2022 has seen scores of successful artists tour the UK. In particular, we have welcomed a series of African-American icons over the summer: Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, and Diana Ross (who I have reviewed twice).
As summer comes to an end, the UK will be treated to a few more Black superstars from across the pond, with the all-star Giants of Soul tour. Its legendary line-up is headed by the UK’s own Tunde Baiyewu (the voice of The Lighthouse Family), alongside the American Deniece Williams, Gwen Dickey (the voice of Rose Royce), and Alexander O’Neal.
The Lighthouse Family have sold over 15 million albums, with singles including ‘Lifted’, ‘Ocean Drive’, ‘Goodbye Heartbreak’, ‘Loving Every Minute’, ‘Raincloud’, ‘High’, ‘Lost in Space’, ‘Question of Faith’, ‘Postcard from Heaven’, ‘(I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to Be) Free/One’, and ‘Run’. Tunde Baiyewu, the group’s lead singer, has received top-billing for the tour.
Four time Grammy-winner Deniece Williams has achieved chart hits with songs such as ‘Free’, ‘That’s What Friends Are For’, ‘Too Much, Too Little, Too Late’, ‘It’s Gonna Take a Miracle’, and ‘Let’s Hear It for the Boy.’
Rose Royce achieved nine UK top 40 songs: the Grammy-winning ‘Car Wash’, alongside chart-busters ‘I Wanna Get Next to You’, ‘Do Your Dance (Part 1)’, ‘It Makes You Feel Like Dancin”, ‘Wishing on a Star’, ‘Love don’t Live Here Anymore’, and ‘Is It Love You’re After’, the re-release of ‘Car Wash’ / ‘Is It Love You’re After’, and ‘Car Wash ’98’ (which was credited to Rose Royce featuring Gwen Dickey).
This will be lead singer Gwen Dickey’s farewell tour, after headlining the last night of Hale Barns Carnival in July.
Alexander O’Neal, the last of the tour’s “big names”, has achieved 14 UK top 40 hits, including ‘If You Were Here Tonight’, ‘Saturday Love’, ‘Fake’, ‘Criticize’, ‘Never Knew Love Like This’, ‘The Lovers’, ‘(What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me’, ‘Fake 88’, ‘The Christmas Song’ / ‘Thank You for a Good Year’, ‘Hit Mix (Official Bootleg Mega-Mix)’, ‘All True Man’, ‘Love Makes No Sense’, and ‘In the Middle.’
Like Dickey, O’Neal was supposed to be headlining Hale Barns Carnival’s Saturday night show but sadly dropped out – so fans will be thrilled to hear they are getting another chance to see the songster in action.
The captivating quartet will be joined by three smaller soul singers: two sensations and a starlet.
Black British divas Jaki Graham and Janet Kay will be joined by African-American songstress Candace Woodson – who has been warmly prefixed with “introducing.”
Jaki Graham has had six UK top 40 songs: ‘Could It Be I’m Falling in Love’, ‘Round and Around’, ‘Mated’, ‘Set Me Free’, ‘Breaking Away’, and ‘Step Right Up.’
Janet Kay, the “Queen of Lover’s Rock”, is best-known for her UK no. 2 hit ‘Silly Games.’
Lastly, the little-known but hugely talented Candace Woodson achieved a UK Soul Chart No. 1 with ‘Midas Touch (Ooh Ooh)’, just last year. Her top song on Spotify is ‘What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas.’
Collectively, these seven artists boast over 5 million followers on Spotify, with 18 UK top ten hits and a whopping 47 top 40 hits!
Visiting 19 cities across the UK in September and early October 2022, the show features over three hours of non-stop hits.
The event will be hosted by Smooth FM’s Angie Greaves – tying together this collection of tremendous melanated talent with a beautiful, black bow!
Please note that Gwen Dickey will not perform in Liverpool, whilst Jaki Graham will not perform in Edinburgh.
As well as standard tickets, there are a limited number of “An Audience With” tickets available for each performance. This experience offers premium front-row seat ticket holders the unique chance of a behind-the-scenes experience with some of the stars of the show, the chance to watch the soundcheck for 30 minutes, a Q&A with the artists, the opportunity to take photos at the front of the stage, and a signed programme. This experience lasts from 5:30 until 6PM (times may vary). Questions need to be submitted by email at least 48 hours prior to the show date using the name of the city you are attending the show, i.e. [email protected]. Please include a photo of your ticket.
Dry Cleaning have quickly ascended themselves as a leading light of the current post-punk boom. From the cutting Northern powerhouse of Yard Act to the dynamism of Squid, Dry Cleaning taps into somewhere different; a strange, enigmatic and pseudo-relaxing somewhere.
‘Anna Calls From the Arctic’ is the second single from their upcoming second LP Stumpwork, to be released in October 2022. This comes off the back of a victory lap for their eye-catching debut, New Long Leg, which won Rough Trade’s Album of the Year in 2021.
Laid over a bass driven, airy instrumental, lead singer Florence Shaw’s vocal take is concurrently jagged and smooth as butter. The lyrics cover a range of topics in stream of consciousness style. The music seemingly following the peaks and troughs of Shaw’s train of thought. Observations appear to be plucked out of nowhere, with Barry Mannilow, gym shorts and Sports Direct all getting a mention.
The final lyrics see Shaw state ‘Nothing works, everything’s expensive, and opaque, and privatised’; a powerful take over the apex of the single’s urgency. Immediately, it becomes underpinned by the following line, ‘my shoe organising thing arrived’. Profound, then not, it leaves the listener not knowing what to think; stunningly, you stay with it.
‘Anna Calls From the Arctic’ is a mighty addition to the Dry Cleaning universe. Engross yourself in their world, and there’s much to enjoy and be rewarded by.
Dry Cleaning’s forthcoming LP, Stumpwork, will be released on 22nd October 2022.
Listen to ‘Anna Calls from the Arctic’ on Spotify.
Who else could give better insight into the lives of The Osmonds than an Osmond brother himself? Jay Osmond has recently created The Osmonds: A New Musical. As the title suggests, it is a brand-new production based on the legendary 70s group. Ahead of the musical’s opening night in Manchester, I was invited to a press day, where I not only had the chance to speak to some of the cast members, but Jay Osmond himself!
Writing a musical about your entire life would be difficult for anyone, but especially for someone with a career as full as Jay’s. He created the musical over a course of 5 years and admitted, “It was a very difficult process looking through my journals and things that affected me; there was a whole list to go through”.
Luckily, Jay had the assistance of his wife, Karen, who “wrote down every word I said, and in the end, we had at least 20 scripts and three different stories”.
Jay described the narrowing down of these stories as a “crunching” and “morphing” process. He also credits the creative team, who helped bring his vision to life. “They were given pieces of a puzzle and squeezed them together”. He describes the end result as “even better than I expected; it’s truly magical”.
Seeing your life played out before you night after night is bound to bring up some intense feelings. Jay notes, “I still get emotional, and I’ve seen it more than 70 times”. He refers to the 70s, and the height of his career, as “the whirlwind era, in which my family had to overcome many hardships”.
Jay held nothing back and transferred his story to stage to create “a journey, not just a tribute show”.
The Osmonds have sold over 77 million records worldwide and are still one of the most successful music groups of all time. Jay attributes much of this success to the support of his fans – whom he calls “friends” and “family” – who he has a very close relationship with.
During the pandemic, Jay started Facebook live streams to connect with fans. Initially calling these vlogs ‘flogs’, his wife Karen explained they’d use the platform weekly to share their lockdown experience. It’s clear he wants the musical to mean as much to his fans as it does to him. He hopes that audiences feel “energetic and lifted” after watching the show. He passionately spoke about his creation without giving too much away, though he emphasised the main themes were “Faith, Family and Career” – the family’s motto and values (in that order).
Jay holds his cast and team in high regards. He endearingly calls the casted brothers “my nightmares” and remarked, “They remind me so much of my real brothers, it’s crazy”. The same energy is reciprocated by the cast. 11-year-old Jack Sheerhan, who plays the young Merrill Osmond, felt “very honoured to have met Jay Osmond”.
The five actors who play the grown-up brothers also felt very honoured to be working with Jay. Jamie Chatterton (Alan Osmond), Alex Lodge (Jay Osmond), Danny Nattrass (Wayne Osmond), Joseph Peacock (Donny Osmond) and Ryan Anderson (Merrill Osmond) all gushed over their roles in the brand-new production. Jamie explained, “It’s pretty special. We have people like Jay on set to learn from, and being part of it ourselves, there’s a lot of creative freedom”.
Alex noted the pressure of performing as one of the most famous groups of all time in front of the man who lived it: “It’s a lot of responsibility, especially to the fans who watch it and might not remember things a certain way”. Jamie noted, “It’s crazy because it’s basically Jay’s living memoir; it’s like therapy for him”.
But they seemed to each know their characters’ well and carefully summed up their Osmond brother in one word. Donny as Loveable, Alan as passionate, Wayne Cheeky, Merrill intricate, and Jay as both bright and sensitive (two words, I know).
The chemistry of the group was as close to brothers as you could find, bouncing back from one another and making (admittedly) terrible jokes. They at one point realised, “Oh, my god, we’re turning into the Osmonds”.
They seemed to love everything about The Osmonds, minus the 70s costumes, all agreeing that they’ll never get used to the white jumpsuits!
Jokes aside, they saw the importance behind The Osmonds’ story. Alex noted, “It’s a wonderful story from rags to riches to rags to riches again”. They all agreed, “It makes stars accessible, by stripping it all away and showing them as real people”. Ryan described the musical as “not just the vibe of nostalgia, but it does bring you back to a certain age”. Whilst fans of The Osmonds will certainly appreciate the show, they urged everyone to come see it. They summed up the musical as “crazy highs, crazy lows, and Crazy Horses”. If hat doesn’t convince you to get tickets, I don’t think anything will!
The Osmonds plays at Palace Theatre Manchester until 13th August, touring the UK until December – with further 2022 and 2023 dates to be announced soon.
Dare To Know Theatre Invites, which creates a space for local creatives to showcase their work at Oldham Coliseum and gain support on their development, returned for a triumphant third edition. Cultivate captures the essence of Dare to Know Theatre, a theatre company which dedicates their work to the community.
In between each act, scenes from Cultivate, which is on stage in October, were performed with great insight into the characters and energy of the play.
Our first invited act of the night was Libby Hall’s ‘413 Liverpool Street’, directed by Joseph Walsh. It presents a woman carrying her life in 4 bags and telling the story of her cheating boyfriend and their broken-down relationship. The execution of this piece was amazing as Libby takes us on an emotional journey of finding out his unfaithfulness. As she articulates her emotions, we find out that the girl was underage, which is the part she struggled to comprehend. By the end of the piece, the 4 bags that we assumed to be her belongings at the beginning transform into the remains of her cheating boyfriend – which seemed a suitable retribution for him in her torment.
Then we had an act called ‘The Train’, a female-led comedy piece written by Paris Rogers and Grace Mair and directed by Miranda Parker. We follow four girls (played by Jessica Baskind, Bronte Appleby, Rosa Brooks and Lucie Jowett) on their way into Manchester for a 21st birthday. As they are getting boozy on the train, we get a comedic insight into their relationships, the pressures of growing up and their ‘icks’ in their comical bickering.
Up next, we had ‘Making a Myth’, a dark, speculative piece written by Urussa Malik – a former Mancunion writer. This piece explored the psychological realm of committing a crime. With brilliant acting from Imogen Woodward, Nadia Watson and Madison Freeman, the piece raises questions of identity as we find the two protagonists in the process of some form of facial reconstruction, with a great twist at the end highlighting the selfish mind of a criminal.
Blue Balloon Theatre brought to the stage ‘See it, Say It, Sorted?’, a musical storytelling performed by Jas Nisic and directed by Jessica Bowker. This explores the lack of support from national services for sexual assault on public transport. A well-executed piece exposing the realities of such an experience told through original song, dialogue and satirising TFL’s catchphrase to challenge the slogan’s validity for when people actually find the strength to say it in times when an incident needs sorting.
Written by Nick Maynard and directed by Jeff Longmore, ‘Passing Time’ sees Daniel Brennan plays a dame, with a full face of make up, sitting at their dressing table and nostalgically looking back at the past. They reminisce about the days when they were young and life was vibrant, full of partying and debauchery, and the hidden nature of queer relationships compared to the present day. As the dame takes their make up off, they dwell on the loneliness of their life now with no one to spend time with – just the transience of life and time passing. This was a heartfelt piece that touched upon the struggles of queer life.
Dan Costello’s ‘Make- Up’, starring Stacey Coleman and Sue Fulton, presents two mothers waiting for their daughters before they realise that they know each other from a past friendship. The tension from the past fills the stage as we find out that their past activity of shoplifting still haunts one of the mothers, as they received a criminal record, so she does not want her daughter hanging out with her old friend’s daughter. From the female-led group ‘In Parallel’, this piece raises issues of class, nepotism and exploring past mistakes defining an individual.
Former Artistic Director of Oldham Coliseum, Kenneth Alan Taylor, showcased his new work, ‘One Day I’ll Be Famous’, starring George Miller, Kerry Willison Parry, Leslie Davidoff, Ollie Booth, Sam Courtney and Linda McLoughlin. We are brought back in time to the theatrical world before the digital age, where a group of actors discuss the rivalry for new roles, particularly between the two female protagonists competing for the same role. In the end, neither of them gets the role, and it goes to another actress. From mannerisms to costume, the audience are transported back in time with great acting from all the cast to immerse us.
Snippets of ‘Leap of Faith’ are weaved between each of the above acts, before being tied together with the character Danny, who the whole community have been talking about. It is clear that the play is one that tackles the concept of small-town mentality and the effect of this on the individual. It was wonderful to see such a diverse company for the sneak preview of this production; it really heightened the sense of community in this project.
Keep up to date with Dare to Know Theatre to find out more about their upcoming projects
A best-selling novel. An award-willing film. The creatives behind Life of Pi had no easy job adapting it for the stage. Not only because the novel and film are so renowned but because of the great difficulty involved in making a story about a boy trapped on a boat with a Bengal tiger!
Hiran Abeysekera and two of the actors who play the tiger. Photo: Helen Maybanks.
This is not actually the first stage adaptation of Life of Pi – but it’s certainly the most notable. The 2001 novel was first adapted to the stage at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford in 2003, before touring the UK in 2004 and 2007. It was directed by Keith Robinson, who directed a second version of the play at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall in 2008.
The novel was written by Yann Martel, a Spanish-born French Canadian – and adapted to the big screen by the Taiwanese Ang Lee and to the stage by the British Keith Robinson. Now, at last, this Indian story is being told by an actual Indian: Lolita Chakrabati, a Briton born to Bengali parents from India.
This adaptation premiered at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in 2019, before transferring the Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End in November 2021, to critical acclaim and fan frenzy. At the Olivier Awards, it won a whopping 5 Olivier Awards out of 9 nominations: Best Play, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Lighting Design, and Best Set Design.
Safe to say, the play is a roaring success!
Tom Larkin & Hiran Abeysekera. Photo: Johan Persson.
The Cast
Life of Pi stars Hiran Abeysekera (Russell T. Davies’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Find Me in Paris) as the title character, but when I went to see the play, Nuwan Hugh Perera (Pi Alternate) was covering. It would have been fantastic to see the actor who won an Olivier for originating the role, but one cannot fault Perrera. His exceptional performance had me in tears.
Abeysekera, along with the rest of the main cast, leaves the production in a few weeks, with Perera taking over the role full-time.
Ma (Pi’s mother) is played by the hugely successful Mina Anwar. Onstage, Anwar is best-known for starring in the original Sheffield Crucible and West End productions of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (just like Life of Pi). Her extensive screen credits include The Thin Blue Line, The Bill, Doctors and Nurses, Best Friends, Razzledazzle, Coronation Street, The Invisibles, The Sarah Jane Adventures, The Infidel (and its stage adaptation), House of Anubis, The Wright Way, Happy Valley, Rocket’s Island, Scott & Bailey, Remember Me, In the Club, The Worst Witch, and Terms & Conditions – and breathe! Holy cow, that woman has been in a lot.
Raj Ghatak, who usually plays Mamaji and Pandit-ji, was covering the role of Father (usually played by Nicholas Khan). Onstage, he is known for being in the original cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bombay Dreams, the original off-West End cast of Cinders, and his award-winning role in The Kite Runner.
Habib Nasib Nader plays Cook and the voice of the Tiger. Along with the other actors who play the tiger, he won the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor – and, oh, was it deserved, but more on that later… Onscreen, Nader is known for Little Britain, The Golden Compass, and Beehive.
Hiran Abeysekera & Company. Photo: Johan Persson.
The acting is some of the best you’ll see onstage. Each character is well-written and well-acted – not just the humans, but also the animals (and even the trees)!
With the exception of the crooked Cook, every human character is likeable (even if they do and/or say some questionable things) – but even Cook has clear motives. It’s obvious that the actors have all thought deeply about who their character is and what they represent. They all radiate energy and emotion. They’re not just characters; they’re people.
The mix of Indian and English accents did throw me off a little. This lack of consistency was a little odd. Perhaps it was done intentionally – the production is so meticulously designed, so surely there’s a reason for it – but the lack of clarity renders it a weird creative decision. However, you soon get over the mix of accents, as you are immersed into the action…
The Company. Photo: Johan Persson.
The Story
The play is, of course, set in India (and Mexico and, well, the ocean). The main characters are all Indian. The puppeteers, most of whom are White, wear traditional South Asian clothing. The play, amongst other things, is a celebration of India – whilst also acknowledging some of the sociopolitical problems over there.
Now, I’m not very in touch with my South Asian roots, but this play made me feel proud of my heritage. It was especially touching seeing fellow South Asians in the audience – for theatre audiences remain overwhelmingly White; I’m usually a spec of brown amongst a sea of white.
Kirsten Foster, Hiran Abeysekera & David K.S. Tse. Photo: Johan Persson.
The play begins in the hospital in Mexico where Pi is recovering. It’s a slow, simple beginning to a play with some of the most spectacular staging you’ll ever see in a play (hello, it won Best Set Design at the Oliviers!).
Hiran Abeysekera & Company. Photo: Johan Persson.
After a short while, as Pi begins his story, we are transported to the zoo where he grew up. The simple set breaks apart, creating something truly splendid, which only gets more elaborate as the play goes on.
In particular, the bazaar (market) scene has sumptuous stage design, with all of the luscious colours and lovely textures.
Hiran Abeysekera & Company. Photo: Johan Persson.
The bazaar scene offers one of the funniest discussions of religion I’ve ever seen. Three religious leaders (a Hindu, a Muslim and a Christian) each approach Pi in front of his family, inadvertently revealing that Pi has been practicing all three religions! Pi’s family are indifferent to which religion he practices, and whilst his father reminds him that he was raised Hindu (ironic, given his agnosticism), he agrees with his religious wife that Pi must choose one.
The three religious leaders then fight it out, each one criticising (and offending) the other two religions, from Christian “cannibalism”, to Hindu cow worship, to countless Muslim wives! Each religious leader exposes illogicality in the other religions, in turn, revealing illogicality in their own. At its core, the scene exposes the insanity of tearing ourselves apart over religion – part of the play’s attempt to address the historical and cultural context of post-partition India.
Romina Hytten & Tom Larkin. Photo: Johan Persson.
However, the play does not remain a comedy – though it certainly remains comedic (especially the scene in the second act where the Tiger starts talking). The arrival of the Bengal tiger is daunting, and Pi’s Father’s sacrifice of the goat to teach his irresponsible kids a lesson about the dangers of wild animals is especially distressing. Sadly, the darkness does not end there – in actuality, that scene is mild in comparison to what is to follow.
The Design
The production’s award-winning lighting design first gets to shine (pardon the pun) when the ship begins sinking. The stage (or, rather, the ship deck) is filled with projected water. It is utterly mesmerising.
When the ship sinks, Pi finds himself on a lifeboat, which is not a prop but part of the stage, itself – the centre of the stage rises up every time the play cuts to Pi being on the lifeboat.
Hiran Abeysekera. Photo: Johan Persson.
The stage offers more surprises – most noticeably, when Pi jumps off of the boat, to get away from the tiger, and literally falls through the stage. Sadly, I missed this, for the two people sat in front of me were leaning ridiculously forward – but I did see him jump out of the stage at the other side. Those two parts of the stage are made out of soft material that allows people to enter and exit with ease.
This entire scene is a triumph. It sees Pi exerting control over the tiger, as an attempt to save his life. It’s a dramatic scene that will have your heart racing. You want to cover your eyes, but you also don’t want to blink – it’s quite the paradox! When Pi finally forces the tiger to retreat, the audience erupted into applause – as if he had just performed a mind-blowing musical number.
Hiran Abeysekera & Tom Larkin. Photo: Johan Persson.
The play often returns to the “now” – the hospital in Mexico – usually after a dramatic moment. It works well to bring the play back down to a normal level; it cuts the drama short, but it’s a smooth transition and allows us to return to the boat at a later date without sudden time jumps.
The scenes in the hospital add context and explanation to what happened in the past. They’re far tamer than the the flashback scenes, but they keep the audience wanting more.
Hiran Abeysekera & Company. Photo: Johan Persson.
The most impressive part of the play is the puppetry. The six actors who play the tiger won the Olivier for Best Supporting Actor – unorthodox but extremely well-deserved. The tiger – all of the animals, for that matter – is so lifelike, not only in design but also movement. You begin to stop noticing the three actors controlling the puppet; it’s as if there’s really a tiger onstage.
Habib Nasib Nader, Tom Larkin & Scarlet Wildernik. Photo: Johan Persson.
The tiger’s puppetry is especially impressive at the end of the first act, when the tiger makes his way on to Pi’s boat, whilst Pi is busy attempting to scare the hyena. The tiger creeps up behind Pi, in a clever use of dramatic irony that had the entire audience on edge. As Pi turned around, the tiger leaped over him – before a cut to black.
The Twist
Although I’ve never seen the film – which came out a decade ago this year – I seemed to remember hearing about a twist. Indeed, the philosophical novel is known for being an exploration of reality – and how it is perceived and told. Yet, the twist was done in such a way that it was as if I had never known there was one. It has to be one of the greatest twists in the history of fiction. It somehow makes the story even more disturbing. It literally had me in tears, and I find myself tearing up just writing this (and every time I proof-read this, I feel pressure in my eyes – a yearning to cry once again).
Tom Larkin & Hiran Abeysekera, Photo: Johan Persson.
You only have to glimpse at my profile to see that I’m a jazz-hands musical kinda boy. Plays are not really my forte. But Life of Pi is not just one of the best plays I’ve ever seen. It’s not even just one of the best pieces of theatre I’ve ever seen. It is, without a doubt, one of the best creations I have ever been fortunate enough to bear witness to.
Life of Pi plays at Wyndham’s Theatre until 14th January, with the new cast (including the promoted Nuwan Hugh Perera) taking over on 7th September.
Note: the production photos in this article feature Abeysekera, not Perera; new images featuring Perera are excepted when he takes over the role.
Sundays. With the rush of the week finally over, Sundays are for relaxing and spending time with the people you love. Sundays conjure up thoughts of bubble baths and lazy mornings, late lunches and walks in the countryside. What better way to spend your Sunday this August than with a night away at INNSiDE Manchester, at their First Street Bar & Kitchen restaurant! We spent one luxurious Sunday tasting the menu, created by the Gino D’Acampo team.
Situated right next to HOME, INNSiDE has the kind of buzzy atmosphere you get in a West End restaurant after showtime. An Instagram-ready display of twinkling lights and flowers welcomes you to First Street: inside we were sat in plush velvet half-booths, creating pockets of intimate couples amongst the tables.
The restaurant definitely has a couple feel. Currently, INNSiDE is running a package called ‘A Sunday Well Spent’ which includes a twin or standard room at the hotel, complimentary breakfast, a bottle of wine and £75 to spend in the restaurant. First Street has succeeded in creating an ambience that leans into being romantic, without going overboard.
Our hopes were high for the food, having heard good things about other D’Acampo restaurants in Liverpool, Newcastle and elsewhere in Manchester. The menu is varied and pays homage to Italy’s culinary depths: on land and in the sea. We started with a crisp bottle of organic Pinot Blanc, a light and citrusy choice which our server had kindly ordered to pair with our meal.
Enjoy a stay at INNSiDE Manchester
A restaurant is only as good as its classics, so we ordered tomato bruschetta and calamari to start.
The crispy bruschetta came covered with jewelled red and yellow tomatoes, and was both garlicky and fresh. Calamari can sometimes become soft and sad looking somewhere between the kitchen and your plate, so it was refreshing to see it done right here. Moreish and crunchy, the calamari was paired with strips of gently salted battered courgette. We also tucked into some truffle fries, which were covered in shaves of parmesan. No need to go all the way to Italy with food like this so close!
Our mains strayed away from the core of the menu which is a section of tempting looking steak. For those looking to go all out, the fillet steak looks particularly appealing. This time though, I tried the spinach and ricotta tortellini which came arranged in exquisite green parcels that were reminiscent of roses.
Creamy, soft, and covered in crunchy pine nuts, this was the best pasta I’ve had in a long time. We also enjoyed the Italian style burger, although the presentation style seemed unnecessarily deconstructed. Once we’d put it back together again though, it made for a flavoursome and tender take on a classic.
Steak at First Street Bar & Kitchen
By this time, we felt close to that state of well-fed slumber. We enjoyed the chocolate fondant pudding recommended to us by our server, which is definitely rich and indulgent enough that it’s wiser to split between two.
The meal came in just under the £75 mark, which is included in the package.
Full as we were, we (luckily) didn’t have far to go! The hotel room itself was open plan and modern, floor-length windows looking out onto the lights of the city. In the morning, we sampled the buffet breakfast which included pastries, a selection of cheeses, and all the essentials for a full English. All in all, this was certainly ‘A Sunday Well Spent’.
‘A Sunday Well Spent’ at INNSiDE Manchester by Melia runs all through August and is priced at £150 for two. First Street Bar & Kitchen is located on the ground floor of INNSiDE at 1 First St, Manchester, M15 4RP.
Following their powerhouse of an album Blue Weekend, Wolf Alice introduce us to their recent EP Blue Lullaby, featuring the London Contemporary Voices Choir. Wolf Alice strip back ‘Lipstick on the Glass’, ‘How Can I Make It OK?’, ‘No Hard Feelings’, ‘Feeling Myself’, and the soaring ‘The Last Man on Earth’, to blissfully celebrate the more intimate songs on Blue Weekend.
Wolf Alice explain that the purpose of the EP was to shine light on the songs that “took a new life” when peeling them back to their foundations, creating a rendition that held a more moving and personal atmosphere compared to the original songs. The EP was created in Church Studios, which ensured that the recording of the tracks took on a more choral depth. The reverb generated by the stone walls and stained glass windows of the church develops the heavenly sounds of the EP.
‘No Hard Feelings’ – Wolf Alice at Manchester Apollo, Photo: Lucy Turner @ The Mancunion
When listening to the the EP, Wolf Alice enclose you in a haunting, spiritual realm of textured harmonies and acoustics, which create a more unrestrained sense of emotion compared to the original recordings found on Blue Weekend. Ellie Rowsell‘s ethereal voice with sections of vibrato in the higher registers accompany layered strings to establish moments of pure intensity within ‘Lipstick on the Glass’ and ‘Feeling Myself.’ Wolf Alice conclude the EP with ‘The Last Man on Earth’, a soaring rendition in which the choir help to elevate the song towards a transcendental, angelic state.
‘Feeling Myself’ – Wolf Alice, Photo: Lucy Turner @ The Mancunion
You can watch ‘Making of Blue Lullaby’ on Wolf Alice’s YouTube channel, which includes four short episodes showing how they recorded the tracks here.
Out on the wiley, windy moors, close to 300 Kate Bush fans joined together to dance to ‘Wuthering Heights’. To celebrate the artist’s 60th birthday – and existence in general – the annual event was held at Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park.
Photo: Douglas Robertson.
A sea of red dresses and brown wigs occupied the popular tourist spot for most of the day. Unsurprisingly, The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever attracted a lot of attention. A large crowd stayed to watch, astounded by what they saw, and media crews filmed throughout the day.
A passerby may have attributed the scene to Kate Bush’s recent revival. Her Stranger Things debut has offered a new lease of life to her 1985 hit ‘Running Up That Hill’ and has invited a new generation of fans to appreciate her art. But the origins are more random than you might expect. It began with a small Brighton performance group named ‘Shambush’ and has grown into a global phenomenon. This year, “Cathies” across the globe danced to ‘Wuthering Heights’. Red dresses could be spotted everywhere across Europe and Australia.
Photo: Douglas Robertson.
Leader of this year’s Edinburgh event, Elspeth Spalding explained the meaning behind it in more detail. Whilst it may have started small, it’s become a magical day of connection and remembrance. Edinburgh “Cathies” raised money for Maggies Centre and Marie Curie to honour the dancers who have been affected by cancer.
Elspeth has been involved with organising for 5 years, which might explain why it ran so smoothly. The day was neatly divided into sections. Registration (which wasn’t hard to find, given the amount of red dresses in the area), warmup, rehearsals, the performance, and finally, a happy birthday to Kate Bush.
Photo: Douglas Robertson.
Unlike Kate Bush, most people at the event were not trained in classical dance. Fortunately, the iconic number was taught step by step and can now be used as a party trick. The moves were clearly taught, but artistic license was encouraged – all dancers had a minute to relish the flow of their dresses in the picturesque field.
Artistic appreciation didn’t end with the dance. Candice Macallister created some beautiful designs which could be purchased on welcome as well as herwebsite.
Photo: Douglas Robertson.
To enjoy this day in its entirety, naturally, I had to join in. Myself, amongst others, traveled far and wide to attend. And in my (totally unbiased) opinion, we weren’t disappointed. It was a joy to be surrounded by so many strangers who were connected by one thing. Our cheerful grins lasted throughout the day and will continue to make us smile.
The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever was the most beautifully strange day of my life, and I will cherish the memory forever.
Whether Kate Bush herself knows about her dedicated day is unclear. In an interview prior to the event, Elspeth said “I think she must know”. But Kate’s reciprocation of love is not necessary; her fans will continue to dance.
Photo: Douglas Robertson.
If you missed the day, you can still contribute to the chosen charities, Maggies Centre and Marie Curie. Make sure to book on to next year’s The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever to embrace Kate Bush like never before!
You Loved Them For A Reason. Now, for the first time, you can see this sensational new musical and relive one of the world’s biggest ever boybands.
The Osmonds: A New Musical tells the official, true story of the five brothers from Utah who were pushed into the spotlight as children and went on to create smash hits decade after decade.
From their star residency on The Andy Williams Show, to the arrival of Donny, Jimmy and Marie, The Osmonds lived a remarkable life, recording chart-topping albums, selling out vast arena concerts, and making record-breaking TV shows – until one bad decision cost them everything…
In this musical, Jay Osmond pulls back the curtain to reveal the real family behind all these hits: parents George and Olive Osmond and their nine children, Virl, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie, and Jimmy.
Jay Osmond said, “I’ve wanted to tell my story for such a long time and the opportunity to create this beautiful musical, a sort of ‘living autobiography’, seemed the perfect way to do so. I spent my whole life performing live – on stage, on TV specials, in arenas – so the buzz of live theatre felt like the perfect place for me.
“There were some difficult times of my life, and some big hurdles to overcome, and this musical will tell people things that will surprise them… but despite that trouble, when you look back and think of the fans, the music, the once in a lifetime things we did – it’s joyful. I guess I want to do this now to try to spread a little bit of that joy.
“I’ll know I’ve done a good job telling this story if I stand at the back of the theatre and see people waving their arms in the air, singing along and dancing in the aisles. I just want people to be enjoying themselves. I guess that is in the Osmonds’ DNA.”
Featuring a chart-topping list of anthems, including Love Me For A Reason, Crazy Horses, Let Me In, Puppy Love, One Bad Apple, Long Haired Lover From Liverpool, Paper Roses, and many more, The Osmonds will take you back to the relive 60s… the 70s… the 80s….
Palace Theatre Manchester is having a party, and you’re invited to join them for a few hours of drama, nostalgia, and dancing in the aisles.
The Osmonds plays at Palace Theatre Manchester from 9th until 13th August, touring the UK until December – with further 2022 and 2023 dates to be announced soon.
