Stan Graham's Leisure Guide for North and West Yorkshire
I had reason to venture into town this morning before writing my review and took the opportunity to have a look at a Cluedo box in WH Smiths. What I was looking for was the recommended age for players which turns out to be 8+. For anyone over that age then I am sure that…
Read More
This year there is lots going on under the Opera North banner. The big operas staged in the Grand Theatre have mostly moved on to other venues but there is still one to come. Howard Assembly Room, however, is packed with great stuff. The final opera of the current season will be staged at Leeds…
Read MoreIn keeping with its original roots, the City Varieties has a host of one-night stands lined up over the coming months. There are so many of them that I would be sitting here typing until it was time to do my Autumn/Winter Previews. I have decided to take the easy way out and highlight a…
Read MoreSpring and summer see another eclectic mix at Leeds Playhouse. There are new shows, ones returning and those which should have been staged before the pandemic but had to be postponed. One thing which is making a welcome return is the restaurant which has now reopened. Insofar as the drama is concerned Macbeth is in…
Read More
After hosting a programme of opera and ballet in the months since Christmas, the wonderful Grand Theatre now moves on to the mixed bag of entertainment which we all know and love so much. There is plenty of variety, pardon the pun – which was intentional of course, with not only plays and musicals but…
Read More
I seem to be spending a lot of time at Howard Assembly Room lately, for which I am truly grateful, especially when I get to see some of the country’s, nay world’s, best musicians and singers up close and personal. Such was the case last night when I witnessed a supreme performance by baritone Roderick…
Read More
Whiling away a relaxed hour on a Saturday afternoon at Howard Assembly Room listening to professional opera singers accompanied by only a piano, sounded too good to be true. Sadly it was, but that was a consequence of their doing all they could to make everyone welcome. There was a section on the pertinent website…
Read More
I often wonder why directors feel the need to reimagine the works of arguably this country’s greatest playwright. Is it an arrogance in believing that the bard had the right idea but didn’t do as good a job as they could, is it patronising towards the audience thinking that they need a hand in understanding…
Read More
Getting to the age of 40 is definitely cause for a song and dance, when you are Phoenix Dance Theatre the latter part of that duo is bound to be something special, and it is! I had seen Phoenix Dance Theatre only once before and that was as half of a double bill with Opera…
Read More
It is not often that I cast my net in the direction of Bradford, not because I have anything against the city, I worked there for over twenty-five years, but the West Yorkshire public transport system is such that the last train I could catch to ensure my connection, leaves at 10.16pm which is cutting…
Read More
Tyke It To The Limit 