From great American novel to star-casted film to Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical, Alison Walker’s The Color Purple has seen many formats over the years. A hard-hitting musical at the best of times, and a musical that needs passion, love and a cast to carry the story above and beyond. Like many in the audience, my only experience of this gut-wrenching story has either been with the book taught and analysed in schools or the 2015 new Broadway cast recording starring Cynthia Erivo and Jenifer Hudson – this new staging of the infamous musical is just as breathtaking as every adaptation I have come into contact with.
‘Entertaining, ambitious and educational ‘: TOKYO ROSE — Southwark Playhouse (UK Tour) ★★★★
Burnt Lemon Theatre’s Tokyo Rose shows that you don’t need a big budget to stage a compelling musical.
Let’s avoid start-stop misery on the road to theatres’ recovery
On Monday Boris Johnson announced his (apparently irreversible) plans to take us out of lockdown forever. He even provided a detailed timetable of dates when each stage should be implemented.
‘Simply unmissable’: THE COLOR PURPLE – Curve Leicester (Online review)
I have loved both book and film of The Color Purple for as long as I can remember. Alice Walker’s novel of strong black females in an America which sees them as not just second-class citizens, but non-entities, is a seminal text in both feminist and LGBTQIA+ literature.
NEWS: Curve announces plans to stream its production of The Color Purple
Following the success of its recent five-star production of Sunset Boulevard – at Home, Curve has announced plans to also stream The Color Purple online between 16 February and 7 March 2021, in association with Birmingham Hippodrome.
‘I was keen to continue to devise in a stimulating creative theatre space’: Actress Lucy Aarden on joining verbatim project Isolation Ensemble
Actress Lucy Aarden is part of #IsolationEnsemble, a company formed by director Abbie Riddell to raise urgent funds for theatres across the UK.
NEWS: Nominations are announced for the UK Theatre Awards 2019
The list of nominees has been revealed for this year’s UK Theatre Awards, the only nationwide awards to honour and celebrate outstanding achievements in theatre throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Best New Play nominees are Laura Wade’s The Watsons, Ulster American by David Ireland and Life Of Pi, adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti from Yann Martel’s novel, while Best Musical …
‘Jodie Prenger is flawless’: ANNIE – Touring ★★★★★
With all of the uncertainty in the world we live in, a show full of hope like Annie is just what’s needed.
‘Irresistibly moving & thought-provoking’: THE COLOR PURPLE – Leicester
Celie’s journey from despair to belief, love and hope is, in T’Shan Williams’ hands, a believable and rewarding experience in The Color Purple.
‘Couldn’t come in a more glorious form’: Hobson’s Choice – Birmingham & London ★★★★★
David Bintley’s choreography for Hobson’s Choice adeptly assists the artists to convey the story clearly, concisely, comically and is remarkable in the extreme.
NEWS: Actress Seyi Omooba will leave Curve & Birmingham Hippodrome’s The Color Purple after ‘homophobic’ Facebook post controversy
Curve Leicester’s Chris Stafford and Nikolai Foster and Birmingham Hippodrome’s Fiona Allan have stated that Seyi Omooba, due to play Celie in the theatres’ forthcoming co-production of The Color Purple, will no longer be involved in the show.
‘People wanted to go in & watch it all again’: The Band – Touring ★★★★
In essence you don’t have to be a massive Take That fan (but knowing their popular songs is an obvious bonus) and you don’t have to have been a teenage girl during the 90s to enjoy The Band at all, as the show has a solid storyline, a strong mixture of characters for a modern musical theatre show and you will come out happy.
BARNUM – Touring
Birmingham Hippodrome; 8th July 2015 ‘That kind of humbug just… disappeared’, reflects Brian Conley‘s PT Barnum, after the whistlestop tour of spectacle that conveys the achievements of the Greatest Impressario On Earth in this revised tour of the 1980 musical, playing at Birmingham Hippodrome until the beginning of August. I’m not so sure… Haven’t we just been […]
BARNUM – Touring
Birmingham Hippodrome; 8th July 2015 ‘That kind of humbug just… disappeared’, reflects Brian Conley‘s PT Barnum, after the whistlestop tour of spectacle that conveys the achievements of the Greatest Impressario On Earth in this revised tour of the 1980 musical, playing at Birmingham Hippodrome until the beginning of August. I’m not so sure… Haven’t we just been […]