Michelle Knight, Author at North West End UK

20Mar

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

YENTL – Marylebone Theatre

Yentl is synonymous with the 1983 musical featuring Barbara Streisand which told the story of a Jewish girl seeking an education, decides to disguise herself as a boy and enters an orthodox school where she falls in love with Avigdor her classmate. All is going well until Avigdor’s fiancée falls in love with Yentl. This matrix of deceit, lies and romance is crystallised in Abrahams, Hearst and Klas writingandproduction of Yentl. This play forms part of the Kadimah Yiddish Theatre’s centenary celebration and their “commitment to sharing the richness of Yiddish language and Jewish culture”. Straight from the Sidney Opera House to its premier in London. There are no surprises that this play’s hybrid dialogue is English and Yiddish which is aided by projected readable subtitles on the se...

The Choir of Man – New Wimbledon Theatre

19Mar

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

The Choir of Man – New Wimbledon Theatre

The ‘Jungle’ Choir of Man is on its UK tour, and it started with a blast, setting Wimbledon theatre alight with enthusiasm, superb vocal arrangement and energy. This show born out of the Edinburgh fringe made its home at the Arts Theatre London. Now it’s coming to Towns across the country. Set in a pub, audience members are welcomed to the stage for pre-show drinks from the bar and here the message is clear, this is all about ‘community’. Centered around a group of nine men each with their own characteristics and inner conflicts, they take you on an immersive journey of their lives through song. Narrated beautifully by the character ‘Poet’ Oluwalonimi (Nimi) Owoyemi, he introduces the characters, and very occasionally it was difficult to hear him, possibly due to the sound at the beginning...

12Feb

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Dear Liar – Jermyn Street Theatre

Dear Liar, is a play adapted by Jerome Kilty from the correspondence of Bernard Shaw and Mrs Patrick Cambell. It portrays the communication between the writer George Bernard Shaw and actress Mrs Patrick Campbell. A relationship of expression; love, frustration and conflict between the artists. An affair of the heart, battling egos and a collective passion for performance. Their affair captured in a series of personal letters that survived World War two. The prose and context of the play centred around the letters creates a voyeuristic view of how their relationship brought about some of Shaw’s best theatrical work. Pygmalion written in early 1912 was read to actress Mrs Patrick Campbell first in June. Written with Campbell in mind Shaw “this is for you; I wrote it just for you “. Keen t...

That’ll Be The Day The 40th Anniversary Show – London Palladium

5Feb

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

That’ll Be The Day The 40th Anniversary Show – London Palladium

That’ll be The Day is a three-hour bonanza of music and comedy with a reputation of longevity, showcasing the bygone era of 50’s to the 80’s rock pop and comedy skits. Now reaching their 40th Anniversary Trevor Payne takes it on the road for his farewell tour. This rollercoaster ride of hits takes you right back to the early days of Juke Box Jury, voting on the songs of Blue Moon, by The Marcels, My Guy and Walk like a Man from the Jersey Boys. A show supported by video footage projected on to a screen showing the old film reels that supported pop music through the decades; Top of the Pops, and Sunday Night at the London Palladium variety show first aired in 1955. It was nostalgia at its best for a generation who grew up with black and white showreels of their favourite ‘pop idols’. The Be...

8Dec

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Cinderella – The Rose Theatre

The Rose Theatre hosts Chris Bush and Roni Neale’s Christmas characterisation of Cinderella featuring a cast of professionals and the young company. What strikes you immediately is the set, with its small compact house, with its larder fridge, cereal boxes, chairs emulating stepping stone access to the attic bedroom above. The illusion of a fully functional home was truly amazing. Throughout the production the revolving house becomes the scenes of the pumpkin carriage, the castle and the forest. A clever use of the staging and lighting that enabled a sense of magical wonder, credit to Ryan Dawson Laight. The young cast kick off the show with lanterns and ensemble of “Where does the time go”. A strong start to open Act 1 and into the story of Ella pla...

The Magic of Christmas – Brick Lane Music Hall

29Nov

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

The Magic of Christmas – Brick Lane Music Hall

Brick Lane Music Hall, a hidden gem situated in the heart of the docklands. Founded by Vincent Hayes MBE in1992. This resurrected church is the home of entertainment on a grandiose level. A theatre dining experience serving laughter, music hall cabaret and party time fun. When you walk in you are struck by the attention to detail to replicate early 20th century British theatre. The Magic of Christmas did not disappoint and with each costume change came a gambit of old and new classic Christmas songs and carols. From David Essex’s Winter’s Tale to I’m dreaming of a White Christmas to an amazing performance of The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl’s Fairytale of New York. A guest appearance by ‘Royal appointment’ ...

20Nov

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Jurassic – Soho Theatre Upstairs

Tim Foley’s short sixty-minute play is a satirical spin on the film franchise Jurassic Park. Boxed up and packaged in such way that the actors themselves physically and figuratively fight it out in true dinosaur style. Set within a financially stricken university the Dean calls in Jay an academic in palaeontologist to his office. Jay is faced with being laid off due to academic losses, poor performance, scandal and anything the Dean could put upon him. Examples of failings ‘losses’ Jay appeared on countdown and lost to a ‘little old lady’ his performance Dean explained brought the university into disrepute. Jay hangs out in the student bar and is too familiar with the female students, “you are bringing the university into disrepute” time after time. Unhappy with his fate Jay takes steps to...

The Assembled Parties – Hampstead Theatre

29Oct

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

The Assembled Parties – Hampstead Theatre

First impressions, this play has no boundaries when it comes to flaunting American political ideology and Jewish patronage. But it is difficult to comprehend where it is positioned within the context of contemporary societal life in Manhattan in the 1980’s. Is this a drama about exposing family truths and values in the guise of Christmas tradition, rented housing, or world affairs. There are more questions than answers in this adaptation of Richard Greenbergs American stage play, The Assembled Parties. Set in an opulent rented apartment, West Side New York a proud extended Jewish family settle in to share and celebrate a Christian festival ‘Christmas Lunch. Their son Scotty is home from college and has invited his pal Jeff Sam Marks to join in the celebrations. Jeff’s relationship with ...

The Soon Life – Southwark Playhouse Borough

20Oct

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

The Soon Life – Southwark Playhouse Borough

The Soon Life opens with precise staging, a brightly lit room with a sofa, table and garniture you would expect to see in any home. However, this was different a birth pool was inflated and positioned to one side of the room. Birthing books visible, a moses basket assembled, a sign of welcoming a new life, a baby. This was a planned home birth during a time of unknown risks from Covid 19, and hospital considered an unsafe place to give birth. Phoebe Mcintosh is Bec a mixed-race young woman, pregnant and in the early stage of her labour. Whilst bouncing on her birthing ball in a zen state, calm, in control, listening to direction from her headphones, in walks the ‘ex’, Alex, (Joe Boylan). This disruption sets the tone of the play and the couple’s timeline in their relationship which brou...

17Oct

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Private Lives – Rose Theatre Kingston

What a life of ruse, where “Love and Chaos Collide” in Noel Coward’s Private Lives. It is evident that some knowledge of Noel Coward,his character as a playwright, composer and director, would stand you in good stead to appreciate this play. Coward was a distinguished actor flamboyant full of wit and charm using the English language like a tool to convey drama, comedy in a unique style that became his trademark. Private Lives a 1930 Coward’s comedy classic has seen many revivals in the past and this new production directed by Tanuja Amarasuriya has a sleek “modern connection” to the original. Written about the lives of a couple separated by divorce only to meet again on their honeymoon night with their new spouses. Their eyes meet on the hotel balcony, the chemistry reignites, and rekin...