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Leader Live
19 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Review: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in Chester
With another well-supported crowd, the Grosvenor Park theatre is a fantastic place to enjoy a night of theatre and The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes is the latest to enjoy. Using Storyhouse's in-house team of actors and beyond, the show is a new telling of the famous Arthur Conan Doyle character with Holmes's co-solver of cases now Joanne Watson, know as Jo, who comes from Chester. Jo – played by Alyce Liburd – comes home from that there London after an invite to CrimeCon by a former school friend to talk about the subject of her many books, Holmes (Ethan Reid). Alyce Liburd as Jo Watson in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in Chester. (Image: Mark McNulty.) The whole story is a flashback as Jo is first brought to our attention in the form of a true crime podcast, tapping into the cultural zeitgeist with a touch of Only Murders in the Building thrown in too. While the main man is surprisingly absent, he is soon thrown into the fray by a burglary which leads to a murder and the Duke and Duchess of Westminster. With trips to Liverpool and London covered, and a good ol' punch up in an Irish bar, plus a masked ball and much more, the race is on to unmask who is really pulling the strings. Reid excels as the titular detective, though he forgoes any previous incumbents of the role as his influence, dressing like a 10th doctor David Tennant and solves crimes like Kris Marshall's Humphrey Goodman. Howard Chadwick and Morgan Reid in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in Chester. (Image: Newsquest.) Liburd is less narrator as previous Watsons, more willing participant and she brings that pluckiness and willingness for a fight to the fore, plus a pain alluded to off stage. Reid and Liburd do, however, generate chemistry and a belief that they have been solving crimes for some time, shown mostly through the running Deerstalker hat joke. The play does suffer from a slow start as multiple characters are introduced and my one main criticism is that some of the introductions could be dialled down – they border on stereotypes and I feared for the standard. However, those fears soon faded as the ensemble found its feet thanks to the dynamic of two characters – Holmes and DCI Ray (Howard Chadwick) with the former showing the perfect of level of disdain the Great Detective has for ordinary coppers. The latter steals the show however with his perfect level of 'what is he on about' needed from the boys in blue. Chadwick provides all of the comic relief and doesn't dip once in his task – a fine showing. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in Chester. (Image: Newsquest.) The supporting cast, including Victoria Brazier as a reimagined Mrs Hudson, all work hard to support the central trio. Hannah Baker plays 'hoity toity' very well as the Duchess of Westminster while Morgan Lewis, making his professional debut, also shines. As with 2024's Gangs of New York and The Importance of Being Earnest, the cast are all outstanding musicians with Baker's piano skills the stand-out showing. The second half steps up the peril and the plot to a hugely-satisfactory ending. Would I recommend this show to everyone? Elementary, dear readers. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes runs until August 31 – for more, had to


Belfast Telegraph
an hour ago
- Belfast Telegraph
The Miami Showband Massacre:‘ They tried to wipe out the entire band.'
The Irish showband scene was in full flight, young people were dancing and romancing. The bands, who performed to thousands of people every night, brought a new lease of life both north and south of the border, creating superstars such as Dickie Rock, Big Tom and Joe Dolan. And, at the peak of their prowess was The Miami Showband, a phenomenon so beloved they were affectionately dubbed 'The Irish Beatles'. It seemed as if nothing could go wrong for them. But all that changed on July 31, 1975. Five members of the band were travelling from a gig in Banbridge, Co Down, to Dublin late that night when they were stopped by what they thought was a routine army checkpoint – some of those there were real soldiers, but all were members of the UVF. What transpired shook not just the showband scene, but left a lifelong trauma on the musicians, their families and those who loved them. Tessa Fleming is joined by former Sunday Independent news editor Liam Collins, and Des Lee, surviving member of The Miami Showband and author of 'My Saxophone Saved My Life', as they discuss one of the darkest nights in Irish music history: the Miami Showband Massacre.


Belfast Telegraph
10 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
In pictures: 10,000 people enjoy Ireland's largest céilí event in Belfast
The celebration of song and dance – which has been coined Titanic Ceili – took place at Titanic Slipways, with a host of musicians taking to the main stage. Performers included Belfast's own Róise McHugh with Down Academy Pipes and Drum also performing alongside Kerry trad band Pólca 4. The free event ran from 1–5pm Belfast's Maritime Mile today, as part of Belfast TradFest. The outdoor, family-fun show celebrates the very best in traditional Irish and Scottish music, song and dance. See if you can spot anyone you know enjoying the céilí in our photo gallery above.