Danielle Farrow, Author at North West End UK

OSCAR at the Crown – Assembly George Square Gardens

17Aug

By Danielle FarrowNo Comments

Scotland

OSCAR at the Crown – Assembly George Square Gardens

Looking for a fun time, high energy performances, catchy music and something that might have an intriguing concept, but you’re not really invested in what it is? Then check out ‘OSCAR at the Crown’ and enjoy the party! There is plenty to dance along to, laugh along with and yes, there is some depth here to ponder should you so wish. Philosophically, this show touches on identity, presentation, life choices and truthful expression, with a lens of pop culture and party fever, culminating in a beautiful way of questioning its central icon. Oscar Wilde is suitably a flamboyant figure, full of wit and charm, but what we learn of him is given in potted history, and the show could easily be built on any number of iconic / celebrity figures who have met with tragedy after adulation. Ther...

15Aug

By Danielle FarrowNo Comments

Scotland

Ophelia – Greenside @ Riddles Court

Do women still need to fight for space simply to be? As uncomfortable as it is to watch a woman always holding back, are we willing to see her rage? I recommend watching Bristol University Spotlights’ ‘Ophelia’ to help answer such questions with their play based on Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ but very much set in the world of a modern Ophelia. This is a world where we don’t quite learn how Hamlet would come to kill Ophelia’s father, but that is actually in keeping with it being Ophelia’s story and with the narrowness of the space within which she is confined. The play is particularly strong at the start, revealing the young protagonist’s mind: very real, very relatable. Her meeting with Hamlet beautifully demonstrates why she is attracted to him and why he can take such possession of ...

15Aug

By Danielle FarrowNo Comments

Scotland

The Messenger – Assembly Roxy

Motion. Emotion. Toilet Humour. This masked physical theatre play grabs from the start and we soon see the stakes are high. An imperial figure initiates the process for A Mission, where someone is endowed with the ability to carry this out through the bestowing of a special hat, accompanied by rousing adventure music. Costume is of the Korean Joseon period, but we quickly follow this new Messenger into the modern world, and there the fun begins. Hangings allow the set to swiftly change from neutral to a photographer’s studio / home. Different characters are strongly depicted, from an old photographer and the ill wife to whom he is devoted, to various amusing customers - including a dog - wedding planners, and, of course, the mysterious Messenger. The focus is on the relatio...

Shakespeare for Breakfast – VENUE C aurora

14Aug

By Danielle FarrowNo Comments

Scotland

Shakespeare for Breakfast – VENUE C aurora

Fancy some Love Island Shakespeare? If part of that doesn’t really appeal, fear not - there is plenty of the other to keep you happy! ‘Shakespeare for Breakfast’ has been running for decades and knows how to provide fun entertainment in its mixing of modern pop culture with bardic puns, a good dose of original plot and yes, actual Shakespeare lines, all served with a croissant and beverage (hot or cold, as you prefer). On this occasion, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ plays out within the setting of a reality tv programme for would-be lovers. For those - such as myself - not familiar with that particular form of pop culture, the show still provides plenty of laughs and sometimes you pick up on specific references / tropes through other audience members’ responses. I imagine it works the ...

Hello, The Hell: Othello – Assembly Rooms

14Aug

By Danielle FarrowNo Comments

Scotland

Hello, The Hell: Othello – Assembly Rooms

Love. Murder. Regret. Agony. Love. Murder. Regret. Agony. Love... The repetition of his crime is something Othello fights with every fibre of his being as he faces aeons of punishment in hell. While he is tortured by nightmares, trapped and riddled with pain if he leaves his cage / shrine, Iago somehow roams freely, able to torment him even further. With Desdemona, these antagonists play out scenes of the past and of how Othello wishes to change it. The focused performances are supported by often dramatic music, while costume and lighting colours of red, black, white and gold are striking across a floor of red cloths with just a few hints of white. Knotted hangings form Othello’s cell and other restrictions within the space, completely filled by performers’ movements, which draw on t...

Sheldrake on Shakespeare: Live! – Paradise in The Vault

11Aug

By Danielle FarrowNo Comments

Scotland

Sheldrake on Shakespeare: Live! – Paradise in The Vault

This show does not live up to expectations. The main show information promises ‘anecdote, insight, performance, analysis and laughter’ and the website states there will be ‘live performance of some of Shakespeare’s greatest moments. There weren’t. During the show mention was made of how this piece means getting to play great roles without having to audition. Entertaining moment… no great roles played. No roles played at all. Anecdote, insight, some analysis and some laughter, mostly of the dry chuckle variety, were delivered as James Sheldrake talked about Shakespeare and the ideas he has developed over 8 years of teaching. Sheldrake has some performance experience in Shakespeare plays and the one moment he moved to the back of the stage - a small section of an old Edinburgh vaulted ...

At That Time, Byeon – Greenside @ Nicholson Square

11Aug

By Danielle FarrowNo Comments

Scotland

At That Time, Byeon – Greenside @ Nicholson Square

Ever watched a radio play created on stage? Seeing actors and crew create the sounds of the story is fascinating. Add the techniques of Korean silent films and you can start to imagine the entrancing ability of this black comedy from acclaimed Theatre Haddangse. Set during the Japanese occupation of Korea and apparently based on a real murder, ‘At That Time, Byeon’ presents the case of a maid’s death, closed without the murderer established. There are occasional moments of Korean, always clear in general meaning as well as great to hear - being the performers’ own language - but the production is mostly in English. A troupe of 6 entertainers, decked out in black and white with carefully chosen touches of red, play against a white paper screen, put too fine use, including for proj...

Rosaline and Juliet – Greenside @ Infirmary Street

11Aug

By Danielle FarrowNo Comments

Scotland

Rosaline and Juliet – Greenside @ Infirmary Street

What can you do in 20 minutes? Write a grocery list. Meditate. Take a walk around your neighbourhood. Or… Watch Tale Blazers’ creative and highly entertaining ‘Rosaline and Juliet’. As in Shakespeare’s famous ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Rosaline is Juliet’s cousin (never seen in that play) and the reason Romeo Montague turns up at enemy-family Capulet’s ball where he meets Juliet. Why? Because he was courting Rosaline. Yep, romantic Romeo swaps one cousin for another - and here we see those cousins deal with that, with wit, with real talk and with love. Created and performed by Lara Lawman and Lily Roberts, Ju and Ros are brought to modern life, despite their 16th century setting within Juliet’s bedchamber. Two screens serve to create her window, famous for ‘the balcony scene’ i...