Zoё Meeres, Author at North West End UK

23Apr

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Qrumpet – Camden People’s Theatre

Theatre can elicit many emotions in an audience – fear, sadness, joy, anger, to name but a few. Last night, I felt an emotion that I don’t think has ever been awoken in me through the arts – an absolute, raging frustration. The show’s description is quirky and intriguing – basically, quantum tunnelling, but with a crumpet. What if you could throw a crumpet through a wall? SPOILER ALERT. You cannot. And I know this, because last night I spent an hour watching crumpets being buttered and thrown at a wall. Not just crumpets, either; a shoe, a free newspaper, an unsuspecting Lindt bunny. None of the above can be thrown through a wall, and I’m sorry to say that I didn’t find the process of finding that out remotely entertaining. The stage is set with the world’s worst Pelaton bike ...

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – New Wimbledon Theatre

14Apr

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – New Wimbledon Theatre

C.S Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe absolutely mesmerised me as a young child – and it’s a fixation that has followed me into adult life. Narnia has always held a special kind of magic for me. Notwithstanding the troubling alternative readings of C.S Lewis’s works, the concept of a door to another world full of talking beasts, dwarves and other mythical creatures, only accessible to children who are able to become national heroes, was just too seductive. Add some Christmassy undertones, some genuinely scary creatures and storylines and a feel-good character arch or two and it’s a pretty perfect story. It’s also a story that’s been told many, many times - from the 1988 BBC dramatization (which I tracked down on DVD in later years), listening to the full Chronicles of Narnia ...

Say Yes to Tess – Camden People’s Theatre

9Apr

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Say Yes to Tess – Camden People’s Theatre

When I arrived at the Camden People’s Theatre on Thursday night, despite having been there several times before, I walked straight past it. It has had a lovely post-pandemic spruce up and the space felt clean, calm and inviting. Then, my heart sank when I saw the promotional poster for the show. “Say Yes to Tess - A New Musical”. Now don’t get me wrong, fringe theatre is very much my bag, and the description I’d read of the piece had really appealed to me, but goodness me… a musical in an intimate setting is the stuff of my nightmares. I’m pleased to report, though, that I was very pleasantly surprised and had a genuinely uplifting and enjoyable evening. Say Yes to Tess is Tess Seddon’s autobiographical retelling of her experience standing as a candidate for the Yorkshire Party in the 2...

18Mar

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Red – Original Theatre

I’ve been a fan of comedian Marcus Brigstocke for a while, so I was very excited at the chance to review his hour long two hander, The Red. The concept of the play is beautifully simple - Benedict’s dad has passed away and amongst his last will and testament is a letter for Benedict, inviting him to visit the family’s well stocked wine cellar and enjoy an extra special bottle of red wine with which he shares a birthday. The problem is, Benedict is an alcoholic and has been in recovery and sober for 25 years. The drama was originally commissioned for BBC Radio 4 and the intention for this to be an aural experience stands out in the writing. The dialogue feels genuine, familiar and comfortable as Benedict and his father paint a picture of a life lived together, of other family members and...

Disenchanted –The Living Record Festival

4Feb

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

REVIEWS

Disenchanted –The Living Record Festival

Disenchanted bills itself as ‘a cabaret of twisted fairy tales’ which sounded right up my street. I find the history of fairy tales fascinating; there’s the darkness that lies at the heart of the original tales, which were sanitised to appeal to younger audiences and delivery that Hollywood happy ending. Tales which have been popular in their current incarnations for decades but are now beginning to lose their relevance in modern society where not every little girl is encouraged to wait around for a handsome prince to come and save her. I’m also a fan of work that approaches a well-known narrative from a fresh point of view – the brilliant children’s book There’s a Wolf in My Pudding does this excellently. So, I couldn’t help but be a little bit disappointed by Disenchanted. We’re g...

8Dec

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

The Last Nativity – The Actor’s Church

“Now’s the perfect time for the nativity. They’re drunk enough that they’ll be forgiving but not so drunk that they’re falling asleep.” Thus, siblings Laura, Blake and Mia begin the performance of the nativity play that Laura scripted when they were just children. Now all grown up, and having grown apart, the three return home for Christmas to discover that the last minute addition of Nana Sue to the family celebrations means their Secret Santa exchange is a gift short. Younger sister Mia (they never say she’s the youngest, but you can always tell, can’t you?), an actor struggling for work, devises the idea of giving Nana Sue the gift of a performance of a much loved nativity play, complete with badly aged songs (Santa Give Me A Kiss For Christmas would definitely have attracted the att...

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical – Lyric Theatre

7Dec

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical – Lyric Theatre

To say that I went into Showstopper! not knowing what to expect is an understatement. I’m sure most people have gone to the theatre with minimal detail on what they’re about to see, but in the case of Showstopper! even the cast has no idea how the performance is going to unfold. This is because the entire production is completely improvised; from the musical numbers to the storyline and script, the cast and musicians are completely winging it, taking some direction from the audience. Audience participation is fast paced, led last night by Sean McCann who opens by taking suggestions for the location, inspiration and title of the show from the audience, which we voted on in the time-honoured tradition of applause and foot stamping. Establishing that “Ice-Olated” was to be set in a remote ...

13Nov

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Abigail’s Party – Park Theatre

What’s the word for when something just works? When you find a bag that perfectly matches your shoes, or you make every green light on your way to work, or you discover the perfect synergy of someone’s least favourite chocolate being your favourite, and vice versa, meaning that you can get rid of the underwhelming soft centres and enjoy all the toffee-filled goodness your heart desires. Whatever that word is, it’s how I felt about last night’s production of Abigail’s Party at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park. The casting, the performances, the staging, the design – everything just worked, coming together to create a glorious night of theatre. I’d never been to the Park Theatre before but will definitely be back. Last night’s performance took place in the smaller of the spaces there wit...

25Oct

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Mum – Soho Theatre

“I’ve just read the synopsis of the play we’re seeing. Bloody hell mate.” “I told you it sounded harrowing. Do you want to give it a miss and we can catch up later?” “No, I’ve picked an outfit now. I’m committed.” Thus was the exchange I had with the friend who agreed to accompany me to Mum, 20 minutes before we were due to meet. We reflected afterwards how glad we were that we’d seen it together and Mum was made all the poignant for me having experienced it with another strong woman that I’m lucky enough to be able to share my secrets and fears with. Mum moves quickly – we meet Nina (Sophie Melville – who I will say up front is exquisite), a new mum who is preparing for her first night off in three months with her friend, Jackie, while her mother-in-law, Pearl, prepares to rel...

24Oct

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Birdwatching – London Horror Festival

I was pretty excited about the London Horror Festival, because I am a self-confessed horror fanatic. There are various fascinating psychological theories around why people like to feel fear which I’m not qualified to cite here or expand on, but for me it boils down to excitement. Books, plays, films, rollercoasters; it’s all about getting the adrenaline pumping around your body but also knowing that you are, at all times, perfectly safe. Perfectly safe is not how Amy (Karen Barredo), one of the three characters in Birdwatching, would describe her position. An actress of small notoriety having appeared in a few slasher B movies, Amy arrives at a shelter deep in the woods to take on the role of Kate, accompanied by Pete (Arno van Zelst) - cameraman by trade, actor to help a friend – and H...