London Archives - Page 28 of 123

The Government Inspector – Marylebone Theatre

10May

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

The Government Inspector – Marylebone Theatre

Government inspector? I hardly know ‘er! Those familiar with Gogol’s work via other translations or adaptations will be surprised to find this story transplanted from Imperial Russia into a farcical and fanciful imagining of Victorian England. Top hats tip, feathers flail, and breeches bust as the rambunctious set populating this unspecified vaguely historical small provincial town bob and blunder all over each other. There is no gag this cast is likely to sneer at with steady, practical stage violence, direct comic address to spectators, and even the launching of a cabbage into the melee all being paraded under the audience’s nose. The cynical heart of the play, although invoked in a couple of jarring directorial choices, never quite manages to fight its way to the surface of the burbling...

10May

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

The Opera Locos – Peacock Theatre

Yllana, the renowned Spanish theatre group, brings a vibrant new production to the Peacock Theatre with "The Opera Locos." Translating from Spanish "The Crazy Opera," is an exhilarating spectacle that indeed lives up to its name, offering a whirlwind experience that marries classical opera with a contemporary comedic flair. Despite its modest cast, which includes Enrique Sánchez-Ramos, Jesús Álvarez, María Rey-Joly, Mayca Teba, and Michaël Koné, each member shines brightly, showcasing their classically trained skills and vocals while infusing the production with depth of comedy. Their performances inject the show with energy and charisma, enhancing the experience for the audience. In this performance, traditional narrative takes a backseat, allowing for a dynamic interplay of sounds,...

9May

By Klervi GavetNo Comments

London

Spirited Away – London Coliseum

Faithfully based on the 2001 legendary animated film “Sen and Chihiro's Spiriting Away”, this Ghibli-backed stage production is a big bet that sometimes falls a bit short but will still delight most Miyazaki fans. Young Chihiro and her parents stumble upon a mysterious, deserted theme park. After her parents devour a seemingly abandoned food stall, they turn into pigs. Spirits appear and a young boy named Haku reveals to Chihiro that the park is actually a spa resort for supernatural beings tired from their experiences in the earthly realm. To save her parents from slaughter, she must now join the spirit world and get a job at the bathhouse. Fresh off its 2022 Tokyo opening and extended run throughout Japan, this adaptation by RSC’s honorary associate director, John Caird, is the fir...

8May

By Klervi GavetNo Comments

London

The Return – Streatham Space Project

In this intimate devised solo performance, Natasha Stanic Mann attempts to thread together personal and historical narratives, but the execution falls short of its promising premise. Intended to explore the psychological remnants of war, the complexities of Yugoslavian identity and the poignant search for a new home free from oppressive legacies, the performance struggles to deliver a cohesive and impactful experience. Stanic Mann possesses a certain delicate charm which, while endearing, unfortunately leads to a show lacking in the necessary tension and conflict that such heavy themes demand. The piece feels more like an unresolved work in progress rather than a polished production, with its sentimentality often overshadowing the substantial issues it wishes to address. As she navigate...

7May

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Draft 23 – Old Red Lion Theatre

Somewhere between Waiting for Godot and waiting in a mile long bathroom line behind the two most annoying people at your college while they slowly figure out they don’t actually even like each other, Draft 23 is set in a shifting landscape of tottering piles of laundry, watches, belts, and ashtrays. This play follows the slow and inevitable demise of a fictionalized relationship that cannot maintain itself without the structure of a functional script. The stakes are low and the characters themselves are lower, alternating between various tableaus of languidity as they mope about the playing space without any vestige of playfulness in them. Self-important but unable to self-articulate, the text is under-rehearsed and both actors’ performances are pervaded by a self-consciousness that underc...

5May

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

Kunstler – White Bear Theatre

Riotous, engaging, and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Jeffrey Sweet's Kunstler is making its European Premier at The White Bear Theatre from 1st May. Prepare to be mesmerized by a remarkable performance from Broadway star Jeff McCarthy, who brings Kunstler to life with his impeccable mannerisms, sharp wit, and characteristic humour. The play, set with dialogue only between two actors on stage, masterfully brings to life a litany of American freedom Politics. Nykila Norman and Jeff McCarthy's exchanges are a dance of intellect and wit as they spar over the critical cases Kunstler took up. The dialogue adds depth and tension to the narrative, keeping the audience engaged and intrigued. It is no mean feat to bring to the stage the life of William Moses Kunstler, a prolif...

5May

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Captain Amazing – Southwark Playhouse

Good for a laugh and great for a cathartic sob, Alistair McDowall’s Captain Amazing takes only a few minutes (65 give or take) of bedtime storytelling to spin back time and create a whole new universe. The world of Captain Amazing is a sparse one. He goes to work at a store and tells people not to buy things they don’t need, brings chain vouchers on his dates, and lives in an apartment with one chair (and another upstairs if you want him to go and get it). He’s not one to take a stand or cause a fuss but he’ll do his darndest to save an innocent life. Directed by Clive Judd and produced by Matthew Schmolle Productions in partnership with charities working on male mental health and support for single parents, this production is extraordinary. Mark Weinman’s chimerical performance as Capt...

5May

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Miss Brexit – Streatham Space Project

Presented as part of the Assemble Festival, Miss Brexit is a satire on the place of the migrant in post-Brexit Britain. Five contestants from various countries (Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Italy and Slovakia) are vying for one award of the right to remain in the UK, showcasing their credentials to be the one to receive this coveted prize and be crowned Miss Brexit. As they do so, their desperation to remain in the UK becomes ever more evident and bizarre, as they push themselves to become "British" in order to stay in the UK and integrate into the culture. Should they do that, or should they stay faithful to their roots and the culture they bring with them into what is a multicultural society? The actors are an international troupe, themselves dealing with the consequences of Brex...

3May

By Zara OdetundeNo Comments

London

The Promise – Lyric Hammersmith Studio

This is Deafinitely’s first co-production between Birmingham Rep and Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. It is a new play exploring a variety of themes including inaccessible healthcare for the deaf community and how families navigate a diagnosis of dementia. This show is presented with a combination of British sign language, spoken English and captions. The promise is the story of a family that has grown apart. We start with Rita (Anna Seymour) a teacher and champion of education in the deaf community who is retired and struggling with her memory. Her husband (Louis Neethling) recently passed away and her son Jake (James Boyle) has returned home for the funeral after years of estrangement. The reasons for his absence are unravelled throughout the dual timeline plotline of the play. This play...

2May

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

London

Carmen – Royal Opera House

Director Damiano Michieletto’s desire to get away from 19th-century Seville sadly results in the loss of more than a picturesque background with its relocation to a small town in a remote and rural Spain in the 1970s and I still can’t fathom why he has chosen to introduce the character of Don José’s widowed mother to the stage when she is only ever referred to in the libretto. Thankfully for the audience the performance from the two charismatic leads salvages some of the passion and intrigue mostly lost in this presentation of this dark tale. In an unnamed town, naïve policeman Don José (Piotr Beczała) falls head over heads in love with Carmen (Aigul Akhmetshina), a seductive and free-spirited girl working at the local factory. Infatuated, Don José abandons his childhood sweetheart, Mic...