North West Theatre Arts Company – Live, love, dream, believe

It seems an age ago but, on Thursday 12th March this year, I went to see Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at NWTAC’s theatre on Lightbowne Road. Not for the first time, they took me by surprise.

I was late, distracted by news of the spreading virus, so I grabbed a drink at the bar and went to find my seat; through the doors and stopped – the entire auditorium was completely different.

Gone were the tiered rows of seats. The ‘stage’ was positioned in the centre rather than at the far end of the building. Seating was arranged around the edges, creating a true ‘theatre-in-the-round’.

The usher led me to a ring-side spot that put me inches from the performers, who were taking their positions. When the lights went down I could pick out the faces of my fellow audience and catch their expressions.

From start to finish there were clever connections to Manchester. Reflecting on the similarity between our own Piccadilly Gardens and the court of Athens, where Shakespeare opens his play. Queen Titania’s ‘cohort of fairies’ were portrayed as our famous worker bees.

They buzzed through their performance and I was mesmerised.

As ever, the acting was superb. The young performers slipped into character with ease and professionalism; engaging the audience, drawing them in. And, as the play unfolded, the stage was transformed into flower-covered woodland in front of our eyes as if by magic.

Two hours flew by. Before we knew it, we were leaving the theatre into the chilly night air. We left the dreamy world created by Prab Singh’s team behind us. Lockdown began just days later and, against all expectation, dragged on for months.

NWTAC has 10 years’ experience of adapting to change. It’s made them resilient. Their doors were closed but not all the ‘lights’ went out. Almost straight away they launched a series of on-line activities; fitness sessions with choreographer Katie Gough called ‘Dance Along with NWTAC’. Musical Director, Beth Singh, began ‘Story Time with Beth’ reading out Roald Dahl books. And on Friday evenings she ‘wowed’ us with her ‘Lockdown Live’ concerts.Rehearsals continued remotely for the theatre’s students using the on-line meeting platform, Zoom. The empty theatre was re-painted and steam cleaned in readiness.

In August, term-time resumed in line with government guidelines and a month later NWTAC re-opened its doors to the public to perform Factory Fest, a show originally scheduled for May…and I had a ticket!

Once more I arrived to find a transformed auditorium, only this time to make it Covid secure. Socially distanced tables had replaced the tiered seating, with waiter service only taking orders from the bar. Temperatures were checked prior to entry and all the doors were open so you could go straight to your allotted table without touching a thing. Masks were mandatory. Even the performers kept within their peer groups to avoid mixing.

Factory Fest was a full on indoor festival concert, a dizzying compilation of hits and routines, all brilliantly performed. Harmonies, choreography, variety, comedy. New students performed for the first time alongside the more experienced and together they knocked our socks off. Lockdown and six grim months had gone by but it was worth the wait; for the second time this year all thoughts of Coronavirus were left behind.

So many industries have been hit hard in recent months, performing arts is just one of them. We need it though, now more than ever and it needs us.NWTAC are continuing to work on projects including ‘The Sound and Soul of Hitsville Mowtown’ to be staged in November and the pantomime ‘Puss in Boots’ throughout December. This weekend, for two nights only on 16th and 17th October, Beth Singh will perform live at the theatre.

Keep an eye on social media for updates and, if you missed them first time around, you can still access Dance Along, Story Time and Lockdown live through NTWAC’s Facebook page.

Tickets for this weekend and future shows can be booked by calling the box office on 0161 207 1617.

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Bouncers and Shakers at North West Theatre Arts Company

Intriguing title and no idea what to expect. I’m ever ready for a surprise at NWTAC so, assuming it’s a new one on you too, I’ll set the scene.

Location: A night-club in a town centre: Could be anywhere so for us, it’s Manchester. Shakers Cocktail Bar.

Era: Late 1970’s: But, as NWTAC like to put their own slant on things, some references are more recent.

Main characters: Four night-club bouncers. Four cocktail barmaids. Four lads on the lash. Four girls up for a night out.

Event: One night out on the town and the preparations leading up to it.

Maybe you’re thinking “sounds pretty straight forward”. It’s actually two plays merged together into one and the 16 plus characters are played by just 8 actors.

So, now you could be thinking “sounds pretty complicated”. Nope, just very clever and very, very funny.

As we filter in from the bar area we’re involved in the show before it even starts. Smart suited young men greet us and show us to our seats before we realise they’re actually the bouncers in the show. They inform us the performance is about to begin.

“Any filming or flash photography is not allowed and mobile phones must be turned off…”. Then sternly add “…or there’ll be trouble.”

I fumble for mine, just to check, even though I know it’s off! From there we’re transported to their ‘world’; standing in a freezing club doorway waiting for the pubs to close and the nightclub client’s to roll up, in whatever state they’re in.

Scene Two is a hairdressing salon but is this where we’re introduced to the girls? Ah no. The bouncers do a character flip and play a group of girls getting ready for a night out. Giddily gabbing away, deciding what hairstyle’s best or what colour nail varnish they want amid getting all the gossip and bitching about this or that.

It’s a while before the real girls, aka cocktail shakers, take to the stage and they have a similar start. Getting ready for another night behind the bar, wiping down tables and discussing the new brazen uniform they’ve be told to wear. Before long they too do a character flip and jump scene to a fashion shop changing room. The banter has us in stitches.

These role changes are executed so well. Each character is totally believable, the script is brilliant and it’s fascinating to watch.

I’m a Manchester lass. I went to those night-clubs and bars and hairdressers and dress shops in the 1970’s. I remember the changing rooms in Chelsea Girl and the freezing mile long taxi queue at 3am in Piccadilly. God, feet like blocks of ice. I was there! And, going off their reaction, so were most of my fellow audience.

We loved every minute of this play. Thank you Bouncers: Jonny Molyneux, Gareth Maudsley, Solomon Asante-Owusu and Owen Maudsley for your wit and timing. Thank you Shakers Toyin Lawal, Jade Hamer, Kate Bannister and Melissa Grimes for your humour and sass. You were thoroughly entertaining and a joy to watch.

The line-up for Saturday’s performance was slightly different but I hear they stormed it too.

NWTAC’s theatre is on Lightbowne Road, Moston and their next project is Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights Dream. Click here for all the details and how to book your seats.

Puss in Boots at North West Theatre Arts Company

I’m at NWTAC’s theatre on Lightbowne Road, Moston settling down and soaking up the atmosphere. It’s January, bleak and I need cheering up.

Our story is set by the Blind Cobbler, aka Harry Gardner, displaying a magical pair of boots and how they will work wonder on anyone who wears them. Harry’s portrayal was spot on, as it was each time he appeared on stage, and I rather warmed to the chap.

The multi-talented Jonny Molyneux swapped his assistant director’s chair (Scrooge the Musical) for a variety of tree-mendous, resplendent Dame costumes. He had us in stitches from the moment he arrived on stage, with great comedy timing, ad libs and the ability to engage an audience with skill and confidence. He was ably supported by Alfie Cook, Lois Dibden and Erin Carty playing the hapless trio Muddles, George and a very comical Esra.

The magical boots transformed the delightful cat (Shannon Ryan) into ‘Puss in Boots’, played by Poppy Evans. This purrfect casting really paid off. Poppy and Kate Bannister, as her master/Principal Boy Colin, worked so well together. Both have fabulous voices, they nailed their routines and were a delight to watch.

Kate also sang duets with the Principal Girl, Princess Rosalind, played by Grace Donohue. Her parents were inspired when this young lady was born. She literally graced the stage and when she sang a solo, she owned it. I’m not biased by the fact the song was one of my favourite Lewis Capaldi tracks – honestly, she just delivered it so well.

A special mention has to go to James Burke. James’s characterisation of a ‘camp’ Spanish court chamberlain was fabulous. His accent and mannerisms were superb. Most of his appearances on stage were shared with a convincingly ‘spaced-out’ dizzy-minded King Phillip (Gareth Maudsley) making a great comedy duo.

The main characters were supported by a cast of nimble dancers and an ensemble that had me wondering just how big the area behind the stage must be. They arrived on stage and exited again with their own air of professionalism, working their routines to deliver a memorable and slick performance. They all looked and sounded amazing.

It’s easy to take the passage from one scene to the next for granted. The plot unfolds in various locations including a woodland copse, a palace, castle, dungeons and cat world but each transition is seamless. Scenery glides about silently, with not a bump or wobble to be heard or seen. It’s all part of the magic and the NWTAC production team pull it off perfectly. They deserved the applause at the end as much as stage performers.

Preparations will already be underway for the next project, Bouncers and Shakers so, if you’ve no plans for Valentine’s Day, look no further. Performances take place on Friday 14th and Saturday 15th February. Tickets are in demand and will sell out fast, so best book early.

A few short weeks after that NWTAC will be performing Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, running from Thursday 12th March to Saturday 14th March.

Productions planned later in the year include Factory Fest, Hairspray and High School Musical.

Full details including dates and how to book can be found on NWTAC’s website, just click here.  You can even sign up to join their mailing list.

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