Stan Graham's Leisure Guide for North and West Yorkshire
Samuel Beckett is one of the quirkiest playwrights of his, or any other, time. Although he was Irish he wrote his early plays in French and one of his works featured the leading actress buried up to her waist throughout the performance. Even he would be surprised at the way this performance panned out. Krapp’s…
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I fear that I am writing this in order to let you know what you have missed rather than to encourage you to go see the piece. The format of Connecting Voices is that there are three works which run throughout the three weeks of the season and three further ones which are ‘Reflections’ on…
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The first piece in this series of co-presentations between Leeds Playhouse and Opera North was certainly one to snap us out of our lockdown torpor. It is a one person opera, lasting 40 minutes with not a second wasted. The work was written by Francis Poulenc and is based on a short play by Jean…
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Wednesday, 30th September sees the launch of Opera North’s Switch ON Season (ON – Opera North – geddit?) and what better way to kick it off than with a concert from Leeds Town Hall featuring the highlights of recent productions and exclusive previews of forthcoming events which will be broadcast live on-line. Switch ON: Live…
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If there is one thing we need to alleviate the mood during a global pandemic which has threatened to wipe out the world’s population it is a good horror show! Leeds Playhouse and imitating the dog have got together to stage a ‘raucous and deliciously dark new tale’, Dr Blood’s Old Travelling Show. It has…
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After The Orchestra of Opera North’s socially distanced concert at the end of August I was wondering when – or if – the next live theatrical events would take place. Thanks to a collaboration between Opera North and Leeds Playhouse, the answer is October! This time, however, it is not just a one-off event but…
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No Horizon is a new musical by Andy Platt about Nicholas Saunderson. Who? I hear you ask. Well he was a scientist and mathematician born in 1682 in Thurlestone, Yorkshire, who worked as Lucasian Professor at the University of Cambridge, a post also held by Isaac Newton, Charles Babbage and Stephen Hawking. Not at the…
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Imagine, if you will, a world in which women are expected to be immaculately groomed, well-mannered, subservient and open to even the most outrageous ‘come-ons’ from men. It is not difficult for someone of my advancing years as that is how things were until the end of the last century, and still are in some…
Read MoreI was struggling as to how to begin this review of Oliver Twist as I really didn’t understand its purpose. I then had another look at Leeds Playhouse’s website and saw that it was aimed at an audience aged 11+ I am now more confused than ever. The play is a co-production between Leeds Playhouse…
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Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome, Ey Up and How Do. Cabaret has returned to Leeds in a different production and a new (almost) cast. I have to admit to not having the vaguest idea as to who the two stars of this show are. John Partridge who plays Emcee has, according to the programme, been a…
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Tyke It To The Limit 