Last Summer at Blue Fish Cove - Lauriston Studio at Altrincham Garrick

Outstanding - Last Summer at Bluefish Cove

ALTRINCNHAM Garrick has saved the best until last to bring down the curtain on its LGBTQ+ season at its studio theatre.

As far as plays are concerned, its remarkable to think this masterpiece from Jane Chambers is 40 years old, for it feels so fresh, so invigorating.

While progress has undoubtedly been made as regards gay rights, many of the themes Chambers raises are sadly still relevant today, such as the fear of being ostracised by family and friends when members of this community take the decision to “come out.”

The piece is set in a holiday retreat popular lesbians and contains characters that are bright, fun, funny and free from the shackles of the stereotype. The two hours I spent in their company positively flew by.

The acting is so good, so flawless I actually forgot I was watching actors which was doubtlessly a tribute to director Helen Horridge and a cast who deliver performances of a professional standard.

They certainly behave and sound like real friends and have a camaraderie that’s as effortless as it is engaging. They also have a story to tell, most notably Lil, played so powerfully by Philippa Shellard.

A beautifully observed piece, it also lifts the lid on the lives of the other characters in a way that’s sure to keep you rapt and entertained.

But it feels unjust to single out individuals for adulation because Melanie Beswick, Meg Brassington, Ros Greenwood, Madeleine Healey, Brigid Hemmingway, Patti Linnett and Laura Patterson all play their part in a production richly deserving of its standing ovation on opening night.

Go and make sure this landmark play sells out. This is, most definitely, a must see.

Until June 11. Tickets are available from 0161 928 1677 or www.altrinchamgarrick.co.uk.

Star rating - *****

Photo - Martin Ogden.

Witness for the Prosecution - Altrincham Garrick

MOST of us can’t resist a good courtroom drama, the chance to play detective, safe in the knowledge that any decision we make won’t impact at all in real life.

It’s remarkable just how fresh Witness for the Prosecution sounds, when you take into consideration this Agatha Christie masterpiece premiered in London some 70 years ago. Even if some of the social attitudes on display here deserve no place in a modern and supposedly civilised society.

Mike Shaw’s production is so utterly engrossing the audience’s attention is held in a vice like grip throughout and the first act, which is 90 minutes long, positively flies by.

The man in the dock is Leonard Vole, a genteel character who comes across like an old school clergyman rather than a killer. But he stands accused of murdering a wealthy woman and seems to have all the motivation he needed to carry out the dirty deed.

Tom Broughton’s performance as Vole is of a professional standard and you can’t help feel sorry for him as his horrendous wife Romaine destroys his alibi much to his disgust and disbelief as he faces the possibility of the death penalty if he’s found guilty.

Antonia Whitehead is perfect as the spouse from hell.

Defending Vole is Sir Wilfred Robarts, an old school, charismatic QC brought to life so engagingly by the ever watchable Jonathan Black.

Shaw and Barry Purves have pooled their creative talents to create an authentic courtroom set and Garrick stalwart Geoff Holman provides some much needed light relief as the Judge, with some humorous interruptions to some very serious proceedings.

And then there’s the twist at the end, a twist you’re certain not to see coming unless you’ve seen the film or the play itself.

Highly recommended.

Until May 27. Star rating - ****

Tickets are available from 0161 928 1677 or www.altrinchamgarrick.co.uk.

Photo by Martin Ogden.

The Way Old Friends Do - The Lowry

AS a teenager I dismissed Abba as a safe, uninspiring pop group your parents listened to. Even though my own musical tastes at the time were hardly punk rock.

The Swedish supergroup are, I know admit, minus my adolescent blinkers, responsible for a string of classics that sound just as good 40 years on from their original release.

Abba and their music feature strongly in this heartfelt and hilarious comedy from Ian Hallard. But The Way Old Friends Do, about an Abba tribute band with a mighty difference, isn’t really about them at all.

It’s a play about friendship and having the courage of your convictions in the face of homophobia. Just like a real band, the one founded by two previously estranged gay friends, have their own personal struggles to overcome, challenges that threaten the future of a group initially formed on a sort of whim.

Hallard himself and James Bradshaw are perfect together as Peter and Edward, the long lost pals on a musical mission to pay tribute to the group Peter in particular adores and, like the rest of the cast, display a sense of comic timing that’s second to one. Edward’s camp and caustic put downs are well worth the ticket fee on their own.

I really enjoyed Sara Crowe as the wonderful Mrs C.

While this superb comedy touches on more serious stuff it does so in a very entertaining and engaging manner and together with the laughs, that come thick and fast, combine to create an evening of theatre you simply won’t want to end.

I would expect nothing less from Mark Gatiss, for me one of our most gifted directors. Everything he touches just turns to gold.

The Way Old Friends Do simply must not be missed. Rib achingly funny, it also has a big heart.

Until May 27. The box office is on 0343 208 6000 or visit www.thelowry.com.

Star rating - ****

No Pay No Way - Royal Exchange Theatre

FARCES had never appealed to me in the past, with their formulaic humour and shrill silliness, people getting caught in compromising positions, usually minus important items of clothing.

But No Pay No Way, the latest production from the Royal Exchange, is different. This is a farce with social bite. The characters inhabit a world of high inflation, where people are choosing between eating or heating.

Does that sound in any way familiar?

Life is still a perennial struggle for the so-called ordinary Joe in Marieke Hardy’s oh so apt new version of Fo and Rame’s comedy classic. But in this production us audience members never felt like we were being preached at.

It simply reminds us that it is possible to laugh and think at the same time thanks to Hardy’s engaging and laugh out loud funny script and a cast who treat us to a masterclass in comedy timing.

Anwar Russell, who plays a number of ridiculous and cartoonish policemen is a classic case in point and there’s also a kooky chemistry between Samantha Power and Katherine Pearce as best pals Antonia and Margheritta, two good friends who find themselves thrust into a situation that becomes increasingly bizarre as the on stage chaos unfolds.

Equally impressive is Roger Morlidge as Antonia’s hubby Giovanni and Gurjeet Singh as Margaheritta’s other half Luigi, doing a very convincing impression of a rabbit caught in headlights when Giovanni confronts him with what he thinks is a life changing revelation.

A well scripted, superbly acted farce that was richly deserving of the standing ovation that greeted its end.

Strongly recommended. A hoot with a heart.

Star rating - ****

Until June 10. Tickets are available from 0161 833 9833 or www.royalexchange.co.uk.

Photo - Johan Persson.

Our Town - Altrincham Garrick

ALTRINCHAM Garrick presents Our Town by Thornton Wilder until May 13 at 7.30pm.

Tickets are available from 0161 928 1677 or www.altrinchamgarrick.co.uk.

Photo by Martin Ogden.

Events to truly take Pride in

THE Waterside Arts Centre launches Pride in Trafford, a celebration of LGBTQ+ life on May 17.

The programme begins with The Chosen Haram at the WAC’s Robert Bolt Theatre at 7pm followed by the world premiere of Bi-Topia in the adjoining venue, The Chambers. at 8.05pm.

Audience members should note space is limited in The Chambers and the advice is book early to avoid dissapointment.

Tickets and further details are available from 0161 912 5616 or www.watersidearts.org.

Further information is also available from prideintrafford.org.

A very different take on charismatic former PM

I HAVE been reviewing live theatre, amateur and professional, for more than 30 years and, rather foolishly, thought I’d seen it all.

But I was wrong.

TONY! - Tony Blair The Rock Opera is coming to The Lowry from October 2-7 and its being billed by its creators, as a show for “lovers and haters” of the charismatic former PM.

For ticket details and further information call 0343 208 6000 and you can also book online at www.thelowry.com.

Pronoun - Lauriston Studio at Altrincham Garrick

WHILE I’ve always hated prejudice in all its forms, Pronoun was a real education for me. This wonderful piece of writing, full of insight, honesty and humour, lays bare the challenges members of the trans community still face today.

However, at no point in the evening will you the audience feel like you’re being preached at, with writer Evan Placey telling the story in a way that is insightful, inspirational and completely free from cliches.

Director Peter Brassington must have thought all his birthdays had come at once when this cast turned up for the first rehearsal and he certain makes use of the talent at his disposal. This production is so good I simply didn’t it want to end.

Portia Dodds is outstanding as a female character desperate to right what she sees as a natural wrong and finally and irreversibly become Dean by having the surgery and complete her biologicaltransition from female to male.

James Dean was the coolest dude ever to grace a cinema screen and he appears in this gem of a play as a sort of agony uncle for Dean and while the late Hollywood heart throb will never be replaced, Sam Evans certainly gives a flavour of the Hollywood great.

It seems wrong singling out individual performances, as Charlotte Cosh, Liam Dodd, Teej Jackson, Rachel Jacquest and Bronte James also play a major part in creating a piece of theatre richly deserving of its standing ovation on opening night.

Pronoun is an amateur production only in name and I urge you not to miss this important and challenging play.

Suitable for over 14s only.

Until April 30. Star rating - *****

Tickets are available from 0161 928 1677 or www.altrinchamgarrick.co,uk.

Swedish supergroup inspire play about friendship at The Lowry

IT’S the late 1980s and two school friends cautiously come out - one as gay and the other as a fan of Abba.

They decide 30 years later to form a tribute act to the Swedish supergroup, complete with fake beards and in drag.

But can their long standing friendship survive all the trials and tribulations of a life on the road?

The Way Old Friends Do comes from the pen of Ian Hallard and is directed by the rather wonderful and very talented Mark Gatiss.

Ian, who appears in the production, said: “It’s a backstage play very much in the vein of The Full Monty. A bunch of plucky amateurs decide to put on a show . It’s about those characters and their relationships .”

The play comes to The Lowry from May 24-28 and tickets and further details are available from 0343 208 6000 or www.thelowry.com.

The Jungle Book - Altrincham Garrick

ROS Greenwood, take a bow.

Not only has she directed what is sure to be an Easter hit for all the family at the Garrick, she’s designed an appealing set, complete with overhanging flora and fauna, that provides the perfect backdrop for Kipling’s timeless and heart warming children’s classic.

I needed little persuading to swap soggy south Trafford for a jungle setting, warm enough for Mowgli the man cub to scamper around the stage minus his top as I sat in the auditorium, next to my overcoat.

Myles Ryan is an instantly likeable, wholesome and heroic Mowgli and the actor makes us care that he doesn’t end up being gobbled up by Shere Khan, the tyrant tiger, played by Peter Birch.

All your favourite characters are here in a two hour fun filled show that is a great way to introduce kids to the wonders of the theatre and reminds both them and their parents that entertainment doesn’t have to be screen shaped.

Mathew Spilsbury is very watchable as Baloo the bear and I laughed when he scooped up Mowgli in one of his huge bear hugs.

Ellidh Pollard fascinated the little ones in the audience as Kaa the snake and there were many volunteers when Kaa threatened to have them for dinner. “Eat me, eat me,” shouted one girl near the front of the stage.

While there’s a smattering of audience participation in this Garrick show it is kept to a minimum and unlike in panto there aren’t the jokes that make you cringe. Or maybe, that’s just me.

Until April 16. The box office is on 0161 928 1677 or www.altrinchamgarrick.co.uk. When booking please note there are no performances on certain nights of the week.

Star rating - 3.5 out of 5.

Photo by Martin Ogden

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof - Royal Exchange Theatre

Family strife - Cat On A Hot Tin Roof at the Royal Exchange

TO say certain members of the Pollitt clan are going through challenging times would probably rank as understatement of the year.

Brick is married to Maggie who tries and tries and tries some more to re-ignite the passion in their marriage, despite the ageing sports star insisting he can no longer stand the sight of her and seeking solace in the booze bottle.

Add to the mix his very well heeled father Big Daddy, a man so tactless it’s a miracle his wife has endured him for so many years as he delivers a string of barbs and insults to anyone who happens to rile him. But Big Daddy is nursing a secret and beneath his bluster lies a certain and expected vulnerability.

Then we have Gooper, Brick’s brother who might be about to take advantage of Brick’s alcohol addled brain and - well, no spoilers here.

Tennessee Williams’ classic is given a modern setting by director Roy Alexander Weise and it generally worked extremely well when it comes to holding my attention for three and a quarter hours including an interval.

My only moan is Weise’s use of music, which, without want to sound like an old fogey, which sounded out of place.

It may be useful to read the director’s programme notes before the play starts in which he gives a revealing and thoughtful insight into his mindset surrounding a play which Williams finished in the mid 50s and its major themes, many of which are relevant today.

Patrick Robinson gives the performance of the evening as Big Daddy - when he simply looked in my direction I flinched. But I enjoyed enjoyed Boyo Gbdadamosi and Ntombizodwa Ndllovu as Maggie, as they very convincingly picked over the bones of their relationship.

Three and a quarter hours may sound like a slog. But in the hands of a gifted director and a cast teeming with talent it’s a theatrical journey that’s well worth taking.

Highly recommended.

Tickets are available from 0161 833 9833 or royalexchange.co.uk.

Photo - Helen Murray.

Calendar Girls - Sale and Altrincham Musical Theatre

THERE’S something quintessentially British after a group of Yorkshire ladies shedding their inhibitions and their clothes to raise thousands for cancer research.

All are members of their local WI and are persuaded to pose for a nude calendar after the husband of one of their members dies as a result of the wicked disease.

If you thought the WI was all about jam and Jerusalem, this play is surely to make you think again. Warmly funny and poignant, this captivating tale, based on true events more than 20 years ago, is certainly a timeless and uplifting one.

Sale and Altrincham Musical Theatre serves up a theatrical treat here thanks to the expert direction of Martyn Preston and a strong cast that makes you forget you’re actually watching actors, so convincing are they in their portrayal of this remarkable group of women.

I particularly enjoyed Jenny Hollinshead and Stuart Sephton as Annie and John, a loving couple torn apart by tragedy and the role of Lawrence, the photographer, is the perfect vehicle for Phil Callaghan to show off his considerable comic talents. Some of Callaghan’s facial expressions are priceless and the same can also be said of Rosarie Walsh as the initially reluctant Ruth.

However, it seems wrong to single out individual performances for the simple reason there aren’t any bad ones in these engaging, watchable and at times touching telling of a remarkable true story. But as the women gain international recognition for their fundraising, there’s also the inevitable falling out.

The closing of the curtain at Altrincham Little Theatre was greeted by a standing ovation on opening night which was richly deserved because feel good theatre doesn’t get any better than this. Hugely enjoyable.

Until April 1. Tickets and performances details are available from samtheatre.co.uk.

Star rating - ****

The Laramie Project - Lauriston Studio at Altrincham Garrick

Outstanding - The Laramie Project

MATTHEW Shephard, a 21 year old student at Wyoming University was beaten and tortured and left for dead after a brutal attack in October 1998.

A few days later he died as a result of his injuries, the victim of a notorious hate crime. Matthew was murdered because he was gay.

Moises Kaufman’s remarkable play was inspired by the incident and you’re certain to experience the whole gamut of human emotions at the Lauriston this week.

But ultimately this piece, born out of interviews conducted with residents by Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project, is ultimately a play about forgiveness, of the deeply humbling kind.

When the interviews begin Laramie seems like another Stepford, a small town paradise where residents leave their back doors open and kids can play out until the light fades, without parents fearing for their safety.

But scratch the surface and we soon discover the people who live there are deluded and intolerant, their intolerance fuelled by a bigoted and blinkered church.

Can Laramie change?

Kaufman’s script is so painfully evocative, so emotional without the writer playing on our emotions. Even Matthew Shephard himself would have applauded this.

This production is a high water mark for the Garrick and for amateur theatre in general. It’s ambitious, engrossing and sure to leave a lasting impression on those who see it thanks to a multi-talented cast who played a multitude of different roles, flitting from one to another with an effortless ease.

Director Joe Meighan has made it all possible and while The Laramie Project is a difficult watch, it’s well worth watching.

Quite outstanding.

Until March 26. The box office is on 0161 928 1677 or www.altrinchamgarrick.co.uk - returns only.

Star rating - *****

Photo - Martin Ogden

Touching tale courtesy of SAMT

It was a tale that touched a nation.

A group of middle aged WI women from Yorkshire shed their clothes and their inhibitions to raise funds for cancer research by producing a nude calendar.

They were motivated to do so after the death of one of their members husbands who died from leukaemia.

Calendar Girls The Play is the latest offering from Sale and Altrincham Musical Theatre and director Martyn Preston is sure this remarkable story will capture the imagination of audiences when it opens later this month.

Martyn said:

“Calendar Girls is a heart warming and poignant play that tells the story of a group of women who come together to create a calendar to raise money for charity.

“Rehearsals have been fun and the cast and crew have been working hard to bring this beautiful piece to the stage.

“The play has been well received by audiences around the world and the themes of friendship, courage and resilience are universal.”

SAMT presents Calendar Girls The Play at Altrincham Little Theatre from March 28 to April 1. For tickets and performance details visit samtheatre.co.uk.

Peaky Blinders The Redemption of Thomas Shelby - The Lowry

IT helps, however you don’t need to be a fan of the TV series, for me one of the best dramas to hit our screens in the 21st century.

Nor do you need to be a devotee of dance, for the internationally renowned company Rambert have made it their mission to convert you with this spellbinding, stunning and spectacular production.

Rest assured, it’s mission accomplished, thanks to a combination of world class dance, a super cool soundtrack featuring the likes of Nick Cave and Radiohead. The sets are visually stunning in what is essentially a prequel to this TV classic.

The version was written by Beniot Swan Pouffer, Rambert’s artistic director and the wonderful Steven Knight, the writer responsible for bringing Peaky to the small screen in the first place.

For the unconverted, Peaky Blinders was the story of a gangster family for terrorised the streets of Victorian and Edwardian Birmingham. But the real peaky blinders weren’t a family at all, they were a group of men from a variety of backgrounds who became notorious for the way they dispatched those brave enough - or stupid enough - to cross them.

Pouffer’s choreography is exciting as it exhilarating, with the dancers achieving a grace and poise and agility us lesser mortals can only dream about.

While Knight has been involved in its co-creation, this is more of a prequel to the TV programme that gave birth to it, beginning in the muddy Flanders fields of the First World War to the mean streets of Birmingham to the love affair between Thomas Shelby and the woman he falls for, the captivating and alluring Grace.

We see Shelby sink into despair and this is brilliantly and evocatively portrayed by Guillaume Queau who played the role of Tommy at the Lowry on Tuesday night. Queau is a very tough act to follow for Joseph Kudra, the dancer with whom he shares the part.

Naya Lovell is quite remarkable as Grace, a dancer who was simply born to dance, a natural and a very gifted one at that. Together they are quite the combination.

Dance simply doesn’t get any better than this. Unmissable.

Until March 18. The box office is on 0343 208 6000 or visit www.thelowry.com.

Star rating - *****

Beginning - Royal Exchange Theatre

Perfect combination - Gerard Kearns as Danny and Erin Shanagher as Laura

I CAN’T remember the last time I laughed so loud in a theatre.

But behind the laughter lies more serious themes in Beginning, from a fear of loneliness to the pain of being estranged from your own flesh and blood to a burning desire for marital bliss.

However, David Eldridge’s beautifully crafted piece is anything but a whine fest, thanks to a superb script that contains just the right amount of the serious stuff.

There must be something in the water in Oldham, a town that’s produced a number of fine and very watchable actors over the years, including Sarah Lancashire. You can add Gerard Kearns to that list.

Kearns plays Danny, the last guest to leave a party held by Laura at her flat in trendy Didsbury. He and Erin Shanagher treat us to a masterclass in comic timing as Laura flirts with her socially awkward guest, with Kearns looking like a rabbit caught in headlights as things start getting a little too serious in his wary eyes.

Some of Kearns’ facial expressions are priceless.

Both actors bring their characters so engagingly to life you’ll find yourself aching for a happy ending. This is a romantic comedy withoutt slushy stuff. Danny and Laura are both vulnerable in different ways even if Laura hides behind a vivacious veneer when we first meet her.

Director Bryony Shanahan and the two strong cast serve up a production that’s a treat from beginning to end and while it’s obvious Danny and Laura are living proof of that old saying opposites attract, Eldridge keeps the audience guessing as to whether their post party relationship will evolve into something more.

I loved this. Make sure you don’t miss the best production at the RET this season so far.

Until March 11. The box office is on 0161 833 9833 or www.royalexchange.co.uk.

Star rating - ****

Photo - Helen Murray

Sensational trial comes to the Lowry stage

IT was a trial that captivated a nation and following its run in the West End, Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial is sure to set tongues wagging all over again in Salford this summer.

The production is at The Lowry from June 9-11 and for tickets and performance details call 0343 208 6000 or visit www.thelowry.com.

Little Women with a difference at the Waterside

ACTRESS Hannah Churchill - pictured - is to play all the parts in a stage adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel Little Women at the Waterside Arts Centre in Sale.

The production is being performed by Jenny Wren Productions and founder and director Jenny Wicks said:

“The idea came about during lockdown. Hannah had been in another of my shows and we both needed a creative project to keep us going and Little Women was on my list of shows I wanted to do at some point and I started considering how it could work with one performer and Hannah rose to the challenge.”

This original play includes live music performed by actor/musician Reece Webster

Little Women is at the Waterside Arts Centre on March 16 at 7.30pm. For tickets, call 0161 912 5616 or watersidearts.org.

Waterside Arts Centre prepares for visit by great detective

SHERLOCK Holmes will bring his powers of deduction to Sale’s Waterside Arts Centre next month when the venue stages The Valley of Fear.

This is the final novel by the great man’s creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the production promises an evening of thrills and adventure for audience members aged 11 and over.

The Valley of Fear is at the WAC from March 3-4 at 7.30pm with a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.

For tickets, call 0161 912 5616 or visit watersidearts.org.

Enjoy an adventure with Tango the penguin

HIVE North presents Tango’s Big Adventure at the Waterside Arts Centre on February 17 and 18 at 11am and 2pm.

The 55 minute show is suitable for those aged 3 and over and it follows Tango the penguin as she goes on a trip through Central Park Zoo meeting a variety of fascinating animal families.

For tickets, call 0161 912 5616 or visit www.watersidearts.org.