CityLife

Corrie!

Corrie!
Palace Theatre
April 4, 2011

Fans of Britain’s popular soap, as well as members of the cast of Coronation Street, turned out in force to support Corrie!, winner of the Special Entertainment Award in the Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards.

This theatrical evocation of the soap was written to celebrate its 50th anniversary by another MEN Theatre Award winner, playwright Jonathan Harvey. At one time a script-writer for The Street, responsible for over 100 episodes, Harvey has written an affectionate comedy based on five decades of some of Corrie’s most famous story-lines.

Premiered last year at The Lowry, all those disappointed they couldn’t get tickets will be delighted to know that it’s found a new home in the Palace Theatre.

Is it worth seeing again and is it exactly the same show? Well two members of the original brilliant cast, Leanne Best and Simon Chadwick, remain but as well as four new members there are some additional scenes, including the tram crash.

There’s also a glamorous new narrator in Sherrie Hewson, who first appeared in Weatherfield in 1993 as madcap Maureen Naylor. As narrator, she was the victim of some first night sound problems which will no doubt be resolved.

The hard-working cast resurrect, however briefly, beloved characters like Ena Sharples, Hilda Ogden and Elsie Tanner among 55 regulars.

The audience recognised every punchline and enthusiastically applauded the Blackpool tram, as well as the innovative canal boat.

A feast for Corrie fans and it still made me laugh second time around.

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