London Archives - Page 101 of 110

23Jun

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Queen Mab – Iris Theatre

"O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate-stone..." (Mercutio, Romeo and Juliet, Act I scene IV) Mab, an ancient fairy, travels the world and, as Mercutio describes, has been bringing dreams and nightmares to mortals for centuries. But she's bored and unhappy, seeing humans as nothing more than "a pestilential scourge upon the Earth" and preferring to dole out nightmares that prey upon their deepest fears rather than bestowing positive dreams on their sleeping forms. There are many lockdown and pandemic-themed dramas around, but likely none as charming as Danielle Pearson's "Queen Mab". The play cleverly links Shakespeare's Mab to the present day through Freya, a teenager who is going through all...

21Jun

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Happy Days – Riverside Studios

Celebrating 60 years of Samuel Beckett’s much-acclaimed play, this special revival of ‘Happy Days’ has Lisa Dwan take on its titular role of Winnie, a woman buried to her waist in sand as she goes about her daily routine, often remarking to herself that indeed, “this is a happy day”. Directed by Trevor Nunn and designed by Robert Jones, this production is a stark reminder of the drudgery and futility of the domestic lives we live, caught in a never-ending cycle of repetition and relief as we seek refuge from the same relationships that drive us to the edge. The two-act structure reinforces the central theme of passage of time and how Winnie, through her slow and inexplicable sinking into the sand, is unable to escape the cruelty and disappointment of her perfect life, especially her marria...

Scaramouche Jones or the Seven White Masks – Wilton Music Hall

17Jun

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Scaramouche Jones or the Seven White Masks – Wilton Music Hall

“50 years to make the clown. 50 years to play the clown.” This closing remark, delivered by the centenarian clown Scaramouche as he waits for the clock to strike midnight and usher in the new millennium, is perhaps the closest to capturing the essence of this astonishing odyssey of the 20th century. Scaramouche Jones or the Seven White Masks recounts the extraordinary life of a man’s journey through crumbling empires, comic misadventures, dark episodes and tragic discoveries on a quest to understand why he is who he is. From tales of his birth in slim alleys of Trinidad and his escapades on the busy streets of Milan, to the haunting memories of concentration camps in Eastern Europe and the exhilaration of finally being on English soil, this text not only gives us a glimpse into what wen...

Psychodrama – Never for Ever, Kentish Town

14Jun

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Psychodrama – Never for Ever, Kentish Town

Psychodrama is a gripping one-person show about an ageing actress under investigation for the murder of an auteur theatre director. Written and directed by Matt Wilkinson, and performed by Emily Bruni, this 70-minute long monologue presents a sharp, incisive take on the cut-throat nature of show business and the toll it takes on the lives of those who choose to be in it. Through the eyes of its titular character, a middle-aged actress on the brink of being forgotten, we are introduced to the everyday realities of a creative struggling in an overly competitive industry – a dead-end job that demands more energy than what it deserves, the frustration of maintaining relationships that don’t actually serve you, the occasional self-indulgent purchases that remind you of just how broke you are...

West End Musical Celebration – Palace Theatre

11Jun

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

West End Musical Celebration – Palace Theatre

Originally planned to be A West End Musical Christmas, and devised by the producers of West End Musical Drive In and West End Musical Brunch, in association with Nica Burns, this all-star concert morphed into a celebration of the gradual re-opening of the West End after the 15-month enforced hiatus. The stellar cast of Ben Forster, Alice Fearn, Sophie Evans, Layton Williams, Rachel John, Trevor Dion Nicholas and Shanay Holmes represent the very best of what the West End has to offer and this show provides a great showcase for their talents. There are many high points in a show full of great moments. John blows away the audience with "Don't Rain On My Parade", Dion Nicholas reminds the audience of what a perfect genie he was with Aladdin's "You Never Had A Friend Like Me", and Forster re...

9Jun

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

HEMATOMA – Lion & Unicorn Theatre

I’ve never been to the Lion and Unicorn Theatre which as a born and bred north Londoner is, I know, disgraceful. I was met by a very polite and welcoming front of house who was clearly as pleased to be back to live performances as I was and directed through to my seat. It’s a simple black box auditorium, intimate but with one of the better seating setups I’ve seen in this kind of venue, all Covid-compliant, spacious and clean. Hematoma bills itself as a ‘road play’ - like a road movie, but on the stage. I wasn’t sure what to expect and I wasn’t sure if one man and his thoughts would be the return to being in a live audience that I wanted, but I definitely needn’t have worried. This felt to me like a true coming of age piece, and I spent an hour utterly engrossed in writer and performer ...

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical – Garrick Theatre

8Jun

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical – Garrick Theatre

As the theatres gradually re-open, audiences are like kids in a toy shop, wide-eyed, rushing around not sure what to see first. Well it's a no-brainer. Book tickets for Showstopper! It sounds absolutely crazy - a musical improvised on the fly with suggestions of setting, musical styles and show title provided by the audience - but it has been running to incredible and well-deserved success since 2008. After a long stint at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the show had two West End runs and a series on BBC Radio 4. And along the way they picked up an Olivier award. It's funny, clever, interactive and unique, each night becoming a completely different show full of references to styles the audience can recognise. A bit of Shakespeare here, a Hamilton-esque sequence there, an homage to ...

The Death of A Black Man – Hampstead Theatre

5Jun

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

The Death of A Black Man – Hampstead Theatre

In 1975, The Death of a Black Man by Aflred Fogan made its premiere at the Hampstead Theatre. 46 years later, the darkly compelling drama makes a return to its Main House as part of an effort to remember, and celebrate, a range of plays from every era of Hampstead’s history. Directed by Dawn Walton and starring Natalie Simpson, Toyin Omari-Kinch and Nickcolia King-N’da, this show captures the trials and tribulations of young working class Black British citizens as they set out to carve a future for themselves and the limits to which they’ll go in order to succeed. At the centre of the story is a flat in Chelsea, London where we meet Shakie, played by King-N’da, an 18-year old entrepreneur whose business of selling African art and handicraft items (which are actually sourced locally from...

The Language of Kindness – Shoreditch Town Hall

4Jun

By Jessica BattisonNo Comments

London

The Language of Kindness – Shoreditch Town Hall

“I don’t remember the doctors, I don’t remember the medicine, all I remember is the nurse.” Arriving at Shoreditch Town Hall for the final leg of its three-stop tour, The Language of Kindness is a beautiful celebration of NHS nurses. Based on Christie Watson’s bestselling memoir of her 20 years a nurse, Wayward Productions present the touching true tale, embracing the seamless physicality of Complicité. Directed by Sasha Milavic Davies and James Yeatman, the dance-theatre piece is simply gorgeous. There is a true poignancy throughout as the love letter production explores themes of humour, tragedy, and grief. Showcasing the work of hospital nurses and staff, we witness the emotions nurses both feel and impose as they go about their day-to-day job. The Language of Kindness highlights ...

4Jun

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

The Money – County Hall

If you only had sixty minutes to make a potentially life-changing decision with a group of strangers you’ve never met before, what do you think could happen? Would you keep your nerves and follow a logical and rational decision-making process or allow yourself to be swayed by the emotion and energy of the room? And what happens when you know you’re being watched? No, these aren’t hypothetical questions asked in a job interview (those are nerve-wracking as it is) but the central dilemma of an interactive theatre piece called ‘The Money’ by Exeter-based production studio Kaleider. This show invites you, the audience, to be in-charge of deciding how to spend a briefcase full of money (amounting to GBP £240 at the start of the night) along with a group of other strangers. Presented at th...