Gaurav Singh, Author at North West End UK

Scaramouche Jones or the Seven White Masks – Wilton Music Hall

17Jun

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Scaramouche Jones or the Seven White Masks – Wilton Music Hall

“50 years to make the clown. 50 years to play the clown.” This closing remark, delivered by the centenarian clown Scaramouche as he waits for the clock to strike midnight and usher in the new millennium, is perhaps the closest to capturing the essence of this astonishing odyssey of the 20th century. Scaramouche Jones or the Seven White Masks recounts the extraordinary life of a man’s journey through crumbling empires, comic misadventures, dark episodes and tragic discoveries on a quest to understand why he is who he is. From tales of his birth in slim alleys of Trinidad and his escapades on the busy streets of Milan, to the haunting memories of concentration camps in Eastern Europe and the exhilaration of finally being on English soil, this text not only gives us a glimpse into what wen...

Psychodrama – Never for Ever, Kentish Town

14Jun

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Psychodrama – Never for Ever, Kentish Town

Psychodrama is a gripping one-person show about an ageing actress under investigation for the murder of an auteur theatre director. Written and directed by Matt Wilkinson, and performed by Emily Bruni, this 70-minute long monologue presents a sharp, incisive take on the cut-throat nature of show business and the toll it takes on the lives of those who choose to be in it. Through the eyes of its titular character, a middle-aged actress on the brink of being forgotten, we are introduced to the everyday realities of a creative struggling in an overly competitive industry – a dead-end job that demands more energy than what it deserves, the frustration of maintaining relationships that don’t actually serve you, the occasional self-indulgent purchases that remind you of just how broke you are...

8Jun

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

REVIEWS

Theatre For Two – We Are Kilter

Theatre for Two is a new interactive experience by collaborative theatre company We Are Kilter. Consisting of an anthology of four micro plays that are part-scripted and part-improvised, the show invites the audience to interact with the performers and shape the story as they play out. Centered around the themes of isolation and loneliness, the show relies on direct audience address and an innovative stage design to create a warm and intimate experience for, as the name suggests, two audience members at a time, which makes it an excellent choice for a date night or, as I experienced it, a lovely night out alone when you are simply tired of staring at screens craving some human connection. Each of the four 10-12 minute pieces are written by different writers, namely ‘Reptile’ by Macadie ...

The Death of A Black Man – Hampstead Theatre

5Jun

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

The Death of A Black Man – Hampstead Theatre

In 1975, The Death of a Black Man by Aflred Fogan made its premiere at the Hampstead Theatre. 46 years later, the darkly compelling drama makes a return to its Main House as part of an effort to remember, and celebrate, a range of plays from every era of Hampstead’s history. Directed by Dawn Walton and starring Natalie Simpson, Toyin Omari-Kinch and Nickcolia King-N’da, this show captures the trials and tribulations of young working class Black British citizens as they set out to carve a future for themselves and the limits to which they’ll go in order to succeed. At the centre of the story is a flat in Chelsea, London where we meet Shakie, played by King-N’da, an 18-year old entrepreneur whose business of selling African art and handicraft items (which are actually sourced locally from...

4Jun

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

The Money – County Hall

If you only had sixty minutes to make a potentially life-changing decision with a group of strangers you’ve never met before, what do you think could happen? Would you keep your nerves and follow a logical and rational decision-making process or allow yourself to be swayed by the emotion and energy of the room? And what happens when you know you’re being watched? No, these aren’t hypothetical questions asked in a job interview (those are nerve-wracking as it is) but the central dilemma of an interactive theatre piece called ‘The Money’ by Exeter-based production studio Kaleider. This show invites you, the audience, to be in-charge of deciding how to spend a briefcase full of money (amounting to GBP £240 at the start of the night) along with a group of other strangers. Presented at th...

22May

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Harm – Bush Theatre

Harm is a one-woman show, written by Phoebe Eclair-Powell and produced by the Bush Theatre, which explores the fickle nature of human relationships in the backdrop of social media obsession and the ends to which one would go to attain the #blessed life. Commissioned with the support of the UK Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, the show is a thrilling and sharp-witted commentary on the effects of social media and isolation. It was staged live at the Holloway Theatre which serves as the Bush's main space with all social distancing protocols being followed — reduced seating, separate entry points, mask on policy unless exempt – which was reassuring. At the centre of Harm is an unhappy estate agent, played by Kelly Gough, who finds herself stuck in a dead-end job with little to look forwar...

Hugs, Tears & Replacement Bus Services – Nod At The Fox

15Apr

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

REVIEWS

Hugs, Tears & Replacement Bus Services – Nod At The Fox

Hugs, Tears and Replacement Bus Services is an 18-minute long binaural listening experience that invites you to sit back and immerse yourself in a fantastical bus ride to an unknown destination. Created by Nod At The Fox, which is an emerging theatre company whose artistic practice brings together puppetry and audio storytelling, the show is being staged at the Living Roots Micro Festival, which is a showcase of seven seed digital arts commissions including binaural poetry, soundscapes, narrative shorts and a digital art gallery. In this experience, you find yourself following the voice of a man who is returning back home after a late night out with friends. However he seems to have missed the last train of the night, and instead, has to take a replacement bus service back home. Here he...