Manchester Theatre News & Reviews
Exclusive Offers for Brian Blessed, Peter Karrie, James Taylor Quartet & Big Country at the Bowdon Rooms
CLICK HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR 20% OFF DEALS
We've teamed up with the beautiful Bowdon Rooms and Quaytickets to bring you an Exclusive 20% off deal for any of the events in September. So not only will you save some money, you are in for a fantastic evening of award-winning entertainment at one of Altrincham's most prestigious venues.
AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH BRIAN BLESSED
Saturday 4th September 2021 - 6pm
20% off your ticket - includes 3 course meal - £103 (previously £128)
’Larger than life actor, writer and presenter Brian Blessed is known for his
hearty, king-sized portrayals on film and television. A giant of a man accompanied by an eloquent wit and booming, operatic voice, he is also
an avid explorer and climber and ‘An Evening with Brian Blessed’ will combine anecdotes from his illustrious acting career with tales of his adventuring.
With a career spanning more than 50 years, there is no shortage of material. On screen, he has appeared in everything from Doctor Who to
Kenneth Branagh's Shakespeare films. On stage his credits range from
Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. And his trademark booming voice has also featured on everything from Peppa Pig character Grampy Rabbit to a voice download on TomTom's sat nav system.
He is also an avid climber and will also be talking about his Everest climb
without oxygen; his expedition to the jungles of Venezuela during which
he survived a plane crash; his trek to the North Pole (he is the oldest man
to go to the Pole on foot) and his many hours of space training in Russia!
The show is an experience that nobody should miss! His eloquence and humour will have the audience captured from the moment he walks on stage until the moment he leaves.
Enjoy a fabulous 3-course dinner, live entertainment, a memorabilia
auction and a chance to ask your own burning question in an
audience Q & A. Everyone will also receive their own personal souvenir photograph with Brian Blessed to remember this very special night.
Don't miss this rare opportunity to experience an amazing evening
in the uniquely entertaining company of one of the country's best-loved performers and true national treasure.
Tickets are strictly limited for this event, which is exclusively presented at The Bowdon Rooms for one night only.
Dress code: BLACK TIE.
PETER KARRIE: THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK
Saturday 11th September 2021 - 7pm
20% off your ticket - £22 (previously £27.50)
A night of the greatest musical numbers from the Worlds biggest & best shows: Evita, Lion King, Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Miserable, Phantom
of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Wicked, West Side Story & Many More.
His first success was as the lead singer of the band 'Peter and the Wolves'.
Peter later toured the country as a singer and then went to London as a busker before he got his first role in a show. He has stared in most major musicals (Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera), often as the main roles. He is best known for the role as the Phantom in Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical 'The Phantom of the Opera'. He was twice voted the favourite Phantom of members of the international Phantom Appreciation Society. The Vancouver Sun described his performance in the role as "definitive". He has appeared in concerts around the world, on television and on the radio. His own Beyond the Mask
concert tour has been an international success, receiving excellent reviews. He has hosted his own radio and TV show in Wales.
He created the title role in Bernard J. Taylor's dark musical 'Nosferatu'.
The role was specifically written for Karrie, with his vocal range in mind.
Karrie's TV show in Wales is called 'Young at Heart' and he has previously presented his own show 'Karrie on Karrie'. He appeared on Welsh TV's
'Children in Need' and at the 'Music Under the Stars' concert at the Faenol Festival in 2001.
VOTED THE BEST PHANTOM OF ALL TIME I.P.A.S "THE DEFINITIVE PHANTOM" Vancouver Sun
Now with Special Guest Star - Britain’s Got Talent Finalist - ROB KING!
JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET
Friday 17th September 2021 - 7pm
20% off your ticket - £23 (previously £29)
Funk is a way of life for the James Taylor Quartet, which has been one of the main proponents of funk and acid jazz in Britain for more than a quarter of a century. Since its formation in 1985, the quartet has embodied creativity and surprises, and is especially known for its electrifying live performances. Join them for a truly special show.
Also known as JTQ, the James Taylor Quartet was founded in 1985 when James Taylor, a Hammond organ player, was looking for a new musical project to replace his former band. Drums, guitar and bass make up the other three pieces of the quartet, while many recordings and live performances feature guest vocalists.
The band became known for their covers of film theme tunes, from 'Blow-Up' (their first single, released in 1987) to 'Mrs Robinson', 'Goldfinger' and 'The Theme from Starsky and Hutch'. James Taylor Quartet songs are almost always a funked-up version of the original, with a fast-paced rhythm and punk-influenced style of playing that leaves plenty of room
for one of James Taylor's virtuoso Hammond organ instrumentals. With a rough, often heavily improvised style, the group became famous for their incredible live performances that turned both songs and genres on their heads to approach dance music.
It's almost impossible to watch the James Taylor Quartet live without getting your groove on - and with so much creative freedom thrown into the mix, you can never be quite sure what you're going to get.
After a brief detour from jazz funk to concentrate on acid jazz in the 1990s - during which time the James Taylor Quartet had a top 40 single and released one of their best ever selling albums, 'In the Hand of the Inevitable' - the band returned to their roots and began releasing more funk and soul-influenced songs. James Taylor Quartet gigs inevitably feature a mixture of cinematic covers and original compositions, with stunning improvisation allowing the two to melt seamlessly into one another. They have worked with Tom Jones, Manic Street Preachers, U2 and The Pogues, made numerous television appearances, and contributed to film soundtracks including 'Austin Powers'. While the output of James Taylor Quartet albums has been prodigious, 2018 saw the group finally realise a long-awaited project when they recorded an orchestral album ('Soundtrack from Electric Black') based on the legacy of great film composers but adding a rougher, more punk-like vibe to proceedings. It was proof that this band is still full of surprises, and just as fresh and creative as they ever were.
Don't miss out on an electrifying performance!
BOOK JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET TICKETS
BIG COUNTRY
Sunday 26th September 2021 - 7pm
20% off your ticket - £23 (previously £29)
“Timeless anthems for a very Big Country…a body of work that
sweeps away the test of time” - Lancashire Evening Post
Big Country perform classic hits and live favourites including Harvest Home - Fields of Fire - In A Big Country - Chance - Wonderland - Look Away - The Teacher, plus many more.
Steeped in a stunning catalogue of proud and stirring hit songs such as ‘Fields of Fire’, ‘Chance’, ‘In A Big Country’ (which sold 2 million), ‘East Of Eden’ and their biggest UK hit ‘Look Away’, along with massive albums such ‘The Seer’, ‘Steeltown’, ‘Peace In Our Time’ and the triple Grammy –nominated, ‘The Crossing’, Big Country continue to look beyond the next horizon.
The Band:
Bruce Watson (guitars/vocals); Mark Brzezicki (drums, vocals); Jamie Watson (guitars/vocals) will be augmented on stage by singer/guitarist Simon Hough and bassist Scott Whitley.
Formed in 1981 by guitar playing founder members, the late Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson, both native of the band’s hometown Dunfermline in Scotland. Initially driven by a shared vision of widescreen guitar melody, harmony and lyric, the classic Big Country sound was further enhanced later that summer by the arrival of drummer Mark Brzezicki and bass player Tony Butler. This is the Big Country that (with Producer Steve Lillywhite), recorded the classic debut album ‘The Crossing’ in 1983.
The band broke massively worldwide with the release of the album’s classic singles ‘Fields Of Fire’, ‘Chance’ and signature song ‘In A Big Country’, which went on to become massive worldwide hits, selling over 2 million copies and driving ‘The Crossing’ to 3 prestigious Grammy nominations in the USA.
The run of success continued throughout the 1980s with the release of the anthemic single ‘Wonderland’ and the second album ‘Steeltown’ (1984), which debuted at Number 1 in the UK and contained the hit singles ‘East Of Eden, ‘Just a Shadow’ and ‘Where The Rose Is Sown’.
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