London Archives - Page 11 of 167

2Apr

By Charles PipeNo Comments

London

This is Not About Me – Soho Theatre

Following an acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe run, THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME. hits Soho Theatre. This extremely solid playwrighting debut from Hannah Caplan delivers humour and heart, in a clever meta-theatrical package. The play follows Grace and Eli, whose longstanding but arguably co-dependant friendship is tested by creeping romantic and sexual attraction. The story nonlinearly jumps around across several years of jealousy, hookups, falling out, making up, and general will-they-won’t-they drama. Meta-theatrically, following months of no-contact with Eli, Grace writes a play to help her process her feelings. THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME. is that play. While the plot bears a resemblance to When Harry Met Sally, Caplan takes a much grittier – though still very funny – approach to the subject matter. &nbs...

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding – Lyric Hammersmith

30Mar

By Charles PipeNo Comments

London

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding – Lyric Hammersmith

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding follows a (seemingly) average working day in the titular salon in Harlem, New York City. The play provides a beautiful glimpse into the lives of the immigrant women who work there. The play takes a journey through workplace politics, gossip, relationship drama, and so on in a manner that is both poignant and utterly hilarious. The Tony-nominated script by Jocelyn Bioh is excellent. Bioh strikes the perfect balance between a largely naturalistic approach to both structure and dialogue, while heightening elements of the plot and the characterisation just enough to also make for compelling drama and hilarious gags. The dialogue is fantastic. The characters bounce off each other in a way that feels lively and realistic while remaining easy to follow. A lot of co...

30Mar

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

The Old Ladies – Finborough Theatre

Rodney Ackland's The Old Ladies is set in an unnamed English cathedral city in 1935, in the midst of the Great Depression. As with many people at that time, the three old ladies in this piece find themselves in difficult circumstances with dwindling savings. May Beringer (Catherine Cusack), Lucy Amorest (Julia Watson) and Agatha Payne (Abigail Thaw) are living in separate rooms in a dingy house, finding what little pleasure they can in a limited and uneventful life. These are three women who in any other circumstances would likely never have crossed paths and now have only an uneasy relationship of necessity. When the potential for an infusion of a substantial amount of money unexpectedly enters the picture, greed takes over, provoking a degree of malice that can only end in tragedy....

30Mar

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Henry V – RSC, Stratford-Upon-Avon

A major power invading another country on a flimsy pretext. Does that sound familiar? The RSC’s new production of Shakespeare's Henry V has clear current political resonances. This production by the RSC's is superb, well directed, excellently acted and inventive. It uses Shakespeare's text and characters and is mercifully free of the gimmicks which some directors choose to put into the Bard's great works. It starts with a nod to continuity with the scene of the death of Henry IV from Henry IV Part Two. It then proceeds at ferocious pace, never flagging. It has been intelligently cut by the director, Tamara Harvey, to run for 2 hours 50 minutes including an interval and yet includes all the major events of the original text. The cast make a superb ensemble. Many playing several parts. Th...

23Mar

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Mythos: Ragnarök – Alexandra Palace

One, two, three, Thor! How many times can you watch a guy pick another guy up and throw him at the ground before you lose your mind? Photo: David Wilson Photography If you’re watching Mythos: Ragnoarök it’s well before Thor you’ll find yourself hooting, hollering, booing, hissing, cheering, and overall having a hel(l) of a good time. This play is performed by a cast of wrestlers so athletic, enthusiastic, and entertaining it’s impossible not to get caught up in the beautiful chaos they create. Overstimulating in the best possible way, Mythos: Ragnarök is both technically astounding and intellectually stimulating, with an emotional heart that keeps a steady pace for each storytelling beat. Writer and star Ed Gamester has created something truly special. Melanie Watson’s tremendo...

Vincent in Brixton – Orange Tree Theatre

23Mar

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Vincent in Brixton – Orange Tree Theatre

A young lover, a religious zealot, or a tragic genius? Vincent Van Gogh is remembered almost exclusively as one of the above. One of the founding idols in the cult of artistic misery, his legacy is not an uncomplicated one. Vincent in Brixton is, on the other hand, simply marvellous. The play itself, by Nicholas Wright is a precise and thought-provoking incision into an underexplored segment of the artist’s life. Neither obnoxiously philosophical or politically apathetic the experience of watching it unfold is not unlike a night in with good friends, good food, and decent beer. The wonder of this production however is in its masterful direction and extraordinary cast. The Orange Tree Theatre, an already intimate space, is transformed by the utterly brilliant Charlotte Henery into a func...

The Dawn of Reckoning – White Bear Theatre

21Mar

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

The Dawn of Reckoning – White Bear Theatre

Two women meet unexpectedly in the lobby bar of a small hotel in Bayswater at 3 am on a cold, foggy January morning. They recognise each other immediately: best friends at university they became estranged later as they sequentially married the same man, leaving a legacy of acrimony and guilt. They are both due to attend the reading of their former husband’s will the following day. Is this a chance meeting or has it been engineered, as they suspect, by their former husband or his agent? As they talk, initially in a spirit of confrontation and hostility, fuelled by alcohol obtained from the bar, home truths begin to spill and a degree of understanding, if not empathy, emerges between them. This is a two hander, no hotel staff appear. Ruth played by Jilly Bond hails from middle-clas...

21Mar

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Ruth – Wilton’s Music Hall

Ruth is a powerful musical based on the life of Ruth Ellis, who in 1955 became the last woman to be executed in Britain. The show dives deeply into her life, exploring her time as a nightclub hostess, the social and class pressures she faced, and the restrictive gender roles of the era. It is both a compelling story and a thought-provoking reflection on power, morality, and the consequences of one’s actions. Hannah Traylen and Bibi Simpson both deliver phenomenal performances as Ruth, portraying her at different stages of her life. The production is framed with Ruth confined in her cell, awaiting her execution. While she waits, she recounts the story of her life, from childhood to the events that led her to this tragic moment. These reflections are brought to life through flashbacks, wi...

21Mar

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Summerfolk – National Theatre

Does a vacation sound nice? Would a countryside retreat relax you? Would you be able to take your mind off of work or the news or the fact that the waitress delivering your sandwiches hates your guts? Summerfolk, an adaptation of Maxim Gorky’s 1904 Dachniki, poses all of these questions as gracefully as a studio photographer on family portrait day with a set and costumes by Peter McKintosh very much invoking that particular environment. An array of variously Russianified white chemises and linen suits stand in stark contrast to the woody green of the deconstructed dacha set that only vaguely implies era or country. Adapted by Nina and Moses Raine for a predominantly British company and directed by Robert Hastie for the English audience of the National Theatre this production is all over th...

20Mar

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Oh, Sister Mary! – Arches Lane Theatre

Oh, Sister Mary! is a delightfully entertaining new cabaret performance that introduces audiences to the unforgettable character of Sister Mary, a spirited nun from Soho, London. The show, brought vividly to life by the exceptionally funny Tim McArthur, combines storytelling, song, and audience interaction to create a thoroughly immersive and joyous experience. From the moment Sister Mary steps onto the stage, it’s clear that this is no ordinary cabaret. Through a series of amusing anecdotes from her time as a nun, Sister Mary takes the audience on a journey filled with witty observations, cheeky innuendos, and laugh-out-loud moments. Tim McArthur’s impeccable comedic timing ensures that each story lands perfectly, drawing constant laughter from the audience. Whether recalling the quirk...