Michelle Knight, Author at North West End UK

2Mar

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Scarlett Sunday – Omnibus Theatre

Obsession and dark secrets of the infamous artist Ray Blackwood and what lay behind the enigma of a painting named Scarlett Sunday. Following the death of Blackwood, it was now left to his daughter Ava played by Camilla Aiko an introverted girl still living in the family home with her demons. This play was simplistic in its form and told the story of Yasmin, played by Sorcha Kennedy an excitable rather intense arts author curious to find out more about Blackwood, the man who inspired her career in the arts, a man she had feelings for and was hungry in pursuit to get the exclusive scoop on his unseen masterpiece Scarlet Sunday. The set is staged first in a coffee shop for their first meeting which sees both characters sparring with each other over childhood memories, the arts and a plan ...

24Feb

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Othello – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

Director Ola Ince rendition of Shakespeare’s dark tragedy The authentic Shakespearean Othello ‘Moorish’ features as a top ranking detective police officer in the London metropolitan force, which offers up the notion that this is not your ordinary version of Othello. The opening scene introduces the characters Othello Ken Nwosu’s and Poppy Gilbert as his wife, Desdemona entwined in love a marriage vows. Shakespearean enthusiasts will recognise the familiar characters of the devious hateful Iago portrayed by Ralph Davis and Cassio played by Oli Higginson. References to police dialogue and officers switching from uniformed police, in body armour merges at times quite clumsily with the Shakespearean text, which at times feels wrong but as the sequence of events un...

Candace Bushnell True Tales of Sex Success and Sex and The City – London Palladium

9Feb

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Candace Bushnell True Tales of Sex Success and Sex and The City – London Palladium

Candace Bushnell now 65yrs old, the creator, entrepreneurial business woman and writer of the infamous Sex in the City books has come to the London Palladium to tell all, the real truth! She sets the scene in pink, from the apartment her retreat to her garnitures ‘shoes’ and the mini bar where she regularly sips on ‘cosmos’ cosmopolitan cocktails creating a true feel of Sex and the City life. Familiar names Mr Big, Carrie, Sam, Miranda, Charlotte all feature as she exposes the real truth behind the storylines with an audience participation game called ‘Reel or not Reel’. Candace explains why she chose the pseudonym Carrie Bradshaw, why she wrote her books about her single friends and their lives in New York; and what was happening at the time when the HBO series took off on the telev...

The Most Precious of Goods – Marylebone Theatre

24Jan

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

The Most Precious of Goods – Marylebone Theatre

The staging is set in a leaf filled forest woodland, the feeling is sombre the audience full of anticipation of what this story has to unfold about the atrocities, war crimes on humanity, the deliberate genocide during World War 2, the German invasion. The story initially focusses on a young Jewish family, who are new parents of newborn twins, full of zest for life and feeling blessed with their two children, a boy a girl. It was spring, 1942 their life full of opportunity until, they were freshly extricated from their home in France and put on a train to somewhere! Unknowing of what was to come and what they would endure the family with others, cramped into small spaces, no food or water would share their anguish and realisations during this gruelling journey, as to their destinatio...

4Dec

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

A Sherlock Carol – Marylebone Theatre

Sherlock Holmes meets Scrooge in a spoof take on, a classic Dickens novel; A Christmas Carol. The staging was set and to some degree in keeping with Victorian London with Sherlock played by Ben Caplin (from Call the Midwife) whom did a Stirling job of characterising Holmes as we have grown to know him whilst emulating the essence of Ebenezer Scrooge. Misery of a character forced to see his life, past present and future through the eyes of the ghosts. However in this play Scrooge himself played by Kammy Darweish provides the reflections for Holmes as the ghost Scrooge through visitations. Showing Holmes the error of his ways and experiences of what will happen if he refuses to change, a role reversal, in the true sense. The play is intertwined with the meeting of many ghosts and Ho...

16Nov

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

The Woman in Black – Richmond Theatre

This is a two-hander play with Malcolm James playing Arthur Kipps and Mark Hawkins the actor and takes place in the early 1950’s. The story is of an older man Mr Kipps living out his disturbing life and telling his story through is younger self portrayed by the enthusiastic Actor. The scene is set; Arthur Kipps is a solicitor advisory on the estate of Alice Drablow in a small town of Crythin Gifford. It starts with the two players clashing over Arthur’s portrayal and mere reluctance to perform and act out his story in preference to speaking it in a monotone fashion, this frustrates the actor, and this is an ongoing theme throughout. There is narration and switches of character which at times leaves you feeling slightly confused and playing catch up on who is who. ...

Trueman and the Arsonists – The Roundhouse Studio

25Oct

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Trueman and the Arsonists – The Roundhouse Studio

The scene is set by Truman himself played by Adam Owers, sitting in his living room, smoking verbalising his angst and confusion at the constant fires burning outside his window. All across the city fires are burning, as The Arsonists infiltrate homes of the wealthy and establishments of decadent luxury. It’s a plague, “The Arsonists are burning down our homes”, and there is confusion, “why are they doing this”. Truman is smart and he can recognise an Arsonist from a distance, he is smug and reassures his wife Bobsy (Nadine Ivy Barr) there is nothing to fear. He is finds himself in a situation where he takes in a stranger, Joe Smith played by the funny, assertive (Tommy Oldroyd) who turns up at his home wanting a bed for the night, he is ...

An Evening of Burlesque – Adelphi Theatre

12Oct

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

An Evening of Burlesque – Adelphi Theatre

This variety show of burlesque was introduced as the longest running burlesque show in the UK. It contained magic and artistic performances were a stark contrast to what may have been known as burlesque ‘Victorian or French style’. The show opened with the host Ivy Paige who explained her career as a previous lap dancer, show girl and alluded many times to her experiences and cosmetic enhancements. She encouraged greatly audience participation, photography and to cheer “her girls and boys on”. Featuring strip tease, tantalising dancing provided the audiences with appreciation of the world of tease and burlesque. The nudity was tasteful and within the context of dance and flexible extensions and body control, which was artistic. The nudity did not appear shocking and q...

23Sep

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

North West

Compositor E – Omnibus Theatre

The play is placed in 1623 depicting the compositor’s battle with their own demons, aspirations, alongside the morality of meanings and desires to leave their own fingerprint (stamp) within the Folio book. The printing ‘shop’ scene is set by crazed printers obsessed with fingerprints and rewriting history based on their own experiences. Dupre’s focus here appears to highlight the importance and reference of this book, as the First Folio collection edition of Shakespeare’s dramatic texts, has its 400th anniversary in 2023. To mark the occasion Dupre’ showcases a retelling of events, in a Macbeth style, drawing on the influences of language and events in the print shop at the time the original Folio was produced. The scenes are tense fraught with egos and desperation. The scri...

Doctor Dolittle – St Paul’s Church Covent Garden

27Aug

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Doctor Dolittle – St Paul’s Church Covent Garden

The mythical tales of Doctor Dolittle has been watched on screen and stage for many years. Written by Hugh Lofting, over 100yrs ago and depicting talking animals who communicate with humans, Doctor Dolittle realises over time that he is able to understand them and therefore changes from being a medical doctor to an animal doctor and dedicates his life to the welfare of all animals. The production company (The Tethered Wits) performed a short animated play based on the story of Doctor Dolittle and his relationship with the animals as part of their Theatre in the Garden tour. This story includes a plot where the animals help him uncover an injustice and solve a dispute between a brother and sister of the neighbouring manor. This is a simple but enchanting story wh...