Reviews

The story of a young Geordie boy aspiring to become a ballet dancer in Britian’s Northern coal fields during the miners’ strike of 1984 proved a smash hit when the feature film was released in 2000, but it isn’t an obvious choice for a musical. The Geordie accent can prove difficult for cast and audience alike, and some find the poverty and grime of the despairing striking miners to be depressing, and yet the 2005 musical is constantly on top ten lists of Best Musicals of the 21st century.

This is a poignant comedy-drama about relationships, ageing, relationships and life after adversity concerns three friends – Doris, Lucille and Ester.  All three live in the same Jewish community, are in their mid-to-late fifties and have become widows in the past few years. Once a month they gather to visit their husbands’ graves and meet afterwards to talk about their lives. From these talks, the audience learns of the developing differences between them as to how to approach the future while not forgetting the past marriages.

Chopin’s Piano is a performance that contextualises the history of the composition of Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28. The controversial compositions overturn the genre because of their disparate and self-contained nature. The incorporation of the theatrical representation of the circumstances of their composition and exhibition is a great way to build an understanding of the role of this unusual work. In staging this story this performance also defies genre as there is little precedent for the combination of theatre performance and piano recital.

All Sorts is as colourful and varied as the name suggests. It’s a collection of seven short pieces, some written by members of the company, all with a different take on some aspect of life – and some with a bit of a twist.