Gemma Prince, Author at North West End UK

19Nov

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

Little Women The Musical – Park Theatre

Little Women, Louisa May Alcott’s semi-autobiographical tale has been brought to life in this charming musical adaptation. The show first opened on Broadway in 2005, starring Sutton Foster and has been revived by Bronagh Lagan’s adaptation at the Park Theatre in London. The show stays somewhat faithful to the novel, following the lives of the four March sisters, Jo (Lydia White), Meg (Hana Ichijo), Beth (Anastasia Martin) and Amy (Mary Moore) who live in Massachusetts with their mother whilst their father is away as a chaplain during the Civil War. Alcott’s narrative, with all its nuances and details, is quite a difficult story to replicate especially in a musical structure, which emerges in this adaptation. Designed by Nik Corrall, the set was stripped down and simple, yet worked we...

3Nov

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

SIX – Vaudeville Theatre

SIX, the feminist pop musical written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, which has taken the world by storm, has reopened at the Vaudeville Theatre. SIX focuses on the wives of King Henry VIII, Catherine, Anne, Jane, Anne, Katherine and Catherine giving them the mic to tell their stories as a powerful girl group. The six women sing their hearts out about their shared experience being married to the monarch, arguing who had the worst time in a pop princess-inspired musical contest. Dressed in glittering Tudor-style outfits, each queen had their own opportunity to shine with solos inspired by modern musical stars and shine they certainly did. From emotional power ballads to head-bopping R&B tracks, SIX masterfully conquers a plethora of genres whilst re-imagining history in a fresh and enj...

15Oct

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

SKANK – Pleasance Theatre

After a sellout Edinburgh Fringe run, The Times Critics Choice comedy drama SKANK returns to the stage at the Pleasance Theatre in London. Written and performed by Clementine Bogg-Hargroves and directed by Zoey Barnes, SKANK explores the life of Kate, a young woman just trying to get through life whilst battling anxiety and insecurities. The one-woman show explores sex, worries, job dissatisfaction and health concerns in a fifty-five-minute performance. Bogg-Hargroves truly commands the stage as Kate, as she struggles to make sense of the world around her. Feeling completely lost at her boring temp job with hopes of pursuing writing, Kate uses sex, partying and recycling to try and keep her worries at bay. The representation of the crippling impact that anxieties can have weaves through...

26Sep

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

The Great Gatsby – Immersive LDN

The Great Gatsby, London’s longest-running immersive show directed by Alexander Wright, is a stage adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s classic 1925 novel of the same name is back with a bang. The show is set in Gatsby’s extravagant mansion, envisioned by Casey Jay Andrews, its lavish art-deco design and dim speakeasy lighting created the perfect setting to transport you back in time for an evening. Most of the action and the dancing happened in the main space whilst characters led crowds of audience members into smaller rooms for more intimate moments. Each room was meticulously decorated, from Daisy’s dazzling dressing room with an enviable collection of pretty dresses to Gatsby’s ominous oak-panelled library, all the details were extraordinary and really added to the opulent ‘20s ch...

8Sep

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

Waitress – New Wimbledon Theatre

After a premature West End closure due to the pandemic, Waitress, the smash-hit musical comedy written by Sara Bareilles is opening up (again), kicking off its UK tour at the New Wimbledon Theatre. Based on Adrienne Shelley’s cult film of the same name, the show tells the story of Jenna, a talented pie-baking waitress with a big heart whose life unexpectedly changes when a new doctor arrives in town. Several cast members from its West End run have returned to reprise their roles, most notably Lucie Jones who plays the lead, Jenna. From her debut in 2019 to coming back after the show’s closure, Jones has grown in leaps and bounds in her portrayal of Jenna. From her beautiful rendition of ‘What Baking Can Do’ to the incredibly emotional ‘She Used to Be Mine’ which received a well-earned s...

18Aug

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

Wild Waxflower – Camden Fringe

Part of this year’s Camden Fringe Festival and the debut play of No Salad Productions, Wild Waxflower explores the trials and tribulations of a young woman’s first night working at an adult entertainment club. Written and starring Siane Faye, the digital performance follows her journey from the changing rooms to the stage, exploring themes of sexuality, identity and religion. Although a short one-woman piece, Faye certainly commands attention with her stellar performance as this young female character and her inner battle as she decides to step into the world of adult entertainment. There is a lack of dialogue, particularly in the first 10 minutes, yet Faye’s portrays the character’s emotional conflict with just her facial expressions extremely well. Set within a quiet alleyway in Lo...

Corona Cutie: A Digital Quest for Love – Edinburgh Fringe

14Aug

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

Scotland

Corona Cutie: A Digital Quest for Love – Edinburgh Fringe

Part of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Corona Cutie tells the story of Claire who longs to be part of a fictional reality she cannot have and believes her problems can be solved by love. Claire is a hopeless romantic living in New York City who dreams of finding someone during the COVID-19 pandemic and decides to try online dating. Written and composed by Lucy Gellar, the songs are funny, catchy and entertaining. Annika Hoseth delivers a relatable yet sweet performance as the slightly awkward Claire as she attempts virtual dating whilst on a journey of self-discovery. Hoseth portrayal of the aimlessness and frustration of online dating during the pandemic through Claire is certainly relatable especially in “Whatever I Say” which delves into the pressure of creating the perfect bio. Ri...

21Jul

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

Hairspray – London Coliseum

Re-opening at one of London’s biggest theatres, the Coliseum, the West End revival of multi-award-winning musical Hairspray, set in the 1960s, tells the story of young girl Tracy Turnblad who strives to challenge racial discrimination on her favourite TV show. Following theatre’s highly anticipated return to full capacity after over a year of struggles, from the opening number “Good Morning Baltimore” this talented cast truly delivered an exceptional fun-filled evening as if nothing had changed. Jerry Mitchell’s high-energy choreography, David Rockwell’s eye-catching set and William Ivey Long’s colourful costumes offered a warm welcome back to live performance that the industry truly deserved. By the end of the final number “You Can’t Stop The Beat” everyone was dancing and singing i...

7Jul

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

Shoes to Fill – Iris Theatre

Part of the Iris Theatre’s Summer Festival at the Actor’s Church, Fair Play Production’s Shoes to Fill is a story of celebration, exploring mixed-race identity and the coming together of two different cultures. Written and performed by Tanya Bridgeman and directed by Alex Miller, the one-woman play mixes elements of spoken word, music, and multi-rolling in a lyrical journey of self-discovery and realisations. Despite the unfortunate weather that plagued the outdoor setting, Bridgeman was able to truly command attention with her high-energy performance as ‘Granddaughter’, a young woman struggling to find herself. Flitting between her Bajan grandmother’s memories of Barbados, her present inner conflict with her growing self-doubt and her Irish grandmother’s advice, Bridgeman’s performance...

5Jun

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

South East

MNQUMA – Brighton Fringe

Xolisile Bongwana’s MNQUMA tells the story of a man on a quest to reconnect with his roots and reclaim the legacy of his ancestors whilst discovering his own identity. We see Bongwana express his thoughts and feelings on this journey through the traditional dance forms of Xhosa and Bhaca. With music compositions by Bongwana himself alongside Elvis Sibeko and No-Finish Dywili, the songs felt personal, Bongwana’s voice blending seamlessly with every note from start to finish. Bongwana delivers an emotional performance, his inner conflict is palpable in his dancing and singing as he struggles to battle with himself. He gives an especially stellar performance as he undergoes his transformation from boy to man, seemingly experiencing a lot of challenges on the way. The set has been...