Riana Howarth, Author at North West End UK

The Woman Who Turned into A Tree – The Omnibus Theatre

7Apr

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

The Woman Who Turned into A Tree – The Omnibus Theatre

Presented by Omnibus Theatre and Collide Theatre, The Woman Who Turned into a Tree is an examination into external validation and the pressures placed on a young woman in today’s age. As a woman rhythmically sways in a dark, grungy club, an identically dressed woman enters the stage and the two watch each other intently. Daphne, as she introduces herself, is an ambitious event organiser fuelled by a need to fulfil this fantastical self-idealisation she constructed. Gradually, a force takes over and guides her towards freedom and finding peace in herself, as she metaphorically transforms into a tree. Her battle between different self-concepts is visually represented through the two versions of Daphne. Bathsheba Piepe conveys Daphne’s wide-eyed furious desperation, sinuously moving betwee...

6Mar

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

My Dead – Barons Court Theatre

From growing up in Washington state, to her flat in South Ealing, Carolyn Hartvigsen has traversed the continents but the story she tells is of her ancestors, and the distance between her and them. Walking onto the stage in wonder, Hartvigsen reels us in, with heightened intimacy in the old pub basement space of the theatre. She whips out a small tree, with photos of her family members attached to the leaves with herself as the tree trunk. She shares a carefully and truthfully woven patchwork of her personal life, her ancestors’ stories, and her reactions to them and how they help her reflect on her circumstances. With an unerring fear of death, she seeks understanding from her dead family, and how they lived. As she discovers that one of her great grandfathers was polygamous and...

18Feb

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Phaedra – The National Theatre

Simon Stone’s take on this Greek Tragedy finds itself in a domestic setting, ostensibly a quintessentially British family sitcom. It feels familiar, from the witty, jesting Dad (Paul Chahidi), to the moody teenage son (Archie Barnes), the uptight, activist daughter (Mackenzie Davis) and the quirky son-in-law (John MacMillan). But in spite of the sharp back-and-forths and intellectual masturbation, the mother, Helen’s cool, detached demeanour belies an unsettling tension. The family eagerly await their guest, Sofiane (Assaad Bouab), the son of Helen’s dead Moroccan lover Ashraf. His arrival creates a seismic wave over the family, as he seems to exude a profound peace, intrigue and wisdom. When it becomes clear that Helen and Sofiane hold different versions of Ashraf’s death, Sofiane rages b...

The Lehman Trilogy – Gillian Lynne Theatre

12Feb

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

The Lehman Trilogy – Gillian Lynne Theatre

“He dances so hard, he doesn’t hear the music stop” Sam Mendes’ production returns with terrific direction from Zoe Ford Burnett. It is 1844 and embracing America with wonder, Henry Lehman (Nigel Lindsay) starts a fabric business with his brothers, Mayer (Hadley Fraser) and Emanuel (Michael Balogun). The three begin to build a business empire of magnificent scope. We watch the Lehman men across several generations; their brotherly disputes, marriages and how the business grows and expands and its drastic fall in 2008. Where to begin – this was an exquisitely crafted production, with all of the elements feeding beautifully into each other to tell the brimming story of the Lehman family. The concept of evolving is introduced early, as Henry changes his name from a less pronounceable Je...

<strong>Welcome Home – Soho Theatre</strong>

30Jan

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Welcome Home – Soho Theatre

Willy Hudson takes us on an adventure into a lurid, phantasmagoria of his past. It begins with Willy returning to his parents’ house after a messy breakup, which ignites memories of the past as he inadvertently seeks closure. The older Willy decides to avenge himself and portrays himself as the villain, fighting the good. With clever Doctor Who crossovers, comparing monsters to certain daunting figures in his life, Hudson’s personal story feels epic. Hudson is an engaging storyteller with sass and warm expressiveness, keeping the narrative buoyant throughout with direction from Zach James. His descriptive, visual script evokes nostalgia, and the conversations are naturalistic with comedic undertones as Willy re-enacts them. The back and forth time jumping was in keeping with the Doctor ...

<strong>The Elephant Song – Park Theatre</strong>

24Jan

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

The Elephant Song – Park Theatre

When a psychiatrist misses work unexpectedly the head of the hospital, Doctor Greenberg (Jon Osbaldeston) covers for him. One of the patients, Michael (Gwithian Evans) claims to know Doctor Lawrence’s whereabouts but will only cooperate if he gets something in return. Nicolas Billon’s cleverly plotted script teems with intrigue, as two mysteries unravel throughout the play; Doctor Lawrence’s disappearance and Michael’s past related to his peculiar obsession with elephants. As he saunters in singing with abandon, we hear him before we see him, which already establishes the notion of prejudice in the play. Evans’ portrayal of Michael is immaculate, from his jerky movements to the playful yet calculating gaze. His sharp delivery indicates a disregard for social norms and Evans gives us a s...

<strong>Iphigenia – The Hope Theatre</strong>

14Jan

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Iphigenia – The Hope Theatre

This take on a Greek classic directed by Elsie Yager focuses on how a woman may submit herself to a brutal ending. Set in a bedroom designed by TK Hay with all white props, against a red and black floor, it hints at the drama and tragedy, but the intimacy conveys the feeling of a lived experience. We enter the space with Iphigenia (Karen Barredo) sat incessantly brushing her hair solemnly. The chorus members manifest as real people in video interviews projected onto the bed and wall. Without an introduction to the people in the videos, I searched for the link between them and Iphigenia. I eventually understood that those interviewed were foreshadowing and reflecting upon Iphigenia’s experiences as a woman but throughout different eras. Alongside these, Iphigenia passes through the stage...

<strong>Paradise Now! – Bush Theatre</strong>

14Dec

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Paradise Now! – Bush Theatre

Paradise Now! reflects the growing empowerment of women in our society, showing both unity and darker, more toxic aspects. The play begins in Gabriel and her sister’s living room, showing a stark contrast between Gabriel’s depression induced exhaustion and Baby’s post work fatigue. When Gabriel meets Alex who sells essential oils for a company called Paradise, her life is given a new sense of purpose. The two go on to recruit more members of the team, we meet Rose and Laurie. All driven by money and success, they repeat the same spiel about connecting to your inner goddess to drive sales. Some climb up the ladder and others struggle, as they eventually reveal hidden truths about themselves in an intense team building workshop. Shazia Nicholl plays Alex, the forcefully ambitious leade...

<strong>Jazz Emu: You Shouldn’t Have – Soho Theatre</strong>

13Dec

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Jazz Emu: You Shouldn’t Have – Soho Theatre

A screen cycles through a mixed bag of tweets sent to the mysterious Jazz Emu (Archie Henderson) as we wait for the show to begin. The elaborate, bright red set designed by Bonson Bonsonson JR matches his grandiosity and has a talk show feel. He parades out in a metallic emu helmet and begins a song about his proficiency and brilliance while his equipment malfunctions. Jazz emu’s eclectic character is like the result of putting a scientist, evil mastermind, superhero and a presenter in a blender. Henderson is a natural performer with his expressive darting eyes, an array of physicality and sharp comic timing directed by Adam Flynn. We are welcomed into his existential, disco-like, jazz-emu-centred world where if he’s not thinking about himself, he’s wondering about how microwaves wo...

<strong>Alice in Wonderland – Brixton House</strong>

8Dec

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Alice in Wonderland – Brixton House

Alice in Wonderland devised by Poltergeist is an original, lurid take on the classic. On the tube, Alice and her Mum wait on the platform after a Christmas shopping spree. An argument ensues and suddenly Alice gets transported to a zany, alternate dimension of the London underground, meeting strange characters at every turn. She explores the world with confusion and wonder as she tries to return home, before becoming embroiled in the problems in her new environment. It is magically creative in the way it transforms some mundane aspects of tube life into strange, absurd characters. Photo: Helen Murray All of the odd characters created a coherently bizarre world tied together by effective, energetic multi-roling. Rabbit (Khai Shaw) stresses as he rushes to his corporate job. Tortoise (...