There is nothing quite like a good old classic being put on by one of the major theatre houses in Manchester. The tried and tested themes that have captivated audiences of the past are often recycled for a newer generation to enjoy and appreciate once again. Anton Chekhov and his final play The Cherry Orchard has been given the Royal Exchange treatment and as you would expect it is far from a conventional staging.
The Tiger Lillies are a phenomenon that may have escaped many of you. They label themselves as a cult band mixing “pre-war Berlin cabaret and avant garde music hall in deranged anarchic gypsy style” And that my dear readers is not that far from the truth. Their new show, Corrido de la Sangre, is currently playing at Home Manchester, and is one of the highlights of the ongoing ¡Viva! Spanish & Latin American Festival.
War is devastating. Sometimes it can define a whole generation to the extent that it becomes the only reference point. Sometimes we consign it to the past, leaving it there, hoping that it remains unearthed so that we do not question the impact such conflicts can have on us. In Lola Arias’ Minefield, The Falklands War is chillingly put on stage and the effects it had on its combatants laid bare.
If theatre is to shed its stifling old fashioned image of the stage and attract new audiences then Contact Theatre’s current programme of events this year is a shining example of challenging the conventional.
It has been 200 years since Mary Shelley published the gothic horror of Victor Frankenstein and his infamous monster. Since then the tale has captured the imagination of people, spawning numerous film and theatre adaptations as well sending philosophers into a frenzy about the consequences of man becoming its own creator.