London Archives - Page 142 of 150

22May

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

ABBA MANIA – Shaftesbury Theatre

“You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life…!” There really are no better lyrics to sum up Shaftesbury Theatre’s grand re-opening after what has been a challenging and lengthy journey out of lockdown. The night kicked off with an emotional welcome from the theatre's CEO, thanking the audience for returning to the West End, and showing honest appreciation to his team for sticking with him during the pandemic. You could sense from everyone a real gratitude that we were back, and the words “thank you for coming” repeated throughout the evening holding a true sincerity and purpose. It was impossible not to start the evening feeling emotional and it provided the perfect foundation for what proved to be a lively and exhilarating experience for all. However, that sai...

21May

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Herding Cats – Soho Theatre

As I was not able to make the live performance, this review was conducted virtually. Even though I was not in attendance at Soho Theatre, it was thrilling to hear the buzz of the audience as they found their seats, with a feeling that live theatre is once again possible. To enhance this experience, Soho Theatre have used new technology to deliver the first of its kind, a transatlantic theatre experience with two actors performing live on Soho Theatre’s stage, while a US based actor performs live in a studio in LA. To prepare us for this modern age experience, the staging has a backdrop of a large screen which will be used to beam actor Greg Germann (Saddo), virtually onto the stage. The play begins with Justine (Sophie Melville) unpacking her shopping, onto...

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Southwark Playhouse Stream

26Feb

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Southwark Playhouse Stream

After the exciting rise of new British musical theatre came to a dreary halt last March it feels immensely hopeful to finally catch a new offering, in the form of Ben Morales Frost and Richard Hough’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”, as our industry slowly comes back to life. Due to have had its premiere at the Southwark Playhouse (an innovative home for new musicals) earlier this year, the production now finds itself shifted online in the form of a three-week stream. Taking inspiration from J. W. Goethe’s 18th century poem, which went on to inspire Dukas’s orchestral piece, a section in Disney’s Fantasia and its subsequent 2010 live action adaptation, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” in its new musical form sheds most of these skins until it is mostly unrecognisable aside from its magical danci...

25Feb

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Typical – Soho Theatre On Demand

Having premiered at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2019 to sold out audiences, then transferring to Soho Theatre, ‘Typical’ has now taken on a hybrid digital form to begin an online season from the 24th February, on Soho Theatre’s On Demand platform. Created by Nouveau Riche and Soho Theatre and written by Ryan Calais Cameron whose previous work includes Rhapsody, Retrograde and Queens of Sheba co-written with Jessica Hagan; Typical is based on a true story and tells of the life of Christopher Alder played by Richard Blackwood. The play is set in the late 1990’s, and a selection of 90’s music, VHS tapes and Whigfield, help to transport us back to that era. Alder is in his mid-thirties, an ex-paratrooper, and a British Nigerian. We learn that he is divorced with two child...

Suitcase Under The Stairs – Greenwich Theatre

12Feb

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Suitcase Under The Stairs – Greenwich Theatre

In my time, I’ve seen more drag queens than I care to remember. From Danny La Rue at the Palladium to Naughty Nikki down the local pub. There is usually something to entertain, even if it’s the way home. However absorbed we are with the performance I would bet we never give a second thought to the artist under the slap, we just want to be entertained. In their play “Suitcase under the stairs” Lewis Pickles and Lauren Tranter take us quite literally behind the scenes and shows us the performer inside. Like drag queens, ventriloquists also create a second persona for themselves and put it in a suitcase after the performance. Sometimes though, the alter ego dominates Anthony Hopkins covered similar ground in the movie “Magic”. Here, the drag queen takes over the performer. In this pe...

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change – London Coliseum (Online)

29Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change – London Coliseum (Online)

Recorded during one of the toughest times for the theatre community, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is the perfect tonic we need in these tough times. Filmed on the stage at the London Coliseum and brought to us by Lambert Jackson Productions, the cast of four, Brenda Edwards, Alice Fearn, Simon Lipkin and Oliver Tompsett bring this hilarious and poignant show to our screen. It follows the highs and lows of first dates, loves, marriage, babies, in-laws and growing old together. Lipkin was brought in last minute due to the sad indisposition of Trevor Dion Nicholas. Lipkin has played the role before, rehearsed into the show for the afternoon and then immediately began filming. The show opens taking us through the beautiful interior of the theatre with eerie vocalisations and voice...

Welcome to the Café – The Theatre Channel

20Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Welcome to the Café – The Theatre Channel

At the beginning of October in 2020, The Theatre Café released the first episode of their new series, The Theatre Channel, presented by Adam Blanshay Productions. Rallying together some of the West End’s top performers, viewers are treated to fantastically produced musical numbers directed by Bill Deamer. Each episode has its own unique theme, and so fittingly, the first one introduces and welcomes us to the café itself. Opening with ‘Coffee (In a Cardboard Cup)’ from And the World Goes Round, featuring series regulars ‘The Café Four’ (Alyn Hawke, Emily Langham, Sadie-Jean Shirley and Alex Woodward), we instantly get a taste for the energetic, perfected and stagey songs we’re in for. Deamer also lends his tight, upbeat choreography to the series, and it’s evident in this fun first numbe...

16Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Rosegold – Online@TheSpaceUK

Donna Kay Yarborough’s monologue, Rosegold, is a startling story of alcohol addiction which starts as a regular testament at a Zoom meeting of what seems to be a religious group for those with some sort of baggage but takes a slowly disturbing turn as the story progresses. Jamie is speaking from her porch, outside her home. Other than briefly introducing “Carrie”, who doesn’t speak and wears a mask to remind us of our current pandemic, she is on her own, sharing a story so bleak and horrifying it toys with the tropes we recognise from both the traditional Christmas ghost story and the type of horror film that includes “found footage”. Far from being a simple tale of abusing the bottle, Jamie’s tightly wound personality takes us into a crime scene where she was the only survivor. A cr...

16Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Happily Ever After – Online@theSpaceUK

Better Day Productions’ Happily Ever After from @theSpaceUK’s new season of online shows explores the story of bride to be Jasmin as she plans her special day with the help of Wedding Planners Frank and Gary. Written in a mockumentary style, the show begins by focusing on couple Frank (James Coare) and Gary (Perry Pullman) who were inspired by their own dreamy Disney-themed wedding to create their own wedding planning company. The light-hearted banter between Frank and Gary is definitely a highlight of the show. Filled with plenty of energy and hilarious one-liners, Coare’s performance as Frank was a standout for me. My favourite line was when we first meet the couple. Frank describes Gary as “the missing part of my Polo mint”, simple but performed perfectly and it really made me laugh....

16Jan

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

London

Public Domain – Southwark Playhouse

Written and performed by Francesca Forristal & Jordan Paul Clarke. Produced and directed by Adam Lenson. This is a very interesting concept, and the authors are to be commended for their efforts in putting together a very different and challenging piece of theatre. All the text is taken from words spoken and written on the Internet (particularly Facebook) during the past 12 months in an attempt to show a picture of the digital world which we all now inhabit. It is certainly a very fast paced production and describes itself as a “high adrenaline, electronic thrill ride”, which certainly is a fair and accurate description. It could also be described as very dark, giving us a terrifying insight into what the digital world has the potential to become (if it has not already arrived at...