Carole Gordon, Author at North West End UK

12May

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

As You Like It – Wilton’s Music Hall

As You Like It, thought to have been written in 1599, was historically never one of Shakespeare's most popular pieces, his tortured kings and princes apparently preferred by audiences and critics over his frolicksome pastorals. It has come to the fore in more recent years with multiple adaptations on stage, screen and even radio. Northern Broadsides' production focuses on the power of love coupled with the force of nature to change the world. So "All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players". Duke Frederick has exiled his older brother, Duke Senior, to usurp his duchy. Duke Senior's daughter, Rosalind, was permitted to remain in court but is then likewise exiled for reasons which are never entirely clear. She leaves with her cousin, Celia, and they disguise thems...

18Apr

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Scandaltown – Lyric Hammersmith

Mike Bartlett's Scandaltown is contemporary London writ very large - big, crass, rollicking London as Restoration comedy. As Cromwell banned theatre in the 17th Century, and Covid managed to do the same in the 21st, both led to a restoration of theatre to (hopefully) their former glory. In Scandaltown there are debauched parties, lies, social media manipulation and cancel culture putting the reputation and power of London's political and social elite at stake. So, it's just about as topical as it gets. The story centres on the thoroughly woke Phoebe Virtue who, when she hears news (on Instagram of course) that her twin brother Jack is up to no good in London, she heads to town to find and save him. In true comedy fashion, she disguises herself as a man and persuades Jenny, Freddie an...

The Marriage Of Alice B Toklas by Gertrude Stein – Jermyn Street Theatre

27Mar

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

The Marriage Of Alice B Toklas by Gertrude Stein – Jermyn Street Theatre

Everything about Edward Einhorn's "The Marriage of Alice B Toklas by Gertrude Stein" is an enigma. Is it comedy, tragedy, tragi-comedy? Farce? All of the above? It's a play within a play within a play in which everyone (audience included) has been invited to the wedding of Gertrude and Alice. The circles in which the two literary superstars of their time moved means that their guest list includes those who are regulars at their Paris salon. There is Picasso (along with one of his wives and two of his mistresses), T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, Ezra Pound, and the less-than-welcome Ernest Hemingway who turns up uninvited with his wife and a matador pal. With such exalted company, the conversation naturally revolves about the nature of art, genius, fame, sex and love. Love is certainly...

Figs in Wigs: Little Wimmin – Southbank Centre

14Mar

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Figs in Wigs: Little Wimmin – Southbank Centre

Pitched somewhere between anarchic performance art and chaotic high-concept mockery of theatrical and literary analysis, the Figs in Wigs' satirical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" veers from Greek chorus, avant-garde dance to groan-ful puns and visual humour. Alcott's work, given an unnecessarily deep and pretentious analysis of the text can, the Figs suggest with tongues stuck firmly in cheeks, be linked to climate change, astrology, the future of humankind and the patriarchy. And cocktails. The five Figs in Wigs (Alice Roots, Sarah Moore, Suzanna Hurst, Rachel Gammon and Rachel Porter), rounding out the Southbank's Women of the World Festival in recognition of International Women's Day, give the show their all in their various roles, with impeccable chore...

The Merchant of Venice – Shakespeare’s Globe

3Mar

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

The Merchant of Venice – Shakespeare’s Globe

The current rise of antisemitism around the world gives extra resonance and relevance to Shakespeare's 16th Century play on usury, religious conflict, revenge and the manipulation of justice. Abigail Graham's direction packs a serious punch, with a stellar cast who draw out every nuance of the text. The claustrophobic atmosphere of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is brilliantly heightened in this beautiful candlelit production set in the present day, but which could relate to any era. Young Bassanio is a spendthrift and hedonist, partying with his buddies and going through money as though there's no tomorrow. Needing cash to pursue his wooing of the rich heiress, Portia, he turns to his friend, the merchant, Antonio, who has bailed him out previously. Antonio agrees and asks Shylock, ...

9Feb

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Blood Brothers – New Wimbledon Theatre

Willy Russell's Blood Brothers is back and it's back with a bang. In the 40 years since the show was first performed in Liverpool, Blood Brothers has garnered global acclaim and success. The themes are broad - the class divide, nature versus nurture, poverty, friendship, sibling rivalry, family relationships. Twins Mickey and Eddie are born to working class mother Mrs Johnstone, already a mother of five, who is struggling to feed and clothe them all. Living on the "never-never", she has bailiffs at the door, so in the depths of her despair, she agrees to give up one of the new-borns to the wealthy Mrs Lyons who has been unable to have children. Mrs Lyons has one major condition in this arrangement; the boys must never find out that they are brothers. As the tale unfolds of the ...

Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story – Jermyn Street Theatre

20Jan

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story – Jermyn Street Theatre

Stephen Dolginoff's musical dramatisation of the story of so-called "thrill killers" Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb has been produced over 200 times in 22 countries since its opening off-Broadway in 2005. The horrible appeal of such stories is evident: dark, unsettling, gripping tales of narcissism, passion and the underlying and enduring enigma of "why". What led these two smart young men from wealthy Chicago families, both with ambitions to go into the law, to kidnap 14-year-old Bobby Franks in 1924, kill him, hide the body then attempt to extort money from his parents? The case was dubbed "The Crime of the Century" and went on to be used as the basis for several movies including Rope, Murder By Numbers and Compulsion. Dolginoff's two-hander focuses on the twisted sexual dynamic betw...

22Dec

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Julie Madly Deeply – Park Theatre

Dame Julie Andrews is one of the few genuine British theatre icons, beloved by millions the world over, and with a career spanning seven decades. One of those fans - a mega-fan in fact - is Sarah-Louise Young, who in this funny, affectionate and joyful tribute celebrates the life and work of the woman everyone knows as Mary Poppins or Maria von Trapp. Young may have written a fan letter to Andrews when she was a child, but she avoids simply gushing about the highs of Julie Andrews' career, also presenting the other side of her life, the failed marriage, the casting of Audrey Hepburn in the film of My Fair Lady despite Andrews' stage triumph in the role, the 15-year low point and lack of work after her topless appearance in second husband Blake Edwards' movie, S.O.B., the devastating ...

8Dec

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Algorithms – Soho Theatre

Every so often you come across a show that is pure theatrical brilliance. Witty, hilarious, sad, relatable and performed with delicious tragicomic timing, Sadie Clark's "Algorithms" is quite simply one of the best shows of 2021. It's not surprising that the play had a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019 and went on to win the TV Foundation's 'Stage to Screen' New Voice Award in 2020. Brooke is facing the milestone of her 30th birthday amid the debris of the sudden failure of her relationship, leaving her with nothing but Amira's dying succulents. She wants and desperately needs a new person in her life - hopefully hooking up before her birthday party so she can show her mother she has a date - and uses the services of the online dating company she works for as...

28Nov

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Aladdin – Lyric Hammersmith

Panto's resurgence in recent years has brought new attention to a format which often is a child's introduction to live theatre. Vikki Stone's re-imagining of the traditional Aladdin keeps the plot (well, not that there is much plot and what there is makes little sense) and brings in modern elements of beatboxing, references to TikTok, current politics and celebrity gossip. The leads wear tracksuits, the princess is feisty and unwilling to be married off to just anyone or at all but the villain is still evil and the good guys win in the end. The show starts with a song about how they all know they are just pretending because they are in panto. The audience does already know that, obviously, but it's a very on-the-nose statement to start by challenging the high level of suspen...