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Reviewing Shows In The North of England & The West End
Reviews


REVIEW - PETER JAMES PICTURE YOU DEAD | THE LOWRY | 17/04/2025
Peter James’ thrilling crime novels have long captivated readers and television audiences alike, and the DSI Roy Grace series continues...


REVIEW - ROOM ON THE BROOM | THE LOWRY | 15/04/2025
As long-time fans of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s magical picture books, my daughter Alice (age 7) and I were beyond excited to...


REVIEW - KIM'S CONVENIENCE | HOME MANCHESTER | 09/04/2025
Kim’s Convenience , the award-winning play by Ins Choi that sparked a beloved Netflix series, has returned to its theatrical roots with a...


REVIEW - THE SMARTEST GIANT IN TOWN | WATERSIDE ARTS, SALE | 09/04/2025
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s beloved book The Smartest Giant in Town  has long been a bedtime favourite in our house, so when the...


REVIEW - THE KOALA WHO COULD | THE LOWRY | 08/04/2025
Taking my two theatre-loving children—Alice (7) and Leo (5)—to see The Koala Who Could  at The Lowry was a long-awaited treat. As fans of...


REVIEW - LITTLE WOMEN | THE LOWRY | 08/04/2025
Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women  has stood the test of time as one of literature’s most beloved coming-of-age stories. Now, in a fresh...


REVIEW - TAMBO & BONES | HOME MANCHESTER | 03/04/2025
Tambo & Bones, written by award-winning poet and playwright Dave Harris, is a bold and provocative satire that takes a deep dive into the...


REVIEW - SO UNFAIR | Z-ARTS MANCHESTER | 29/03/2025
So Unfair – A Fun, Fast-Paced Engineering Adventure How do you make things fair? And what could go hilariously wrong if you don’t? So...


REVIEW - CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE 90's MUSICAL | PALACE THEATRE MANCHESTER | 28/03/2025
Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical  brings the scandalous world of the cult classic 1999 film to the stage, infused with a soundtrack of...


REVIEW - OF MICE AND MEN | OCTAGON THEATRE BOLTON | 27/03/2025
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men  is a literary classic that has captivated readers for generations with its poignant exploration of...

REVIEW - THE HOUSE PARTY | HOME MANCHESTER | 26/03/2025
Headlong, in collaboration with Chichester Festival Theatre and Frantic Assembly, presents The House Party , a bold reimagining of August...


REVIEW - PIG HEART BOY | THE LOWRY | 26/03/2025
Malorie Blackman’s Pig Heart Boy  is a beloved novel that has captivated readers for decades with its thought-provoking exploration of...


REVIEW - PRIDE & PREJUDICE* (*SORT OF) | THE LOWRY | 18/03/2025
There have been countless adaptations of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but few dare to shake up the formula quite like Pride and...


REVIEW - OPERA NORTH's THE MAGIC FLUTE | THE LOWRY | 13/03/2025
Mozart’s The Magic Flute has long been considered one of the most accessible and enchanting operas, combining fairy tale adventure,...


REVIEW - BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET'S CINDERELLA | THE LOWRY | 06/03/2025
Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Cinderella, choreographed by Sir David Bintley, has been a beloved part of the company’s repertoire for years....


REVIEW - JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT | MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE | 04/03/2025
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is one of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s earliest collaborations, first performed in...


REVIEW - BAT OUT OF HELL THE MUSICAL | PALACE THEATRE MANCHESTER |03/03/2025
Bat Out of Hell first roared onto the stage in Manchester in 2017 before taking the world by storm. I had the opportunity to see it...

REVIEW - GHOST STORIES | THE LOWRY | 25/02/2025
Since its debut in 2010, Ghost Stories  has been thrilling audiences worldwide with its unique blend of psychological horror and...


REVIEW - BING'S BIRTHDAY | THE LOWRY | 21/02/2025
For over a decade, Bing  has been delighting preschoolers with its sweet and relatable stories about life’s little ups and downs. Now,...


REVIEW - THE THREE LITTLE PIGS | HOME MANCHESTER | 18/02/2025
Think you know The Three Little Pigs ? Think again! Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company put their signature twist on the classic fable,...


REVIEW - ONE PUNCH | HOME MANCHESTER | 13/02/2025
Written by BAFTA winner Jane Thornton and Martha Godber, One Punch  is a compelling new drama from the John Godber Company. The play,...


REVIEW - SHIRLEY VALENTINE | OCTAGON THEATRE BOLTON | 12/02/2025
Some stories never lose their sparkle, and Shirley Valentine  is one of them. Willy Russell’s iconic one-woman play first graced the...


REVIEW - THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN | THE LOWRY | 11/03/2025
Based on Paula Hawkins' international bestseller, The Girl on the Train  has captivated audiences worldwide in both novel and film form....


REVIEW - FLOELLA BENJAMIN'S COMING TO ENGLAND| THE LOWRY | 05/02/2025
Floella Benjamin’s Coming to England  is a heartfelt and inspiring story that has touched readers for over 25 years. Originally published...


REVIEW - THE SHARK IS BROKEN | THE LOWRY | 04/02/2025
As Jaws  celebrates its 50th anniversary, The Shark Is Broken  takes audiences behind the scenes of one of the most iconic films of all...


REVIEW - THE NATIONAL LOTTERY'S BIG NIGHT OF MUSICALS 2025 | AO ARENA MANCHESTER | 27/01/2025
The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals at the AO Arena in Manchester was a star-studded celebration of all things theatrical, and...


REVIEW - ANIMAL FARM | OCTAGON THEATRE BOLTON | 23/01/2025
For 80 years, George Orwell’s Animal Farm  has captivated audiences with its powerful exploration of power dynamics and societal change....


REVIEW - CALAMITY JANE | MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE | 22/01/2025
Based on the beloved 1953 film starring Doris Day, Calamity Jane  is a lighthearted musical that brings the Old West to life with classic...

REVIEW - SPEND, SPEND, SPEND | ROYAL EXCHANGE THEATRE | 20/12/2024
Spend, Spend, Spend  tells the astonishing rags-to-riches-to-rags story of Viv Nicholson, a working-class woman from Castleford who won a...


REVIEW - CHRISTMAS LIGHTS | Z-ARTS | 15/12/2024
Z-arts knows how to make Christmas truly magical, and this year’s festive offering, Christmas Lights , is a sparkling treat for the...


REVIEW - STICK MAN | THE LOWRY | 13/12/2024
Stick Man by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler has been a beloved bedtime story in our house for years. Alice (7) and Leo (5) are avid...


REVIEW - MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET THE MUSICAL | HOME MANCHESTER | 11/12/2024
The Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street  has enchanted audiences for decades, and this season, HOME brought a dazzling new musical...


REVIEW - THE BEAR | WATERSIDE, SALE | 07/12/2024
The Bear, based on Raymond Briggs' beloved 1994 book, is at Waterside this Christmas season. The show brings to life a heartwarming tale...


REVIEW - COME FROM AWAY | THE LOWRY | 04/12/2024
"Come From Away" is a global phenomenon, celebrated for its deeply moving and profoundly uplifting narrative. Now bringing its magic to...


REVIEW - THE JUNGLE BOOK | OCTAGON THEATRE BOLTON | 26/11/2024
For Christmas 2024, the Octagon Theatre in Bolton has reimagined Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book  as a lively and festive musical...


REVIEW - MATTHEW BOURNE'S SWAN LAKE | THE LOWRY | 20/11/2024
Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake is a production that redefined the dance world when it premiered at Sadler’s Wells in 1995. Shattering...


REVIEW - AFTER THE ACT | HOME MANCHESTER | 13/11/2024
After the Act , the vibrant 80s-inspired musical from Breach Theatre, boldly tackles the controversial legacy of Section 28, the UK...


REVIEW - WONDER BOY | THE LOWRY | 12/11/2024
“Wonder Boy," a powerful play by Ross Willis and directed by Sally Cookson, centers on the journey of a young boy navigating the...


REVIEW - RUN REBEL | THE LOWRY | 01/11/2024
Run Rebel  arrives at The Lowry as a powerful adaptation of Manjeet Mann’s novel, capturing a poignant story about courage, rebellion,...


REVIEW - HERE YOU COME AGAIN | THE LOWRY | 29/10/2024
Here You Come Again  brings Dolly Parton’s infectious spirit and iconic music to the UK stage in a way that is both endearing and...


REVIEW - THE ELMER ADVENTURE | THE LOWRY | 25/10/2024
Tall Stories brings the much-loved Elmer  books by David McKee to life in their colourful new production, The Elmer Adventure,  and it’s...


REVIEW - RAMBERT DANCE IN PEAKY BLINDERS: THE REDEMPTION OF THOMAS SHELBY | THE LOWRY | 22/10/2024
Rambert Dance in Peaky Blinders The Redemption of Thomas Shelby  is a thrilling adaptation of Steven Knight’s iconic TV series, brought...


REVIEW - DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE | THE LOWRY | 18/10/2024
Dinosaur World Live , the Olivier Award winner for Best Family Show 2024, has made a triumphant return to The Lowry, and we couldn’t...


REVIEW - BLUE MAN GROUP BLUEVOLUTION | THE LOWRY | 02/10/2024
Blue Man Group’s return to the UK with their Bluevolution World Tour after seven long years is an absolute treat. Known for their quirky,...


REVIEW - KING ARTHUR | THE LOWRY | 24/09/2024
Le Navet Bete, known for their high-energy physical comedy, return with their latest production, King Arthur , bringing slapstick,...


REVIEW - WAR HORSE | THE LOWRY | 22/09/2024
War Horse  has long been celebrated as one of the most remarkable productions in modern theatre. Based on Michael Morpurgo’s poignant...

REVIEW - THE HIDDEN GARDEN | Z-ARTS MANCHESTER | 21/09/2024
In a world of towering grey buildings, where patches of greenery are often hard to come by, The Hidden Garden  blossoms into a vibrant...


REVIEW - MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS | THE LOWRY | 10/09/2024
Agatha Christie’s legendary Murder on the Orient Express  has found a new life on stage at The Lowry, in this captivating adaptation by...


REVIEW - BRASSED OFF | OCTAGON THEATRE BOLTON | 06/09/2024
The Octagon Theatre's latest production of Brassed Off  brings a much-loved modern classic back to the stage, celebrating the resilience...


REVIEW - MY SON’S A QUEER (BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO?) | HOME MANCHESTER | 20/08/2024
"My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?)" is a triumph of heart and humour, and it's no surprise that Rob Madge’s autobiographical show...
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