London Archives - Page 108 of 114

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...

24Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Dick Whittington – National Theatre

It’s always a courageous move to update a traditional piece of theatre but it’s especially courageous to update a pantomime when generally the audience have an ‘inkling’ of what to expect. However, this is what Jude Christian and Cariad Lloyd had in mind for their production of The National Theatres 2020 version of Dick Whittington. Having first premiered at The Lyric Hammersmith in 2018, the production had been updated for 2020. Filmed following only its fourth preview performance on 15th December this year due to Government lockdown restrictions, the National Theatre pulled off an incredible feat in filming the pantomime. With some work still in progress, their wish to share the panto for free was based on acknowledging that all components of theatres have been massively affected by t...

22Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

December – Old Red Lion Theatre

Bag of Beard Collective in conjunction with ORL Theatre serves up this quirky, sometimes sinister but ultimately highly enjoyable show written and directed by ORL artistic director Alexander Knott. The play is basically another take on the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol but instead of Scrooge taking centre stage, Knott cleverly focuses on the ever put upon and downtrodden Bob Cratchit (Ryan Hutton). Knott imagines him taking a journey to possible futures ahead, through encounters with vagabonds, spirits and ghosts. For fans of the Dicken’s characters there is definitely some fun to be had in this inventive adaptation and even though it has its very dark and sometimes quite surreal moments (think disco sparkle flairs, Bowies Fashion and Cuban heels) you cannot deny the sheer energy...

We Need A Little Christmas – stream.theatre

18Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

We Need A Little Christmas – stream.theatre

With a massive part of the population currently unable to visit a theatre or concert venue, many charities that rely on Christmas donations are turning to the internet to spread some Christmassy joy while raising some much-needed funds. This particular concert is raising money for Shelter and Crisis at Christmas. Hosted by Denise Welch and Amy Hart, We Need A Little Christmas opens with the song of that name from the musical Mame, and then takes us on a Christmas journey from traditional offerings like Silent Night, to modern classics such as Mary, Did You Know? and newer Christmas music from Coldplay, and everything in between…finishing up with Lee Mead’s new Christmas single, In My Arms For Christmas. With direction by Michael Strassen and musical direction from George Carter, this on...

Snow White in the Seven Months of Lockdown – Kings Head Theatre

17Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Snow White in the Seven Months of Lockdown – Kings Head Theatre

Snow White in the Seven Months of Lockdown at the Kings Head theatre in London (online) streams to our homes this month in time for Christmas. Put together by the Charles Court Opera, they throw a romping frolic through the tulips of fun with bawdy humour and all the ingredients of a great traditional pantomime with a boutique vibe, plenty of zany antics and a shake up of the usual panto story. There couldn’t be any better tonic for this year. Bright stylish costumes, bold characters with a swap of gender roles, Snow White is played in baseball boots by John Savournin who also wrote the hilarious script. The Wicked Queen is played sumptuously evil by Jennie Jacobs, it’s impossible to tell her age but she has a fantastic stage presence, her costume is amazing with a huge white fur ...

15Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

A Christmas Carol – Dominion Theatre

With just two weeks of rehearsal, the London Musical Theatre Orchestra's 24 musicians and a small, hardworking cast have created a festive fantasia for all the family against the odds. Sadly, the move of London into tier 3 means this show closes today, along with all others recently opened or reopened. There have been many adaptations of the Dickens novel of Christmas redemption, including a number of musicals. This one, composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and book by Mike Ockrent. It is unabashedly sentimental alongside scenes bordering on the horrific. Even in a semi-staged concert version, these elements are not neglected. Ebenezer Scrooge is played in this version by the versatile Brian Conley, a performer who captures both the sardonic monstrosity of the miser and...

14Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

The Comeback – Noël Coward Theatre

The Comeback is a funny behind the scenes look at two double acts on their journey to fame. One double act is the warm up and the other is the main act but they’re both relying on their old sketches to impress and raise their profile with the crowd and possible producers in the audience. The duo playing both acts are very likeable and have great chemistry on stage, resulting a really naturally flowing and funny performance with regular gags and well delivered sketches. Behind the laughs and sketches is an introspective crisis regarding the double acts considering how natural their act is and if they belong or qualify for a higher tier of performances and venues to escape their ‘dead end’ city. It’s a narrative which a lot of people can connect to and engage with, both duos have lost fai...

10Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

The Dumb Waiter – Hampstead Theatre

When watching a play written by Harold Pinter, I always feel as though the writer is asking the audience to help him to write the play. There is a feeling of inclusion as we follow the plot line, never really knowing what is coming next as we are still trying to puzzle out what just happened during the previous scene. Pinter wrote this short play in 1957 and it premiered at Hampstead Theatre Club (as it was known then) in 1960 after first being staged in Frankfurt in 1959. Pioneering his own style of writing; Pinter continues to fascinate 60 years later. The play begins with two men sitting in a shabby room with only two beds as furniture. In typical Pinter style there is no explanation as to why these men are in the room, we are supposed to pick up on clues i...

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical – Garrick Theatre

8Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical – Garrick Theatre

Showstopper did not allow lockdown to stop their creativity, they have continued to produce online improvised shows, in fact North West End UK have reviewed some of these (see our website). For those who have somehow missed the artistry that is musical improvisation here is a quick summary. Showstopper use suggestions made by the audience to make up a musical from scratch in front of your eyes. In a normal musical production, it can take years for a production to make it to the stage, with the services of a lyricist, a composer, producer, director, actors, etc, etc! Showstopper does all of this in one night – the performers multi-task and roll all of this into one very sleek team. Ring, ring, the red phone shrills, and we know it’s going to be Cameron asking the ...

7Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Potted Panto – Garrick Theatre

Panto – as traditional a Christmas custom as mince pies, mulled wine and pulling crackers. Like many of our favourite things this year, Covid has put-paid to lots of the pantos and theatre trips we’d normally be enjoying, so naturally I jumped at the chance to see Potted Panto - a madcap romp through all the classic pantomimes, performed in just 70 minutes. As my first theatre trip in socially distanced times, I must give a quick shout-out to the team at the Garrick who did a terrific job of creating a Covid-safe space, whizzing us through temperature and bag checks and ensuring everyone remained vigilant with their masks. A different experience for sure but a smooth one which provided a small slice of normality in an otherwise very strange festive season. Using a pretty basic bu...