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Peter Pan at MK Theatre reviewed
by Philip Shell |
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Peter Pan brings the curtain down on
what can only be described as a truly exciting agenda of
shows at the Milton Keynes theatre’s autumn season.
Could a traditional English pantomime be as good with an
American actor taking the lead; yes it most certainly
can....click
here to read more.... |
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Annie Get Your Gun at Leighton
Buzzard Theatre reviewed by Lee Norris |
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Our
regular readers may be wondering why our recent theatre
reviews have not been covered by Philip Shell.
Philip
has been away; putting his own acting skills to the test
as Pawnee Bill in the Leighton Masqueraders’ version of
Annie Get Your Gun. MK Reviews were delighted to pay
Philip a visit at Leighton Buzzard Theatre and review
this show for their final performance on Saturday
November 29....click
here to read more.... |
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The
Nutcracker at MK Theatre reviewed by
Lee Norris |
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Tuesday, November 25 saw the highly
respected Northern Ballet Theatre return to Milton
Keynes with the famous tale of The Nutcracker. Watch
this show, and you feel Christmas has arrived!
The ballet is based around a mysterious
nutcracker doll that evolves into the Nutcracker Prince
(Ashley Dixon) and takes Clara, played by the beautiful
Christie Duncan on a fantastical journey....click
here to read more.... |
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Hansel und
Gretel at MK Theatre Reviewed by Lily Barr |
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With both children and adults in yet
another packed MK Theatre, we waited with baited breath
to see what was hidden under a very heavy duty safety
curtain stamped “Hansel and Gretel” - as if packed as a
parcel ready to open.
The exuberant young conductor, Robin
Ticciati flashed his way into the first act leading the
orchestra, who lifted the audience from the start....click
here to read more.... |
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Carmen at MK Theatre reviewed by
Kitty Black |
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How lucky we are here in
Milton Keynes to have West End-quality opera delivered
to our doorstep, without having to journey down to the
big smoke, with all the attendant anxieties about
catching the train home and how on earth to fit in
grabbing something to eat after work....click
here to read more..... |
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The Magic Flute at MK Theatre
Reviewed by Lily Barr |
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This is an exotic fairytale
that tells the story of a quest for love and
enlightenment. The Queen of the Night encourages the
young Prince Tamino to free her daughter Pamina from the
power of Sarastro....click
here to read more.... |
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Noises Off at MK Theatre reviewed
by Philip Shell |
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So much has been written
about how funny this show is and that audiences will
always want to see it more than once. From experience
what is promised very rarely gets delivered. It is a bit
like Christmas or a special occasion that one looks
forward to; when it materialises it is a bit flat and a
letdown. So with that in mind I took my seat with a near
capacity audience....click
here to read more..... |
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Romeo & Juliet at MK Theatre reviewed
by Kitty Black |
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Think Romeo and Juliet, think soppy teenage romance… or
perhaps not.
Neil Bartlett’s production of Romeo and Juliet for the
RSC, showing at MK Theatre until Saturday night, gives a
very different interpretation to the familiar story –
and how refreshing it is....click
here to read more..... |
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Flashdance at MK Theatre reviewed
by Philip Shell |
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Does a
cult film transpose to the theatre? Well that was a
question in my mind at the opening of Flashdance at the
Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday night. The answer; well
it has to be both Yes and No!
The No
refers to the first half of this production which is
slow, laboured, and long and dare I say boring. Boring,
not due to the efforts of the cast who gave everything,
but to the choreography....click
here to read more.... |
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The Woman In Black at MK Theatre
Reviewed by Philip Shell |
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How
very apt that as Halloween approaches, a psychological
thriller hit the stage on Monday night in the fabulously
scary Woman in Black by Susan Hill, and adapted by
Stephen Mallatratt.
With a
cast of two, or should it be three this play totally
engrosses its audience. Not only is this a wonderful
portrayal of how words and silence....click here to read more..... |
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Carousel at MK Theatre reviewed by
Philip Shell |
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An almost capacity audience
turned out on Monday to the opening night of the Rodgers
and Hammerstein classic musical Carousel. With such
songs as June is Busting out All Over, My Boy Bill, Mr
Snow and the moving You’ll Never Walk Alone a spell
binding evening was a cert or was it?
....click here to read more..... |
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Evita at MK Theatre reviewed by
Philip Shell |
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The much awaited Evita hit
the boards at Milton Keynes theatre for its second night
on Tuesday evening. So much was expected of this iconic
show that it was with some in trepidation I took my
seat; however, any fears and worries that I had were
dispelled as the curtain rose....click
here to read more.... |
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West Side Story at MK Theatre
reviewed by Philip Shell |
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2008
is the 50th anniversary of Leonard
Bernstein’s musical West Side Story, and how impressed
he would have been with this production.
This
show has everything, pathos, humour, love, death,
fights, great songs and imaginative choreography. The
entire cast were believable in their performances and
characters, although there were occasions when the
accents did slip....click
here to read more.... |
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The Circle at MK Theatre reviewed
by Philip Shell |
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Tuesday night saw the
opening of the Somerset Maugham play, The Circle at the
Milton Keynes theatre. What a contrast to the previous
week’s performance of Our House, and highlights the
wonderful contrast in shows being staged at Milton
Keynes theatre for the autumn/winter season....click
here to read more.... |
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Our House at MK Theatre
reviewed by Philip Shell |
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The music of Madness is an
attraction for so many people, especially those of us
who remember, and were alive in the 80’s. As I sat
watching this show I wondered how many of the cast, with
the exception of Steve Brookstein, were alive at that
time and could remember the effect of the group and
their music....click
here to read more.... |
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My Brilliant Divorce at MK Theatre
reviewed by Philip Shell |
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Wednesday night saw the
opening of the Autumn Season at the Milton Keynes
Theatre, with the play My Brilliant Divorce by Geraldine
Aron; and what a fantastic start to the season it was.
The play revolves around
Angela played by the versatile and extremely funny
Dillie Keane.....click
here to read more.... |
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Treasure
Island at MK Theatre reviewed by Philip Shell |
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Robert
Louis Stevenson’s swashbuckling book Treasure Island
came to life at the Milton Keynes Theatre on Tuesday
night, in the Birmingham Stage Companies production of
the classic novel.
This was a cleverly
stage performance with a raked stage set from start to
finish ,with subtle changes to transform the set from a
quay to onboard a ship, to a wild forested area.....click
here to read more.... |
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Eurobeat Almost Eurovision at MK
Theatre reviewed by Philip Shell |
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This is
satirical comedy at its best and performed by a truly
talented group of singers and dancers.
It also has to be the
only show where I had to switch my mobile phone on
rather than off, to be more involved with the
performance. Why? Well believe it or not there is a real
vote with all texts recorded, which means every night a
different act can win. It is also a very clever piece of
PR and advertising....click
here to read more.... |
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The Rat
Pack at MK Theatre reviewed by Philip Shell |
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Monday
night saw the opening of the immensely entertaining Rat
Pack at the Milton Keynes Theatre. For two and one
quarter hours the audience were whisked back in time
when music had meaning and songs had lyrics that could
be understood.
Stephen Triffitt as Sinatra gave a polished if under par
performance, whilst Nigel Casey as Martin gave a very
convincing performance. However on this occasion it was
David Hayes as Sammy Davis Jnr who stood out......click
here to read more.... |
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Single
Spies at MK Theatre |
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Alan
Bennett’s style of writing is to have the leads giving
introductory monologue style orations, followed by
interaction with each other and supporting roles.
In Nigel Havers, there is no greater exponent of
observational humour. His versatility of acting being
put to the fore by his marvellous portrayal of the camp
intoxicated Burgess in An Englishman Abroad, to the
stoic, eloquent and intense person of Blunt in A
Question of Attribution.....click here to read
more.... |
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Half A
Sixpence at MK Theatre |
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Well it was
certainly nothing to do with Gary Wilmot as Kipps, who
single handed did everything in his powers to keep the
show alive. For he was the person who stood head and
shoulders above the rest. Yes Gary has a pedigree of
many years at the top of his profession, but why with
such a talented lead did others not raise their game to
try to equal or match his performance? Gary is the
personification of musicals, his acting combines timing,
humour, pathos, facial expressions, the ability to move
effortlessly....click here to read more.... |
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