Charley's Aunt - Altrincham Garrick

AS a comedic concept, it's as old as the hills and yet the sight of a man in a dress still gets laughs, especially when the masculine mannerisms show through his disguise.

Cross dressing isn't just for Christmas and pantomimes, as those who see this clever if not side-splitting comedy will verify. Plays like these require a cast with exemplary timing and take it fromme, these Garrick actors don't disappoint.

Jack Chesney and Charley Wykeham are two likeable if unashamedly vacuous young toffs who have set their caps at two very eligible young ladies,  Amy Spettigueand Kitty Verdun. Lunch is in the offing, but thetwo chaps have no chance of getting their girls without the presence of a chaperone. That's where Charley's aunt, Donna Lucia D'Alvadorez comes in. But the course of true love never runs smooth, as they say, and very drastic, 11th hour action is required

Jamie Sloan and Callum Anderson are an engaging double act as Jack and Charley, convincing going into emotional meltdown when their best laid plans go horribly wrong. Paul Antony is jolly good fun - to pinch the parlance of the upper crust circle we find ourselves in - as their unlikely saviour Lord Fancourt Babberley. Some of these character names are just plain ridiculous. Carole Carr, an actress with quite a stage presence, brings a perfect sense of poise and elegance to the role of Donna Lucia.

As the nights draw in, a dose of frothy fun is just what lovers of summer like me need. But I would really like to see the Garrick turn its hand to say, a Neil Simon comedy. If any theatre has the talent in depth to do it, Altrincham Garrick does.

* Until September 10. The box office is on 0161 928 1677. Star rating - ***

Bird - Royal Exchange Studio

YOUR heart bleeds for Ava, as she craves a stable family life and some maternal love.

A wild child she may be, but she's also very vulnerable, on the cusp of adulthood and about to leave care. She re-unites with her mum, who is reluctant to wipe the slate clean.

The classics have their place and so do the star studded, big budget musicals. However, for me, livetheatre is at its best when it gives a voice to those who are struggling, those left tofend for themselves, at the mercy of characters like the predatory Lee.

Katherine Chandler's play won the 2013 Bruntwoodplaywriting prize and it doesn't take a genius to see why. Chandler has written a sensitive, at times painfully realistic script that makes us care profoundly about what happens to Ava and her friend and soul mate, Tash. Yes, it is an uncomfortable watch at times but theatre should never lose that ability to shock and make you appreciate the life you've got. It's vital live theatre gives a voice to the dispossessed.

Georgina Henshaw and Rosie Sheehy are oh so believable as teens Ava and Tash and the scenes between Ava and her estranged mum Claire areexpertly played by Henshaw and Siwan Morris.

At one hour and five minutes there's plenty of time to talk about this play over a post performance drink and take it from me, you will be. Highly recommended.

* Until June 20. The box office is on 0161 833 9833. Star rating - ****

Hairspray - Altrincham Garrick

THERE'S one song in Altrincham Garrick's production of Hairspray that is so stirring, so moving and so well sung it's worth the ticket money on it's own.

The number in question is I Know Where I've Been, performed with heartfelt passion by Nicole Battick, who plays Motormouth Marybelle, I was very nearly in tears. With a voice as soulful as this, many Trafford musical societies are sure to be clamouring for the vocal services of this very, very talented performer.

The song epitomised the serious story that runs alongside that of Tracy Turnbald, an ordinary girl-next-door who dreams of being famous courtesy of a hilariously superficial teen music show. Hairspray is set in Baltimore in the early 60s and while you're sure to leave the theatre on cloud nine, it also pays tribute to the courage of those involved in the black civil rights movement.

As Tracy, the daughter of a mother with flouted dreams, Olivia Tringham is every inch the unlikely heroine as she battles against catty teenage girls and an education system that, despite her tender years, has dumped her on the scrapheap. You're sure to find yourself willing her to live happily ever after with wannabe pop star Link Larkin,  played by the likeable and charismatic Michael Twigg.

Whether he's on the stage or working behind it, director Charlie Tomlinson is consistently brilliant. So too are Andrew Lee as Tracy's pantomime dame of a mother and Ivor Farley as her equally lovable dad, Wilber.

Add an infectious musical score and some laugh out loud jokes and you have the complete musical package. What a way to end your current season, Altrincham Garrick. Congratulations, to you all.

* Until June 11. The box office is on 0161 928 1677. Star rating - *****

The Night Watch - Royal Exchange Theatre

IF you feel as confused as I did by the first act, do not despair, because it all becomes clear in act two.

Unfortunately though, the empathy ship has sailed and you don't really care a jot about what happens to the characters. This is a story told backwards, a story of love, jealousy and courage, as ordinary people find themselves in extraordinary circumstances in wartime Britain. Post war we hear some of the characters waxing lyrical about these most testing of times.

Several characters are gay which interested me, to see how they fared in a country that wasn't as tolerant as it is today. Another, Robert Fraser, is a conscientious objector who finds himself banged up for the stance he took against the war. I found myself wanting to know more about this man, what made him tick. The scenes between Fraser (Ben Addis) and his homosexual cell mate Duncan (Joe Jameson) in a human zoo of a prison are particularly well done. Brace yourself for a terrifyingly authentic air raid thanks to the skills of RET sound man Dan Jones.

If Fraser was the male character who captured my imagination, the female accolade goes to Kay Langrish, who displays remarkable courage, as so many of that generation did when our country was put to the ultimate test. Jodie McNee plays this part brilliantly.

The Night Watch is based on a book by Sarah Waters and I now feel the urge to read what I imagine is a compelling tale. A tale that works better in print than it does on stage. That said, seeing gay characters portrayed as real people, not a stereotype in sight, was deeply refreshing.

* Until June 18. The box office is on 0161 833 9833. Star rating - ***

Betrayal - Lauriston Studio Altrincham Garrick

YOU never feel totally comfortable watching a Harold Pinter play. The characters teeter on the brink of unpredictability, formula driven the work of this bespectacled genius most definitely isn't. Leave your comfort zone at the theatre door, please.

Jerry and Emma meet for a catch up at a pub and it soon becomes apparent they have a past, even if they keep a tight rein on their emotions. It could be two former work colleagues having a catch up, but it isn't.

The play takes us back in time nine years and we see far more passion then, with Jerry behaving like an infatuated schoolboy towards Emma, worshipping her like a goddess.

While the pace of Betrayal is positively forensic at times, it is an engrossing, intriguing and grown up piece of theatre featuring some fabulous, witty and insightful lines from a master playwright. I've always been attracted to the work of artists who refuse to bow to convention and it goes without saying Pinter was a true enigma.

For me, this is Jacqueline Wheble's best performance to date at the Garrick, breezing across the stage with supreme confidence as Emma. She and Malcolm Cooper, who plays Jerry are really good together and very, very believable. Paul Wilson, an actor I rate very highly, gives his reputation yet another major boost as Emma's hubby, Robert.

Thisis a major achievement for all concerned, including the production's director, Richard Sails.

* Until May 28. The box office is on 0161 928 1677. Star rating - ****

The Beauty Queen of Leenane - Altrincham Garrick

IRISH eyes definitely aren't smiling in The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Altrincham Garrick's penultimate play of the season.

Poor Maureen finds herself lumbered looking after her aged mother Meg, a demanding control freak desperate for a daughter fearful of being "left on the shelf" not to fly the nest.

As far as stories go this one is as old as the hills but it never fails to capture the imagination. Watching this I found myself willing Maureen to escape the clutches of the old witch, even if Maureen isn't a particularly sympathetic character. That said, maybe Meg is at the root of her daughter's past troubles andhas a case to answer.

Director John Cunningham has drawn out some strong and believable performances from a tight cast and the confrontations between Meg (Sonia Dykstra) and Maureen (Tracy Burns) are memorable and at times highly disturbing. Barry Purves has come up with a set that captures the bleakness of rural Ireland to perfection.

I admire the Garrick for being adventurous enough to stage plays like this one from Martin McDonagh. How frustrating then, to see far too many seats on opening night. Make sure you don't miss this little gem, from the Emerald Isle.

* Until May 21. The box office is on 0161 928 1677. Star rating - ***

Move Over Mrs Markham - Altrincham Little Theatre

WITH their cardboard cut out characters and over the top sauciness, many farces leave me cold.

Move Over Mrs Markham, however, breaks the mould. The characters are strong and engaging and writers Ray Cooney and John Chapman treat the audience like they have something between their ears. Yes, the saucy bits have been left in but it's a light shower rather than a deluge.

Watching the play made me wonder why Jane Newman isn't on a professional stage. As Joanna Markham, a woman trapped in a marriage that has lost its sparkle, she is outstanding. Her timing is exemplary as she's accused of have extra marital fun by her dull as dishwater husband, Philip (Ian Butterfield). There's a great chemistry between these two, something that is replicated throughout the entire cast. Altrincham Little Theatre is certain to leave audiences laughing, with its final play of the current season.

Being a farce requires those on stage to jump to conclusions and the results here are invariably hilarious. Especially the scene involving the hilariously pretentious interior designer Alistair Spenlow (Graham Makepeace-Warne) and the clueless Philip. Rani Jackson is also very funny as the hopelessly full on Linda Lodge.

I don't want to give anything away, just make sure you don't miss this perfectly laughter fest, for me the best production Garth Jones has ever directed. Enjoy - I know I did.

* Until May 21. The box office is on 0161 928 1113. Star rating - ****

Move Over Mrs Markham preview - Altrincham Little Theatre

ALTRINCHAM Little Theatre is on a mission to make audiences laugh with Move Over Mrs Markham, its final play of the current season, from May 15-21 at 7.40pm.

The play comes from the pens of two masters of this much loved theatrical genre, Ray Cooney and John Chapman and anyone interested in booking tickets should call 0161 928 1113.

Located on Oxford Road, ALT was formerly the Club Theatre.

The Madness of George III - Altrincham Garrick

NICK Sample's performance in The Madness of George III represents a high water mark for both Altrincham Garrick but for amateur theatre in general.

We share ever second of the monarch's mental and physical torment as he embarks on a heart breaking battle against an illness that mystifies both the medics, his family and his courtiers. But he's also a master of the put down and Sample is equally accomplished when it comes to putting across the lighter elements of Alan Bennett's sublime script.

I also like the way this superb play humanises the royals an there are some touching, tender scenes to enjoy between King George and Queen Charlotte, so well played by Sarat Broughton. They come across as, shock horror, real people, warts and all.

Don't be fooled into thinking this is a dry and highbrow piece of theatre. There are plenty of laughs to be had at the expense of the establishment and the king's outbursts of irreverence. The most difficult scenes involve a medical treatment that verges on sadism, scenes that, even after watching the film version starring the mighty Nigel Hawthorne, make my stomach turn over.

Director Celia Bonner has a major triumph on here hands here. Steven Finney impresses yet again and I really liked Peter Brassington as the scheming stuffed shirt, George, Prince of Wales. The ever watchable Martin Oldfield is perfect in the role of Dr Francis Willis.

It would be a travesty if The Madness of George III doesn't play to packed houses and anyone who refuses to go should be sent to the Tower.

* Until April 23. The box office is on 0161 928 1677. Star rating - *****

King Lear - Royal Exchange Theatre

THERE'S no doubting who the real Fool is in King Lear.

It certainly isn't the man charged with the task making the monarch laugh. It's the man who wears the crown, the man who can't see through the hollow flatteryof two scheming daughters who set about undermining his authority. Regan and Goneril are Shakespeare's answer to the ugly sisters, ugly on the inside.

This play, being staged at the Royal Exchange in a co-production with Talawa, sees Don Warrington take on the title role and his performance in solid rather than sensational. Please cut down on the snarling Don - it's far too prevalent even though Lear has plenty to be unhappy about as he rapidly looses his grip on power an reality.

That said, the scene in which Lear confronts the much wronged Gloucester (Philip Whitchurch) is heartbreakingly powerful.

I also felt more could have been made of the relationship between Regan and Goneril which is underplayed, in my opinion. Far more interesting and engaging is what happens between Edmund and his illegitimate brother Edgar, thanks to two brilliant performancesfrom Alfred Enoch and Fraser Ayres. Ayres is captivating as the quiet, serpent like Edgar and Enoch really comes into his own in disguise as the mud splattered madman Poor Tom. 

This King Lear is highly watchable if not highly memorable and at three and a half hours including an interval, it is a long haul. Some of the lines, however, remain exquisite.

* Until May 7. The box office is on 0161 833 9833. Star rating - ***

Hi-de-Hi - Sale and Altrincham Musical Theatre

I WAS never a fan of the TV show, but SAMT's production of Hi-de-Hi is a fun packed delight and the company's decision to vary its repertoire is proving to be an inspired one.

The comedy timing is first class and there must be something seriously wrong with anyone who isn't swept along by the sheer enthusiasm of a cast determined to leave the audience well and truly entertained.

Even I, not a fan of audience participation, couldn't resist returning a "Ho-de-Ho" when the yellow coats shouted out the holiday camp's catchphrase. We're back in the 50s, when culinary sophistication was spaghetti Bolognese shaped. Not forgetting chips of course, to ensure guestskept at least one foot in their culinary comfort zone.

Stuart Sephton and Rachel Barrington are quite brilliant as the wimp of a holiday camp manager Jeffrey Fairbrother and thesultry queen of the PA, Gladys Pugh. Much fun is to be had as we watch Jeffrey, who turns to jelly whenever he has to make a decision or comes face to face with the female sex, tries to escape Gladys's clutches.

Paul Rendel and Emma Birch are very good value as the pompous ballroom dancers Barry and Yvonne Stuart-Hargreaves and I challenge you not to warm to the lovable Peggy, the clueless chalet cleaner who dreams of becoming a yellow coat. Rosalind Ford excels in therole.

This is a major triumph for director Billy Jellyman, who ensures us the cast give us a flavour of the TV originals while allowing them toput their own stamp on these much loved roles. Pack up your troubles and head off to Maplin's holiday camp, via Altrincham Little Theatre.

* Until April 9. Star rating - **** 

Hi-De-Hi Preview - Sale and Altrincham Musical Theatre

SALE and Altrincham Musical Theatre invites theatregoers to remember holidays of years gone by with its next production, Hi-De-Hi.

We head back to the 50s before the popularity and affordability of package holidays to the sun in a show inspired by the hugely popular TV comedy. Do you remember kiss me quick hats and knobbly knees contests?

* Hi-De-Hi is at Altrincham Little Theatre from April 5-9 at 7.30pm. Anyone interested in booking tickets should call 0161 865 0293 or 07504 771051.

Veronica's Room - Altrincham Little Theatre

IF you've ever been on a bad date, spare a thought for poor Susan in Veronica's Room, currently playing at Altrincham Little Theatre.

Nothing is quite what it seems in Ira Levin's classy, claustrophobic and compelling thriller and you'd be forgiven for an occasional glance towards the exits, just for re-assurance.

Susan's desire to do a good deed for what appear to be a homely and harmless Irish couple goes horribly wrong for this liberated young woman. The play's climax is also deeply unsettling and proof lf any were needed sophisticated shock tactics can still affect an audience. Yes. Rest assured, this is very scary stuff.

It's hard to believe Vicky Siddle, who plays Susan, known simply as The Girl in the programme notes, is new to acting. She's so self-assured and her services are set to be in great demand on Trafford's amateur stage. Hers is the complete performance and accomplished director John Chidgey must also take credit for this as he certainly gets the best out of a tight and talented four strong cast.

Cherill Wyche, Stephen Moss and Anthony Morris certainly play their part in ensuring the throat tightening tension running through act two never slips.

Levin also wrote Rosemary's Baby, among other things, a movie that still spooks me to this day. But you must not miss the chance to enter Veronica's Room, for me one of the best productions I've seen at ALT. Creepy and compelling.

* Until March 19. The box office is on 0161 928 1113. Star rating - ****

Brief Encounter - Altrincham Garrick

WHENEVER Barry Purves directs a production, I always enter Altrincham Garrick with all the eagerness of a child bounding down the stairs on Christmas morning.

You never know quite what to expect with BP, other than the unexpected, of course. So it is with Brief Encounter, which he's also designed, and the end result is an evening that is both all seducing as it is deeply moving.

It feels like a play, a musical and one of those old-fashioned films they used to put on, usually on wet Saturday afternoons when I was a child. My only criticism is the music detracted from the dramatic impact of the boat rowing scene involving the nice doctor Alec (Paul Wilson) and Laura (Sarah Roberts), a woman unfulfilled by her domestic purgatory.

Paul is suitably gallant as Alec and there's an endearing chemistry between him and Sarah. You are certain to find yourselves aching for a happy ending. There are other fine performances to enjoy from the consistently impressive Alison Davis as Myrtle, who runs the station café which doubles as a hot bed of romance. As Beryl, Myrtle's gossip devouring waitress, Fiona Primrose is quite exceptional. This is comedy acting of the highest order.

Brief Encounter transports us back to more innocent times, when a station master was still a figure of authority. While Alec is every inch the gentleman, the quintessential English gentleman, he certainly isn't slow at coming forward when it comes to the ladies.  A must see, for romantics and cynics alike.

* Until March 12. The box office is on 0161 928 1677. Star rating - ****

Endgame - HOME

TO say the plays of Samuel Beckett are off-the-wall is a bit like saying Donald Trump sometimes rubs people up the wrong way.

Endgame, currently playing at HOME in Manchester, is no exception. It focusses on the bizarre relationship between master and servant and brings together Coronation Street stars David Nielson and Chris Gascoyne.as Hamm and his cruelly put upon lackey, Clov.

On stage these two are a revelation and the soap roles that shot them to national fame never cross your mind. Hamm is demanding, dramatic, disgusting, a sort of male Miss Havisham whose given up on life and spends his days inflicting mental torture on poor Clov.

This play could and nearly did drive me mad trying to work out what was going on. Hamm's aged parents live Top Cat style in two rubbish bins - wonderfully played by Peter Kelly and Barbara Rafferty. A metaphor for the way society treats the elderly, perhaps. Despite being totally bemusing in places, I am completely in awe of the way Beckett uses language, painting the most evocative of images inside the audience's head.

That said, the writing is very accessible.

Without wishing to sound snobbish, I'll have to say Endgame isn't for those who like their theatre to cow tow to convention but for me it's HOME's best production to date. The setting is uncompromising in its bleakness, with the entire action taking place in a room that has all the appeal of a run down public toilet, but the acting is first rate.

*  Until March 12. Star rating - ***

Veronica's Room Preview - Altrincham Little Theatre

THE current season at Altrincham Little Theatre takes a tense turn with Veronica's Room by Ira Levin from March 13-19 at 7.40pm. 

A young woman, out on a date with a man she has just met, is approached by an elderly couple and asked to do an unusual favour for them. Are these kindly, soft-spoken people the gentle, caring folk they seem to be, or is something sinister going on?

Since the playwright is world-famous for Deathtrap (his Broadwaythriller) as well as for the hit movie Rosemary’s Baby, you can bet your bottom dollar there’s dirt under the carpet, not to mention skeletons in the closet – in Veronica’s Room. Nothing is ever quite as it seems to be in a play thetheatre says will have audiences on the edge of their seat.

Tickets are available from 0161 928 1113 or email ct.tickets@gmail.com

Husbands and Sons - Royal Exchange Theatre

DON'T get me wrong - I'm not an accents snob. I take great delight in the fact you no longer need cut glass English to present on the BBC. Long gone are the days when they all sounded like they all had plums in their mouths.

But, they were occasions while watching Husbands and Sons I felt in need of a translator as the old Nottingham dialect, the language spoken the community DH Lawrence grew up in, was far too broad for my 21st century ears.

That said it did give the production, a joint venture with the National Theatre, an added authenticity and I managed to conquer the linguistic hurdles and enjoy this engrossing if sometimes grim deeply human story. It's a story of blood, sweat, tears and passion as only Lawrence, for me the greatest English novelist, can write. You'll empathise with the women folk of the pit village, as they try to keep a home and their men out of the pub. Not that you can really begrudge them a pint, as mining was dirty, dangerous work.

Imagine an early soap opera and you have Husbands and Sons.  But unlike our soaps, this piece of theatre has much more emotional clout and the characters, decent hard working people struggling to make ends meet, are far more real.

Director Marianne Elliott and her design team re-create early 20th century pit village life so vividly the chances are you'll be overwhelmed with the urge to jump in the shower when you get home. The coal dust seems to get under your fingernails.

A strong cast deliver some fine performances, particularly Joe Armstrong and Louise Brearley as Luther and Minnie Gascgoine. Some of the scenes between them give off more heat than the fire in their kitchen. The same can also be same be said of Shameless star Anne-Marie Duff and Martin Marquez as Lizzie and Charles Holroyd. But will Lizzie make the leap and do a flit with the nice "sparky" from the mine?

* Until March 19. The box office is on 0161 833 9833. Star rating - ***

Brief Encounter Preview - Altrincham Garrick

ALTRINCHAM Garrick is hoping to set 21st century theatregoers swooning with a new version of the classic romance, Brief Encounter.

Set to the music of Noel Coward, this new adaptation by Emma Rice also features a Rachmaninov concerto and many of the songs by Coward will be performed live.

The story revolves around a chance meeting, turned into a memorable movie, between Alec and Laura in the refreshment room at Milford Junction railway station.

* Altrincham Garrick presents Brief Encounter from March 7-12 at 7.30pm, with a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. A two ticket for the price of one policy operates on Monday night and tickets are available from 0161 928 1677. You can also book online at www.altrinchamgarrick.co.uk

Wit - The Royal Exchange Theatre

MANY actors struggle to find work after they leave the comfort of a soap opera.

After seeing her performance in Wit at the Royal Exchange, former Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh will never be jobless again.

She broke my heart as Vivien Bearing, the straight talking academic whose body is being ruthlessly ravaged by cancer. Hesmondhalgh is uncompromising when it comes to sharing with us her character's pain. But the often prickly Bearing manages to also find humour in her situation, taking great delight in putting the doctors in their place.

This is, for me, the best performance of Julie's career, proving she's left the homely but lovable Hayley Cropper well and truly behind.

The doctors do their best for Bearing and while they come across as caring Dr Jason Posner (Esh Alladi) soon starts to see Vivian as a future topic for research. When it comes to the drug treatments she has to endure, Dr Bearing is tougher than a stadium full of old boots. Alladi shines in this part, convincingly embarrassed when he has to undertake a very embarrassing medical examination. Tom Hodgkins is also excellent as the older medical head, Dr Kelekian.

Make no mistake, this is a tough watch at times but I commend the RET for being brave enough to tackle such a difficult subject head on with Margaret Edson's funny, thought provoking and at times deeply moving piece of writing.

The play made me wonder how I'd cope if I got cancer. Hopefully I'd be as resilient as Vivian Bearing. Do not miss - the standing ovation was richly deserved.

* Until February 13. The box office is on 0161 833 9833.  Star rating - ****

Hindle Wakes - Altrincham Garrick

WHILE Hindle Wakes is old-fashioned, taking us back to an "e by gum" north of England where people from the south were seen as being from another country,it was ground breaking when first produced.

I don't want to give anything away so let's just say Fanny Hawthorn is a feisty Lancashire lass more than capable of giving as good as she gets when interrogated by her parents. She's also a young woman determined to make her own way in the world.

Yes, while the pace of the play is sedate to the point of being forensic, I did leave Altrincham Garrick with a fresh perspective on a piece I mistakenly dismissed as a theatrical dinosaur.

The premise behind Stanley Houghton's well=crafted and witty work wouldn't even raise an eyebrow today, as you'd expect from a 100 year old piece. Fanny and mill owner's son Alan, a young chap only interested in a good time, sets tongues wagging in his close-knit home town when he and Fanny enjoy a weekend away.

Both are unmarried and they indulge in some - wait for it - kissing. Suddenly Alan's life takes a far more complicated turn and the laughs come thick and fast as he tries to manipulate the situation to suit his own selfish ends.

Hindle Wakes is co-directed by Val Watkinson and Carole Carr and judging by the fine job they've done here, only a fool would bet against them working together again.

Rehearsals must have been an unadulterated pleasure with the likes of Aidan Kielty and Janet Slade to work with. They play Fanny's flustered parents and the height difference between the two actors - Aidan is huge - was also a cause for some hilarity. Megan Johnstone and Adam Gonet are very watchable as Fanny and Alan and the final scene between the two of them is perfectly played.

But the performance of the evening comes from Charlie Tomlinson as Alan's father Nathaniel Jeffcote, the self-made mill boss who never tires of reminding us he's pulled himself up by his boot straps. This is the complete performance, Charlie is equally adept when it comes to being both the dictatorial patriarch or conveying the lighter elements of the script.

Hindle Wakes may be a gentle night's theatre but in a world where life is lived at 100 miles an hour, I found that rather comforting.

* Until Saturday, February 6. The box office is on 0161 928 1677. Star rating - ***