Jackstage

 🌟 Unexpected Twist 🌟 25 March 2023 at 2:30pm at Nottingham Theatre Royal ★★★★★ Unexpected Twist, adapted for stage from Michael Rosen’s novel, sees a clear inspiration from Dickens’ Oliver Twist, combining the sordid 19th century of the original story with a 21st century representation of poverty on the streets of east London. There are so many reasons as to why this play excels in this fusion, as we often see the traditional characters of Nancy, Sikes and Fagin (in period costumes) confined to the upstage balcony, however throughout certain scenes, we see their influence and characteristics invade the modern world, where they join the main stage space and parallels can be drawn amongst the Dickensian and contemporary worlds. The common theme is the tragedy of poverty, and alike Oliver, we follow protagonist Shona’s struggle of being groomed into the world of gang culture, though as the piece was directorially set to be a family show, these themes were dealt with sensitively, b...

 🌟 Rock Of Ages 🌟 11 March 2023 at 2:30pm at Alhambra Theatre, Bradford ★★ First of all, I just want to commend the whole team on the Rock Of Ages farewell tour, an incredibly talented team, and it’s so clear to see the hard work that went into the making of the show. To reiterate, my star rating does not reflect upon the actor’s individual performances, rather my personal take on the production itself. A big theme for the show was the essence of nostalgia (definitely a show for the dads), and this is what really lets the show thrive. However only being 18 and watching this show, many of the references and knockout songs followed a generation or two behind my own, so that hype was missing for me. Although, it’s impossible to deny the true rocker’s spirit felt throughout the audience, able to get everyone up on their feet during the final number, it was certainly a very special moment to share. The first character we are greeted by is the charming and wildly brassy Lonny, played...

🌟 Fatherhood 🌟 9 March 2023 at 7:30pm at Lincoln Arts Centre, Lincoln Local reviewer Jack Davey came to watch Fatherhood at LPAC on Thursday. Below, you can read his review of the wonderful show. For more reviews from Jack, follow his Twitter and Instagram, @jackdavxy. Fatherhood, presented by transcultural physical theatre company Altered Skin, was a phenomenally evocative show which I thoroughly enjoyed, combining moments of humour with the brutal realities of ethnic prejudice, and how it is deemed ‘appropriate’ to respond to this. Devised and performed by the enthralling Shane Shambhu, there aren’t enough words to describe how poignant yet phenomenally important these stories are to tell, encapsulating 3 contrasting stories of migrant fathers, but also a joining between them, the internal voices that they share, the lived experience, and ultimately what it means to be human. During the opening scenes of the performance, we are greeted by the first of the fathers. With toys thrown ...