Theatre, Dance & Performance

The Grand Theatre stage is empty of any life as the audience is subdued to silence by anticipation for the performance to begin. An elusive silhouette, Helen Anderson, emerges. Strategic lighting draws attention to her excellent costume and grace- you could almost be convinced she had travelled forwards from the thirties in that moment. Her mouth widens and she begins to sing. The play has begun. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a hugely successful and heart-wrenching tale written by John Boyne. It is captured effortlessly throughout this play, the portrayal of protagonist Bruno by Cameron Duncan brilliantly highlighting…

For one night only, on Tuesday 9 June, Blackpool and Fylde College Extended Diploma Performing Arts students presented Roald Dahl’s The Witches at Blackpool Grand Theatre and what a treat of hyper-vivid Dahlishness it was. This hour and twenty minutes (including interval) at the theatre was a pacy parade through the master of macabre’s story (modified for the stage by that monopolist of young people’s theatre adaptations David Woods). This is part of a programme of activity at the theatre called Grand Community which is obviously an important aspect of their work as a regional arts venue with local audiences…

Michael Flatley is definitely conspicuous by his absence, but ensures his devotees continue to worship at his alter, in the reworked production of Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games. Opening the show is a film of Flatley and his young son which leads into another short film narrated by the international showman, describing his career in detail, and the conception and development of Lord of the Dance. Eventually, the live performers took to the stage at the Opera House and were greeted with an almost religious fervour by fans of all ages. There is no doubt at the skill, technical…

Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games, a new restaging of the original phenomenon, returns to the UK in an eighteen date tour this year. The show features new costumes, choreography and new music by composer Gerard Fahy, and boasts a cast of forty outstanding performers. “And it’s a family show too,” says Michael Flatley, who has directed the new production. “People of all ages feel uplifted and happy after they have seen it and to transport people and fill them with joy is our whole goal.” Michael began his career with Irish folk band The Chieftains in 1994. Going on…

Northern Ballet’s new strand of touring brought Madame Butterfly to the Grand Theatre for two nights this week. Rachel Gielespie as geisha girl, Butterfly was exquisite from opening scene to the dramatic conclusion. There were strong and solid performances from all the male dancers, but the girls were definitely on top, particularly in the second half. Ayami Miyata as Suzuki and Dominque Larose as Kate dominated the stage with their solo work, duets and pas de deux. Javier Torres as Pinkerton, an accomplished dancer, was unconvincing as the romantic lead and lacked chemistry with his leading lady. Gielespie, however, flourished…

The massively popular Fleetwood Festival of Transport aka Tram Sunday takes place this year on Sunday 19 July and, for the second year running, sees LeftCoast and Wyre Council joining forces to produce the accompanying SpareParts Arts Festival. Last year saw dancing diggers on the beach at Fleetwood but headlining SpareParts this year is professional circus company Extraordinary Bodies.  Based in the UK, Extraordinary Bodies believe that circus is for every body; they are made up of performers of every age and every type of body. They will be presenting their new show Weighting which sees seven disabled and non-disabled…

Blackpool and Fylde Light Opera Company are presenting another premier for Blackpool, having secured the rights to perform Hairspray the Musical. The tagline by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, the show's original lyricists, is: When you follow your own beat, the world will follow you... Our talented local light opera troupe render Tracy Turnblad and the Corny Collins Show fans as FAME-ously as we have come to expect from the Seaside Shimmiers. Of course in many respects Hairspray is the panto John Waters created for the beginning of the 21st. century, with Cinderella as an overweight teenager with all the right moves. Tracy…

It looks as though Blackpool Opera House is set to rock this autumn when the premier of The Who’s classic rock opera takes to the stage.  This smash hit West End and Broadway show stars Joe McElderry, who shot to fame after winning the ITV talent show The X factor.  It is directed by star of stage and screen Paul Nicholas who also starred alongside Elton John, Roger Daltrey and Tina Turner in the 1975 film. The new show also coincides with the 40th anniversary of the film. Anyone who is a child of the sixties or seventies will remember…

The Horrible Histories at the Grand are an eye-opening, gory, exciting and authentic theatrical experience for children and adults, like me. When I was a child I went to see Hiawatha and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with my junior school and I loved it; sitting high in the gods, ogling down at actual real life actors doing their thing on the stage. I am privileged to have experienced a number of Grand Theatre productions and almost always some of my favourite's have been children or teen theatre. That's right. I am no stranger to Horrible Histories. Having previously watching…

It's panto season again... Oh yes it is! Well, it isn't actually, but the Lowther Pavilion is getting ahead of the game this year. That's why they're running auditions on Sunday, June 21, for an all-singing, all-dancing chorus of boys and girls, aged between nine and 18, who are full of personality and can move well. This year's show is Cinderella, and it is being billed as "the most spectacular pantomime that has ever been staged at the Lowther Pavilion" with a professional West End and celebrity cast. For the run of the performances there will be professional principal actors and three casts of children’s…