London Archives - Page 2 of 170

Much Ado About Nothing – Thomas’s College

9Aug

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Much Ado About Nothing – Thomas’s College

Tom Littler’s staging of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ is a true masterclass in how Shakespeare should be performed, adapted and directed: intelligent without becoming academic, emotionally rich without descending into sentimentality, and uproariously funny without ever compromising the text. Presented by the Orange Tree Theatre and Guildford Shakespeare Company in the grounds of Thomas’s College, Richmond, alongside ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’, it is an extraordinary theatrical achievement that is brilliant on every level. The production continues the stories of the same characters from ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’, but six eventful years later. The original carefree summer of 1939 has been replaced by the summer of 1945, with the surviving men returning from war and the women revisiting the village i...

9Aug

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Love’s Labour’s Lost – Thomas’s College

Tom Littler’s adaptation of ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ is an exceptional theatrical achievement: intelligent, technically accomplished and irresistibly entertaining. Presented by the Orange Tree Theatre and Guildford Shakespeare Company in the grounds of Thomas’s College, Richmond, this glorious open-air production demonstrates precisely how Shakespeare can be made contemporary, immediate and entirely accessible without sacrificing the richness of the original text. The production is performed in repertory with ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, using the same company to connect the two comedies across six eventful years. Although the productions reward being seen together (this is highly recommended), they also stand independently. Having recently played within the grounds of Braboeuf Manor in G...

The Barber of Seville – Upstairs at The Gatehouse

8Aug

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

The Barber of Seville – Upstairs at The Gatehouse

Hollywood pin-up, Timothee Chalamet caused a global hoo-ha when he claimed in an interview that “no one cares” about ballet or opera. He was rightly ridiculed and provoked a lively debate which proved that high art forms are in rude health and ignorance is ugly, even when it comes from the mouth of a beauty. Nobody can deny that ballet, opera and classical theatre can be elitist, financially inaccessible, intellectually demanding, unfamiliar to the newcomer and outrageously time consuming. As someone who endured Einstein on the Beach by Philip Glass (5 hours) at Barbican and Gaddafi: A Living Myth at ENO, I can confirm that attending such productions can feel like extreme sport mixed with expensive self-harm. It is also true that when some of the cultural barriers are removed or tackled, a...

8Aug

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

CATS – Regents Park Open Air Theatre

The cast of CATS have arrived in style dominating the scene with feline grace. And they’re ready to slink into the spotlight. Regent’s Park Theatre came alight with contemporary dance in a jaw dropping performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatrical classic, CATS. The excitement and buzz in the audience of anticipation was palpable. The set, a rustic crescent moon lit the sky with a warm glow as the smaller moon orbited with ease against the darken sky. A vision captured perfectly for a night of feline adventure and storytelling. Don’t be fooled by the simplicity here, there is so much to appreciate, and time given to lose yourself in the ‘magic’ of the music and artistry unfolding before you. The longevity of Andrew Lloyd Webbers CATS now 45yrs old is a testament to ...

8Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Sick Dog – Etcetera Theatre

As I kick off my Camden Fringe Festival coverage, I began with a charming play called ‘Sick Dog,’ which incidentally does not have a dog as a cast member! Winne (Cara Crofts) shares her flat with her friend Eliza (Pearl D’Souza), and they hang out and share household duties, and this is your usual flatmates play…until you realise that Eliza is not human, but a humanoid! We learn that Winnie has been existing in her flat for months and has an illness which has made her unable to work. Eliza is stepping in to help where she can, and she is also learning about Winnie’s characteristics and mimicking them in an attempt to learn more about humans to integrate more authentically. Directed by Lily Gilchrist, the play is set in Winnie’s flat and revolves around Winnie’s ill...

Some of It Might Be True – Etcetera Theatre

6Aug

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Some of It Might Be True – Etcetera Theatre

In The Ugly Truth Productions’ new production, ‘Some of It Might Be True’, writer and performer Justine Martin attempts to place social media, influencer culture, mental health and trauma within an increasingly absurd narrative involving an online scandal, animal-rights activism and a pig-rescue mission. At its core, it is a strange and chaotic comedy with important ideas at its heart, but neither the writing nor the production is sufficiently developed to explore them with clarity. Whilst there is certainly potential in this collision of anxieties, and the comedy is certainly the production’s strongest element, its storytelling is unfocused, jumping between ideas without giving its themes enough space or structure to make a lasting impact. The same lack of control affects the stagi...

5Aug

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

The Lads – Hen & Chickens Theatre

‘Toxic masculinity’ continues to be a fizzing hot topic. In the past few years, it’s curdled from legitimate concern and intelligent discussion to yet another flashpoint in the culture wars. Well meaning and bad faith operators were soon questioning the term, concerned that it reinforced negative stereotypes and might be detrimental to the mental health of young men. Meanwhile, the ‘manosphere’ continues to grow and curdle. The views of provocative influencers are seeping into the mainstream due to the monetisation model of online media and the grim logic of the algorithm. Andrew Tate went from a misogynist freak on the fringe of the Internet to a global pop culture phenomenon. The reasons for that evolution might be complex, but it’s hard not to conclude that the problem is escalat...

I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical – Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

5Aug

By Olivia CoxNo Comments

London

I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical – Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

With everyone from Tina Turner to Frank Sinatra getting the jukebox musical biopic treatment as of late, it’s no surprise that “Queen of Funk” Chaka Khan wanted to get in on the action. But what is a surprise, sadly, is how her magnetic star power and iconic discography has been boiled down to such a muddled, lacklustre production as this. After teasing us with a few bars of the title track, the show starts by transporting us to a rehab session for Chaka (Alexandra Burke), attended by her loved ones. Before long, we’re sent back on a whistle-stop of her life and traumas, including her relationship with her heroin-loving father, her Yoruba naming ceremony, her affiliation with Fred Hampton and the Black Panthers, her two failed marriages, and her spiral into drug addiction. The problem i...

5Aug

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Bathroom – Etcetera Theatre

‘Bathroom’ is a beautiful, deeply affecting piece of theatre, defined by vulnerability and an acute understanding of what happens when love is strained by emotional distance, language and cultural difference. Written and directed by Yijing Zou, this intimate two-hander explores the challenges of living and working abroad as a non-native speaker. Its storytelling is compassionate without becoming sentimental, gently confronting racism, the expectations we place upon our partners and the cumulative toll of navigating a multicultural environment. Inspired by Edvard Munch’s 1896 painting “Separations”, the production asks a painful question: “what remains when love can no longer bridge the space between two people?” Jinyu Dan, playing Siwen Yao, and Bowen Sun, as Shiming Liang, are e...

The Alternative to Living – Baron’s Court Theatre

4Aug

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

The Alternative to Living – Baron’s Court Theatre

‘The Alternative to Living’ is an ambitious piece that aims to explore uncomfortable themes through deeply fragmented storytelling and experimental theatre. The central concept has genuine promise, inviting the audience to reflect on their very existence, their digital identity, and the way we construct meaning from fractured modern life experiences, however unfortunately, the execution and underdeveloped script struggle struggles to realise the potential at the heart of the idea. The writing feels intentionally disjointed, with dialogue frequently delivered in half sentences and broken thoughts. While this may have been a deliberate artistic choice from writer Fenn Telfer, it creates a barrier rather than a sense of intrigue. Instead of building tension or emotional depth, the frag...