Stan Graham's Leisure Guide for North and West Yorkshire
Humour is a funny thing, it either gets you or it doesn’t. I am not a great fan of farce, being too logical, probably the Virgo in me, and prefer cerebral antics to physical ones. That being the case, I didn’t hold out much hope for Bedroom Farce, by the esteemed Yorkshire-based writer, Alan Aykbourn,…
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I am being spoiled for comedy this week, what with Consumed on Thursday and Black Tie Ball tonight. Both were hilarious and both relied on stereotypes, doesn’t most comedy, but they couldn’t have been more different. I wrote that Consumed took stereotypes and turned them on their head, whereas Black Tie reinforces the initial opinion…
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The more observant amongst you will have noticed that I classified this play under the heading Comedy, which indeed it was, but there was so much more to it than a laughfest. The whole production was set – pardon the pun – in the kitchen/diner of a house on the occasion of Great Grandma’s 90th…
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There is an old saying that you should always beware of what you wish for – you might just have it answered. Normally this is a warning that something which might seem like a good thing, can go disastrously wrong. I recently reviewed War Horse at Leeds Grand Theatre and started by saying that it…
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Another week, another end of academic year celebration, this time showcasing the talents of Leeds Grand Youth Theatre. I recently saw The Maladies, which was presented by the alumni of Leeds Actors In Training, featuring the age group 18-25; Leeds Grand Youth Theatre comprises the younger aspiring actors in the 8-18 bracket. Both of these…
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There seems to be no more appropriate time and place for this classic musical to be performed than now, in Leeds. The time, because the themes concern antisemitism, persecution and forced displacement, by Imperialist Russia in the area which is now Ukraine. The place, because Leeds used to have a large Jewish community, which helped…
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I am writing this article the day following the Lionesses retaining their Women’s European Championship after extra time and penalties. Had the men’s team enjoyed even a fraction of the success gained by the women, this play by Christopher Wollaton may have turned out much differently. The piece is a two-hander, starring the playwright and…
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Before I get into the nuts and bolts of the review of this play, I would just like to say one thing. Go and see it! It works on so many levels, football being the mortar which binds the whole building, but you really don’t need to be a fan, in fact, it being press…
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I realise that the Monarchy can be a divisive topic but, love it or loathe it, no one can deny that Queen Elizabeth II devoted her whole life to the duty which was bestowed on her, even though she was not born to reign. Had Edward VIII not abdicated, it would have been his children…
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You would think that a one-woman show covering mental illness, alcoholism, drug abuse and doomed relationships all set against the background of the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland, the place of her birth, would be a bit of a downer, but not so. Suzy Crothers treated us to an hour-long account of her fall and rise…
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Tyke It To The Limit 