Carrying on a new series, our editor Lisa Martland picks out seven of her Top Picks from the last week of theatre (2-9 June 2019). Amidst her top choices are Maryam Philpott’s journey back to a time of political optimism in The Wardrobe Ensemble’s Education, Education, Education at Trafalgar Studios.
‘Maxine Peake gives a perfectly-measured powerhouse performance’: HAPPY DAYS – Manchester ★★★★
As you might expect, Maxine Peake, under Sarah Frankcom’s direction, meets the challenges posed by Beckett’s Happy Days head-on and gives a perfectly-measured powerhouse performance.
‘Brings a new perspective to the story’: BRIGHTON ROCK – Touring ★★★
The Lowry’s Week 53 festival continues with this new adaptation of Brighton Rock. The festival theme of ‘coming of age’ seems to have been stretched pretty far in the search for content, but that doesn’t necessarily stand in the way of a good night of theatre.
‘Sonic, visual & theatrical feast’: HIKIKOMORI: THE SHELTER – Salford ★★★★
Hikikomori is a sonic, visual and theatrical feast – the absolute best of what you want to see when you take a chance on new theatre.
‘Totally contemporary & relevant’: THIS HOUSE – Touring ★★★★★
This House performs the miraculous feat of making a play about events which occurred over 40 years ago feel totally contemporary and relevant.
‘Creatively manages to balance entertainment & education’: THE AUDIT – Touring ★★★
A play which goes into the details of the economics behind the 2008 banking crisis might sound like a pretty dull way to spend an evening, so credit to Proto-Type Theatre for not shying away from this as a subject matter.
‘A masterclass in audience engagement’: NINA – A STORY ABOUT ME & NINA SIMONE – Touring ★★★★★
Nina – A Story About Me and Nina Simone, performed by Josette Bushell-Mingo, is not a tribute concert or a jukebox musical based on Simone’s songs, it is a powerful and totally contemporary take on racial politics which utilises the potent political element in Simone’s music
‘Alex Walton does a stellar job of keeping the energy up’: FROM IBIZA TO THE NORFOLK BROADS – Touring ★★
From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads is a one-man show which tells the story of Martin, an 18-year-old a person with a mental health problem who is obsessed with David Bowie.
Looking Back: Upstaged Manchester’s top productions of 2017 > #theatre2017 #YearinReview
We’ve had premieres, modern adaptations and watched some shows receive West End transfers – the Manchester stages have been truly brilliant this year. Here is Upstaged Manchester’s round-up of theatrical highlights through 2017.
REAL MAGIC – Touring ★★★
As with much of Forced Entertainment’s work, Real Magic at HOME revolves around a set of established (but unspoken) rules. Here, these rules take the form of a game show that seems to be taking place in limbo.