London Archives - Page 112 of 114

La Bohème Live at The Drive-In – ENO, East Car Park, Alexandra Palace

25Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

La Bohème Live at The Drive-In – ENO, East Car Park, Alexandra Palace

Monty Python used to say, and now for something completely different, and ne’er was a truer word said than with ENO director P.J. Harris’ contemporary English language adaptation of Puccini’s classic opera, and it is also transformed from its 19th C Parisian location to a modern-day encampment in a disused London car park, where we meet our four struggling hipsters: poet Rodolfo (David Butt Philip); painter Marcello (Roderick Williams); philosopher cum photographer Colline (William Thomas); and musician Schaunard (Benson Wilson), who arrives having had some good fortune. They are interrupted by Benoît (Trevor Eliot Bowes), a security guard, but cleverly trick him to avoid paying him his dues. Whilst the others leave, Rodolfo remains but is interrupted by a young lady needing a light for...

Tonight at the London Coliseum: Sharon D Clarke

20Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Tonight at the London Coliseum: Sharon D Clarke

When you think of West End stalwarts, it’s safe to say that Sharon D Clarke would appear on a lot of people’s lists. Having starred in musicals such as We Will Rock You, Ghost, Hairspray, Caroline or Change and Once on this Island, it’s safe to say that at some point or another at lot of us have enjoyed at least one of her powerhouse performances. More recently she performed a stunning rendition of ‘At Last’ for the BBC’s VE Day celebration. Clarke really thought out the set list of songs for this concert, some to help us reflect on the times we’re currently enduring and other to cheer us up and make us forget – but each one had her take on it. It was a perfect balance, especially with the tales she would regale us with. From being mistaken as Whoopi Goldberg, to holidays and anec...

19Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

The Boss of it All – Soho Theatre

New Perspectives’ The Boss of it All, adapted from the Lars Von Trier film of the same name by director, Jack McNamara, has been especially tailored to show office life in lockdown, with all the fun of working from home and life on furlough. Mr Ravn (Ross Armstrong) is negotiating the future of the IT company he works for with Finnur (Le Gateau Chocolat), a successful Icelandic businessperson. Unfortunately, the company’s boss, Svenya, is an absent American who only communicates with him via email. So he hires struggling actor, Kristina (Josie Lawrence) to perform as the boss during negotiations. Unfortunately, his plan to have this as a one-off performance goes wrong, and Kristina soon finds herself embroiled in office politics and facing the consequences of all the unpopular decisions...

4Sep

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London

Three Kings – Old Vic In Camera

The Old Vic celebrated 200 years of theatre in 2018 and even though its doors are closed to live performance, they have taken their expertise in producing high quality theatrical productions and transported this grandfather of London theatre into the digital age. In a striped back production due to many of the staff being furloughed, the Old Vic have taken on their second live screening, following on from the success of ‘Lungs’. Written by Stephen Beresford, who began his career as an actor and then found quick success as a writer penning such films as ‘Pride’ and ‘Tolkien’ and for the stage, ‘The Last Of The Haussmans’. ‘Three Kings’ was written for Andrew Scott who performs this dialogue alone on the stage at the Old Vic, and if you have been fortunate enough to have seen ...

3Sep

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London

Scrounger – The Finborough Theatre

In partnership with Scenesaver, The Finborough Theatre gave a final digital viewing of Scrounger and they plan to continue with monthly releases from their back catalogue to help to raise money to keep the theatre afloat. Scrounger was part of the Vibrant 2019 Festival of Finborough Playwrights and premiered in January 2020. Written by and starring Athena Stevens, the play focuses upon an incident that occurred when Stevens was attempting to travel to Scotland via a flight from London City Airport. Stevens was born with a condition called ‘athetoid cerebral palsy’ which has meant she needs a special wheelchair to be able to get on with her everyday life. After booking onto a flight and confirming with British Airways (BA) that they were able to carry her wheel...

Jury – Park Theatre Company Script Class

26Aug

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London

Jury – Park Theatre Company Script Class

This brand-new play written by Martin Murphy has been crafted during lockdown and draws on the situation within our legal system where, due to COVID, cases have been put on ice awaiting a decision to resume. To try to tackle the backlog, a digital replacement via Zoom has been introduced and a high-profile case is being tried by jury. Park Theatre have turned what is usually a script class, into a theatre company under the direction of Amy Allen. The pressure is on for the jurors to reach a verdict within 45 minutes. The twelve jurors have heard evidence in a criminal trial and have then try to reach a unanimous verdict. We, the viewer, do not get to hear the evidence, but we rely on hearing the jury discuss the minutiae of the case. This has been classed as a...

18Aug

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London

Albion – Almeida Theatre

Mike Bartlett’s Albion was first performed in 2017 and this first revival from director Rupert Goold, recorded live in February 2020, features many of the original cast. Very much a country house drama and reminiscent of The Cherry Orchard, it is as much a satire as a re-enactment of middle-class England. It’s a new start for successful businesswoman Audrey Walters (Victoria Hamilton) who has upended her family from the comfort of their London home for a new start in the country home of an old and unspoilt England, and which contains extensive gardens, once the design of a celebrated gardener that she hopes to restore to their original glory with the support of husband Paul (Nicholas Rowe) although daughter Zara (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is less keen on the move away from the capital’s life a...

Fanny and Stella – The Garden Theatre at The Eagle

12Aug

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London

Fanny and Stella – The Garden Theatre at The Eagle

Fairy lights twinkle in the trees, the evening air clings around us and my “Fanny and Stella Special” lemony G&T is refreshing, sipped beneath my face mask (of course). We can all sense excitement in the air; pure, buzzing, expectant joy. Even the delightfully garish bar we had to walk through to reach the Garden Theatre added an extra thrill. We’re out, we’re back, we’re together and we’re about to experience LIVE THEATRE. Special credit must instantly be given to the team behind the show for making this happen and keeping us safe! On a night where theatres around the UK were lit up in red to alert us to the ongoing crisis unveiling within our industry, how amazing to find a team working around the guidelines and putting on a show. “Fanny and Stella” follows the story of Ernest ...

The Secret Love Life of Ophelia – Greenwich Theatre

9Aug

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London

The Secret Love Life of Ophelia – Greenwich Theatre

Steven Berkoff’s The Secret Love Life of Ophelia provides the backstory to one of the Shakespeare’s most tragic couples. Adapted directly in response to the closure of theatres during the coronavirus pandemic, Greenwich Theatre’s new version, directed by James Haddrell, has taken the epistolary nature of the play and converted it into a series of video messages, which makes it a perfect piece of drama for an online production. The piece opens with a clever and imaginative explanation of what is about to be shown, creating a believable world from the off and providing the opportunity for a large cast of forty actors to play the roles of only two characters, alongside a special guest appearance from Dame Helen Mirren. There are some nice special effects which emphasise the technical backs...

31Jul

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London

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – The Globe

As part of the BBC Culture in Quarantine season, we are offered a selection of Shakespeare’s plays performed at two of the UK’s most well known theatres for Shakespeare. Written in 1596, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a regular feature in theatres’ Summer calendars for their Summer season. We have seen many adaptations of this play as theatres become more creative, but this version is like the making a cocktail, the ingredients can be the same, but it is how much of each ingredient that creates its individual flavour. In Emma Rice’s first play as Artistic Director of The Globe, we were treated to a feast of energy and colour. The play positively buzzed with excitement as we experienced an adventurous modernised version of this much-loved play. The play is ...