Tag: drama

by Tricia Beddow

NWTAC, Anthony Horricks and Friends Ultimate Cover Show and more…

Elvis, Lady Gaga, McFly, Take That, Ed Sheeran, Snow Patrol, Bruno Mars. The list goes on and the songs keep coming. Anthony Horricks and Friends ‘Ultimate Cover Show’ was streamed live by North West Theatre Arts Company on 29th December. What a treat!James, Tempany, Anthony, Jade and Maria

NWTAC have a performing arts stage school with their own theatre and usually put on about 10 productions a year. The Covid situation didn’t so much hamper their plans for 2020 but squashed and stamped on them. When getting together wasn’t possible they turned to Zoom instead. Songs, lines, dance routines, staging etc., were learned while planned shows were rescheduled.

A hopeful September saw the show ‘Factory Fest’ performed to a small audience. The auditorium was adapted for a unique experience with waiter service to comply with social distancing rules. It was an ambitious achievement.

In October, Beth Singh, professional vocalist and NWTAC’s music director, took to the stage with a special concert accompanied by a live band and performers from the school. Both shows were brilliant.Then, following the second lockdown, the new harsher Tier 3 restrictions meant the theatre had to close to the public completely. It was devastating but, once more, they adapted.

Beth had successfully streamed her ‘lockdown live’ concerts from her own home during the summer so they got on and recorded an abridged version of ‘ A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and broadcast it on YouTube. Then, and with a full cast, streamed live from the theatre a fabulous ‘West End Up North’ concert.Anthony Horricks had appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and ‘West End Up North’. For the ‘Ultimate Cover Show’ he was joined on stage by James Burke, Tempany Windsor, Jade Hamer and Maria Collins.

Anthony grabbed the audience’s attention straight away with his opening cover of an Elvis classic. He went on to sing tracks by the Beatles, The Calling, Take That and, I kid you not, Lady Gaga along with many others.

James sang the Michael Buble track ‘Home’ beautifully. Tempany had ‘When I was your Man’, a Bruno Mars number with a twist, just perfect. Maria and Jade, both accomplished singers, did solos too and several duets were performed including Sam Smith’s ‘Lay me Down’.

It was an impressive mix with something to suit everyone.Between them they belted out over 20 hits and even popped back at the end for an encore. It was just brilliant and I’m so glad I got to watch it.

A few days later, NWTAC’s New Year’s Eve extravaganza saw 2021 in and they kissed good bye to one of the most challenging year’s they never expected to face.

The run up to Christmas is, of course, panto season. The theatre would have been packed to the rafters and rocking with families and children. But you haven’t missed out. Whilst Puss in Boots was ‘streamed’ on Christmas Eve, the live theatre version has only been postponed. All being well, it will be staged in the spring.

 

Details of future performances and ticket details can be found on NWTAC’s Facebook page by clicking here.

Information on all other aspects of the company, including the North West Stage School, theatre in education, theatre equipment hire and more, can be found on their website here.

To contact Beth Singh or Anthony Horricks, just click their names.

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by Tricia Beddow

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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by Tricia Beddow

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.