The Grand Theatre Archives - Blackpool Social Club

06 Jun

Theatre Preview: Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

Louise Ashcroft0 CommentsGuide, Theatre, Dance & Performanceballet, Blackpool, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, LGBT, The Grand Theatre

Legendary all-male ballet company Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo arrive in Blackpool this June, bringing camp theatricality, classical brilliance and joyful queer subversion to the Grand Theatre stage. Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, the famous all-male comedy ballet company, affectionately known as the Trocks, will make their Blackpool debut at The Grand Theatre on Friday 12 June. The company is known for their sassy classical ballet spoofs, with flawless technique and comic timing. The Trocks’ unique blend of satire, subversion and slapstick is rooted in their love for, and deep knowledge of, Classical and Romantic ballet on which…

29 Jan

Theatre Review: Murder at Midnight

Blackpool Social Club1 CommentTheatre, Dance & PerformanceBlackpool, play, The Grand Theatre

It’s New Year's Eve, and the tarot cards have foretold a clearing out of old energies, a breakup of relationships and secrets coming out of hiding before the clock strikes twelve, but who will survive the Murder at Midnight? Through a cocktail of murder, mystery, comedy, and farce, the audience is taken on a spiral of emotional twists and turns, thought-provoking in parts, funny in others. The Grand Theatre stage lies open before us. The layers of a luxury Kent mansion give the audience an unusual perspective on the characters' lives. Three beautifully designed rooms allow conversations to run simultaneously…

19 Jan

Theatre Review: The Constant Wife

Stephanie Cottle0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & PerformanceBlackpool, play, The Grand Theatre

The Constant Wife opened at The Grand Theatre as an elegant reminder of how classic plays can still feel relatable to audiences today. This RSC production of W. Somerset Maugham’s 1920s comedy, newly adapted by Laura Wade, balances sharp dialogue with a strong sense of style and wit. Set in a decade known for shifting social expectations and incredible fashion, this production leans fully into the glamour of the era. The costumes are a real highlight. From clean lines to rich fabrics, they help define each character early doors in the play. Constance and her sister Martha stand out most.…

27 Nov

Theatre Review: Here You Come Again!

David Simper0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & Performanceblackpool art scene, dolly parton, musical theatre, The Grand Theatre

As a long time fan, David Simper just had to see this new Dolly Parton musical at the Grand Theatre which did not disappoint. A must see, and not just for Dolly fans. Arriving at the Grand Theatre I expected Here You Come Again! to be more of a Dolly Parton tribute act. Instead this was a full on musical play, featuring Dolly Parton as a character as well as her music. It was undoubtedly the more satisfying for that. The stage lights rise and a man throws large bales of toilet rolls through a window and then uses a…

02 Mar

Theatre Review: Oh What a Lovely War

Linda Hampton0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & PerformanceThe Grand Theatre, Theatre

Blackeyed Theatre’s latest production is a classic retelling of the First World War and can’t help but remind us that conflict is always with us, somewhere in the world. It’s 60 years since director Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop first staged the original production of Oh What a Lovely War. Back then in 1963 when it was already over 40 years since the end of the Great War of 1914-18. Now, over 100 years after the start of the conflict, it still feels necessary to revisit and re-examine the way that the situation escalated out of control. The ensemble cast of…

12 Sep

Actor Q&A: Peter Duncan

Stephanie Cottle0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & Performanceperformance, The Grand Theatre, Theatre

Summer is over. For us living on the coast, autumn brings howling winds, thunderstorms and sea mists – perfect cover when something sinister is trying to creep into Blackpool. Starring Olivier-nominated actor and former Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan, When Darkness Falls comes to The Grand Theatre on the 15th of September. Set on the small island of Guernsey the play focuses on a young paranormal expert (Daniel Rainford) who joins a sceptical history teacher (Peter Duncan) to record the first in a series of podcasts based on the island’s folklore and paranormal history. As the expert regales his horrifying…

22 Apr

Review: Robert Icke’s Animal Farm – A Contemporary Ode to Orwell’s Legacy

Beth Barker0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & Performancegrand theatre, performance, puppets, review, Reviews, The Grand Theatre

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] My first experience of Robert Icke’s work came in 2014 when his Olivier-nominated adaptation of 1984 took centre stage at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre. Almost a decade on, I settled into my seat alongside my Dad to watch Icke take on Orwell again, this time bringing his earlier novel, Utopian classic Animal Farm, to life. As committed readers of Orwell and his seminal works, we waited with glee to discover how the revolutionary story would play out.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="34762" img_size="medium" add_caption="yes" alignment="center"][vc_empty_space height="45px"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text]The defining feature of this beguiling play is, of course, the puppetry. Some audience members may recognise…

28 Mar

Animal Farm at The Grand: Cutting edge puppetry heads to Blackpool

Catherine Mugonyi0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & Performancegrand theatre, performance, puppets, The Grand Theatre

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] A cleverly creative production of George Orwell’s Animal Farm brings the famous farmyard to life at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Tuesday 19 to Saturday 21 April with incredible contemporary puppetry from Toby Olié (whose credits include War Horse and Running Wild ). Toby joins a talented team of renowned theatre professionals who have expertly re-imagined Orwell’s world-famous fable of a revolution and its aftermath to breathe exciting new life into Napoleon, Snowball, Boxer and all the animals of Manor Farm. Mick Hunter caught up with him to find out more.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]What are the challenges of this show? Every character apart…

08 Mar

Celebrating a trio of Grand female writers for International Women’s Day

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & Performanceblackpoolgrandtheatre, IWD, The Grand Theatre, Theatre, women

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Famous female authors throughout the centuries have felt compelled to disguise their gender to be taken seriously in the literary world and to help persuade readers of both sexes to read their works. Blackpool Grand Theatre is shining the spotlight on three renowned women writers for this year’s International Women’s Day – Breaking the Bias on Tuesday 8 March. In their upcoming programme, Blackpool Grand Theatre presents a trio of dazzling stage dramas from three legendary women writers. Best-selling crime writer Hilary Bonner, gritty biographer Helen Forrester and the Queen of Crime herself - the late, great Agatha Christie;…

02 Aug

Bram Stoker’s Dracula Preview at The Grand Theatre.

Scarlett Clegg0 CommentsLocal News, Theatre, Dance & Performancedracula, The Grand Theatre

There seems to have been quite a resurgence of interest in all things vampire in recent years, some of them good, some not so good, but there can surely be nothing which beats the original, classic, Gothic horror of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Dracula is one of the most universally iconic novels ever written. Often described as a monumental, genre defining classic that is known the world over, Dracula remains the father of all vampire tales and this autumn an all new production sees this bloodthirsty tale resurrected as part of a nine week tour. A Touring Consortium Theatre Production in…