Theatres - 21/5/09

May 21 2009 by Michael Green, Flintshire Chronicle

STARTING NEXT WEEK

BEATING BERLUSCONI! – ONE NIGHT IN ISTANBUL (The Brindley Studio, High Street, Runcorn, May 27)

IN MAY 2005 middle-aged Kenny Noonan travels to Istanbul to watch Liverpool play AC Milan in the Champions’ League final. What Liverpool achieved is dramatic legend. What happened to Kenny is stranger than fiction. Based on a bizarre real event – a scouser ends up sitting next to Italy’s Prime Minister. A laugh out loud story by John Graham Davies of a man’s attempt to rediscover his belief in himself, his club, and his city – a must see for all comedy lovers and football fans, presented by Raffa Productions. Visit www.thebrindley.org.uk or ring 0151 907 8360.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl, from today to May 23)

SEEN by more than 25 million people, this stage musical based on the Oscar-nominated Disney animated film has become one of the best loved shows of recent times. Nominated for nine Tony awards including Best Musical, this featurss all the characters and songs from the movie brought spectacularly to life. Visit www.rhylpavilion.co.uk or ring 01745 330000.

BINK & THE BIG HAIRY FAIRY (The Brindley, High Street, Runcorn, May 23)

SWASHBUCKLING, romantic adventure about true love

and the importance of using your head. The last

production by People’s Theatre Company, The Witch's Bogey, was one of the highlights of the spring season and this is another terrific, full scale musical adventure, complete with free introductory workshop where you and your children will learn everything you need to know to about the songs, the story and the characters in the show – including who to hiss and boo! Suitable for 5+ years. Visit www.thebrindley.org.uk or ring 0151 907 8360.

EAT ME (Royal Exchange Theatre Studio, St Ann’s Square, Manchester, until May 23)

CRITICALLY-acclaimed, award-winning Starving Artists, in association with Queer Up North, return with a new play. One summer morning, Robinson wakes in his little sunlit apartment. Why can’t he remember who he is? The lives of a Hollywood landlady and her three very different tenants weave together in this tender, funny new piece from Starving Artists. visit www.royalexchange.co.uk or ring 0161 833 9833.

THE GARDEN OF DREAMS (The Lowry, Salford Quays, May 23)

WHEN Rat dares Kip to wake the Sleeping Giant, they have no idea of the trouble their game will cause. The giant dreams every new thing that enters the world. Without his dreams, no new flower opens, no egg hatches, no new story is told. Join Kip and Rat on this magical, musical adventure as they search for the Garden of Dreams. Visit www.thelowry.com or ring 0870 787 5793.

LOST MONSTERS (Everyman Theatre, Hope Street, Liverpool, May 22-June 13)

WORLD premiere of the new play by Liverpool writer Laurence Wilson whose first work, Urban Legend, was seen at the Everyman in 2004. An isolated house in a forgotten valley has only the litter and noise from the surrounding motorway as company. A flash if lightning and a freak car crash leaves three runaways seeking refuge – but they enter a world of dreams and nightmares. Visit www.everymanplayhouse.com or ring 0151 709 4776.

LUCKY SODS (Lyceum Theatre, Heath Street, Crewe, May 26-30)

HULL Truck return with another line up of TV faces and a ‘winner’ from BAFTA award-winning playwright John Godber. Jean and Morris have won the lottery. But with the pressure of deciding what to do with the cash and jealous in-laws after a slice of the spoils, can Jean and Morris keep their lives from turning downside down? Visit www.lyceumtheatre.net or ring 01270 537333.

PIERREPOINT – THE HANGMAN’S TALE (The Lowry, Salford Quays, May 23-24)

ALBERT Pierrepoint, the most celebrated Britush hangman, poignantly recounts his grim and singular life in this thoughtful, sometimes macabre, presentation from Cafe Society. Visit www.thelowry.com or ring 0870 787 5793.

THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD (The Lowry, Salford Quays, May 26-30)

AWARD-winning Druid Ireland return to The Lowry with one of JM Synge’s best-known work and one of their most widely-acclaimed productions. Playboy tells the story of Christy Mahon, who stumbles into a public house in County Mayo claiming he has killed his father and so capturing the imagination of the locals and the romantic attention of the daughter of the house, Pegeen Mike. Visit www.thelowry.com or ring 0870 787 5793.

RELATIVELY SPEAKING (Library Theatre, St Peter’s Square, Manchester, May 22-June 20)

ALAN Ayckbourn’s hilarious 1960s comedy established him as a modern day comic master. Greg and Ginny are living together and planning to get married. But Greg is becoming increasingly suspicious that he is not the only man in Ginny’s life. So when she plans to “visit her parents”, he decides to secretly follow her. Visit www.librarytheatre.com or ring 0161 236 7110.

ROMEO AND JULIET (Opera House, Quay Street, Manchester, May 27-30)

NORTHERN Ballet Theatre’s classic adaptation of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy returns to the stage to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary. Visit www.palaceandoperahouse.org.uk or ring 0844 847 2484.

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER (Venue Cymru, Llandudno, May 21/The Stiwt, Broad Street, Rhos, Wrexham, May 23)

THE irrepressable Mappa Mundi are back with a sumptuous production of Oliver Goldsmith’s classic 18th century farce. The cast includes Kieran Self, familiar to viewers of long-running hit TV comedy series My Family. Visit www.venuecymru.co.uk or ring 01492 872000/Visit www.stiwt.co.uk or ring 01978 841300.

SPIDER’S WEB (Floral Pavilion, New Brighton, Wirral, May 25-30)

A CAST of familiar TV faces has been assembled by the Agatha Christie Company for this production based on one of the writer’s classic mysteries. Among them are Denis Lill of The Royal, Melanie Gutteridge of The Bill and Catherine Shipton of Casualty. Visit www.lyceumtheatre.net or ring 01270 537333.

STRIP SHOW (Forum Studio Theatre, Hamilton Square, Chester, May 26-28)

A STORY about four women who believe that their friendship holds them together until they realise that some secrets can quite literally tear them apart. Adult topics with a small amount of strong language. Ring 01244 341296.

THE TWEENIES (The Lowry, Salford Quays, May 26-27)

THE CBeebies favourites present Top of the Tots, an all-new music show, packed full of family favourites and includes tot-tastic tunes such as Gonna Build a House, Incy Wincy Spider, Wheels on the Bus and Do the Lollipop. Visit www.thelowry.com or ring 0870 787 5793.

WHAT’S STILL SHOWING & WHERE

BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, until May 23)

IT’S had audiences on their feet in every corner of the globe and now it’s back at the Regent with a superb cast and a soundtrack that boasts such immortal classics as Peggy Sue, Oh Boy, True Love Ways and many more. Visit www.ambassadortickets.com or ring 0844 847 2525.

DISNEY’S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL ON STAGE (The Lowry, Salford Quays, until May 23)

THE series of hit Disney Channel movies goes live as Troy, Gabriella and their schoolmates surf the tricky tides of peer pressure and canteen cliques to follow their dreams and score the leads in the big school show. Visit www.thelowry.com or ring 0870 787 5788/

MARY STUART (Anthony Hopkins Theatre, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold, until May 30)

THE story of the personal struggle between two extraordinary women – one French, one English – both captive to the demands of sovereignty and both caught in a tumult of political and religious intrigue. Which of them is the rightful Queen of England – Mary Stuart or Elizabeth Tudor? Visit www.clwyd-theatr-cymru or ring 0845 330 3565.

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS – THE SPONGE WHO COULD FLY (Empire Theatre, Lime Street, Liverpool, until May 24)

JOIN Spongebob, Patrick and their zany Bikini Bottom pals in a new musical as Spongebob embarks on his dream to fly with the jellyfish. Visit www.liverpoolempire.org.uk or ring 0844 847 2525.

A TASTE OF HONEY (New Vic Theatre, Etruria Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, until May 23)

SHELAGH Delaney wrote herself into British theatre history with her first ever play which was a sensation when it was first staged in 1958. Now it is revived by director Gwenda Hughes as we revisit the story of a young girl living hand to mouth with her gadabout mother in a series of dingy bedsits. Visit www.newvictheatre.org or ring 01782 717962.

WE WILL ROCK YOU (Palace Theatre, Oxford Street, Manchester, until June 6)

SINCE 2002, more than six million theatregoers worldwide have thrilled to this awe-inspiring production, written by Ben Elton and featuring 24 of the greatest hits of supergroup Queen. Now it comes to Manchester for a limited season. Visit the website: www.palaceandoperahouse.org.uk or ring 0844 847 2484.

WHEN WE ARE MARRIED (Playhouse Theatre, Williamson Square, Liverpool, until May 23)

IT’S 1908 in the heart of a small Yorkshire town and three couples gather to congratulate each other on their silver wedding anniversaries having got married on the same day in the same chapel. JB Priestley’s comedy satirises self importance and moral doigle standards to hilarious effect. The cast includes Les Dennis, Tom Georgeson and Paul Bown. Visit the website: www.everymanplayhouse.com or ring 0151 709 4776.