London Archives - Page 111 of 174

13Apr

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

Family Tree – Brixton House

"Black is everything. Black is life." Let yourself be introduced to Henrietta Lacks, the inhabitant of petri dishes who you might already know, without knowing it. In this production of Mojisola Adebayo's Family Tree, directed by Matthew Xia, the audience will find a very sensitive and warm approach to difficult topics that need to be addressed, with deep historic roots, and ramifications up to our times. The play has the magnificent performances of Aminita Francis as Henrietta Lacks; Mofetoluwa Akande as Ain, Anarcha and Oshun; Keziah Joseph as Bibi and Betsey and Aimeé Powell as Lyn and Lucy, and the pertinent and silent participation of Alistair Hall as the Smoking Man. The group delivers for astonishing poetical texts, embodied in a beautiful way. The show starts with a speech fr...

13Apr

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Terrible Thames – Tower Bridge Quay

I was so excited to relive my childhood memories of eagerly watching Horrible Histories and the Birmingham Stage Companies' Terrible Thames was the perfect treat, with a delightful blend of just enough gore, comedy, history and with the added thrill of a live performance. It begins as a begrudging history teacher explains that he is stuck with an energetic, boisterous student who won a prize trip on the tour. The pair playfully and competitively recite historical facts about London’s River and the surrounding area. With a brilliant script written by Terry Deary and Neal Foster, the transitions between topics were seamless. Succinct links connected the present London before diving back into the past. The infectious energy and enthusiasm brought the tales to life and conveyed the poignanc...

12Apr

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Wonderland in Alice – Theatre Peckham

My first review for North West End UK came courtesy of The Bone Sparrow at Theatre Peckham, so the venue has a special place in my heart. That particular work made me cry my eyes out in a way that no other piece of art has affected me. Theatre Peckham continues to produce challenging, diverse and unique theatre in a slick space whose events attract young, lively and local support. The future of theatre can be found in such spaces, so it's always a buzz to see them thriving. It's a testament to their varied programming that Wonderland in Alice lands on their SE5 stage and in this new adaption of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland asks a question, who would we be if we were free from the binary constraints of gender? It's an indication of the current political climate that even pro...

The Two Gentlemen of Verona (& Sonnet 104) – Barons Court Theatre

8Apr

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

The Two Gentlemen of Verona (& Sonnet 104) – Barons Court Theatre

Relentless, quick-witted, fast-paced, surprising. Shakespeare has not yet said everything he had to say. The approach taken by Evan L. Barker in this new staging of Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona is to set the action in a school environment, redefining and giving new meaning to the situations the characters are put through and their decisions in that context. The apparent freedom of the cast in the performance, while being strict with the words and rhythm of the piece (abridged and adapted by the same Barker), gives it a solidity and integrity that further contributes to a contemporary interpretation of the play. The audience is received by a character painting on stage. After a short very intense introduction where the actors rile up the audience and set the tone with juv...

8Apr

By Dave SmithNo Comments

London

The Dry House – Marylebone Theatre

Chrissy (Mairead McKinley) is passed out on the couch. Her house around her is dishevelled, empty beer cans and wine bottles litter the floor. The walls are showing damp and mould, and everything looks to be in need of a good clean. Her sister, Claire (Kathy Kiera Clarke) arrives having agreed to bring four final drinks before Chrissy has agreed to go to an alcohol treatment facility. The Dry House is staged in a small letter box, the surround of the stage blacked out, leaving us focused on the unkempt home and the women before us. The relationship between the two sisters feels very real, we see and feel the long history between them, picking up on snippets of family background and times shared together. Chrissy always liked a drink but after the death of her daughter Heather (Carla Lan...

The Woman Who Turned into A Tree – The Omnibus Theatre

7Apr

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

The Woman Who Turned into A Tree – The Omnibus Theatre

Presented by Omnibus Theatre and Collide Theatre, The Woman Who Turned into a Tree is an examination into external validation and the pressures placed on a young woman in today’s age. As a woman rhythmically sways in a dark, grungy club, an identically dressed woman enters the stage and the two watch each other intently. Daphne, as she introduces herself, is an ambitious event organiser fuelled by a need to fulfil this fantastical self-idealisation she constructed. Gradually, a force takes over and guides her towards freedom and finding peace in herself, as she metaphorically transforms into a tree. Her battle between different self-concepts is visually represented through the two versions of Daphne. Bathsheba Piepe conveys Daphne’s wide-eyed furious desperation, sinuously moving betwee...

JV2 Program Premiere – Lilian Bayliss Studio

7Apr

By Marita MatarNo Comments

London

JV2 Program Premiere – Lilian Bayliss Studio

Dancers from the JV2 Professional Development Diploma program presented a dance ensemble of choreographies led and devised by Vinicius Salles for the piece ‘It’s Not Unusual’ and André Rebelo for the piece ‘Mystique’, two associates of the Jasmin Vardiman Company, together with the dancer’s creative input throughout the processes. For several years, the JV2 Professional Development Program led young artists to develop multi-disciplinary skills alongside a rigorous training in technique to train artists and go forward with their careers. ‘It’s Not Unusual’ commences with the dancers entering the space, occupying it one by one with an interesting exposition of masculinity performed by a cast predominantly assigned females. One could easily pinpoint the masculinity investigated; the to...

7Apr

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

Electra Untitled – The Cockpit

Bloody your hands if your story is being told without you having a say in it. "Dance, dance, furies, lock your arms!". This rendition of Electra's part of Greek mythology, produced and presented by Vertebra Theatre, explores the story of this controversial character, with the legacy it has had in theatre, through the eyes of four actors and a director, who devised and interpreted it: Alexa Komari, Emilie Largier, Masumi Saito, Elena Stamoulakatou, Mayra Sergiou. Sergiou oversaw the concept, the adaptation and the direction as well. On stage, we also see Gregory Emfietzis, who composed the music and plays the violin, the drum and the electronics. The play introduces us to the pathos of Elektra's story immediately, through the image of four faceless, red-tinted actors, covered in drape...

6Apr

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

Home, I’m Darling – Richmond Theatre

Being a domestic goddess is not as easy as it seems… This new and innovative thought-provoking comedy tells the story of Julia (Jessica Ransom) and her husband Johnny (Neil McDermott) in their quest to becoming the perfect 1950s couple. Set in modern day, Julia and Johnny decide to lean strongly into the idea of being a traditional 50s couple, even refurbishing their home and lifestyle in order to fit into the mould. A voluntary redundancy takes Julia from a modern working professional into a traditional housewife’s role, and what started out as a six-month trial period turned into a three-year ‘experiment’. The intricate, bright and colourful set is a major character of this show, the detail bringing the action on stage to life and allowing the cast to use the entirety of the spa...

6Apr

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Sap – Soho Theatre

Originally performed at Edinburgh Fringe, I was eager to know why this show was a consistent sell out during the festival. Writer, Rafaella Marcus has brought us a retelling of the Greek myth ‘Daphne’ sought after by Apollo and to escape him turns herself into a tree. Often used as a device exploring sexual assault and violence however in this story, Daphne is Bisexual who is desperately ashamed and would much rather lie than confront the people she loves. With one lie, a seed is planted and from that a dark and tragic path is laid out. Only a 70 minute piece and every second completely enchanting to watch, two actors (Jessica Clark and Rebecca Banatvala) swerve through the space like seasoned pros with every click, move and nod perfectly synchronised with the lights and sound. Moving a...