Tag Archives: Empire Theatre

Brick Up, The Wirral Strikes Back. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. Theatre Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. September 8th 2010.

Cast: Warren Donnelly, Dean Sullivan, Bernadette Foley, Eithne Browne, Kate McEvoy, Kris Mochrie, Marc Hughes, Emma Nowell.

Sequels can either be hit or miss, whether on stage or at the cinema the hard task of the writer is to make the next part of the story just as enjoyable as the previous one. Sometimes this doesn’t work; there is too much affection for the characters in the first story that any derivation from the plot is never forgiven.

Brick Up, The Wirral Strikes Back. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. Theatre Review. full post

(454 words, 1 image, estimated 1:49 mins reading time)

Calendar Girls, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. September 28th 2010.

Cast: Denise Black, Elaine C. Smith, Julia Hills, Rachel Lumberg, Anna Charlston, Jennifer Ellison, Susan Bovell, Joe McGann, Bruno McGregor, Bruno Langley, Mikyla Dodd.

Surely there is no better way to get some of the leading ladies of British theatre and television on one stage that by bringing the celebrated Calendar Girls to the Liverpool Empire.

Based on a real life story, Calendar Girls tells the tale of a group of Women’s Institute members attempt to create a piece of work that will raise much needed funds for a hospital sofa, the same hospital in which one of the member’s husbands had been treated for Leukaemia.

Calendar Girls, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(403 words, estimated 1:37 mins reading time)

Rocky Horror Show, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. October 4th 2010.

Cast: kara Lane, Haley Flaherty, Richard Meek, Christopher Biggins, Stuart Ellis, Ceris Hine, David Bedella, Julian Essex-Spurrier, Adrian Der Gregorian.

What’s the first thing you think of when somebody asks you to name something about the Rocky Horror Show? It could be the audience that throws away any pretence for the night and turn up for one of the best productions of theatre anywhere. It might be the fine costumes, stockings, high heels and feather boas that are in evidence wherever you look. Perhaps it is the musical numbers that make you tap your foot and sets the rest of the body off to join in or it could be the fine performances from a cast that obviously adore treating their audience to a night out that will live long in the memory.

Rocky Horror Show, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(413 words, 1 image, estimated 1:39 mins reading time)

The Sound of Music, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. October 14th 2010.

Cast: Marilyn Hill Smith, Connie Fisher, Jennifer Owen, Suzanne Richardson, Ashleigh Richardson, Jenna Boyd, Michael Praed, Tony Kemp, Claire Fishenden.

 

Everything about The Sound of Music screams success. From the set design, the musicianship, the much loved songs and the choreography, everything that you could want from a musical, The Sound of Music delivered in spades.

For some The Sound of Music will only ever be about Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer’s dynamic in the 1965 film release but there is so much more to this story than the sight of nun’s and Nazis in pre-war Germany.

The Sound of Music, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(375 words, 1 image, estimated 1:30 mins reading time)

Aladdin, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. December 15th 2010.

Cast: Pamela Anderson, Les Dennis, Mark Moraghan, Pete Price, Dani Rayner, Marc Mulcahey, Sean Kearns, Djalenga Scott, Conleth Kane.

For the second year running the Empire Theatre pulled off a masterstroke of casting and persuaded one of the Hollywood glitterati to be the main draw at their Christmas spectacular pantomime. Last year, Liverpool was treated to the sight of Henry Winkler playing Captain Hook to great acclaim; this year treading the boards of the Empire was Baywatch star Pamela Anderson in the wonderful story of Aladdin.

Aladdin, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(435 words, 1 image, estimated 1:44 mins reading time)

Mike and the Mechanics. Gig Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Mike and the Mechanics. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.

Originally published by L.S. Media. May 22nd 2011.

Mike and the Mechanics have been away a long time. At one time the band was the epitome of good music, thoughtful, creatively intelligent lyrics that would make the heart ache and the soul sing. Now seven years after the last album Rewired, they can officially be thought of being back to their best and amongst the highlights of the AOR scene to come to Liverpool this year.

Mike and the Mechanics. Gig Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(399 words, 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

We Will Rock You, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. September 9th 2011.

Cast: Ian Reddington, Earl Carpenter, Noel Sullivan, Amanda Coutts, Ashley J Russell, Leon Lopez, jenny Douglas, Mathew Craig, Nicola Poustie.

It took time, but finally the global smash hit We Will Rock You found its way to Liverpool, ripped up the rule book on entertaining an audience that were already near to giving a standing ovation before they even opened the curtain and gave the kind of performance that the culture capital of the U.K. deserved and gave every other production due to come to Liverpool this year a very big headache and a huge hurdle to overcome.

We Will Rock You, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(482 words, 1 image, estimated 1:56 mins reading time)

Calendar Girls, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. November 22nd 2011.

L.S Media Rating *****

Cast: Ruth Madoc, Jennifer Ellison, Lynda Bellingham, Jan Harvey, Rula Lenska, Debbie Chazen, Joe McGann, Bruno Langley, Jane Lambert, John Labasnowski, Camilla Dallerup.

It takes a play of some magnificence to come back to Liverpool two years running, then again, they don’t come much more magnificent than Tim Firth’s Calendar Girls.  Based on a true story of a Womens’ Institute that took on establishment ideals and went on to become a global phenomenon, Calendar Girls reaches out to the audience’s soul and melts even the stoniest of hearts in its powerful, heart-breaking and supremely funny story.

Calendar Girls, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(457 words, 1 image, estimated 1:50 mins reading time)

White Christmas, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. December 30th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating *****

Cast: Aled Jones, Adam Cooper, Kerry Washington, Ken Farrington, Amy Ellen Richardson, Louise Bowden, Mark Dickinson, David Lucas.

Liverpool may not have had a White Christmas to end 2011; however there can be no doubt in anybody’s minds on how sumptuous and grand the performance at the Empire Theatre this year of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. The amount of joy it visibly put on people’s faces and even more so than the sight of a foot of snow outside your door on the big day.

White Christmas, Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(425 words, 1 image, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

Spamalot. Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool

Originally published by L.S. Media. January 19th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: Marcus Brigstocke, Jodie Prenger, Todd Carty, Robin Armstrong, Rob Delaney, Adam Ellis, Kit Orton, Eric Idle, Jon Robyns, Eric Idle.

You either love, some would say adore, Monty Python or you just don’t get it. For those that don’t understand the concept, there is help available. For those that love it, high tail it down to the Empire Theatre and take in the majesty of absurdity of Monty Python’s Spamalot.

Spamalot. Theatre Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool full post

(523 words, 1 image, estimated 2:06 mins reading time)