Theatres - Starting This Week - February 18 onwards

Feb 15 2010 by Michael Green, Chester Chronicle

STARTING THIS WEEK

COME DANCING (Opera House, Quay Street, Manchester, February 22-27)

STEP back in time and get ready to dance with former Kinks front man and songwriter Ray Davies’ award-winning musical. At the Palais Ballroom of the 1950s, thousands would dance and romance as rock ‘n’ roll was bursting on to the scene. The show includes new songs as well as such classics as Waterloo Sunset and You Really Got Me. Ring 0844 847 2484 or visit www.palaceandoperahouse.org.uk.

FRANKIE & JOHNNY IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE (Venue Cymru, Llandudno, February 25-27)

HOLLYWOOD screen actress Kelly McGillis, of Top Gun and Witness fame, teams up with acclaimed stage and film actor Rolf Saxon for this Middle Ground Theatre Company production of Terence McNally’s charming romance. Age guidance 16+ - the production features full frontal nudity and swearing. Visit www.venuecymru.co.uk or ring 01492 872000.

HOOF! AND HOOF JNR! (Everyman Theatre, Hope Street, Liverpool, February 19-20)

OVER the last six years, Spike Theatre have ensured this cult impro show has established itself as a unique live event. A bare stage transforms into a visual, verbal and musical feast as four performers and a musician catapult the audience into a totally improvised world. And for younger viewers there is Hoof Jnr!, a totally improvised fairytale where the audience decides everything from its title to who are the heroes and villains. Visit www.everymanplayhouse.com or ring 0151 709 4776.

IF THAT’S ALL THERE IS (Unity Theatre, Hope Place, Liverpool, February 23)

RENOWNED theatre company Inspector Sands bring this award-winning comedy to Liverpool. A couple are teetering on the brink of marriage. As the happiest day of their lives approaches, the panic begins to rise. And everyone’s watching. Through the eyes of a jaded therapist and an awkward teenage girl we witness a case study of longing, envy, disappointment and violent urges, examining our obsession with seeking fulfilment at any cost. Visit unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk or ring 0844 873 2888.

JUS’ LIKE THAT (The Lowry, Salford Quays, February 22-27)

TOMMY Cooper, one of the nation’s most beloved natural clowns, is brought back to life in a show stuffed with all the trademarks - the fez, the magic, the gags. Clive Mantle of Holby City and Vicar of Dibley fame stars as the legendary comedian. Visit www.thelowry.com or ring 0870 111 2000.

MEDEA (Everyman Theatre, Hope Street, Liverpool, February 23-27)

THE acclaimed Northern Broadsides company returns with their highly charged performance and charismatic cast of actors who take on the Euripedes classic in a new version by Tom Paulin. Alone and betrayed by a husband she sacrificed everything for, Medea unleashes a horrifying vengeance on her enemies, making both assassins and victims of her children. Visit www.everymanplayhouse.com or ring 0151 709 4776.

MEETING JOE STRUMMER (The Lowry, Salford Quays, February 24)

1978. Nick and Steve see The Clash for the first time. It’s as if they take an oath to stay true to the values embodied in that day. 2002. Strummer’s death forces Nick and Steve to re-evaluate their lives. Charting the lads attempts to maintain their oath to Strummer while living through Thatcherism, paying the bills and maintaining relationships, this passionate punk comedy is about attitude, friendship and celebrity – and a celebration of the man who set the agenda for a generation. Visit www.thelowry.com or ring 0870 111 2000.

MUSE (The Lowry, Salford Quays, February 21)

MUSE is a series of evolving narrative scenes, creative ideas, imaginings and personal experiences. Who is playing whose part? Who is speaking when? Is what we are seeing life or work or thoughts? For the maker everything is material. Exactly like the creative process Muse is often chaotic, messy and disorganised. At other times it’s beautifully focused and intimate. The space is the chaos of the makers mind. Visit www.thelowry.com or ring 0870 111 2000.

NOT IN MY NAME (The Brindley, High Street, Runcorn, February 23-27)

A BOLD and challenging play that allows young people to openly, safely and productively discuss issues around terrorism and extremism. The play realistically portrays the aftermath, community impact and personal consequences of a fictional terror attack as told from the perspective of a group of young characters. The production concludes with a structured interactive forum session that rewinds events of the play, and gives audiences an opportunity to discuss grievances and alternative courses of action. Visit www.thebrindley.org.uk or ring 0151 907 8360.

OPERA NORTH (The Lowry, Salford Quays, February 23-27)

OPERA North return to The Lowry with three productions. Puccini’s La Boheme can be seen on February 23 and 26; Gilbert & Sullivan’s Ruddigore is on February 24 and 27; and Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte on February 25. Visit www.thelowry.com or ring 0870 111 2000.

PASIO’N DE BUENA VISTA (Palace Theatre, Oxford Street, Manchester, February 25-27)

FILLED with hot rhythms, delicate dances and beautiful melodies, this will take you on a tour through an exciting Cuban night, allowing you to experience the unspoiled rawness and joy of Cuban life.The show features top Cuban singers, dancers and a live band that will infect you with the heat and passion of Cuba. Ring 0844 847 2484 or visit www.palaceandoperahouse.org.uk.

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.

SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN (The Lowry, Salford Quays, February 25-27)

THE Gunwallow brothers are on the brink of bankruptcy. A once great Cornish family, they’ve lost everything; but there's a glimmer of hope… a legendary gold mine lost in the Arizona desert. Trouble is, no one who's ventured on to Superstition Mountain has lived to tell the tale. From the writer of Kneehigh’s Tristan & Yseult and Cymbeline, with powerful performances from three real Cornish brothers, this dark comic adventure explores the intimate bonds and savage divides of brotherly love. Visit www.thelowry.com or ring 0870 111 2000.

THE 39 STEPS (Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, February 22-27)

DIRECT from the West End, Broadway and 25 countries around the globe comes Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller, brilliantly and hilariously recreated as the smash-hit Olivier Award-winning Best New Comedy. This blissfully funny show follows the incredible adventures of our handsome hero Richard Hannay, complete with stiff-upper-lip, British gung-ho and pencil moustache as he encounters dastardly murders, double-crossing secret agents, and, of course, devastatingly beautiful women. Visit www.ambassadortickets.com/stoke or ring 0844 871 7649.

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.