London Archives - Page 19 of 156

Lorna Rose Treen: 24 Hour Diner People – Soho Theatre

10Sep

By Eleanor HallNo Comments

London

Lorna Rose Treen: 24 Hour Diner People – Soho Theatre

Fresh from a run at Edinburgh Fringe at Pleasance, Lorna Rose Treen is an agile one-woman show, consistently humorous and wonderfully well-rounded. Belly laughs are a guarantee at this Diner! Opening with an original song, akin to a Studio Ghibli tune, Treen takes us on a masterclass in audience interaction, perfectly integrated within the show and the narrative. Even where playing with the audience was at its riskiest (with one audience member being asked to read lines for several scenes) Treen did not drop the ball once. The spirit of madness is infused into this show, from a poem underscored by ratatouille soundtrack, to the ridiculously long-limbed trucker, to the pre-show mock menu offering a taste of what’s to come. Each character inhabiting the diner is joined up to the ne...

10Sep

By Charles PipeNo Comments

London

How To Date – Jack Studio Theatre

How to Date follows the lives of two young women – roommates Clarissa and Emily - as they navigate tumultuous life in London. Emily (Stephanie McNeil) is the more naïve of the two. Having moved to London from Cheltenham, she is coasting by one her father’s money while pursuing a career as an actor. Clarissa (Helin Ekin) is more cynical, having come from a less privileged background and grown up in London itself. She tries to present as impassive and cool, but it’s clear that she’s not as stoic as she’d like to let on. Despite Emily and Clarissa’s differences, the actors’ strong performances and the sharp script (written by Stephanie McNeil) really sell the friendship between the two young women. The actors have great chemistry, the back-and-forth banter is funny and relatable, and i...

6Sep

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

The Switchboard Project – Hope Theatre

It is 1985, and above a bookshop in King’s Cross, a small team of volunteers huddle around phones, scribbling notes, fumbling for pens, and trying to keep the lines open. For Lou, Joan, Nana and Jackie, it’s another evening at Gay Switchboard. But as the phones ring, their work becomes far more than routine, it’s a lifeline for a community under siege. Molly Byrne’s The Switchboard Project brings to life the often-forgotten stories of lesbian volunteers who played an essential role in building queer solidarity during the AIDS crisis. Drawing inspiration from real calls and interviews, Byrne has created a piece that is both dramatically rich and emotionally resonant, shining a light on the resilience and humour that powered these women through impossible circumstances. The writing is ...

6Sep

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Deaf Republic – Royal Court

Why do you go to the theatre? Is it to hear grand speeches? Perhaps it’s to witness spectacle. Whether your aim is entertainment or education, Dead Centre is going to complicate your experience and expose your complicity. Deaf Republic, a play blending spoken word, sign language, puppetry, and much more, is breathtakingly complex. Adapted from the poems of Ukrainian American author Ilya Kaminsky by Dead Centre and Sign Language poet Zoë McWhinney, this play is one of a kind. Photo - Johan-Persson In turns cruel and comforting to its audience but never careless, writer and director pair Bush Moukarzel and Ben Kidd handle the play’s many difficult themes with grace and gravity. Azusa Ono’s lighting design, Jeremy Herbert’s set design, Mae Leahy’s costume design, and Grant Gee’s vide...

6Sep

By Olivia CoxNo Comments

London

Invasive Species – King’s Head Theatre

Based on the true story of writer and star Maia Novi, Invasive Species opens with a life-altering realisation: Maia wants to be in the movies. But not the low-budget Spanish movies that blare out of the tinny speakers at her local cinema in her homeland of Argentina. Maia wants to be in “big, American movies” like The Amazing Spider-Man — the movie that triggers this epiphany in her youth. Before she knows it, she’s caught hook, line and sinker by The Acting Bug (brought to gloriously creepy life by Harrison Osterfield, playing one of several roles), setting her on a path of unsuccessful stints at acting schools in France and London before finally getting into Yale School of Drama. Disaster strikes weeks before her all-important final year showcase, however: after seeking treatment f...

6Sep

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Home at Seven – Theatre at the Tabard

David Preston, an unassuming man, returns home after an uneventful day at the office, travelling on his normal train from Cannon Street. He is greeted by his distressed wife wanting to know where he has been for the past 24 hours. To his horror, he finds that it is one day later than he thought, and he has no recollection of how he has spent the intervening day. That is the first mystery of this intriguing sounding play by R C Sherriff. The second mystery is that in the time when he had disappeared, a theft and murder have occurred. Was he responsible? The play was written and is set in 1950. Although best known for his well-known and much performed Journey's End, Sherriff wrote a number of other plays and was a successful screenwriter. Home at Seven has rarely been ...

4Sep

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Emerald Storm – Emerald Theatre

Emerald Storm is a dazzling fusion of dance, song, and cabaret that delivers an electrifying evening of entertainment. Combining the raw energy of Riverdance with the rhythmic flair of tap, the production sweeps the audience into a whirlwind of movement and music that is both exhilarating and immersive. From the moment you enter the Emerald Theatre, the atmosphere is carefully curated to set the tone. Guests are welcomed by an inviting bar area where live Irish music fills the space. The band Fiddlin’ About immediately charms the crowd, performing a lively repertoire that ranges from country classics to contemporary pop. The intimate setting, enhanced by plush seating and an upscale cabaret vibe, ensures that the evening feels special even before the show starts. When the show be...

4Sep

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

The Genesis – Peacock Theatre

Human beings are fragile creatures. The connections between us are fraught and tenuous, both physically and spiritually. Copenhagen Collective’s The Genesis offers audiences a powerful reminder of this gravitational reality. Photo: Luke Chadwick Beautifully choreographed and directed by Patrick King and Johan King Silverhult, and set to a mesmerizing score by composer Leif Jordansson, this one-hour circus piece is both awe-inspiring and astounding. As sixteen incredible acrobats weave, dart, pulsate, soar, and even sometimes falter, it is impossible to look away—even as tension builds to almost unbearable heights. The light conception by Stefan Goldbaum Tarabini is so entrancing it occasionally draws focus from the performers themselves—a welcome respite in an hour so deliriously ...

The Pitchfork Disney – King’s Head Theatre

3Sep

By Holly SewellNo Comments

London

The Pitchfork Disney – King’s Head Theatre

“Through indiscriminate suffering men know fear / and fear is the most divine emotion.” Zora Neale Hurston’s sermon-like words, which open The Pitchfork Disney’s epigraph, paint fear as a sacramental rite in the pursuit of wisdom. Fear allows us to know truth; it is holy because it is the realest thing there is. Pitchfork’s characters live in the realm of dreams, but their words are devastating precisely because they touch the darkest knowledge each of us carries in our gut: we are afraid, and we are right to be. Philip Ridley’s debut play is often credited for sparking the ‘90s ‘in-yer-face’ British theatre movement. Its influence extends to the likes of Sarah Kane and Jez Butterworth: the blood, guts, sex and violence that is so unflinchingly depicted in Ridley’s script carries over i...

3Sep

By Charles PipeNo Comments

London

Cascando – Jermyn Street Theatre

Cascando was written by Samuel Beckett as a radio play, originally in French. It was first broadcast in English in 1963. Now, it has been boldly reimagined by Pan Pan theatre company as a promenade piece. Listeners arrive at Jermyn Street Theatre where they dump their bags, before being issued with hooded black cloaks, iPods, and headphones. They are lined up single file, the audio track is begun, and they are led in procession around St James’s. With their hoods up tp conceal their headphones, they appear to onlookers like some kind of strange, anachronistic cult or monastic order. Should the weather turn foul, umbrellas are provided, but audience members should bring their own layers for if the weather is chilly, and of course wear comfortable footwear. If you’re a lover of Beckett...