Gaurav Singh, Author at North West End UK

8Sep

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

The Woman in Black – Fortune Theatre

Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s best-selling novel returns to the West End with a special reopening at the Fortune Theatre. For director Robin Herford, the project was inspired by an innate urge to mount grandiose artistic output using scarce resources, an endeavour which led him to approach his friend, the late Stephen Malattrat, to adapt Hill’s story with a dozen odd characters into a brisk two-hander play. The show premiered in 1987 at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough and transferred to London a year later, playing at the Lyric Theatre, Strand, the Playhouse and finally moved to the Fortune, where it’s been on for over thirty years. Whereas the original plot of the novel focuses on the everyday happenings and conversations in a small English town haunted by a...

Alcina: Grimeborn Opera Festival – Arcola Outside

26Aug

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Alcina: Grimeborn Opera Festival – Arcola Outside

Now in its 14th year, the Grimeborn Opera Festival returns at the Arcola Theatre’s new outdoor space, Arcola Outside. Almost a year and a half after the act of singing was largely prohibited due to the pandemic, Arcola Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen felt thrilled to host the Grimeborn programme in their new and safe outdoor theatre. In its fourth outing at the festival, London-based Ensemble OrQuesta returns with a contemporary treatment of Handel’s compelling opera of desire, power and rage. Written in the 18th century by the German-British Baroque composer, the opera seria's story was originally taken from Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando furioso. The original story is set in enchantress Alcina’s island where she rules a magnificent palace full of former lovers and muses that she’s lured un...

19Aug

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Tell Me Straight – King’s Head Theatre

Tell Me Straight is a new two-hander play written by Paul Bradshaw about a gay man on a path to self-improvement. Staged as part of the Queer Season at the King’s Head Theatre, the show is produced by Gartland Productions and directed by Imogen Hudson-Clayton. With inimitable performances and quick-witted dialogues, the audience witnesses the many layers to dating in the modern age and how our relationships with our sexuality, identity and self-worth are far more intertwined than what we perceive. The lead character, played by Bradshaw, has set himself a solid 30-day plan to bring order back to his life – no booze, no fast food and most importantly, no more random hookups. His friend Dani (voiced by Stephanie Levi-John), whose disembodied presence is manifested through funny voice...

17Aug

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Fester – The Cockpit

Fester is a new devised physical theatre performance based on the story of Gretchen from Goethe's Faust. Produced by Halfpace Theatre, a new company dedicated to new work and devised theatre created by artists of underrepresented backgrounds, the show was performed at the Cockpit Theatre during the Camden Fringe. Devised by a majority migrant and marginalized gender team with Megan Brewer’s direction and Daria Vasko’s design, the show offers a playful and powerful reinterpretation of Goethe’s seminal work told through the lens of its titular female character, Gretchen. With strong performances by the ensemble and an intriguing design, this show leaves us with many reflections about the representation of marginalized individuals by drawing our attention towards the character of Gretchen and...

Changing Sheets – The Playground Theatre

16Aug

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Changing Sheets – The Playground Theatre

Changing Sheets is a new two-hander romantic comedy about the complexities of modern relationships written by Harry Butler. Developed at The Playground Theatre and directed by its artistic director Anthony Biggs, the story takes us through a series of encounters between Patti (Máiréad Tyers) and Robert (Harry Butler) who meet over a series of Tinder dates. The script touches upon the loneliness, confusion and self-doubt that comes with hookups, where partners have mismatched expectations and boundaries. Through awkward run-ins, friendly banter and unassuming pillow talk, Patti and Robert navigate their feelings for each other. Interestingly, the design of the show calls for an empty stage with minimal movements and no props. The romantic action and intimacy referenced in the text are never...

The Emoji Project – The Hen & Chickens Theatre

16Aug

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

The Emoji Project – The Hen & Chickens Theatre

If there’s one thing that has dominated digital communications for the last 10 years, it has to be the little animated icons and hieroglyphs that have now carved out an entire subculture of their own. It’s hard to deny the overwhelming presence and impact of emojis (or emoticons) on our day to day lives, filling the important emotional cues that would otherwise be missing from our typed conversations. Their rapid growth and ever-evolving nature as a digital language are at the heart of The Emoji Project, an anthology of new writing staged by Distracted Rat, a writing company whose work intersects radio, film and theatre. Consisting of pocket-sized pieces and scenes that span the absurd and the political, the show has been assembled by a team of creatives ranging from 11 to 75 years of a...

2:22 A Ghost Story – Noel Coward Theatre

13Aug

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

2:22 A Ghost Story – Noel Coward Theatre

If there was one thing that nearly all of us have experienced together (apart from living through a global pandemic of course), it'll have to be hearing strange noises at night (and jumping to absurd conclusions almost immediately!). In Danny Robins’ new play ‘2:22 A Ghost Story’, we witness a group of friends investigate the source of strange noises that can be heard in their house at 2:22 am every night, trying to ascertain if it’s just an elaborate hoax conjured by chance or a genuine occurrence that seemingly defies reason and logic. Directed by Matthew Dunster, this is one show that keeps you on the edge of your seat with its spellbinding production and design elements, as well as strong performances by the ensemble. The story concerns the lives of Jenny (Lily Allen) and Sam (Hadle...

5Aug

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

All That – King’s Head Theatre

All That is a deliciously funny and heart-warming take on how convoluted modern relationships can get when their very foundation is threatened. Written by Shaun Kitchener (Hollyoaks, Positive) and directed by James Callàs Ball, this production at the King’s Head Theatre, staged as part of their popular Queer Season, is a delightful watch. Through the lives of four housemates – two couples with wildly different outlooks on life – we witness a hilarious evening of misunderstandings, confessions and secrets unfurl as they try to salvage the lives they’ve built together. The show additionally explores themes of love, sex, monogamy and the fallacy of the “right” way for LGBTQ+ couples to manifest their relationships in the public eye. At the centre of the drama is a decision made by suburban...

1Aug

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Changing Destiny – Young Vic

As I enter the Main House Theatre at the Young Vic, there is a strange sense of ‘community’ that starts building up inside me. Perhaps it’s the in-the-round seating that is oddly reminiscent of being gathered around a campfire or simply, the lively atmosphere full of hushed conversations and exchanges as we return to full capacity audiences in the theatres. Tonight, The Young Vic mounts a new age retelling of a 4000-year-old poem from ancient Egyptian literature, based on the adventures of warrior king Sinuhe. Written by Ben Okri and directed by Young Vic’s artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah, Changing Destiny is a wonderfully crafted ode to resilience, identity and belonging that not only breathes fresh life into the literature that inspired it, but also raises larger questions around the ...

31Jul

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

My Night With Reg – Turbine Theatre

Kevin Elyotand’s 1994 comedy ‘My Night With Reg’ is a heartwarming exploration of the lives of a group of friends set against the backdrop of a mounting AIDS crisis. Winning an Olivier Award for Best Comedy after its transfer to the West End's Criterion Theatre in its original run, this revival directed by Matt Ryan is an ambitious attempt to capture the fragile lives of the gay community in the 80s as personal insecurities and anxieties quickly gave way to a larger question about their legacy and mortality. This production by The Turbine Theatre is successful in highlighting some of these dilemmas but is unable to sustain the larger argument put forth by the playwright. The story follows the lives of 30-something men, some friends and others mere acquaintances, over a period of several...