Theatres - Starting Next Week - February 11 onwards

Feb 8 2010 by Michael Green, Chester Chronicle

STARTING THIS WEEK

ARDEN OF FAVERSHAM (Emlyn Williams Theatre, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold, February 11-March 6)

AN ELIZABETHAN drama by an anonymous author based on a true story in which desire, envy and greed inexorably lead to death. The play, directed by Terry Hands, is an early example of Elizabethan tragi-comedy. Visit www.clwyd-theatr-cymru.co.uk or ring 0845 330 3565.

DIE FLEDERMAUS (The Lowry, Salford Quays, February 15-20)

ONE of the world's most famous operettas gets a glittering new look from the country's best small-scale opera and operetta company. Opera della Luna have earned themselves a matchless reputation. They now turn their hand to the waltz king Johann Strauss and this most sparkling of scores. This entirely new and saucy production is directed by Jeff Clarke. Visit www.thelowry.com or ring 0870 111 2000.

THE DREADFUL HOURS (Everyman Theatre, Hope Street, Liverpool, February 11-13)

COMBINING Tmesis Theatre’s trademark physicality with new writing from acclaimed North West playwright Chris Fittock, this is a darkly comic drama exploring the quiet disintegration of love’s first flourish through the lifetime of one couple’s relationship. Visit www.everymanplayhouse.com or ring 0151 709 4776.

THE EVENT (Axis Arts Centre, Crewe Green Road, Crewe, February 11)

THE man stands in a pool of light on the stage. He is an actor. We know this because he tells us so. He appears to be intelligent but this might just be clever direction. This deceptively simple piece of theatre is presented by Absurdum International, written and directed by John Clancy and performed by David Calvitto. Visit www.axisartscentre.org.uk or ring 0161 247 5302.

FATAL ENCOUNTER (Lyceum Theatre, Heath Street, Crewe, February 15-20)

NICHOLAS Ball, Anita Harris and Neil Stacy head the cast of this Francis Durbridge thriller. Howard MansfieldŠis concerned for his wifeŠJoanna, who has become unusually distressed and nervous. WhenŠheŠarrives home one day to find that Joanna has accidentally shot his former friend Perry during a struggle, he decides to protect her by confessing to the shooting himself. Plenty of twists and turns ensue to keep the audience guessing until the final unexpected showdown. Visit www.lyceumtheatre.net or ring 01270 537333.

THE GOLDEN PATHWAY ANNUAL (Forum Studio Theatre, Hamilton Place, Chester, February 16-19)

PUPILS from Theatretrain schools in Chester and Wrexham present a play by John Harding and John Burrows that is a series of connected sketches following the life of Michael Peters from the age of 2-23. It is a nostalgic look back at the period from the end of the Second World War to the 1960s but it is also much more than that. Visit www.tiptoppro

ductions.co.uk or ring 01244 341296.

MATTHEW BOURNE’S SWAN LAKE (Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, February 15-20)

BOURNE’S triumphant modern re-interpretation of Swan Lake turned tradition ulside down when it was premiered in 1995. Now it is firmly crowned as a modern day classic, blending dance, humour and spectacle with extravagant, award-winning designs. Visit www.ambassadortickets.com/stoke or ring 0844 871 7649.

ME, MUM & DUSTY SPRINGFIELD (The Lowry, Salford Quays, February 12-13)

THIS one-woman black comedy examines the bond between mothers and daughters and how we cope with loss when it’s just too late. Mary is preparing to scatter her mother’s ashes. It’s not what she had in mind, but that’s down to her mother’s final demand, which, like everything else, is set within a world of Dusty Springfield. Can Mary unravel the ties that bind herself, her mother and Dusty Springfield, in the hope that this final act will enable her to move on? Visit www.thelowry.com or ring 0870 111 2000.

1984 (Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann’s Square, Manchester, February 24-March 27)

AN ELECTRIFYING new stage version of George Orwell’s nightmare vision of a totalitarian society has been adapted and directed by Matthew Dunster. Central character, Winston Smith rewrites history for the Ministry of Truth, but when he’s handed a note that says simply ‘I love you’, by a woman he hardly knows, he decides to risk everything in a search for the real truth. Visit www.royalexchange.co.uk or ring 0161 833 9833.

NODDY IN TOYLAND (Empire Theatre, Lime Street, Liverpool, February 15-16)

JOIN Noddy and Tessie Bear’s sing-a-long, dance-a-long party to which everyone is invoted - apart from those two naughty goblins Sly and Gobbo. Noddy will keep an eye on those two and knows exactly how to stay one step ahead of their games. With Mr Plod, Whiz the Robot, Bumpy Dog, Car and, of course, Big Ears, this is a fun-filled 60th anniversary adventure. Visit www.liverpoolempire.org.uk or ring 0844 847 2525.

THE ORIENTATIONS TRILOGY (Library Theatre, St Peter’s Square, Manchester, February 17-27)

RE-ORIENTATIONS is the third part of ground-breaking theatre company Border Crossings’ trilogy and is a visually stunning feast, tackling issues of gender, sexuality and performance in mythic and contemporary Asia. The trilogy is produced in association with the all-male company Yaksha Degula from Bangalore in India. Visit www.librarytheatre.com or ring 0161 236 7110.

I OUGHT TO BE IN PICTURES (Library Theatre, St Peter’s Square, Manchester, February 11-27)

TOUCHING, poignant and typically funny Neil Simon comedy drama. Hollywood screenwriter Herbert Tucker is down on his luck. Struggling with writer’s block, his career is on the skids. One day, his daughter Libby, an aspiring New York actress he abandoned nearly 20 years ago, turns up unannounced at his door. Visit www.librarytheatre.com or ring 0161 236 7110.

PULL THE OTHER ONE (Clwyd Room, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold, February 18-20)

MOLD Players are once again presenting one of their side-splitting cabaret plays. Albert Perkins is blessed with a loving wife and cursed with a fearsome mother-in-law. But his life becomes intolerable when his mother-in-law comes across a letter Albert receives from an old friend. Visit www.clwyd-theatr-cymru.co.uk or ring 0845 330 3565.

TO BREAK A MAN (The Lowry, Salford Quays, February 11)

FLORA is a disturbed young woman with an unbearable insight into the human predicament. Harry is an ordinary man caught between doing the right thing and doing what is best for everyone. Tonight he must choose whether to save his daughter...by losing her. Sometimes, you have to make a decision which will change your life. Sometimes, whatever you choose, you lose. Tonight the audience and chance will decide how the story will be told in this Tarry Theatre presentation. Visit www.thelowry.com or ring 0870 111 2000.

TRACES (Empire Theatre, Lime Street, Liverpool, February 18-20)

THE 7 Fingers show first saw the light of day in Montreal in 2006 since when it has toured the world, bringing audiences and critics to their feet. The show combines high level circus skills with electric urban street energy featuring disciplines as varied as Chinese poles, basketball, skateboards, classical piano and dance as five acrobats move quickly from one skill to the next. Visit www.liverpoolempire.org.uk or ring 0844 847 2525.