Tuesday, August 25

Author: Michelle Knight

Top Hat the Musical – New Wimbledon Theatre
15Oct By Michelle KnightNo Comments
London

Top Hat the Musical – New Wimbledon Theatre

Top Hat, a musical genre from bygone days comes to the New Wimbledon Theatre with style and grace. What is striking from the outset is Peter Mckintosh set designs which spin round and glide on and off stage to create the perfect scenic backdrop for this timeless performance.  Together with Yvonne Milnes their costume design was exquisite and transports you right back into the grandeur of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, this did not disappoint. This 1935 crazy comedy with quirky storylines and ‘goofy’ mishaps is reflected very well in this version of Top Hat. A catalogue of mistaken identity, love and romance sees Jerry Travers played by Phillip Attmore shine with his toe tapping dance moves, sublime and joyous to watch. Complimented by Lindsay Atherton as Dale Tremont. In this perf...
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Troilus And Cressida – The Globe Theatre  
6Oct By Michelle KnightNo Comments
London

Troilus And Cressida – The Globe Theatre  

Troilus and Cressida is a lesser-known play by Shakespeare influenced by Grecian context and features characters from Greek Mythology. It centres and draws on the Trojan war.” Inside the walls of Troy Prince Troilus, Kasper Hilton-Hille tells Pandarus he loves Cressida her niece”. In a sequence of match making events by Pandarus the deed was done made simple by the fact, that Cressida confessed she had secretly betrothed herself to Troilus. In act of bad luck Cressida’s father, Calchas a defector to the Greek camp has offered her to the Greeks in a twist that changes everything for the young lovers. The heart of the story is centred around the two camps; the Greek and Trojan soldiers lying idle in their ways and flouncing their combat battle talk to wage war with each other. The Trojan ...
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The Importance of Being Earnest – Noel Coward Theatre
3Oct By Michelle KnightNo Comments
London

The Importance of Being Earnest – Noel Coward Theatre

When you see a cast list inclusive of Stephen Fry and the players of The Importance of Being Earnest, you know you are in safe hands. This production brings joy, silliness and exquisite delivery of an old classic. The witty puns and charm don’t disappoint, and the extravagance of the set and costumes throws you into high society elegance. This Oscar Wilde play first performed in 1895, is the last of his drawing room plays. It centres around two young men about town who in their mission to avoid their life of obligation and responsibility both take on the persona of ‘Earnest’, to gain the affections of two eligible young women. “Living a double live has its drawbacks” and amongst the mayhem this revised rendition brings sparkle and nonsense to the stage like you have never seen before. ...
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Punch – Apollo Theatre
29Sep By Michelle KnightNo Comments
London

Punch – Apollo Theatre

“Inspired by the true story Punch” this production at the Apollo Theatre features a small but impressive cast of six and production team credited for bringing this life story to the West End stage. The staging is set to resemble a dark place for a conclave, on the steps, the bridge and on stage which enabled an astonishing style of creative movement, as the actors moved freely and smoothly from character to character, to scene change in synchronised motion. Credit to Leanne Pinder the movement was so emotionally moving aligning with the tragedy and empathy, which I’m sure was felt very strongly by the audience, just WOW. Scenes with strobe and flashing lights, the play has references to violence, death, alcohol and substance misuse.   What strikes you in the opening scenes of th...
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Silent Approach – New Adelphi Theatre
29Sep By Michelle KnightNo Comments
North West

Silent Approach – New Adelphi Theatre

Silent Approach is a sobering play depicting a timeline of emotional battles, with mental health, guilt and feelings of overwhelming shame to a place of “triumphant recovery”.  Marcella Hazell is Rebecca House, a Lancashire serving policewoman who tells her story through an unfiltered lens. A raw hard-hitting portrayal of life as a respected functioning police officer protecting the public to a time in slow motion when she couldn’t even protect herself from her dark thoughts and suicidal ideations. The scenes are a hybrid between video footage to on stage performance which is becoming popular in small stage productions and is highly effective. At times it felt a little uncoordinated as the scene changes came quickly but this didn’t distract too much from the essence of the meani...
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The Trials – Southwark Playhouse Borough
31Aug By Michelle KnightNo Comments
London

The Trials – Southwark Playhouse Borough

Southwark Playhouse Young Ensemble is a brand new theatre company comprising of young people 19-25yrs from South London; with the aim of giving young people an opportunity to take the next steps into a performing career. The Trials is a revival of Dawn King play previously staged in 2022 which takes you into the future and a lookback at the catastrophic effects of climate change. This play is not only thought provoking its hard hitting, but you also cannot hide away from the consequences. The serious impact of climate change on future generations, “the ones most affected by it” and planet earth is laid out clearly in Trials. The play focusses specifically on three people the ‘Dinosaurs’ the older defendant’s explaining within 5 minutes their actions as to why they ‘personally’ co...
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Max Fulham: Full of Ham – The Cellar in Pleasance Courtyard
27Aug By Michelle KnightNo Comments
Scotland

Max Fulham: Full of Ham – The Cellar in Pleasance Courtyard

This was Maxs last show at the Edinburgh Fringe, and it was a sell-out. A testament to his popularity in his debut run of Full of Ham. First impressions this guy has the comedic spontaneity of Micheal McIntyre with a ventriloquist dummy. Max Fulham is an innovative ventriloquist with originality and flare. For those of you who remember ‘Billy Bear Ham’ growing up, he breathes life into ‘Billy’ in a way that defies logic, but it works. “I’m ham not spam” Characters who appear in Max’s portfolio of puppetry is his very first red-haired hand puppet given to him as child and from here his interest in ventriloquism was ignited. With a nod to the great Keith Harris and Orvil. Be prepared to see ‘Jesus with his sandals’ grandad, and the ‘birthday boy’. Not forgetting a shopping trip at the...
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A Pound of Flesh – Space 2 at the Space on the Mile
25Aug By Michelle KnightNo Comments
Scotland

A Pound of Flesh – Space 2 at the Space on the Mile

“In the Merchant of Venice, only Portia’s appearance in court and her implacable logic saves Antonio from Shylocks Knife” What if she never came to Venice? Bassanio’s played by Ollie Hiemann need for money to woo Portia Ruby Rutherston sets in motion the events that lead to the trial. So many unanswered questions play tricks with our mind as to why there is hatred between Shylock Danielle Farrow and Antonio Gabriel Bird the merchant. This plot sets the scene for A Pound of Flesh and in true Shakespearean style navigates through the layers of truth and tragedy. The loan has a treacherous clause that comes to bare. The staging is simplistic, with two benches, subdued lighting and music filling the void with drama and intrigue. Narration commences with Michael- Robert Brown who plays t...
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The Three Maria’s – Greenside @ George Street
23Aug By Michelle KnightNo Comments
Scotland

The Three Maria’s – Greenside @ George Street

This play is centred around the dictatorship of Salazar and his regime known as the Estado Novo; it was an authoritarian and anti-parliamentary government in Portugal that continued over many years from 1933 to 1974. A time when women were censored and subordinate to men. Any sign of female independence was severely punished. The Three Maria’s “inspired by Maria de Fatima Velho da Costa, Maria Isabel Barreno, and Maria Teresa Horta are the authors of the New Portuguese Letters”. A book written by the Maria’s to celebrate their womanhood, sexuality and defiance in an opposing system that saw men holding primary power and privilege. Stoic feminists with a voice, open to opportunity, and penned their writings of poetry, essays and short prose to challenge their oppression. They risked prison ...
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#KaraokeKarma – Leith Depo
21Aug By Michelle KnightNo Comments
Scotland

#KaraokeKarma – Leith Depo

The works reunion, invite sent to all and only four turn up! Five if you include the ‘only fans?’ girl. Introducing #KaraokeKarma a show focussing on the characters Vivienne, Lucinda, Barry, Nichola and Isla. A group of office staff, past and present, thrown together in a karaoke booth with its trademark blackout curtains and coloured neon lights. Sparks and discourse ensue as the dark secrets, deceit and despair play out to its own merry tune. This show written by Dylan Mooney unpicks the complexities of office politics and personal lives being affected by loss, grief and rejection. Through ‘Karaoke’ the characters lay their feelings bare through the lyrics of the songs hinged in sadness and reminiscence of the ‘good ole days’ when the tunes brought them together. A clever provocati...
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