Stan Graham's Leisure Guide for North and West Yorkshire
Whoever compiles the schedule for productions at Leeds Playhouse played a blinder on Thursday night. For those of you who are not familiar with the venue, it comprises four spaces; Quarry, which is the largest auditorium, Courtyard, my favourite, a smaller one with the most comfortable seating, both in the upholstery and legroom departments, Bramall…
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The full title of this production is Alan Bleasedale’s Boys From The Black Stuff by James Graham and is an adaptation of the BBC television series broadcast in late 1982. Two years earlier Alan Bleasedale had written a work for the BBC series of one-off dramas, Play For Today, called simply The Black Stuff, which…
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This is one of the easiest – and hardest – reviews I have ever written. It is easy because the concert was great so no real gripes, but hard as I have been trawling the internet for information about the two bands involved without coming up with much at all. Firstly, the support act, Kontiki,…
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I opened my review of Bat Out Of Hell by referencing Meatloaf’s raunchy performance of Paradise By The Dashboard Light on The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1978. If I thought that was worthy of an 18 certificate, it was made to look like CBeebies in comparison to the action in Cruel Intentions. It has…
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The problem with jokes, unlike music, is that they are great to hear once, but the more they are repeated the more irritating they become. Having this concert on May the Fourth did nothing to change my mind on that, but it did allow me to indulge in a totally unscientific and subjective experiment. I…
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Back at the wonderful Howard Assembly Room after a short break, to see an artist with whom I was totally unfamiliar, but who obviously has a dedicated following, as the place was packed, and the atmosphere buzzing. Karine Polwart is a Scottish folk singer who, it appears, also does a lot of other work nurturing…
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If you doubt the power of music then let me tell you that the medium has done something that even God has failed to do – get me to go to church on a Sunday! I have become quite the fan of Leeds Baroque Choir and Orchestra since being introduced to them by a friend…
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To mark Bradford’s tenure as UK City of Culture, Opera North decided to spread the love and stage the first two performances of the 2025 Tour of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra at St Georges Hall, handily situated across the road from the Interchange. I say ‘staged’ advisedly, as that is the term used to describe the…
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I remember vividly the first time I saw Meat Loaf on television. It was over the Christmas holiday in 1978 when my wife, her sister and her husband and my mother-in-law, were watching the Old Grey Whistle Test Review of the Year. Whilst not prudes, my relatives were hardly down and dirty, so the atmosphere…
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The first theatre review I ever wrote was for Leeds Living about a ‘thriller’ at Leeds Grand Theatre. The play was terrible and so I submitted it to the copy editor with a covering email saying that I didn’t mind if they didn’t want to use it, but it was my honest opinion and so…
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Tyke It To The Limit 