Stan Graham's Leisure Guide for North and West Yorkshire
After a very quiet August, it was great to get back to work, and what better way than with a play staged within walking distance of home which ended at the civilised time of 9.20pm. The Signalman is based on a short novel by Charles Dickens, which was part of a collection called The Mugby…
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There are times when I wish I didn’t write theatre reviews, not many I grant you, but this was one of them. Not because I thought that the play was bad, far from it, it was absolutely superb, ironically that was the problem. Instead of concentrating on the different elements which make up a great…
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It’s been five years since the last Slung Low Shorts, but well worth the wait. The venue has changed to The Warehouse at Holbeck but the standard of plays hasn’t. The Producers Mark Catley, Jonathan Hall and Lisa Holdsworth have brought together some of the finest local actors and writers to stage five short pieces…
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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…
Read MoreTransform is a festival of powerful international performance, it says on their programme, and, judging by the contents, it certainly lives up to the claim. The 2025 event marks ten years of the biennial, this, being number six, shows that they must be doing something right. That is a feeling reinforced by the way in…
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Here’s another first, not just for me, but also the actors involved. Leeds Conservatoire, as its name suggests, is a higher education establishment specialising in music and performing arts. It offers undergraduate and post graduate degree courses, as well as catering for the younger learners through Leeds Junior Conservatoire. I wasn’t here to gain any…
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A couple of weeks ago I was invited to go along to Seven Arts in Chapel Allerton, not so much to review a play, but to sample the output of Leeds Actors In Training (LAIT). I must say that I was impressed on several levels. Leeds Actors In Training is a year-long acting course with…
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This is the second ‘straight’ drama in succession I have seen at the wonderful Leeds Grand Theatre, which failed to live up to expectations. I saw this play at Leeds Playhouse some years ago and, whilst I don’t remember it very well – appropriate given the subject, I can’t recall it being this disappointing. Laura…
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Tyke It To The Limit 