There’s something very alluring about going into a show without knowing anything about it beyond what you can cobble together from the name but, we have to say, we had such a good time watching King Arthur at The Lowry in Salford we simply had to clue you in.
Like us, you can probably have a stab at what this one is about: the tale of King Arthur (sort of), his Knights of the Roundtable and the famous legends that have been retold for centuries – just not like this.
This comedic chronicling of Camelot and the character studies that lie within it as a much-loved fantasy world does more than just play with the legend, it sarcastically subverts things in an intentionally meta manner, not just breaking the fourth wall but more like stumbling through it with a perfect pratfall.
Put simply, it’s rambunctious, rude, just the right amount of camp with plenty of slapstick and it might be the most outright fun we’ve had at the theatre in ages. It’s certainly the most we’ve laughed.
A taster of what to expect from King Arthur at The Lowry, Salford Quays.
Perhaps one of the first things that we must praise is the pacing and one-upmanship that goes into this show. We struggle to think of a single other production that manages to get increasingly funnier as it goes on but these lot manage it somehow.
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And that’s quite the statement when you take into account the opening scene – we daren’t spoil a thing but let’s just say they set the bar pretty high for themselves.
Created by the Exter-based Le Navet Bete theatre company, along with help from one of the country’s best comedy writers and directors, John Nicholson, they’re known for similarly humorous twists on tried and tested tales like Dracula, The Three Musketeers and Treasure Island.
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Put it this way, we’re honestly gutted that this is our first taste of their take on classic stories and sincerely hope they’ll be bringing back these other shows to Salford Quays.
Each one of the main characters – plural being very much the operative phrase here – Osbert (Nick Bunt), Edgar (Al Dunn) and Dave have countless moments to shine in the spotlight and deliver plenty of childish punchlines, but a special shout-out has to go to Matt Freeman (Dave), who was nothing short of electric.
Credit: Press Images (supplied via The Lowry)
The show is filled with plenty of physical comedy and genuinely impressive feats of athleticism at times, so much so that the non-stop energy has to be applauded, and that aspect of the performance is very much typified by Freeman, a.k.a. ‘Dave the Rave’.
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As the cast very much enjoys toying with, the multi-roling that a trio having to play several characters isn’t so much restrictive as it is freeing in this show, with each Arthurian figure presenting a new opportunity to be funny in a different way, and he grabs each one firmly with both hands.
His Lady Guinevere is quite frankly one of the funniest parts in the entire show and having her talk like some twisted, medieval version of Nigella Lawson meets a TOWIE star in an overly saucy M&S advert was genuinely side-splitting. But this doesn’t even come close to scratching the surface.
Be it throwing his large frame around like an excited toddler, playing the dim role to perfection, or switching to yet another regional dialect – a chance to explore even more of the breadth behind being ‘British’ in the process – his actual strength pales in comparison to his strength in sheer versatility.
Speaking of accents, it’s not all about ‘The Big D’ though; one of the best running gags which stretched wafer-thin to the point of everything almost coming part is Al Dunn’s lack of mastery when it comes to sounding French, Scottish or like he’s even trying to an accurate impersonation – because he’s not.
In fact, at what point he simply turned to the crowd and asked, “What that too much?”, which got one of the biggest laughs of the night.
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(Credit: Supplied)
To tell the truth, it was these looser moments that were among some of the best. There were multiple occasions in which we genuinely couldn’t tell whether or not the actors had broken character, were simply cracking up or had downright lost their place – that’s how good they are at the nonsense of it all.
And there was no shortage of light and unserious spells, naturally; there was a good level of interaction and crowd participation too, without it ever feeling like the audience felt pressured into giving a forced response or customary chuckle. Give anyone a chance to throw stuff on stage and you’re onto a winner.
One of the high points of the entire evening was when a little kid was overcome with a case of not just a laughing fit but that pure, uncontrollable cackling that only a child can truly muster. It was almost as if he’d suddenly discovered his love of the art form and, infectiously, led everyone else to rediscover theirs.
It was as close to capturing that simple joy of being a pantomime when you were little and being so consumed with laughter that you suddenly suspended all disbelief as you could ask for from a largely adult crowd, though this show is definitely one that works for all age groups.
Whether it be the puns and Pixar-esque sly nods to the grown-ups, the countless bait-and-switch jokes where the lead is often so buried that the punchline comes much later than you’re expecting or is repeated to the point of insanity, or the big, broad, musical segments, the run the whole gamut.
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Your belly doesn’t even get a breather in the transitions or during the interval, as purposefully over-exaggerated montages are used to show the passing of time and even Medieval-style Bardcore versions of pop songs like Hot In Herre by Nelly or Moves Like Jagger play during the breaks.
The contemporary language and poking fun at every generation helps it feel really universal too and considering they’ve only got a small stage, they make full use of the set in as far as they can – but it’s all about those performances from La Navet Bete.
Lastly, there’s also just an unapologetic sense of play about King Arthur from start to finish and it really does love up to the tagline, ‘A Legendary Comedy’. It’s the most raucous retelling of otherwise revered tales that reclaim the ridiculousness of panto and reminds you how wonderfully daft theatre can be.
There are still tickets left for the remaining King Arthur shows at The Lowry in MediaCity UK and we sincerely hope you find time to see them before they go.
To put it in one word, King Arthur: A Legendary Comedy at The Lowry, Salford is a riot.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – a masterclass in comedy, colour and movement
Danny Jones
To start with, we’re going to begin this review by advocating for going into stage shows with as little knowledge as possible because it only dials up the already exaggerated nature even further – we knew next to nothing about Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat before seeing it in Manchester.
And we truly think it helped.
Now, when we say nothing, we’ve obviously heard the title plenty of times over the years as it remains one of the most celebrated musical productions on the planet, and you don’t need to be an avid theatre buff to know who Andrew Lloyd Webber is. The point being is that all we knew was its reputation.
Going along with a second party several decades older than us who shared the same blindspot and just never quite understood what all the fuss was about makes the next part even funnier: we both loved it.
Colour, colour and more colour.Some impressive yet superbly simple production value.Our review of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Opera House in Manchester. (Credit: Press Tristram Kenton)
We’re not going to dive too heavily into the story as we’re sure plenty of you who are more well-versed in the genre don’t need a synopsis regurgitating for the umpteenth time, but what we will say is that we’re somewhat glad we weren’t aware of its religious themes and numerous biblical references.
Not because we have any particular issue with Christianity nor adapting stories within theologies to turn them into entertainment, but because as atheists we probably would have been less keen to choose this particular text over another.
However, this is why we’re thankful for going in blind as we fear many others have missed out on this long-standing vibrant, energetic, all-singing, all-dancing twist on the tale of Genesis for decades simply due to being non-believers/agnostic.
That being said, we can confidently assure you that not only can you put your thoughts on faith to one side for the duration of the performance but, for us at least, it felt like it was more of an undercurrent than anything else and had little bearing on what a truly joyful evening for all ages.
You also get hand-held through it through the eyes of the children being retold the story right in front of you by the expert narrator, Christina Bianco, whose interventions and comic timing were lethal on a crowd already easily cracked up by a punchline or two – but she had the best of the lot.
Where else to begin than with Joseph himself, played by Adam Filipe, who although we’ll admit to being layman on the subject until last night, feels almost born to play the role.
Not only did he bring respite to an otherwise frenetic (in the best way possible) onslaught of singing with his ability to deliver certain lines as nothing more than perfectly enunciated and emotional speech, but his voice was on point throughout and the way he made full use of the stage from the start was great.
One particularly immature slide up the curved wall of the set in the opening five minutes and we knew all we needed to know about not just movement but the rest of the cast too; pretty much non-stop movement and expression virtually at all times.
The dancing – particularly a rather hilarious ‘can-can’ confusion – was top-notch throughout and no matter which bright, flowing costume he or the ensemble was wearing during a specific number, they all looked the part and didn’t put a foot out of place.
Even a more serious interlude was welcome.We’d have loved more yellow-forward moment and backdrops in the palette but that’s just us being picky…Credit: Press Images
But much to our delight, there really wasn’t one standout performance that stood head and shoulders above the rest, simply because they were all brilliant.
Whether it was the Jacobs and Sons company of brothers bringing both melodrama and some comic relief, or the score of female dancers delivering an elegance and added level of pageantry to proceedings, they all played their part.
However, every time one or more of the kids took to the stage a show-stealing moment was ripe for the picking and they all seized their opportunity, be it in unison or in the select few solo moments in the spotlight. An audience is always going to get up for youngsters shining front and centre.
But, we suppose if we absolutely had to give another special mention to another member of the production and single them out, there’s only one person it could be…
Having previously played the lead role back in 2016 following his X-Factor success, Joe McElderry returns to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and the Manc crowd in the role of the Pharoah and boy was he good having passed the baton and shifted gears. So good and so funny.
As well as an expert command of light, colour and choreography, the one thing we were surprised by was just how well-placed the comedy was throughout.
Not too much, not too little and nothing too contrived – a hard balance to strike and one that helps ease in those rare typically theatre-goers prone to a touch of cringe.
All in all, we sincerely urge you to go and see this show for yourselves, especially if you’re like us and have never given it a chance before. You won’t regret it.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is on in Manchester until Sunday, 9 March. You can still grab tickets HERE.
In case you were wondering who stole the show in @JosephMusical at the @PalaceAndOpera, they all did… but we'll admit the Pharoah is a bit of a legend. 😅👏
Hit theatre production set at a house party to visit Manchester on UK tour
Daisy Jackson
Alright then, 24 hour party people, we’ve found a theatre production you might like the sound of – it’s called The House Party, and it’s set in (you guessed it) a house party.
This smash hit production by pioneering theatre company Headlong is set to land at HOME in March as part of the arts venue’s 2025 theatre season.
It tells the tale of a wild 18th birthday party, where Christine is trying to pick up the pieces of her best friend, a newly-dumped Julie (who happens to be the birthday girl).
Themes of class, power and privilege are all explored with a raw intensity as the cast on stage plough through shots and dive head-first into a night that will change everything they know.
The House Party, which has received glowing reviews from previous showings, is filled with ‘privilege, desire and destruction’.
When it stops off in Manchester, its cast will include Bridgerton’s Sesley Hope as Christine, Synnøve Karlsen (Miss Austen, Last Night in Soho) as Julie, and Tom Lewis (Gentleman Jack, Patience) as Jon.
The ensemble of Frantic Assembly performers includes Ines Aresti, Oliver Baines, Cal Connor, Micah Corbin-Powell, Rachael Leonce, Jaheem Pinder and Jamie Randall.
The House Party is written by Laura Lomas and is a reimagining of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie for today’s generation.
It’s directed by Headlong’s artistic director Holly Race Roughan, who directed the Royal Shakespeare Company’s world premiere of David Edgar’s major new political play The New Real.
The House Party. Credit: Ikin YumThe production will be at HOME. Credit: Supplied
Movement direction will come from Frantic Assembly’s Scott Graham.
Prior to the UK tour of The House Party, Headlong celebrated its 50 year anniversary, including the hit production of A Raisin in the Sun which played nationwide.
The House Party will be at HOME in Manchester between 25 and 29 March, 2025 – you can get your tickets HERE.
Danny Jones -
28th September 2024 
