Theatres - Still Showing - February 18 onwards

Feb 15 2010 by Michael Green, Chester Chronicle

STILL SHOWING

AND A NIGHTINGALE SANG (New Vic Theatre, Etruria Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, January 29-February 20)

A TEAM of TV talents are swapping soaps for Spam sandwiches for this wartime comedy. Katherine Dow Blyton of Hollyoaks is joining forces with Eastenders director Sarah Punshon for CP Taylor’s play, filled with musical favourites from the 40s. In World War Two Newcastle upon Tyne, the Stotts are an eccentric family waging personal battles against the terrifying backdrop of war. Amid the air raid sirens and fears of poison gas, Mam makes Spam sandwiches, Dad makes his own entertainment, Grandpa mourns his dead whippet, and daughters Joyce and Helen discover the joy and heartbreak of first love. Ring 01782 717962 or visit www.newvictheatre.org.uk.

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.

CALENDAR GIRLS (The Lowry, Salford Quays, February 9-20)

FOLLOWING two sell-out weeks at The Lowry, Calendar Girls has become the fastest selling tour ever and has triumphed in the West End. Now it’s back for one final season starring Lynda Bellingham, Gemma Atkinson, Judith Barker, Letitia Dean, Jan Harvey and Hannah Waterman. A group of ordinary women do something extraordinary and spark a global phenomenon when they persuade one another to pose for a charity calendar with a difference! Visit www.thelowry.com or ring 0870 111 2000.

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.

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.

GHOST STORIES (Playhouse Theatre, Williamson Square, Liverpool, February 4-20)

A TRULY terrifying theatrical experience written and directed by Jeremy Dyson of The League of Gentlemen fame and Andy Nyman, who co-created Derren Brown’s TV and stage shows. This is a spectacular 80 minute ride that will chill and thrill in equal measure. Not suitable for anyone under the age of 15 or of a nervous disposition. Visit www.everymanplayhouse.com or ring 0151 709 4776.

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.

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.

A RAISIN IN THE SUN (Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann’s Square, Manchester, January 27-February 20)

LORRAINE Hansberry’s play was the first written by a black woman to be produced on Broadway, winning the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for best play of 1959. Lena’s life on Chicago’s Southside has always been about staying alive with “a pinch of dignity”. Now the insurance money from her husband’s death is coming through, her family sees the chance to make their dreams come true. But when those dreams conflict, it becomes harder than ever to retain that dignity. Visit www.royalexchange.co.uk or ring 0161 833 9833.

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.

SALT (Royal Exchange Theatre Studio, St Ann’s Square, Manchester, February 3-20)

WORLD premiere of Fiona Peek’s sparkling and seductive play, one of four winners of the Bruntwood Playwriting Competition. Though Amy and Simon have the money and children that life has so far denied Nick and Rachel, a friendship forged years ago remains constant. When they find the cash to enable their friends to hold on to their dreams, a simple act of charity brings everything bubbling to the surface. Visit www.royalexchange.co.uk or ring 0161 833 9833.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (Anthony Hopkins Theatre, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold, February 4-27)

ONE of the greatest modern classics, this is the powerful story - based on the book by Harper Lee - of a fight for racial justice in a community divided and ruled by prejudice and discrimination. In Maycomb, Alabama, in the 1930s, momentous events unfold through the eyes of eight-year-old Scout Finch who lives in a close-knit neighbourhood with older brother Jem and lawyer father Atticus. Visit www.clwyd-theatr-cymru.co.uk or ring 0845 330 3565.