Theatres - Starting This Week - February 25 onwards

Feb 21 2010 by Michael Green, Chester Chronicle

STARTING THIS WEEK

ANDERSEN’S ENGLISH (Library Theatre, St Peter’s Square, Manchester, March 2-6)

OUT of Joint have put together a top notch cast for Sebastian Barry’s haunting new play, directed by Max Stafford-Clark, including Niamh Cusack and David Rintoul. Celebrated children’s writer Hans Christian Andersen arives, unannounced, for a stay at Gad’s Hill Place in the Kent marshes - home to Charles Dickens and his charismatic family. It seems to be a scene of domestic bliss but Andersen doesn’t at first see the storms brewing within the family. Visit www.librarytheatre.com or ring 0161 236 7110.

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.

HOT FLUSH (Opera House, Quay Street, Manchester, March 1)

MEET Myra, Sylvia, Helen and Jessica in this outrageous musical, starring Lesley Joseph, that’s the perfect girls’ night out. Share in the friendships, the secrets, the laughs, the tears and the ups and downs of four ordinary women - and one man - living extraordinary lives. Ring 0844 847 2484 or visit www.palaceandoperahouse.org.uk.

MATTHEW BOURNE’S SWAN LAKE (The Lowry, Salford Quays, March 1-6)

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.thelowry.com or ring 0870 111 2000.

MY WONDERFUL DAY (Anthony Hopkins Theatre, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold, March 1-6)

A NEW play, written and directed by Alan Ayckbourn, receives its premiere in Mold. Winnie lives in a world full of adults. She’s off to school for the day and has an essay to write on My Wonderful Day. What better opportunity than quietly seated unnoticed in a corner, while mother busies herself around the house, watching the bizarre and increasingly frenetic comings and goings in the weird houehold? Minimal use of strong language. Visit www.clwyd-theatr-cymru.co.uk or ring 0845 330 3565.

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.

PRETTY WITTY NELL (Upton Village Hall, Heath Road, Chester, February 26)

TWO Friends Productions offer an evening of effervescence and irreverence with Nell Gwyn, the most popular mistress of Charles II, in this one-woman comedy. From the gutters of Covent Garden to glittering actress, her life with the king lasted 17 years. Visit www.cheshireruraltouringarts.co.uk or ring 01244 972835.

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.