Award-winning West End musical School of Rock is heading out on a UK tour in 2021/22, and will be stopping off at Palace Theatre Manchester on its travels.
This is the first time the smash-hit production is set to tour the country, after it originally opened on Broadway in December 2015 and quickly transferred to the West End in November 2016, being met with widespread critical acclaim.
It went on to win the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music.
Based on the 2003 cult-favourite film of the same name that notably starred Jack Black in one of his best-loved roles, this new School of Rock musical follows Dewey Finn – a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn a few extra bucks by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school.
There, he turns a class of straight-A students into a “guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing” rock band.
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He teaches the pint-sized prodigies what it means to truly rock.
ATG Tickets
Featuring 14 new songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber and all the original songs that fans of the movie will know and love, this high-octane show is said to deliver “face-melting guitar riffs and touching romance”, both in equal measure.
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Casting for the UK touring production is to be revealed in due course this summer, with auditions currently taking place, so keep your eyes peeled for announcements.
School Of Rock will be arriving at Palace Theatre Manchester on Tuesday 4th – Saturday 15th January 2022.
Legally Blonde the Musical at Opera House, Manchester – the campest of revamps
Amy Williams
If you’re thinking about going seeing Legally Blonde at The Opera House this November, let us tell you why you absolutely should.
The iconic West End musical, based on the award-winning film starring Reese Witherspoon, is back on tour, and in Manchester for the next two weeks.
If you haven’t seen it before then let us give you an idea of what it’s about – the story follows Elle Woods, a girl from Malibu, who is madly in love with her high school sweetheart.
The problem is he wants something more ‘serious’ than her, which is when she decides she’ll follow him to Harvard and become a law student, to prove she’s more than just the ‘dumb blonde’ he thinks she is.
On stage, Legally Blonde’s dialogue is almost entirely through song, so you expect there’ll be good voices amongst the cast – and they really do live up to expectations.
West End darling Amber Davies stars as Elle Woods, turning her 2018 Love Island win into an illustrious musical career that has seen her star in shows like Pretty Woman, The Great Gatsby, and 9 to 5. She absolutely blew us away.
Also putting on an incredible show is Karen Mavundukure as well, who plays Paulette, a hairdresser who becomes friends with Elle.
And some of the biggest ‘awws’ of the night of course went to the two wonderful dogs of the show, Sprout and Rocco.
Legally Blonde will make you laugh, have you sat in awe at the voices and stage set, and also really pull you into the story in hope that Elle gets what she REALLY wants in the end…
Legally Blonde is at Opera House Manchester until Saturday 14 November, make sure to grab tickets HERE before it’s too late.
ENB’s Romeo & Juliet at Palace Theatre Manchester – the world’s most famous story expertly reimagined | Review
Emily Sergeant
Every now and then you experience a bit of a full circle moment… and for me, this was one of them.
Back in 2011, when I was a dance-obsessed 14-year-old, taking and assisting classes countless times a week, I became enamoured by a BBC documentary series called Agony & Ecstasy: A Year with English National Ballet. As one of the country’s premier ballet companies – celebrating its 60th anniversary at the time of the documentary – ENB allowed cameras behind the scenes, from the rehearsal room to backstage, giving audiences a previously unseen inside look on what it takes to stage some of the most spectacular productions your eyes will ever meet.
One of the ballets being staged in the year the BBC followed the company was Romeo & Juliet.
Based on a story known around the world and with an unmistakable score by Prokofiev, it’s a ballet I was already fond of prior to the documentary, but seeing the work that went into making the show a reality, up close like never before, it turned into one of my favourites.
Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to see several different dance stagings of Romeo & Juliet – but last night, at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, was the first time I got to sit in the audience and see English National Ballet’s production live with my own eyes.
And it was just as magical as I was hoping it would be.
ENB’s Romeo & Juliet is now on stage at Manchester Palace Theatre / Credit: Laurent Liotardo
Right off the bat, I’m just going to presume you already have somewhat of a grasp on the story of Romeo & Juliet, right? Given the fact it’s arguably Shakespeare’s most famous work and one of the most iconic plays of all time.
And you’ll be pleased to know, even if you’re not seasoned in watching ballet, that the story we all know and love remains largely intact for this production, therefore making it easy for audiences of all ages and interests to follow along and admire.
The two title characters, the star-crossed lovers themselves, were embodied expertly by Rentaro Nakaaki and Julia Conway as Romeo and Juliet, who had the audience captivated from the second they entered the stage – with undeniable chemistry and enviable technique.
Fabian Reimair took on the role of Tybalt with ease, Noam Durand was Mercutio, and Rodrigo Pinto was Benvolio, all while Elvis Nudo and Minju Kang stepped into the shoes of Paris and Rosaline.
But the lead roles are nothing without the wider cast of supporting dancers and character actors, who really help transport you to 14th century Verona and help bring the authenticity a production as epic as this requires.
The world’s most famous story has been expertly reimagined / Credit: Bill Cooper | Laurent Liotardo
Aside from the dancing, it would be remiss not to praise the expert sets and costuming here from Ezio Frigero and Franca Squarciapino.
And I suppose I should also give a shoutout to little-known name, Rudolf Nureyev, who choreographed this version of Romeo & Juliet all the way back in 1977. Something tells me he would’ve had a great career… I could be wrong, though.
Romeo & Juliet really is one of the most tragic love stories of all time, and the power of that is not lost through dance. It’s still as raw and heartbreaking in this production as it always is.
And that is truly a credit to every single person forming part of it – both on the stage and off.
Emily Sergeant -
11th May 2021 
