeare forms through words. Here the feelings are as strong as ever, harmonised with the rousing music of Sergey Prokofiev including the familiar BBC’s The Apprentice theme tune, Dance of the Knights that is played as Tybalt (Kozhabayev Talgat) parades his power alongside the Capulets. The playful Moscow City Ballet production evokes the universal themes of Shakespeare’s most famous love story through an inviting production that should be relived. MoscowCityBallet RomeoandJuliet #Manchester PalaceTheatre

Following in the same vein as its captivating 1977 film starring John Travolta, Saturday Night Fever the musical shadows paint store clerk and dance fanatic Tony Manero, as he enters his local discos dance competition and convinces an energetic new partner to help him win. Fixed firmly in the seventies, Manero’s philosophy of family, friends and living for the weekend has been morphed into a musical surrounded by the Bee Gee’s greatest hits. The edgy story promoting the intriguing disco nightlife presents all the fans favourite tracks in snappy succession and performed live by Bee Gee impersonators hovering above the action of the dance floor. Supported by fun-loving songs like Staying Alive, Tragedy and More Than a Woman the light-hearted backdrop of fashion, killer choreography and alluring music hides Monero’s uncompromising working-class reality. Tapping into the racist, sexist, drug-induced dance culture, nineteen-year-old Manero and friends highlight an inescapable pain of poor, working-class families. Bill Kenwright’s production turns the Palace theatre into a club that shines its disco lights onto the crowd and makes the audience a part of the night scene. With one of the best-selling movie soundtracks of all time, seventeen songs lace the show, allowing characters to express themselves through the lyrics and the story to be taken into fantasy sequences that play out more of the hits. Unfortunately, Kenwright’s production has been heavily sanitised in comparison to the original 41-year-old film. What was originally a gritty look into the working class, Italian-American life is lost through its glossy staging and vague gestures. Underlining that the dance scene is not all glamour and glitz, the Palace theatre set by Gary MacCaan builds a multicoloured disco ballroom around its cast that unravels as our antihero goes about his daily routine. Stairs to nowhere, lowered backdrops and a dank family kitchen bring a drastic contrast to the glittering dance world, but too much of the story has been hollowed out with it. Manero, played by the quick-footed Richard Windsor, carries the enduring crossover choreography by Olivier Award winner Bill Deamer to the stage. With an undeniably talented dancer at the helm, it is the atmosphere cultivated around the disco community and Manero’s singular worldview that makes this show entertaining. Winsor, who previously worked as a principal dancer for Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, brings the desired energy to the old-fashioned role. Working the audience one step at a time, Manero benefits from his new dance partners experience, eager to better his own situation. Much of the chauvinistic and racist dialogue from the original has been cleaned up for a wider audience, but it leaves the characters beliefs blurred. Alongside apathetic friends, Monero’s bigoted worldview cannot be solved through dance alone. The production would have benefitted from a few revealing scenes that balance the sexual abuse and passive racist comments. With all the drama replayed through upbeat Bee Gee tracks and no real consequences to face, Monero’s character barely scratches the surface. The sensationalised musical relies on its original 1979 film fans, failing to adjust for modern audiences. New members will struggle to identify with Monero as his transgressions are hastily forgotten and forgiven in an unsatisfying conclusion. Bringing the unsympathetic Monero to the stage with less time to explain his shallow choices, the production chooses to fall back on the hit films stupendous dance moves without making Monero’s unsettling backstory any easier to digest. Saturday Night Fever was about more than just the music but it’s not so modern remake may have forgotten its roots. SaturdayNightFever #Manchester PalaceTheatre