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Click on the production title for a detailed review
Production
Genre
Date / Venue / Produced by
Score
29th December, 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Chinese State Circus
80%
A bright and colourful circus spectacular. Not the best circus show ever, but well worth the money.
18th December, 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Northern Ballet Theatre
88%
A colourful musical spectacular providing a great christmas treat for children and adults alike.
17th December, 2009
Theatre Royal, Glasgow
Scottish Ballet
82%
Overly heavy on narrative in the first act but with a second that delivers a real tour de force of masterful ballet technique. Not the best Nutcracker ever, but a magical evening for all ballet lovers.
11th December, 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Northern Ballet Theatre and Guests
100%
And unequalled evening of dance entertainment bringing together the best in dance from England and the continent.
5th December, 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Northern Ballet Theatre
95%
A wonderful christmas treat.
13th November, 2009
St. Georges Hall, Bradford
Stage Entertainment UK and Disney Theatrical Productions
70%
Bland, generic but surprisingly engrossing. Fast moving high octane entertainment but almost indistinguishable from the original.
6th November, 2009
St. Georges Hall, Bradford
Timeless Theatre Productions
82%
A colourful musical extravaganza. A worthy successor to previous similar productions from the Timeless team.
5th November, 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Bill Kenwright Productions
90%
Lacks some of elements of fright and pathos of the original tale but more than compensates with good music and hugely impressive visuals. Great family fare in the run up to Christmas.
3rd November, 2009
Arts Centre, Bingley
Ross Presto and Friends
84%
Great illusions that are sure to amaze accompanied by some outstanding variety acts to thrill and entertain. A truly magical evening.
30th October 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Jordan Productions, Playhouse Entertainment Group and Eastbourne Theatres
76%
Not up to the comedic standard of the early years of the TV series but nevertheless an enjoyable comedy that sees the welcome return of some favourite former characters.
29th October 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Bill Kenwright Productions
88%
Outrageous characters and situations lead to a classic comedy that is Ayckbourn at his best.
23rd October 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Northern Ballet Theatre
92%
A memorable production and a fine interpretation of Emily Bronte's classic story.
16th October 2009
WY Playhouse, Leeds
Told by an Idiot
72%
Fails to fully satisfy as either a comedy or a drama but worth seeing for the slick novelty of the staging.
15th October 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Opera North
78%
A brave attempt to give life to an obscure opera but impressive staging and excellent performances can only partially compensate for what is essentially mediocre material.
13th October 2009
Towngate Theatre, Basildon
Icarus, Original Theatre Co. and South Hill Park
80%
Othello with music. An imaginative and forceful production that brings real life to the powerful tragic story of jealousy and deceit.
9th October 2009
Victoria Theatre, Halifax
Joe Pasquale (with Steve Rawlings)
86%
A very funny family-friendly evening in the company of the man with the squeaky voice. Largely familiar but well worth seeing.
8th October 2009
St. George's Hall, Bradford
Stacey Kent, Jim Tomlinson and band
78%
A very pleasant evening of easy listening lounge music from quite possibly the best living exponent of the style.
2nd October 2009
WY Playhouse, Leeds
WY Playhouse, Nottingham Playhouse and Shared Experience
70%
Part play, part folk-opera, an interesting and thought provoking production that can be forgiven for preaching a message which, to modern eyes, is somewhat naive.
25th September 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Opera North
88%
Beautiful music, first-class staging, and a brilliant cast make this an evening to remember.
18th September 2009
WY Playhouse, Leeds
WY Playhouse and Fiery Angel
82%
A very enjoyable evening of theatre, full of suspense and drama.
11th September 2009
WY Playhouse, Leeds
Northern Ballet Theatre
90%
Raw and sensual, a treat for the senses.
4th September 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian and the Really Useful Group
90%
Not without its minor flaws, but fabulous music, great sets and terrific production values made this one of the best touring shows of recent years.
28th August 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
The Agatha Christie Theatre Company
78%
A classic Christie whodunnit with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing to the very end.
14th August 2009
Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds
British Shakespeare Company
90%
Amatory, delightful and hilarious in turns - a must see. For anyone who doesn't find Shakespeare's comedies funny this is the production to change their minds.
29th July 2009
Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds
British Shakespeare Company
84%
A very pleasant midsummer evening. Once again, the BSC deliver Shakespeare which is approachable and immensely entertaining. A real crowd-pleaser.
10th July 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Bill Kenwright, Laurie Mansfield and Universal Music
88%
Unsophisticated but with great energy and a tremendous feel-good factor - unmissable fun for anyone who enjoys the music of the 1960's.
4th July 2009
Victoria Theatre, Halifax
English Youth Ballet
72%
An enchanting evening with some of the potential stars of tomorrow.
2nd July 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
New Adventures
76%
Choreographically not up to Bourne's usual standard but an intersting and enjoyable evening of dance theatre.
2nd July 2009 (matinee)
The Lowry, Salford Quays
Birmingham Royal Ballet
86%
Another triumph from the Birmingham Royal Ballet. A first class triple bill, well worth seeing for the last segment alone.
26th June 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Opera North
92%
Superbly musical with a great sense of fun. More West End musical than opera and an unexpected masterpiece.
25th June 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Opera North
80%
An upbeat and updated reworking of Mozart's opera that scores heavily on humour, although in so doing it loses some of the true import of the original work.
24th June 2009
Theatre Royal, Wakefield
Ballet Central
90%
Possibly the best offering from Ballet Central to date. A quirky and exuberant mixed bill of high quality dance.
19th June 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Comedy Theatre Company
88%
A little banal but never-the-less uproariously funny. A real treat for devotees of the TV sitcom.
18th June 2009
Howard Assembly Rooms, Leeds
Clare Booth
84%
A fascinating, and emotionally agonising tour of two tortured minds, highlighted by the superb voice of soprano Clare Booth.
12th June 2009
Victoria Theatre, Halifax
Russian Ice Stars
96%
A magnificent fusion of sound, visual art, costume, acrobatics, aerobatics and of cource ice dancing from some of the worlds the finest talents of the ice arena.
5th June 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
UK Productions
76%
A pleasant musical with some fine individual performances. Not the greatest show of recent years, but worth coming in out of the rain.
4th June 2009
Howard Assembly Rooms, Leeds
Lisa Knapp
82%
An evening of warm and welcoming folk music that would surely delight a wide range of music lovers, not just fans of the genre.
2nd June 2009
Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch
Cut to the Chase Theatre Company
86%
So hot it's smoking! A slightly bizarre but wonderfully enjoyable reinterpretation of the Gilbert and Sullivan classic.
29th May 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
The Wales Theatre Company
40%
Dull, generic music, obsequious lyrics and cavalier mis-direction create a musical that manifestly fails to do justice to its plot material.
13th May 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Opera North
90%
Dramatically engaging and musically entrancing. Another real masterpiece from Opera North.
8th May 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Imperial Ice Stars
92%
A real visual feast with amazing feats of skating talent and enough razzle-dazzle to keep the entire family entertained.
1st May 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Le Grande Cirque
85%
A colourful, action-packed blockbuster of a performance to capture the imagination.
30th April 2009
WY Playhouse, Leeds
WY Playhouse Northern Exposure
82%
An excellent double bill of new plays from northern writers, mixing feel-good emotionality with witty, cutting-edge humour.
24th April 2009
WY Playhouse, Leeds
Imitating the Dog
64%
An innovative and unexpected mix of film, animation and live action containing an interesting story that is unfortunately ovewhelmed by the presentation.
22nd April 2009
St. Georges Hall, Bradford
Timeless Theatre Productions Ltd
84%
A colourful musical extravaganza. Possibly the best show of it's type.
17th April 2009
WY Playhouse, Leeds
WY Playhouse and Liverpool Everymand Playhouse
78%
A delightfully funny and thoughtful comedy featuring superlative performances from a first class cast.
16th April 2009
The Coliseum, London
Birmingham Royal Ballet
96%
Amusing, stirring, touchingly delicate, a real roller-coaster of emotions in a highly enjoyable ballet.
16th April 2009 (matinee)
Savoy Theatre, London
Ambassador Theatre Group, The Churchill, Bromley et al.
88%
Climb aboard the Carousel for whirlwind of fun with high quality dance, music and song in a slick and thoroughly enjoyable revival of a perennial favourite.
15th April 2009
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Royal Opera and Royal Ballet
96%
Visually excellent and musically superb, an unforgettable evening of recherché sensual pleasure.
14th April 2009
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Royal Ballet
100%
Visually stunning and emotionally stimulating with first class choreography and sensational performances.
9th April 2009
WY Playhouse, Leeds
Improbable Theatre
48%
Sharp and innovative but lacking in direction and ultimately overly long. One to miss.
3rd April 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Baxter Theatre Centre (RSA) and Royal Shakespeare Company
82%
An unusual, colourful and highly inventive Tempest with great performances and riveting action.
1st April 2009
The Lowry, Salford Quays
Birmingham Royal Ballet
88%
Romantic, humourous and very, very quirky with great action, great costumes and great music. Terrific entertainment.
28th March 2009
Howard Assembly Rooms, Leeds
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset
92%
Superb traditional music with a fresh, wholesome twist.
27th March 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
UK Productions
90%
Colourful and compelling with thrilling song and dance sequences. Great family entertainment.
26th March 2009
Howard Assembly Rooms, Leeds
Anne Sophie Duprels
72%
Lyrical and emotionally gratifying. A very pleasant evening in the company of a accomplished performer.
20th March 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Leonard Brenner for BB Group GMBH, Howard Panther for the Ambassador Theatre Group and Tulchin Bartner Productions
88%
A very colourful, lively and energetic production with wonderful music and rivetting choreography.
19th March 2009
WY Playhouse, Leeds
Kali Theatre Company
70%
An amusing and thought provoking vision of a possible future where personal identity is out of our control.
15th March 2009
St George's Hall, Bradford
Russian Classical Ballet Theatre
84%
Colourful costumes and superb technical performances combine for a delightful and memorable production.
13th March 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
David Ian Productions in association with Barry and Fran Weissler
86%
Sexy and modern with some great songs and terrific performances. A sure hit.
8th March 2009
Howard Assembly Rooms, Leeds
ROH2, The Opera Group and London Sinfonietta
70%
An operatic double bill offering some fine singing and dynamic action.
6th March 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Northern Ballet Theatre
88%
A very different swan lake with great passion and fabulous choreography.
27th February 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Northern Ballet Theatre
96%
Whether you are a devotee of classical or modern ballet there is something in this production for you. Delightful action and superb music make this a production certain to greatly enhance the reputation of this enormously talented company.
26th February 2009
WY Playhouse, Leeds
Out of Joint and Sydney Theatre Company
68%
An unusual and inventive production delivered by an enthusiastic and energetic cast. Not for all tastes, but an enjoyable enough piece of hokum for those prepared to ignore it's obvious shortcomings.
20th February 2009
WY Playhouse, Leeds
Northern Broadsides
86%
A colourful and cohesive telling of Shakespeare's classic story of love and betrayal. Marked by masterful performances from all concerned and a superb Shakespearian debut from veteran comedian Lenny Henry.
13th February 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
TEG Productions Ltd
78%
Fun and different with a strong cast and some immensely enjoyable music. Not a classic, but undoubtedly a winner.
12th February 2009
St George's Hall, Bradford
Hayley Westenra / Jonathan Ansell
100%
An unmatched evening of superb classical entertainment.
7th February 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre
100%
With live orchestra, great sets and costumes, and an impressively large and hugely talented cast this was classical ballet at its grandest.
6th February 2009
WY Playhouse, Leeds
Eclipse Theatre
72%
Disturbing, violent and frightening. A timely lesson that all it takes for the evil to prevail is for the good to do nothing.
5th February 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre
90%
Superb music, first class staging and wonderful performances - a sumptuous treat for the senses.
30th January 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Opera North
64%
Well sung and acted with an interesting storyline and likeable libretto let down by a drab and unexciting musical score. Fails to deliver what it says on the tin.
23rd January 2009
WY Playhouse, Leeds
Milan Govedarica and WY Playhouse
70%
Slow in parts, genuinely very funny in others. A rom-com with a difference, not to mention a generous twist of the absurd.
16th January 2009
City Varieties, Leeds
Ken Dodd & friends
92%
A real marathon of a show, over five hours of wholesome fun with a consummate entertainer. Real value for money.
Amateur Productions
27th November 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Bradford Catholic Players
90%- A top class singing and dancing extravaganza produced in fine style on an impressive scale.
20th November 2009
Grand Theatre, Leeds
Leeds Amateur Operatic Society
88%- Another spectacular, professional standard show from LAOS.
19th July 2009
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
The Upstagers
94%- This was Dickens as jolly family entertainment with real verve and vigour and wonderful group and individual performances. The first time I have seen the upstagers in action - it will not be the last.
11th June 2009
The Carriageworks, Leeds
Leeds Insurance Dramatic and Operatic Society
74% - Musically mediocre but otherwise vibrant and pleasantly amusing.
22nd May 2009
The Carriageworks, Leeds
The Cosmopolitan Players
76% - A good workmanlike production with some fine moments but occasionally suffers from poor direction.
19th May 2009
Bingley Arts Centre, Bingley
Bingley Little Theatre
92% - Funny and frightening by turns. A real roller-coaster of a production.
15th May 2009
WY Playhouse, Leeds
Leeds Amateur Operatic Society
100% - Hilariously funny. The funniest, glitziest, most entertaining show in years.
28th April 2009
Bingley Arts Centre, Bingley
Bingley Gilbert and Sullivan Society
80% - Touching and amusing with some excellent vocal performances. Another musical triumph from West Riding Opera.
20th March 2009
Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds
West Riding Opera
80% - Touching and amusing with some excellent vocal performances. Another musical triumph from West Riding Opera.
12th March 2009
Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds
Leeds Gilbert and Sullivan Society
82% - Visually ordinary but very strong musically. A very creditable performance of this under-performed piece.