London Archives - Page 104 of 111

Welcome to the Café – The Theatre Channel

20Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Welcome to the Café – The Theatre Channel

At the beginning of October in 2020, The Theatre Café released the first episode of their new series, The Theatre Channel, presented by Adam Blanshay Productions. Rallying together some of the West End’s top performers, viewers are treated to fantastically produced musical numbers directed by Bill Deamer. Each episode has its own unique theme, and so fittingly, the first one introduces and welcomes us to the café itself. Opening with ‘Coffee (In a Cardboard Cup)’ from And the World Goes Round, featuring series regulars ‘The Café Four’ (Alyn Hawke, Emily Langham, Sadie-Jean Shirley and Alex Woodward), we instantly get a taste for the energetic, perfected and stagey songs we’re in for. Deamer also lends his tight, upbeat choreography to the series, and it’s evident in this fun first numbe...

16Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Rosegold – Online@TheSpaceUK

Donna Kay Yarborough’s monologue, Rosegold, is a startling story of alcohol addiction which starts as a regular testament at a Zoom meeting of what seems to be a religious group for those with some sort of baggage but takes a slowly disturbing turn as the story progresses. Jamie is speaking from her porch, outside her home. Other than briefly introducing “Carrie”, who doesn’t speak and wears a mask to remind us of our current pandemic, she is on her own, sharing a story so bleak and horrifying it toys with the tropes we recognise from both the traditional Christmas ghost story and the type of horror film that includes “found footage”. Far from being a simple tale of abusing the bottle, Jamie’s tightly wound personality takes us into a crime scene where she was the only survivor. A cr...

16Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Happily Ever After – Online@theSpaceUK

Better Day Productions’ Happily Ever After from @theSpaceUK’s new season of online shows explores the story of bride to be Jasmin as she plans her special day with the help of Wedding Planners Frank and Gary. Written in a mockumentary style, the show begins by focusing on couple Frank (James Coare) and Gary (Perry Pullman) who were inspired by their own dreamy Disney-themed wedding to create their own wedding planning company. The light-hearted banter between Frank and Gary is definitely a highlight of the show. Filled with plenty of energy and hilarious one-liners, Coare’s performance as Frank was a standout for me. My favourite line was when we first meet the couple. Frank describes Gary as “the missing part of my Polo mint”, simple but performed perfectly and it really made me laugh....

16Jan

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

London

Public Domain – Southwark Playhouse

Written and performed by Francesca Forristal & Jordan Paul Clarke. Produced and directed by Adam Lenson. This is a very interesting concept, and the authors are to be commended for their efforts in putting together a very different and challenging piece of theatre. All the text is taken from words spoken and written on the Internet (particularly Facebook) during the past 12 months in an attempt to show a picture of the digital world which we all now inhabit. It is certainly a very fast paced production and describes itself as a “high adrenaline, electronic thrill ride”, which certainly is a fair and accurate description. It could also be described as very dark, giving us a terrifying insight into what the digital world has the potential to become (if it has not already arrived at...

The Corporate Knobs – Online @theSpaceUK

14Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

The Corporate Knobs – Online @theSpaceUK

Earl & Grace Productions’ The Corporate Knobs is a short comedy variety show exposing the truth about life in corporate America and how the pandemic has changed corporate work lives for better and worse. Performed by Lori Hamilton, the show opens with a short film showing the shady history of company, Landalor Industries as it grew from a small family business to the government’s main irresponsible disposer of nuclear waste. Diane Prenderghast (Lori Hamilton) is the exhausted and HR Director who leads us through our journey with the company. COVID, she tells us, has made many of us realise that we hate our jobs, but no one wants to quit when they can get a severance package, so she runs a short course in how to be a bad manager so that you can get fired and paid off. Or, if you d...

Piaf and Brel: The Impossible Concert – Online@TheSpaceUK

12Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Piaf and Brel: The Impossible Concert – Online@TheSpaceUK

Melanie Gall, a Canadian opera singer who works internationally bringing the singers and songs of the past back to life, now focuses on the greatest of French musical icons: Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel. The concert is not impossible because of the music, but because these two legends never worked together or even met. Piaf (1915-1963), her adopted name causing her to be nicknamed “The Little Sparrow” was born into Parisian poverty, a daughter of street and circus performers. Brel (1929-1978) was born in Brussels and is considered to be the master of the modern chanson. Vocalist Gall clearly feels both affinity and affection with the music associated with both artists, and despite not being a native French speaker her diction is impeccable, mining the meaning deep within her song choi...

10Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Twenties – Online @theSpaceUK

Funny and relatable, Charlotte Anne-Tilley’s production Twenties, from @theSpaceUK’s new line up of online shows, explores the trials and tribulations of young adulthood from the perspective of 21-year-old Hope. Mostly performed as a monologue interwoven with dialogue, wide-eyed and determined Hope (Charlotte Anne-Tilley) tells the story of leaving her small town life in Cheshire for the bright lights of London. As Hope tells her parents the news, their reaction was certainly one of the most relatable moments in the show. Hope’s concerned mother (Jess Parsons) listing every potential danger she may encounter in London whilst her distracted father (Harry McMullen) responding with indifference, felt pretty bang on to how many parents may react when their child decides to move away. Ann...

An Evening with David Bedella – Crazy Coqs

10Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

An Evening with David Bedella – Crazy Coqs

Opening with an exciting musical song, I presumed that David Bedella would take us on a journey through his award-winning résumé. A little Frank-N-Furter here, a Max Martin song from &Juliet over there. I was surprised. Instead, we were served an array of music genres, all with the velvety vocals that Bedella delivers. The cabaret had the air of a sophisticated dinner party, with the guests being treated to a song or two from the host. We were given the story behind the choices; from an aspiring country career to his mother’s favourite song. Sitting on a barstool, delivering titbits directly to camera, the performance felt relaxing and intimate. It’s clear that Bedella is a very natural storyteller; through the conversation and the songs themselves. The rapport between perf...

31Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Uncle Vanya – BBC iPlayer

An evocative play about family resentments and tensions in a changing world. Adapted by Conor McPherson, Directed by Ian Rickson The theatre production for this Chekhov play was halted in March this year due to COVID-19 but the production was filmed in London’s Harold Pinter Theatre, released in cinemas and is now available on the BBC. What we see is an accomplished filming of a theatre production rather than a film/TV adaptation, as all the action takes place in one room and there is a distinct lack of intrusive camera work. The play is adapted by Conor McPherson and directed by Ian Rickson and with a strong cast they have managed to create an event very similar to visiting a theatre for a classic play. The set is wonderfully dark and rustic in its faded grandeur. There is a good...

29Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Pirates of Penzance – Palace Theatre

Of all Gilbert and Sullivan's works, Pirates of Penzance is probably the best known and one of their most popular, having been a hit since it first opened in New York in December 1879. Since then, it has been interpreted and re-interpreted - and Sasha Regan 's award-winning production is one of the very best. The "men playing women" trope has, of course, been around for many centuries, in Shakespeare and in panto. It depends on the talent of the actors to make the conceit work. And work it does, the all-male cast adding an additional layer of whimsy to what is already a marvellously funny operetta. The story hinges on its subtitle "The Slave Of Duty". After a miscommunication leads young Frederic to be indentured to the dastardly Pirates of Penzance, he delights in his freed...