The Stoller Hall Manchester: Wind in the Willows & Lucy Rose – Review: June 2019
The Stoller Hall concert venue based in Chetham’s School of Music, is right in the heart of Manchester city centre.
David Threlfall, star of Shameless and direct from the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Don Quixote, performed the central role of Mr Badger in this wonderful Wind in the Willows adaptation by Neil brand with Stephen Threlfall as the conductor.
Neil Brand’s marvellous musical adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s children’s classic, The Wind in the Willows which was originally created as a radio drama by BBC Radio 4, follows the exciting and entertaining tales of Badger, Mole, Rat, Toad and friends.
Classic, charming and a sheer delightfully funny and fantastic delivery, of characterful river tales, trials and tribulations. Plenty of gasps and giggles given even more oomph with live music, talented singers and scripts acted out with love.
An intriguing, interesting and immersive production.
The “UK based chamber ensemble London Concertante regularly performs up to and over one hundred concerts per year, making it the busiest ensemble of its kind in the country. With their numerous recordings reaching great critical acclaim, the ensemble has continually been regarded as one of the finest groups in Europe since its founding in 1991.”
The chosen repertoire of musical melodies for the concert was Mozart, Bach & Vivaldi all performed by Candlelight. Set within Manchester’s beautiful Cathedral, the evening was a breath-taking and mind blowing experience.
The programme included Mozart – Divertimento in F, Albinoni – Oboe Concerto in D minor, Bach – Concerto for Violin & Oboe in C minor, Mozart – Oboe Quartet in F, Vivaldi – “Winter” from the Four Seasons, as well as a few extra delightful pieces, a much-welcomed surprise! Along with solo Oboe and Violin performances which were truly mind-blowing.
Wonderful Weatherfield, a fictional town based on Salford, is the setting for the ITV Coronation Street Soap.
Be streetwise with your foot wear choices, and prepare for a few bumps along the way, on the streets iconic corrie cobbles. Amazing Allan, our lovely tour guide, gave nothing but a smooth performance.
The first glimpse you see the brilliant Bistro, Dev and Sunita Alahan’s convenience store and located at no 10 the Kabin News Agents.
Book yourself onto the Magical mystery Tour and get on board your very own “yellow submarine” for the Ultimate Beatles Fan experience. “She’s got a ticket to ride”…well I definitely did and could not wait.
The Tour has many highlights including the childhood home of Ringo Starr, St Peters Church where John and Paul first met, John Lennon’s childhood home and Former schools and colleges of John, Paul, George and Ringo including the Art College and the Liverpool Institute (now LIPA)
Excitingly, there are four stops, where you can get off the bus, at key Beatles locations and snap away to your hearts content. Walk with the boys (Fab Four Statue located at the docks) to the first of these stops which was Penny Lane.
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