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Tuesday 31 March 2015

The Woman in Black at The Grand Theatre, Blackpool

I have read the book, seen the film and felt compelled to watch the theatre adaption of The Woman in Black at The Grand Theatre, Blackpool. The stage production is celebrating 25 years in the West End and is described as the “most terrifying live theatre experience in the world” - The apprehension built before we had even arrived at the theatre!



The performance begins with unexpected humour with little indication of the chilling darkness that followed – there is an assumption and initial puzzlement that there is something wrong with the sound I found myself learning forward this was only the start of being physically drawn into the story. In true terms, the story was a masterpiece of acting, eerie lighting and evocative sound. With the stage set with a minimum of props, an effective use of imagery and suggestion take the audience on a terrifying journey.  


To witness the whole audience react to the build-up of tension and fear provides a very different and memorable experience of theatre. One teenage audience member covered her ears, clenching her head in her hands which summed up the increased, hold your breath tension increasing the need to know what happened.


I would highly recommend seeing this whilst it’s staged in Blackpool, I would consider it great entertainment for my teenagers, for my younger teen the matinee performance would give her a longer recovery time in daylight or a perfect night out for adults.  

Tickets were received for review on Monday 30th March 2015.

Saturday 28 March 2015

The Elves and the Shoemaker 1st April 2015, Lancaster


The Elves and the Shoemaker

At the Dukes, Lancaster Wednesday 1st April 2015 



A hard-working but poor shoemaker struggles to earn enough money to support his family. The kind-hearted man decides to give his final pair of shoes, all he has left in the world, to a poor lady in need of help. The next morning the shoemaker awakes to find that his last piece of leather has been transformed into the most magnificent pair of shoes overnight. He discovers that not only are the shoes beautiful; they are also magical. Who is the mysterious maker of these marvellous shoes


Retelling the famous Brothers Grimm story, Elves & the Shoemaker is the perfect opportunity to introduce your little ones to the magic of live ballet, music and theatre.
After the BAFTA award-winning TV adaptation of Ugly Duckling for CBeebies, make sure you don’t miss this enchanting new production. Book Now