Stewart Who?, Author at North West End UK

13Jul

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

A-Typical Rainbow – Turbine Theatre

Research indicates that autistic people have higher rates of LGBT identities and feelings than the wider population. In a 2017 study by the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), 69.7% of autistic participants reported being non-heterosexual. The fact that the author of this review got the autumn of his gay life before learning this fact might suggest that representation and awareness are issues that need addressing. JJ Green’s new play ‘A-Typical Rainbow’ goes some way to tackling ignorance and telling a story from an autistic and queer perspective. This ground-breaking production is currently staged at the Turbine Theatre, which opened in 2019, as part of the regeneration of Battersea Power Station. It’s a cute, bijou space, bringing character and culture to...

5Jul

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

The Throne – Charing Cross Theatre

With ‘Prince’ Andrew embroiled in rape and sex trafficking criminality, while his brother, Charles, the future king, battles a ‘cash-for-honours’ scandal involving bags of cash, the monarchy has never looked so unworthy of our respect. As working families struggle to feed their kids, using food banks and benefits to survive, the gilded wealth of Buckingham Palace seems less like a glittering distraction and more like an insult to the moral fabric of society. There are many who’d disagree with this assessment, perhaps even the Queen herself. The Throne, a new comedy, by John Goldsmith, steps into this debate, using farce and satire to explore some of the questions around ‘monarchy Vs republic’. The play is set in a ‘sink comprehensive’ school, as it prepares for a visit from the Queen...

Scottish Ballet: The Crucible – Sadler’s Wells

16Jun

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Scottish Ballet: The Crucible – Sadler’s Wells

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible has a rare quality of being ubiquitous, but consistently relevant, provocative and timely. There’s always a witch hunt somewhere. Medieval villagers with pitchforks have evolved into middle aged idiots on Facebook. Or mob-giddy kids on TikTok. Theocracies continue to thrive, and the oppression in those places can make The Crucible seem tame. I’m looking at you; Yemen, Afghanistan, The Vatican, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Arthur Miller was famously a victim of McCarthy era ‘Reds under the Bed’ paranoia. The playwright was questioned by the House of Representatives' Committee on Un-American Activities in 1956 and convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to identify others present at meetings he had attended. His play is more than just an allegorical spin on A...

Dictating To The Estate – Maxilla Social Club

15Jun

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Dictating To The Estate – Maxilla Social Club

We are approaching the 5th anniversary of the cataclysmic inferno that engulfed Grenfell Tower and killed 72 people. Post-pandemic, as we ponder war in Europe, food bank ubiquity and a shifty party-clown PM, there’s a danger of taking an eye off Grenfell. More fatalities could haunt us, if we don’t wise-up, listen to campaigners and hold the guilty to account. The luxury of looking elsewhere is not afforded to those who lost their lives, or to their loved ones whose grief is poisoned by righteous fury. The inquiry into the Grenfell Tower disaster has spent £117m of public money so far. £60m got sucked up by lawyers working for the core participants. Arconic, the company that made the combustible cladding sheets has splashed £55m on legal and professional advice for its defence. All. Tha...

7Jun

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Starcrossed – Wilton’s Music Hall

While in Verona a few years ago, I was lucky enough to eat Polpette di cavallo at Osteria Sottoriva, the oldest eatery on the medieval arcade that runs along the bank of the Adige river. That city in Veneto, Italy is the romantic setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. One can ponder the balcony and courtyard said to have inspired our William’s tale of feuding families and adolescent co-dependence. Sadly, it’s an architectural fiction (from the 1930s) and a cynical ploy for travellers’ coins. Despite this deceit, it’s a scene of frenzied selfies and chaotic milling from pushy tourists. Truth and accuracy are far less alluring than the illusion of romance. Did Shakespeare visit Verona? There is no evidence of it, so while Romeo and Juliet rema...

Tomorrow May Be My Last – Old Red Lion Theatre

27May

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Tomorrow May Be My Last – Old Red Lion Theatre

In the Second Summer of Love, during the late ‘80s, I went full-tilt psychedelic. I tie-dyed my clothes, listened to Janis Joplin’s Pearl and read the infamous sex and drugs memoir, ‘Going Down with Janis’ by Peggy Casserta. Unlike Janis, I lived to tell the tale. In post-modern 2022, that teenage flirtation with psilocybin and flares seems very distant. Tomorrow May Be My Last delivered a patchouli flavoured flashback to my flower powered youth and is probably the nearest one can get to experiencing a Janis Joplin live show. Nobody sings like Joplin. That’s a fact, but Collette Cooper brings an impressive range to the table in this one-woman show, exploring the life and work of the iconic rock goddess. It’s a tall order, but at times, Cooper totally nails the vocals, esp...

20May

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Kabul Goes Pop – Brixton House

Brixton House is a sparky new venue, in the centre of ever-gentrified Brixton, boasting superbly friendly staff. So, it’s a bit of a shame and a tragic oversight that the seating in the theatre is cramped, awkward and after a short time, quite uncomfortable. The café bar, in contrast, is a spacious, beautiful area with designer sofas and room to ponder, luxuriate and roller-skate, should the mood take you. Like going from EasyJet to private jet. With Kabul Goes Pop starting 25 minutes late, it meant many in the audience were already antsy and wishing to stretch their ligaments before a shape had been thrown or a poetic word spoken. The unfortunate delay gave us time to ponder the impressive set, which was a high-tech mock up of a flashy TV studio featuring video screens and more f...

two Palestinians go dogging – Royal Court

19May

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

two Palestinians go dogging – Royal Court

Shireen Abu Akleh, celebrated observer of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Al Jazeera correspondent was recently shot and killed in Jenin in the West Bank. The 51-year-old reported on every flashpoint in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem over three decades. As the Arab world reeled from her death, accusing Israeli forces of wilful assassination, her funeral became an explosive scene as Israeli officers beat mourners while they carried her casket. The circumstances around Abu Akleh death are so inflammatory, emotional and horrific that it seemed sure to ignite new grievance and escalate the conflict. In fact, after 3 days, it’s fallen off the news agenda. There are other wars to focus on. Fresh, shiny battles that aren’t as complex and divisive as the atrocitie...

10May

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Foxes – Seven Dials Playhouse

The Seven Dials Playhouse is across the street from the much-hyped Chick ‘n’ Sours. We arrived at the theatre early, so it seemed rude not to order some ‘disco wings’ and chips. As 7:30 loomed large, we regretfully cancelled our order, dashed back to the venue, and hungrily took our seats for Foxes. The start time passed. A contingent of punters were still whooping it up at the bar. It’s a small studio with cheek by jowl seats, so those who waited in the auditorium became antsy, confused and very warm on this humid May evening. One audience member stormed out and complained. He was placated and coached back to his seat. People continued to amble in 25 minutes late, clutching cocktails and clambering over strangers’ laps and handbags like a grim game of Twister. It was hard not to ...

4May

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Orlando – Jermyn Street Theatre

One can’t help but wonder what Virginia Woolf would make of the Kardashians, porn ogling MPs, and rising transphobia. She’d surely be a lively wag on Twitter, but likely view TikTok as ghastly and common. Her most popular work, Orlando, is the poetic Magna Carta of subversive queerness, wry feminism and trans magic. On Brexit island in 2022, Empire is celebrated with dim blindness, but in 1928, Woolf used her most joyful literary turn to skewer British imperialism with withering disdain. Due to its fantastical spirit, people often overlook the book’s political satire. Orlando is a transgressive free spirit, but the English patriarchy proves a persistent prison, regardless of epoch, and despite wealth, beauty and mystical eternal youth. After Orlando’s male-to-fem...