Alice Rose, Author at North West End UK

10Mar

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

The Duchess of Malfi – Globe Theatre

For the Sam Wanamaker’s 10th anniversary season, we are treated to John Webster’s Duchess of Malfi. This beautifully clear and impactful performance modernised the themes to highlight the sexism and misogyny of men in power, lit only by candlelight and at one point plunged into darkness completely. We follow this tale with huge anticipation and energy: Francesca Mills as Duchess lights the stage with incredible generosity and spirit as she takes on this ‘young Widow’ to discover her new love in life. Passionate to find romance herself and not on her brother’s command. Her twin Ferdinand (Oliver Johnstone) shares the deepest connection with her and yet betrays her so suddenly when discovering her pregnancy. His rage from losing control of her sends him mindless and he loses his sanity. The ...

The Hills of California – Harold Pinter Theatre

10Feb

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

The Hills of California – Harold Pinter Theatre

Jez Butterworth graces us with another play with depth and wonder, beautifully directed by Sam Mendes. The play currently resides at Harold Pinter Theatre in which the world is clear and grand as we walk into a house with a huge staircase, old wooden design and a little bar filled with very old alcohol. The staircase seems like it goes up and on forever, set in a hotel in the 80s which once in the past housed very many visitors but always 4 young girls and their mother. We switch from present day to past, now the mother is dying, the girls all await their eldest sister Joan to come say goodbye. In the past we watch the mother run the home, military style as the girls practice their singing and dancing with the biggest dreams of making it to the London Palladium. Their mother also, pushing ...

26Jan

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Forgiving (my mother) – The Glitch

Performed in a small space at The Glitch, this devised performance was an intimate piece set in a ‘rehearsal room’ with two actors practicing a scene with two sisters discussing their mother who had recently had a fight with them. It is as if we are with them and apart of the creative process as their character’s adapt and shape a scene of a play they’re rehearsing. The performance will stop as one actor will question why this line is here, whether that would be a true response and how thoughtless the mother seemed to be. They lead discussions about theatre and its reason, the purpose of understanding our own trauma and the hilarity of being apart of an opinion but one’s only contribution is writing a play and moving on from it. The actors are really in their element here, shaping this tex...

18Jan

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Cowbois – Royal Court

This is my desert island show. It’s only January and I’ve discovered the best play of 2024. Charlie Josephine (writer and co-director) finds a very welcoming new home in the Royal Court after their run before Christmas in Stratford-upon-Avon. We explore the Wild West, a struggling town after the ‘husbands’ of the town go off in search for gold and more supplies. The ‘Wives’ are left waiting but in hearing news of a nearby explosion, hold no hope in their return. Miss Lillian (Sophie Melville) holds the bar while her husband is away- praying every morning for his return when news of the famous criminal ‘Jack’ (Vinnie Heaven) is on route to town. What unfolds is a beautiful release between two people finding their joy, passion and reason to feeling happy and being alive. This town is t...

8Nov

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Phantasmagoria – Southwark Playhouse

An activist and politician meet in a forest guest house, here they partake in a closed debate ran by Jai (Antony Bunsee) who wishes to relaunch his career with his new channel following a very anticipated and most likely heated debate between the two. Activist, Mehrosh (Hussina Rama) enters anxiously as she never intended to become as admired as she is and in this has lost control of her security. The politician, Bina (Tania Rodrigues) enters with assistant Scherezade (Ulrika Krishnamurti) confident in her ability to intimidate this young woman until she’s squeezed dry of any lingering confidence she might have left. Bina’s goal is to ‘convert’ Mehrosh from activist to politician through threats to family and the promise of safe security. Mehrosh is disgusted by the fake glamour of politic...

30Oct

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Boy Parts – Soho Theatre

After a huge TikTok following and cult fan group, author Eliza Clark created a fan club for women with rage. The story follows Irina, a photographer who finds art in violence and gore. She chooses her male subjects with exact images in mind, she won’t compromise her desire of ‘perfection’ up until the very last shot. Many reviews compare it to a female ‘American Psycho’ but I would argue we are exploring the endless pit of ‘The Male Gaze’ as women can never quite escape the sexualisation, the ‘pats on the head’ for their fragility- even when she shows the depth of her evil she will never be a threat. Irina is so full of rage that she’s numb. The language in the book is dirty, uncomfortable and this is what excites fans so much because it’s unusual to explore evil women this way and as you ...

21Oct

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Hamnet – Garrick Theatre

Based on the outstanding sell-out book by Maggie O’Farrell, Lolita Chakrabarti adapts the story for the stage under the RSC, which just recently transferred to West End at the Garrick Theatre. This being such a widely known story it is likely to match the book in being a sell-out, however we lose so much of the quality and depth of the characters to perhaps fit the time frame. We are introduced to Agnes (Madeleine Mantock) a young woman in Warwickshire inspired by plants, herbs and natural resources- she meets her new Latin tutor, William (Tom Varey). From there, they fall in love and Agnes falls pregnant out of wedlock. Quickly married and now twins on the way William goes to London to pursue his writing. Although we have moments with William as his career takes off, we stay with the wome...

6Oct

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Shooting Hedda Gabler – Rose Theatre

Jeff James returns to the Rose with another fantastic re-telling of a classic- ‘Shooting Hedda Gabler’ which explores the classic story in a very twisted and modern setting, written and adapted by Nina Segal. Antonia Thomas as Hedda is flown to Oslo to film ‘Hedda Gabler’ and there she meets Henrik (Christian Rubeck) the director with high ambitions and unwavering dedication to getting what he wants out of his actors. Also, on set we meet Berta (Anna Andresen) the AD and possibly the closest character to normality for Hedda as she is pulled into a collapse of self-belief, loss of identity and shame. Henrik believes the separation between actor and character should not exist and therefore creates situations to morph Hedda’s world together: so he hires her Ex to film with her, Ejlert (Avi Na...

10Sep

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Strategic Love Play – Soho Theatre

Dating in this day and age seems to be getting harder and harder, what with less natural ‘bumping into someone’ and more organised ‘meet ups’ with your fingers crossed that a spark lights and then you can finally relax because you’re back on track. ‘Him’ and ‘Her’ (Archie Backhouse and Letty Thomas) find themselves in a pub with two pints and both completely willing to make it work. But it doesn’t, she makes it difficult admitting that she’s unlovable and all she asks is for him to not lie. He, confused then of course lies and says ‘you’re great’ but I think I’m going to leave. Somehow she convinces him to stay. The next hour takes us through a whole evening of deep, truthful conversation ending with a contract of what ‘this’ is. They agree to be like those old couples holding hands, compl...

3Sep

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

As You Like It – Shakespeare’s Globe

Heading back to the Globe for what seems like the last summery evening of Shakespeare this year left me slightly underwhelmed and fidgety. As You Like It directed by Ellen Mcdougall runs with a gender fluid rendition, flouncy costumes filled with frill and colour with flicks of modern song. The classic has been done countless times in the past few years however maybe we have a hit a wall with what else can be done. The cast enter the stage with the unfortunate news that one cast member has fallen ill and an actor will be stepping in with script. I’m devastated to have not caught the name as this wonderful actor breathed a real freshness into the atmosphere that felt drier when they exited. The story itself is relatively easy to grasp as a couple are in love however Rosalind being ban...