London Archives - Page 112 of 149

29Jun

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Metamorphosis – Lyric Theatre

Dating in your 30s is *hard*, if for no other reason than you’re just busier than you were in your 20s. And so it came to pass that I invited the guy I’ve recently started seeing to join me at Monday’s production of Metamorphosis. This was risky, but schedules dictated that it was the only viable option, and you can tell a lot about someone by the way they respond to dance theatre, right...? I say this because going into the performance I really wasn’t sure what to expect, and Maria Caruso’s solo production will not be everyone’s cup of tea. Indeed, it wouldn’t traditionally be mine, but I found last night’s performance so moving and relatable that I’ve been mulling it over all day, examining the work from different perspectives and having an indulgent bit of navel gazing along the way....

28Jun

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Evelyn – Southwark Playhouse

In a small Northern beach town, an accomplice to the murder of her own child has moved under police protection after serving 3 years in prison. Escaping her abusive relationship, her grief and horrific past she begins to start life anew with a new relationship and friends. Only until the power of social media, the mob isn’t far behind on a hunt to find out where Evelyn Mills escaped to with an obsessive mission to make sure she knows she doesn’t belong. Focusing on the concept of internet mobs taking justice into their own hands and questioning when forgiveness is actually accepted by the community allowing the rehabilitation of criminals into our society. Evelyn played by Nicola Harrison was a dark, quiet presence on stage who controlled how much she was seen as a person desperately tr...

27Jun

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Mad House – Ambassadors Theatre

Theresa Rebeck is a prolific American playwright having written Bernhardt/Hamlet, Dead Accounts and Seminar, who also turns her hand to writing for television and has a string of novels to her name such as Three Girls and Their Brother and I’m Glad About You. Her latest play Mad House examines an American family who are attempting to live with a past, which is also shaping their future. Michael (David Harbour) is living with, and caring for his dying father Daniel (Bill Pullman), who is not the easiest of patients to put it mildly, whom directs insults towards his son on a daily basis. Michael has been living with his father for eleven months and is nearing the end of his tether, when they are allocated a hospice nurse Lillian (Akiya Henry). Daniel has decided th...

25Jun

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

Sad-Vents – White Bear Theatre

Graphic. Gut-wrenching. Bold. Brave. Vulnerable. Vivacious. Lively. A tad too long. Sad-Vents is an avant garde show combining more traditional storytelling with pop technology, directed by Annie McKenzie. As writer-performer Eleanor Hill shares her experiences with trauma and mental illness, her real and virtual worlds collide, opening up the invitation to the audience to also engage virtually through the show’s Instagram page, @sadventsplay. Confined to a cosy set, designed by Constance Villemot, consisting of a bed, a bit of carpet and belongings strewn about, the show quickly draws the audience into not just the bedroom but also the life (and mind) of Eleanor. The technological integration led by Matt Powell is a fun experiment and adds a layer to the show. The rawness of the per...

A Doll’s House Part 2 – Donmar Warehouse

24Jun

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

A Doll’s House Part 2 – Donmar Warehouse

A dark house lifts off the stage to reveal its interior, and we are drawn into the intimate space. The story follows on from Ibsen’s classic, presenting their world fifteen years later. Nora has found purpose as a famous writer under a pseudonym but returns home to settle pressing legal matters. The set designed by Rae Smith has a cool, clinical feel like it hasn’t been lived in as none of the characters are truly settled and its initial state is mysterious and bleak, like it holds a chamber of secrets. Noma Dumezweni’s Nora is controlled and meticulously crafted. With a fierce moral code and ideals, she is earthy and wise yet there is something indefinable about her. As Nora’s interacts with the other characters, she is fluid and playful yet grounded by her unswerving principles. ...

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World – Theatre Royal, Stratford East

24Jun

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World – Theatre Royal, Stratford East

The brand-new pop musical, Fantastically Great Women is an inspirational and moving celebration of female empowerment. Set to an original, fun, and strong score, this musical demonstrates the importance of being yourself and discovering how you want to change the world. We are introduced to the inquisitive heroine of the show, Jade, who gets separated from her school group on a trip to the museum. She discovers the not yet open Gallery of Greatness, where she meets twelve influential women from history, who help her on her path to discovering who she wants to be. At only eleven years old, Jade is concerned she is running out of time to make a difference, but she soon learns that it is not about when you make history, just that you don’t ever give up trying to. The show opens with the...

19Jun

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

That Is Not Who I Am – Royal Court

"Just cos it's in your imagination doesn't mean it's not real." Dave Davidson's first (and possibly last) play is a conceit, wrapped in an enigma, inside just about every conspiracy theory on social media. Set in the style of those ever-popular true crime drama documentaries, the playwright acts as narrator, but he/she is also hiding in plain sight. Undercover due to alleged Government surveillance, writer Lucy Kirkwood (Chimerica, Mosquitoes) gives actor Priyana Burford the job of setting the scene and giving voice to the various possibilities of what actually happened. It's the account of Noah and Celeste Quilter, who meet on a blind date, banter, lie to each other, get married, have a much-wanted baby and then fall down the rabbit-hole of conspiracy theories, all while in the grip of...

18Jun

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Darkie Armo Girl – Finborough Theatre

Karine Bedrossian stuns in her fast-paced one-woman play. Her rollercoaster of a journey begins as a sprightly eight-year-old with a passion for dance who struggles with a lack of belonging and isolation due to her Armenian heritage. As she grows up and as her unhealed wounds take hold, she relentlessly searches for some kind of peace or fulfilment amongst chaos. Bedrossian’s writing is excellent with witty dialogue, dark humour, and a strong narrative thread. It is almost like reading a diary, with its intimacy and unabashed truthfulness. The events are retold in an unanticipated and sporadic way, much like Karine’s buzzing character which is exciting and dizzying to watch. She is emotionally raw and engaging without any indulgence or pretence. There is an honesty and concentration ...

Impromptu Shakespeare – New Wimbledon Theatre

18Jun

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Impromptu Shakespeare – New Wimbledon Theatre

"The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral; scene individable, or poem unlimited." Polonius (Counsellor to King Claudius in Hamlet) would likely be itching to be involved in Impromptu Shakespeare if he was around now. This talented troupe of improvisers take random words from the audience - acrobat, gaolers, window, rift - and weave a complex, chaotic and bonkers tale of love, castles, self-loathing, lobsters and twirling. As it's shaped by audience intervention, every performance is different, the cast of five (from a company of thirteen) taking on a variety of roles, whatever is required to create the Shakespeare-esque tale. Producing a Sh...

18Jun

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

King Lear – Shakespeare’s Globe

An epic event overtakes The Shakespeare’s Globe this season in King Lear as the long-awaited return of director Helena Kaut-Howson, 25 years after debuting Kathryn Hunter in the role of King Lear the duo have reunited to place the production in the grandest of arenas. And even more of a treat is to spot Artistic Director, Michelle Terry as the Cordelia/ Lear’s Fool as she handles the text beautifully- we are watching a piece where masters of this craft manoeuvre us through a very complex tragedy with grace and fine tuning to each line spoken. It was a pleasure to see the excitement of the cast- the energy of the space was heightened by the meaning of placing this production back on a stage 25 years on. I wonder how the creatives tackled this piece differently, which parts hold different me...