Michelle Knight, Author at North West End UK

5Apr

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Fluff – New Wimbledon Theatre

This is a one-woman play and is the first creation from the duo James Piercy and Tayla Kenyon, the founders of Teepee productions. This story focusses on a life afflicted by Alzheimer’s in ways that highlight how this debilitating disease impacts the lives of the people it penetrates. Tayla Kenyon as Fluff herself acts out the story through her many different roles, narrative and dramatisation from birth, school years from young love and boyfriend crush to her adult years as a teacher and a mother. Surrounded by her father for whom she loved dearly, and an Irish mother. Fluff faced challenges of her own as she navigated her way through life. The staging is simplistic, the lightning and projection of pictures amplify the poignancy of how people change and mem...

28Mar

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Summoning Sondheim – The Glitch Theatre

The Queen of Cups presents Summoning Sondheim as part of the relaunch of Vaults before heading to 54 Below in New York in the autumn. Co written by Grace O’Keefe {best newcomer at Musical Comedy Awards 24) she has created a two woman show that centres around Stephen Sondheim the American composer and lyricist. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential people in the 21st C of musical theatre. The staging is intimate and minimal seating, the set is focussed on the candle lit alter placed in the centre of the room, the purpose being to attract the spirit of Sondheim. A séance, a place of worship to the great composer in the hope that he comes back to offer guidance and wise words to ‘Grace’ an inspiring writer who someday wants to become herself a renowned female scriptwr...

The Lightening Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical – The Other Palace

23Mar

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

The Lightening Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical – The Other Palace

This musical began as a 60 minute Off-Broadway production in 2014. It returned to the New York stage in an expanded two-hour version in 2017. It tells the story of the first book in a series of six books written by fantasy novelist Rick Riordan. Joe Tracz and composer and lyricist Rob Rokicki have “chosen to hone into the first book in the series The Lightening Thief “written with a modern-day twist. Centred around a New York teenager ‘Percy Jackson’ played by Morgan Gregory who discovers he is the half-blood son of the Greek god Poseidon. He gets caught up in an unexpected adventure where he starts a journey of self-discovery, and he soon begins to realise that the people around him are not quite who they seem. Knowing the back catalogue of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians se...

23Mar

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Men’s Business – Finborough Theatre

Men’s Business by Tony and Olivier Award winning playwright Simon Stephens has its world premiere this season. This 1972 version of Mannersache by Franz Xaier Kroetz, Simon Stephen’s translation is a love story set in a butcher’s shop with a cast of two and a dog and is the London debut for the acclaimed new production company Glass House Theatre from Dublin. From the opening scene, the backroom of a butcher’s shop Charlie and Rex appear in their work attire to the loud sounds of punk rock music, blasting, flashes of red as they assume their positions into what quickly transpires to be the only place the audience will see throughout this play. A small intimate theatre of benches which the audience can truly see, feel and touch the actors on set. Rex Ryan plays Victor the ‘boyfriend’ ...

Pride & Prejudice (Sort of) – Richmond Theatre

26Feb

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Pride & Prejudice (Sort of) – Richmond Theatre

Welcome to the story of Jane Austin’s most famous novel Pride & Prejudice like you have never seen it before. This is not a serene period drama, but a love story between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, and the Bennet’s family race against time to get their five daughters married off for financial security. Yes it is familiar, but this is five women calling themselves the ‘servants of house’ telling the story from a whole new perspective. Right from the first few lines you start to get a feel of what is to come ‘in a good way’ comedy, mayhem and female drama. The story lands in the present day, with familiar language and terminology, including expletives not for the faint hearted which drew gasps from the audience. The five female performers acted out ‘...

19Feb

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Three Sisters – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

The Shakespeare Globe hosts the first Chekhovian play the Three Sisters directed by Caroline Steinbeis, produced and reworked narrative supplied by Rory Mullarkey. This play has been remastered in such way that makes it plausible and translatable to viewing audiences. The story revolves around the emotional lives of the ‘Three Sisters’ and their bother whom following the death of their father found themselves relocated to a town outside of Moscow. A place that lacked variety of life, opportunity and the people lacked self-worth, in their opinion. The sisters Michelle Terry ‘Olga’ was archetypical of a school mistress, although she never wished to be working let alone burdened with the responsibility of role, she found herself in. Irina the youngest sister portrayed by Ruby Thompson adde...

Figaro: An Original Musical – London Palladium

4Feb

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Figaro: An Original Musical – London Palladium

Figaro a musical with a stellar cast John Robyns as Figaro, known for his roles as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, The Phantom, in The Phantom of the Opera. Cayleigh Capaldi as Sienna currently starring as Rose in the Off Broadway musical Titanique and Aime Atkinson as Lucia a British actress and recording artist, her musical accolades in Six the Musical as Katherine Howard and Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman Daniel Brocklebank as Antonio, Ava Brennan played Gia. The two child actors Gianni played by Cian Eagle-Service and Sophia Goodman as Amelia both too have credits to their name, Cian performing as Oliver in the 2024 production. Sophia who made her West End debut in Les Misérables and recently played the title role in Matilda the Musical. It goes without saying that the musicality...

One Man Musical – Underbelly Boulevard Soho

22Jan

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

One Man Musical – Underbelly Boulevard Soho

A musical comedy written by the duo Flo and Joan performed by George Fouracres renowned for Hamlet, at the Globe, HBO’s The Francise as “the man” and Flo and Joan “The band “: Live at the Apollo. This satirical and comedic look at the ‘life story’ you could say of a gentleman who has made his name in musical theatre, an “icon of the theatre musical world” a man we all know or do we! The One Man Musical opens pandora’s box of glitz, and glamour with the highs the lows to the ridiculous. With each musical comes a story and yet his own aka Andrew Lloyd Webber’s is yet to be told. Intro please… Flo and Joan, then you meet George with dialogue of life as himself a fictional Andrew Lloyd Webber you could say. George is everything ...

Copla: A Spanish Cabaret – The Other Palace

20Jan

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Copla: A Spanish Cabaret – The Other Palace

The intimate setting for this one DIVA show was not to be underestimated. The prelude music set the mood but not the tone or what was to be unleased on the audience. What is Copla? A question people could not answer and until now. Alejandro introduced himself to the audience before walking onto the stage. He embarked on a journey of personal self-discovery, an education into Spanish politics under the regime of Franco, Catholicism and of course the music. This was a story about life in Spain as a gay man, his roots in the LGBTQ+ community with the influences, the censorship which impacted his life and that of others around him. Video projections peppered the performance with Spanish, and English Diva’s sharing their versions of the songs of the music of Copla intertwined wi...

A Very Naughty Christmas – Southwark Playhouse

4Dec

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

A Very Naughty Christmas – Southwark Playhouse

The ‘naughty set’ has arrived, fresh onto the London theatre scene from down under ready to shake up Christmas. Hold on to your hats as there are not many clothes featured in this Australian production, billed as a comedy concert for strictly adult members only. This one and half hours contains skits, dancing and burlesque whilst showcasing a musical feast of popular music to traditional Christmas tunes spiced up, reworded in a way you have never heard before or may never hear again. It’s rogue it’s risqué with tantalising moments of indulgence which hits the funny bone and very suited the mood and ambience of ‘A Very Naughty Christmas’ indeed, ‘Santa Loves You Less Because You’re poor’ ‘Jingle ball’s’ maybe not one to sing out loud; yes you get the idea. Photo: Mark Senior There are...