Preview: West Side Story at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Web link: Carliol Photography 

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North East Theatre Company

Presents a West Side Story

West Side Story

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Tuesday 19 to Saturday 23 July 2016

The glad rags are primed, as Newcastle Musical Theatre Company (NMTC) bring 1950’s swing and song to Newcastle Theatre Royal this July, in what will be a breath taking performance of Broadway’s heart wrenching classic, West Side Story.

The show, which sees star crossed lovers Toni and Maria caught in the cross fire of gang warfare between Sharks and Jets is showing at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday 19 to Saturday 23 July 2016.

Directed and choreographed by nurse and dancer Sandra Laidler, with musical direction provided by Cambridge music scholar, doctor and conductor Malcolm Moffat, this is by far the company’s most demanding production to date.

Jamie Douglass and Nikki Cunningham lead as lovers Toni and Maria, with Dan Dickinson as Jet leader, Riff and Ty Roach-Thompson as Shark leader, Bernardo, as well as Lauren Gordon as the formidable Anita.

Having to remain authentic to the original production, Laidler, whose extensive performance career includes NMTC’s previous productions of Grease and Sister Act, as well as numerous lead roles in North East productions, said:"Initially I held great reservations, believing my artist wings would feel clipped, but in hindsight I am delighted to have accomplished this and have learned a new creative approach to choreography. It was very challenging deciphering another choreographer’s notes and demonstrating it to the cast, but they have been exceptional."

The 38 strong cast are technically amateur performers but NMTC has performed at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal for over 60 years, staging exceptional productions that have, on occasion, even beaten London’s own West End ticket sales.

Tickets:

NMTC’s Newcastle Theatre Royal production of West Side Story will take place from 19-23 July at 7.00pm with addition matinee performances on 21-23 July at 2.00pm, with tickets available at www.theatreroyal.co.uk from £10.00.

Preview: Chicago at Newcastle Theatre Royal

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THE SEXIEST MOST SENSATIONAL MUSICAL 

COMES TO NEWCASTLE

Chicago

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Monday 1st - Saturday 13th August 2016

“Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery and treachery…all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts”…so begins the international award winning Broadway and West End musical, Chicago, which comes to Newcastle Theatre Royal for two weeks only with West End, EastEndersand Celebrity Big Brother star John Partridge (Cats, A Chorus Line, Miss Saigon, Starlight Express) as Billy Flynn and Dancing on Ice winner and Coronation Street star Hayley Tamaddon (Emmerdale,  Grease, Mamma Mia!) as Roxie Hart.

Based on real life events back in the roaring 1920s, nightclub singer Roxie Hart shoots her lover and along with cell block rival, double-murderess Velma Kelly, they fight to keep from death row with the help of smooth talking lawyer, Billy Flynn.

Created by the musical theatre talents of John Kander, Fred Ebb and legendary choreographer Bob Fosse, Chicago’s sexy, sassy score includes All That Jazz and Razzle Dazzle. With 6 Tony, 2 Olivier, 1 Grammy, 2 Bafta and 6 Academy Awards, Chicago truly is “The sharpest, slickest show on the block” The Times

A nightclub singer, a double-murderess, a smooth-talking lawyer and a cell block of sin: it would be a crime to miss it.

‘SEXY, SASSY, SULTRY, SEDUCTIVE, SENSUAL, SLINKY, SOPHISTICATED’
Independent on Sunday

‘SHEER THEATRICAL BLISS’
Daily Telegraph

Tickets:

Chicago plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Monday 1^st- Saturday 13^th August 2016. Tickets are from £19.50 and can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge).

Review: 39 Steps at Newcastle Theatre Royal

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On The Run, With Plenty Of Laughs Along The Way

The 39 Steps

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Until Saturday 2nd July 2016

After 10 years on the West End, the Olivier Award-Winning Comedy’s finishes its UK tour in Newcastle this week.  The show is based on Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1935 movie and John Buchan’s1914 spy thriller The Thirty Nine Steps and was adapted for the stage by Patrick Barlow.

Photo: Dan Tsantilis

Having said that, this show is very funny. A hard working cast of four, and an amazing crew behind the scenes, deliver a great performance of physical theatre. The laughs come through both the script and the absurdity of the situations. Director Maria Aitken has ensured that this is a slick production.

Photo: Dan Tsantilis

Richard Ede plays the well-heeled charming young Richard Hannay who is on the stage for the bulk of the show. The show begins in Hannay’s flat and he describes how he is bored and in need of some adventure. He decides to head to the West End to see a show.

Photo: Dan Tsantilis

The set is a stage within a stage, with a second arch and curtain, and this comes into its own as Andrew Hodges and Rob Witcomb appear as the compere and ‘Mr Memory’. These two play the bulk of the 100 or so characters over the 105 minute show.

Photo: Dan Tsantilis

Hannay notices the remarkable Annabella Schmidt in the opposite box and is taken back when she gets out a gun and shoots. The pair shoot off back to his flat to take cover. Olivia Greene plays many of the female parts in this show though Annabella is quickly murdered by someone unknown to Hanney.  The solution is to go on the run rather than try to explain how he has a woman with a knife in her back in his flat. He heads, on the train, north to the Scottish Highlands. His escape isn’t helped by the quick publication of his identity and description in the newspapers.

Photo: Dan Tsantilis

Clever combinations of designer Peter McKintosh’s set, Ian Scott’s lighting and Mic Pool’s sound design create the train, the hotels and all of the other situations. Use of a train set and shadows fill in on the action scenes.  The laughter from the audience was frequent and heart felt as the crazy story unfolded. Some of the gags come from the fact that there is a minimal number of props and cast.  What is clear is that the crew is working hard behind the scenes to pull off a flowing performance.

Photo: Dan Tsantilis

Richard Ede and Olivia Greene are captivating as the fleeing couple. Andrew Hodges and Rob Witcomb get a good proportion of the laughs as they change characters , sometimes mid-scene.

Photo: Dan Tsantilis

On a night when Englandwere kicked out of the Euro 16 football championships the best place to be was the Theatre Royal.  This is a feel-good play that had our family laughing throughout. Tight performances, great script and a fabulous sense of humour turn the Hitchcock classic into the Comic Strip Does The Adventures of Dick Barton.

Photo: Dan Tsantilis

This review was written by Stephen Oliver for Jowheretogo PR (www.jowheretogo.com). Follow Jo on twitter @jowheretogo, Stephen @panic_c_button or like Jowheretogo on Facebook www.facebook.com/Jowheretogo.

Read the North East Theatre Guide preview: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/preview-39-steps-at-newcastle-theatre.html

Tickets:

The 39 Steps appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Monday 27^th June – Saturday 2^nd July 2016. Tickets are available from £14.50 (a booking fee of 95p - £1.95 will apply to most tickets) and can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 or book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk

Review: Marco-Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill in Newcastle

Marco-Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill

Fenkle Street, Newcastle

The Marco-Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill have been advertising that they have a discount for theatre tickets holders recently. The theatre is behind Newcastle’s Academy music venue and just a few minutes walk from the historic Tyne Theatre & Opera House.

There has been many an occasion that we’ve had to fit in a meal at other establishments, prior to seeing a show. We have had some great meals. We have had a couple of nightmares: 2 places that struggled to get us our main courses before the curtain went up. We have never returned to those places and note that one has since shut down. With this in mind we accepted an invitation to try out the new Marco Classics menu at the Fenkle Street venue. The North East Theatre Guide team love food and are willing to try new dishes.

The restaurant is situated in the ground floor of Hotel Indigo (http://www.hotelindigonewcastle.co.uk). We had our coats taken and we were quickly shown to our booth.  Our waitress, Nicole, was willing to answer our questions and help us with making our decisions.  There was the option of an early bird menu (available 5:30 – 7pm Fridays and Saturdays – 3 courses £25) and the new Classic Marcomenu (http://www.mpwrestaurants.co.uk/restaurants/steakhouse-newcastle/menus/sample-%C3%A0-la-carte-menu.pdf)

In the short wait for our starters to arrive we were able to take in the ambience. The eating area is adjacent to the hotel bar and hence we could hear the acoustic guitarist playing his versions of hits by the likes of the Eagles, Oasis and Green Day. The décor is along the lines of a modern interpretation of the 70s. The big lampshades and busy black & white wallpaper reminiscent of a visit to a department store restaurant 40 years ago. Somehow the clean lines of the colour scheme and crisp white table cloths work in 2016. We also noted that the booths are a new feature which don’t appear in the website publicity photos and they encouraged conversation in our group without feeling that we were being listened to by the other diners.

We ordered a bottle of South Australian Bonavista Pinot Grigio for the adults and apple juice for our son.  The wine was a lovely crisp white full of citrus flavours including a nice lemon. The apple juice came in a large enough measure – a common complaint is how it often only lasts as long as the starter and we have to order again.

Our starters arrived quickly. We had asked for the bread and olives to come at the same time. The bread basket had a generous quantity in it and the olives were also tasty and plentiful.  Some restaurants give these for free but here they are both are a paid for optional extra.

I had the Crème Du Barry, a piping hot cream of cauliflower soup with baby leeks and truffle oil. The soup was thick, creamy and well presented with viola flowers. Jo had the Salad of Beetroot, Goats’ Cheese, Candied Walnuts with a Merlot dressing. Again the viola flowers helped with the presentation. The walnuts were crunchy and caramalised and went well with the thin slices of beetroot. The  goats cheese was creamy and had subtle flavours. This was in contrast to the strong flavours in our son’s Rillettes of Duck Au Poivre Vert. A pot of shredded duck was a real treat that went well with the toasted sourdough.

The starters had been popular with our group and we looked forward to our main courses. The staff remained attentive, topping up our wine glasses and promptly clearing our plates away. The room was now filling up with diners but it didn’t feel over crowded.

The attention to detail includes the simple idea of noting who had ordered which meal so you have the correct meal delivered without the waiter “who order the…?” We were sent complementary lemon sorbets in order to cleanse our palettes which was a nice touch.

I ordered the substantial 8oz Grilled Swordfish Steak á la Provençal. The fish was perfect and tasty, sat on its bed of new potatoes. I personally feel that the vegetables were covered in more oil than I prefer. Jo had the Grilled 8oz Salmon Steak which was moist and also cooked to her preference. The skin was salted and crisp and the flavours helped it go down well. The pommes frites were thin and arrived already salted. This may be more salt than some palettes prefer.  

Our son is a big meat fan and he was determined to test the claim that this place serves the best steak in Newcastle. He ordered the 8oz Fillet Steak with the Peppercorn Sauce with eager anticipation. His verdict was that his meal was cooked to perfection. He even went to say that it was the best meat meal he’d ever had. After declaring it was “gorgeous” he added he was going to give the meal his full attention.  The fries were served in a mini frying pan which is by far preferable to those venues that stack chips like Jenga bricks on a slate.

To finish we ordered desserts and coffees. My Box Tree’s Eton Mess was a work of art that tasted as good as it looked. Jo had Mr White’s Rice Pudding which was creamy, the rice was subtly al dente, and the apricot compote provided a lovely contrasting tang . Our son went for the New York Baked Cheesecake which he approved of with its nice biscuit and brownie powder under the ice cream.

The meal was a wonderful experience. The food was tasty and showed that a real effort had been made. The staff were always courteous and helpful without being intrusive. We plan to return! Many thanks to Marco-Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill for your kind invitation.

See below for the details of their theatre offer.

This review was written by Stephen Oliver for Jowheretogo PR (www.jowheretogo.com). Follow Jo on twitter @jowheretogo, Stephen @panic_c_button or like Jowheretogo on Facebook www.facebook.com/Jowheretogo.

Preview: Lifted at Edinburgh TheSpace@SurgeonsHall

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Lifted returns to the Fringe to deal with issues of identity, immigration, racism and mermaids.

Triad Pictures presents:

Lifted

By Sara Shaarawi and Henry Bell

Edinburgh TheSpace@SurgeonsHall

(venue 53 of Edinburgh Fringe)

Monday 8^th  – Saturday 27^th August 2016

'rich visual language...simple, true and excellent storytelling' - Broadway Baby

Lifted is a new dark comedy co-written by Henry Bell and Sara Shaarawi re-developed for Edinburgh Fringe 2016 at TheSpace@SurgeonsHall from Monday 8th  – Saturday 27th August 2016.

In recent years' anti-immigration rhetoric has become a more and more mainstream in the political sphere and Islamophobia has risen exponentially. Against this backdrop two Asian men are in a Fife prison cell – how they have ended up there is a mystery. Lifted is a topical, funny and gritty drama where a Scottish Pakistani and a Kuwaiti Student from St Andrews are interrogated are they there for cooking meth, starting a new caliphate or just because they don’t fit in, as we learn their back stories we see how race, sexuality, religion and romance affects us all.

'The funniest, freshest, rawest, and most alive and kicking hour I've spent at the Fringe this year' Liz Lochhead

Lifted stars Livingston based actor Ikram Gilani and is co-written by Henry Bell and Sara Shaarawi. Henry is a poet, writer and book editor based in Glasgow. He recently co-edited A Bird is Not a Stone, a collection of Palestinian poetry translated into Scottish, English and Gaelic and runs a monthly poetry night in Glasgow.

Sara’s work includes Caucasian Chalk Circle (Bedlam, 2011);  Defunct Pig (Edinburgh Fringe 2012); One Day in Spring (Oran Mor/NTS, 2012); Theatre Uncut Amsterdam (Theatre Perdu, 2012); This Wide Night (Tron, 2014); Day One (Tron, 2014); Take the Rubbish Out Sasha (Oran Mor/NTS, 2015). And The War Hasn't Started Yet (Oran Mor/NTS, 2015) Niqabi Ninja (NTS/Platform, 2015).

Triad Pictures was created in 2013 by professional actor and producer Ikram Gilani. The theatre company aims to produce new writing, thought provoking original ideas and to showcase up-and-coming talent from Scotland. Their work includes theatre, musicals, poetry and pantomines. Lifted was the third collaboration between Sara Shaarawi and Ikram Gilani, (2012 EdFringe Defunct Pig), (2014 EdFringe Whoever Fights), and last year they brought Lifted part of the Free Fringe to big, and now they want to bring a re-developed version bigger and better to EdFringe2016.

Lifted is a fantastic, funny, fierce  piece of contemporary Scottish storyteling. Drugs, cops & transcendent moments on Iona. Go see.'- David Greig

Tickets:

Triad Pictures presents Lifted at TheSpace @ Surgeons Hall, Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DW, Venue 53

5^th -  6^thAugust (Previews) 8^th – 20^th August (Theatre 2) - 11:05am (50 min)

22^nd – 27^th August (Theatre 1) - 8:05pm (50 min)

Tickets £6.50 Students £4.00

Book over the phone from 08 June 2016: 0131 226 0000

In person at The Fringe Box Office - 180 High Street, EH1 1QS or The University of Edinburgh Visitor Centre, 2 Charles Street, EH8 9AD. (Card sales only)

Tickets can be booked online at https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/lifted