Stan Graham's Leisure Guide for North and West Yorkshire
Another Harrogate Theatre Drama Season draws to a close with this piece by Michael Morpurgo, best known for writing War Horse, which I have enjoyed both on stage and as a film. This one-man play is also set at the beginning of the last century and covers action in England and on the First World…
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Leeds Playhouse are definitely hitting the ground running after the summer break. Following last week’s offering, Fences, I was back to see A Tale of Two Cities, the classic from Charles Dickens. It had been adapted for the stage by Terrance Rattigan and John Gielgud, so had good credentials. I have never read the book,…
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This is not a play about a handler of stolen goods, although it is set in Pittsburgh, whose NFL team is called the Steelers – stealers – never mind. No, this is a very powerful work highlighting the plight of an African American family in 1957 who are at the crossroads between old school upbringing…
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After my trip in the Tardis to 1943 on Tuesday, tonight I went back to the 1950s – I think. Dial M For Murder is a good old-school murder mystery – you don’t need to be Miss Marple to work that out – meaning there is nothing in the programme regarding the synopsis so as…
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After the plethora of American musicals which have recently graced the stage of the wonderful Grand Theatre, it was a refreshing change to witness a home-grown production. Not only was the show quintessentially British, but the story was of the nation’s ingenuity in a time of crisis i.e. the Second World War. That being the…
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The 2026 Harrogate Theatre Drama Season kicks off with a belter. It is a new work by Leeds playwright, Philip Stokes, and is set in Room 102 of the Grand Hotel, Brighton on 12th October, 1984 during the Conservative Party conference which was being held there. For those of you too young to remember, just…
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I saw this musical about five years ago and remember being very impressed, although, for the life of me, I couldn’t recall why, so put it down to age. I seem to be putting a lot of things down to age nowadays, including wine, so it could possibly have been that. As soon as it…
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It was great to cover an event within walking distance of home, especially on a summer evening. It did seem a bit incongruous, slapping on the factor 50 to go see a presentation which would obviously culminate in the details of this year’s pantomime, still, I thought to myself, enjoy it while you can –…
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What a great way to bring the inaugural Yorkshire Fringe to a close. I have always thought of Slung Low Shorts as a sort of mini fringe in itself, being a showcase for independent playwrights, actors and other creatives, to show their work to a live audience. The format is that there are six presentations,…
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This is my second Yorkshire Fringe event and one which I hadn’t planned on seeing, until a friend of mine said that she had been speaking to a mate at New Headingley Club, who thought I might like to go along to review it. The reason I didn’t put it on my ‘must see’ list…
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