Aditi Dalal, Author at North West End UK

<strong>Evening Conversations – Soho Theatre</strong>

10Nov

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

Evening Conversations – Soho Theatre

A one-woman show has its own stereotypes. Sudha Bhuchar smashes them and many others. But then, some also get reinforced. Bhuchar takes the audience on a journey of her strife and struggle, anchored in conversations had with her sons. She touches upon ideas of mixed identity (for both, her and her sons), being a middle-aged Asian woman in the entertainment industry, intergenerational trauma, the socio-political climates she’s lived through and the current generation’s outlook towards the world and life. These aren’t topics unheard of but what makes it interesting is Bhchar’s performance. She is a fabulous actor, no doubt, and her 39 years of experience clearly reflects in her delivery. She effortlessly reads the room and builds an intimate connection with the audience, making them feel ...

5Oct

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

Dmitry – Marylebone Theatre

The son of the Tsar Ivan IV and heir to the throne has been long dead. A young man emerges in a Polish court claiming to be him, the much-revered Dmitry. Who is this man? What is his genealogy? Could he possibly be Dmitry? What does the Tsarina make of this? How much does his newlywed wife know about who he really is? What will be the fate of the current child heir to the throne be, if this man really was Dmitry? Based on the historical and religious stir this mystery caused in 16th century Russia, Peter Oswal’s Dmitry explores the personal and political conflicts around the identity of this man. Oswald boldly took on the task of completing the play after Friedrich Schiller passed away midway through writing the original manuscript. Artistic Director of Marylebone Theatre, Alexander Giffor...

15Jul

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

Anything Goes – Barbican Theatre

Put together three pairs of (almost) lovers and their muddled relationships, against the backdrop of a grand ship with scintillating choreography and music, and you get a spirited production of Anything Goes. There isn’t very much else to the plot, just a classic case of entangled couples, falling in love and attempting to see it through. But the story is not what the audience comes for. It is the escape into this magical world of a magnificent ship where everyone talks in song and dance, makes silly jokes and enthrals the audience with contagious energy! Cole Porter’s classic masterpiece is back with an award-winning cast including Kerry Ellis as Reno Sweeney, Denis Lawson as Moonface Martin, Simon Callow as Elisha Whitney, Bonnie Langford as Evangeline Harcourt, Samuel Edwards as Bill...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – St Paul’s Church

7Jul

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – St Paul’s Church

Snuggled in the heart of Covent Garden, the garden of St. Paul’s Church makes for a charming site for a Shakespearean rom-com. The setup for this show by Sophia Pardon - flags, lights, banners, flowers and even a pop-up bar serving themed drinks, get the audience to buckle up for a breezy adventure. They can’t buckle up for too long, though, as this promenade performance gets the audience up and moving across several locations through the show. This Shakespeare-meets-90s-high-school adaptation of the beloved play by Sara Aniqah Malik is planned chaos! The basic storyline is the same; lovers entangled in a triangle get further muddled by the intervention of an obnoxious fairy king until some fairy dust again brings them to a happy ending. Was it all a dream just before the school prom? W...

25Jun

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

Sad-Vents – White Bear Theatre

Graphic. Gut-wrenching. Bold. Brave. Vulnerable. Vivacious. Lively. A tad too long. Sad-Vents is an avant garde show combining more traditional storytelling with pop technology, directed by Annie McKenzie. As writer-performer Eleanor Hill shares her experiences with trauma and mental illness, her real and virtual worlds collide, opening up the invitation to the audience to also engage virtually through the show’s Instagram page, @sadventsplay. Confined to a cosy set, designed by Constance Villemot, consisting of a bed, a bit of carpet and belongings strewn about, the show quickly draws the audience into not just the bedroom but also the life (and mind) of Eleanor. The technological integration led by Matt Powell is a fun experiment and adds a layer to the show. The rawness of the per...

9May

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

JV2 2022 – Sadler’s Wells

JV2 2022 is a triple bill of poetry in motion, performed by 16 international dancers from Jasmin Vardimon Company’s Professional Development Diploma. The show presents the fantastic talent of the young performers who use physical language to show the complexities of human lives and societies. ‘Can you hear me now?’ by Mafalda Deville, co-created with the performers, starts off the show with a strong political dance theatre presentation. With terms such as ‘freedom’ and ‘power’ written across their bodies in different languages, the dancers move to the moans and sighs of their own voices. The live vocal sounds merge into recorded echoes, creating an eerie soundscape that draws the audience in. The struggle for freedom, especially freedom of speech, is embodied in the strong and energetic...

30Mar

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

The Other – Drayton Arms Theatre

Packing boxes and walls with scribbles draw the audience into a unique house as they enter. A sentence is written on the walls. It is then spoken aloud. The rest of the show then embodies it. Delicately presented with light moments of interaction with the audience, ‘the other’ is explored in its many forms and feelings. Tracing the journey of a family, as witnessed by the walls of the house they lived in, the show explores their relationships with each other and with their home. As they seek to find a new house, we are taken down memory lane of the bitter and sweet happenings over the years. The nuanced direction of Ariella Stoian brilliantly uses everyday objects to make meaning of people and their emotional journeys. The use of chalk, in particular, is a strong motif. It can be eas...

Who You Are and What You Do – Bread and Roses Theatre

25Mar

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

Who You Are and What You Do – Bread and Roses Theatre

A children’s birthday party-cum-carnival is the vibe the audience gets as they enter a room full of confetti, balloons and streamers. You’re in for a rollercoaster ride of clapping away to Pharrell Williams’s ‘Happy’ before holding your breath as unexpected events unfold, bursting in sprouts of uncomfortable laughter and circling back to a joyful singing of “Happy Birthday.” Written by Hugh Dichmont, the play was the Top three winner of The Bread & Roses Playwriting Award 2019. Opening with an energetic clowning act, the show quickly turns the mood around and dives into darker themes. Five stories, seeking happiness in different ways, unfold part by part as a montage, except they never fully come together. The fragments are played in a different order in each show. They seem general...

5Mar

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

Shedding A Skin – Soho Theatre

When, in the first five minutes of a show, you have both, gone “awww” and burst out loud with laughter, you know you’re in for something special. Amanda Wilkin’s original show journeys through a point in Myah’s life where she is juggling a distressing work environment, a disappointed family and a lack of a love life and a roof over her head. Wilkin chooses, however, to laugh at her circumstances along with the audience, taking a stand-up comedy cum physical theatre approach. Photo: Helen Murray Highlighting sensitive issues in a lighthearted manner requires a nuanced understanding and great storytelling skills, and this writer-performer has both. Wilkin is highly expressive and theatrical yet comes across as authentic. Whether it is the experience of being treated as a mere figure to...

3Mar

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

Boot – Lion & Unicorn

A bright red sofa, comfy carpet and warm amber lighting welcome the audience into Karen’s intimate living room. The first and only guest here is a visibly anxious Emma (Kate O'Rourke), touching up her dress and make-up to possibly hide her internal distress. Enter Karen (Eliza Williams). One nervous energy is met with another awkward one. As the story unfolds, the reason for this tension gets clearer (rather, more complex). The two old friends are (seemingly) meeting each other after a long time but as the story unfolds, we see how intertwined their lives have actually been and how much more consciously connected they are about to be. Dramaturgically, Jen Wooster plays with the different levels of awareness in the room. Karen has information that she is desperate to reveal; Emma knows n...