London Archives - Page 2 of 162

14May

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

1536 – Ambassador’s Theatre

In 1536 Anne Boleyn, then married to Henry VIII, was accused of treason, locked up in the Tower of London and subsequently executed. Her only real crime, not providing an heir. From the publicity material surrounding this play you would think that that is what it is going to be about. It is not. The setting is a village in Essex, in a small clearing with a large tree stump and tall grasses. Here three village women, Anna, Jane and Mariella, live out their intertwined lives in a highly patrimonial society where women's status and lives count for little. They hear the stories of the arrest and fate of the Queen which they can scarcely credit, but it has little relevance to their lives. Or does it? In their rural microcosm they are subjected to the same misogyny and arbitrary male decision...

13May

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Blood Brothers – Richmond Theatre

The classic and much-loved musical Blood Brothers returns to Richmond Theatre, bringing Willy Russell’s iconic story back to the stage with emotion, humour and heartbreak. Written by Willy Russell, Blood Brothers tells the tragic story of the Johnstone twins, separated at birth and raised in completely different households, unaware that they are brothers. Despite growing up in contrasting worlds, fate continually draws them back together, forming a lifelong friendship as “blood brothers”. The story powerfully explores themes of class, family, destiny and whether blood really is thicker than water. Kristofer Harding was outstanding as the Narrator, commanding the stage whenever he appeared. His presence helped guide the audience through the story while creating a constant sense of ten...

Godot’s To-Do List and Krapp’s Last Tape – The Royal Court

12May

By Eleanor HallNo Comments

London

Godot’s To-Do List and Krapp’s Last Tape – The Royal Court

The double bill at the Royal Court (Leo Simpe-Asante’s curtain raiser, followed by Samuel Beckett’s classic). Godot’s To-Do List charts an endless number of tasks for its protagonist, the number of which is quantified by a party popper sound effect. Flora Ashton’s quasi supermarket checkout voice is a playful antithesis to Shakeel Hakim’s Godot, a frantic figure decked out in suit and bowler hat. Such tasks range from the banal to the impossible to the repetitive, with chunks of overlapping lines generating either acute tension or comedy. In this world, assumptions are questioned or subverted: i.e. when it is suggested that the omnipotent voice would make a good one for something akin to a mindfulness podcast, it later traps Godot within in a repeated instruction to ‘take a breath’. ...

12May

By Klervi GavetNo Comments

London

Escaped Alone – The Coronet Theatre

Escaped Alone at The Coronet Theatre is one of those productions that feels perpetually on the verge of becoming something unsettling and profound, yet never quite arrives there. Directed by Lisa Ferlazzo Natoli and Alessandro Ferroni, this Italian-language adaptation of Caryl Churchill’s 2016 play certainly has atmosphere, but little dramatic momentum. The premise is deceptively simple: four older women sit in a suburban garden, chatting about ordinary things: cats, television, old memories, drinks, passing time... Beneath the surface, each carries some private fracture or trauma. Every so often, one of them steps out of the everyday realism to deliver apocalyptic monologues describing floods, disease, famine and societal collapse, while projections and sound design suggest a world qui...

12May

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Company – Bridewell Theatre

Stephen Sondheim's Company won six Tony Awards for its original 1970 US production. Its witty and innovative format of a series of vignettes, focusing on the central character Bobby, stunned audiences then and continues to delight with a message that's as relevant today as it was 50 years ago. It's Bobby's 35th birthday and he's reluctantly at a surprise party thrown by his friends. Surrounded by married and single friends, ex- and current girlfriends, Bobby witnesses the swirl of emotions, the joy and the heartbreak of being in relationships of all types. As the drink, weed and emotions flow, Bobby's married friends set him up with dates and try to persuade him that he needs to be married. But Bobby isn't wholly wedded to the idea of commitment, and it seems his married friends are ...

Let the Right One In – Underbelly Boulevard

12May

By Charles PipeNo Comments

London

Let the Right One In – Underbelly Boulevard

Let the Right One In, by Jack Thorne, adapted from the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, is a bold blend of two genres: vampire horror meets coming-of-age romance. Set in a bleak Swedish suburb in winter, the plot follows the blossoming relationship between awkward, bullied teen Oskar and un-aging vampire Eli. The narrative is both touching and gripping, and the script is full of fascinating moral shades of grey, while richly exploring themes around puberty and masculinity. This production features a large ensemble cast of twenty, including eighteen NYT REP members. Every member of the ensemble does an excellent job, and the physical group scenes feel dynamic and polished. At the core of the play is the sweet and somewhat concerning teen romance that develops between Oskar (Nicky D...

12May

By Savitha VenugopalNo Comments

London

The Anti “Yogi” – Soho Theatre

There is yoga, and then there is yoga. One is the kind that has been repackaged for a Western audience and the other is the kind that is deeply rooted in an ancient culture. The Anti “Yogi” – which comes with the tag line “Liberation, not lululemon” – is a rebellion against the former. Written and performed by Mayuri Bhandari, this production is directed by Shyamala Moorty & D’Lo. Mayuri starts off with the warning that the show will contain triggering words like manifestation and mindfulness. Triggering not for the audience, but for her. She delves into the multi-billion-dollar yoga industry in the US, where yoga has been commodified and stripped of its essence, leaving only a misunderstood and repackaged husk. She laments the topsy-turviness of it all, and how something she gre...

12May

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

The Wasp – Southwark Playhouse Borough

Two school acquaintances meet in the courtyard of a pub, having not seen each other for several years. Their lives have diverged: Heather, is married, childless and prosperously middle-class; Carla is pregnant with her fifth child and definitely working class. They seem to have little in common, and indeed, as their conversation develops, it is clear that they were not exactly friends at school. So why has Heather suggested this meeting? As they circle each other warily we learn more about their backgrounds, and then Heather offers Carla a very large sum of money to undertake an outrageous task for her. Carla is initially resistant, but she needs the money and it is clear that Heather, although not having been in direct contact, has learnt a lot about Carla's family situation a...

The Fastest Clock In The Universe – New Wimbledon Theatre

12May

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

The Fastest Clock In The Universe – New Wimbledon Theatre

“In a flat in East London the party preparations are under way, each detail meticulously planned, including the birthday cake and surely nothing can wrong”. “After all there is the specially chosen guest of honour and a very sharp knife”. Ridley’s play is dark, funny and extraordinarily captivating. The Fastest Clock in the Universe written by Philip Ridley in 1992 “became an early example of ‘in your face’ creative theatre” with a design to shock and unsettle audiences rather than comfort them. The story centres around a cast of five people, with interwoven nuanced lines and evolving deep meaning of life experiences, aging and opportunistic revenge. The plot centres on Cougar Glass played by Frederick Russell a man celebrating his 19th birthday ‘again, a man plagued by father time a...

Alastair Clark: On The Record at Flashback Records

3May

By Olivia CoxNo Comments

London

Alastair Clark: On The Record at Flashback Records

After working in a record shop in Liverpool for a number of years, Alastair Clark quit to pursue his dream of being a full-time comedian. With many Edinburgh Fringe stints under his belt, he’s now bringing his show On The Record to independent record shops across the country. In London, the venue is Flashback Records — a lovely establishment in the beating, chaotic heart of Shoreditch. The shop’s basement is a quirky and cosy space (especially cosy on what was a particularly warm day) and armed with a can of Jubel I felt as though I was in a music aficionado’s living room. Clark perfectly matched the intimacy of the setting with his energy; both warm yet self-deprecating, he’s an incredibly engaging performer who immediately made me feel at ease. On The Record primarily sees Clar...