London Archives - Page 29 of 111

13Dec

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

Cinderella – New Wimbledon Theatre

Pantomime season is back and this year you shall go to the ball! Craig Revel Horwood stars as Cinderella’s Wicked Stepmother in this fresh and colourful version of Cinderella set in the great land of Wimbledon. We are introduced to the characters of the show in a bold and modern number describing the local area of Wimbledon. The set is bold and remnant of a fairy tale, with everything you’d expect for a pantomime. The grand staircase used for the palace is impressive and fitting, with the decoration of the wings adding to the grandeur. Cinderella’s carriage at the end of the first act is a stunning surprise, leaving audience members in magical disbelief. Our narrator of the show is Buttons (Pete Firman) who is exceptional at holding the audience’s attention, both children and adults,...

13Dec

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

21 Round for Christmas – Park Theatre

21 Round for Christmas gets off to a promising start. Into a realistically lived in Christmas kitchen set glides Tracey (Cathy Conneff), adorned in a tinsel boa and belting out a gutsy performance of Santa Baby. Tracey is frazzled – dealing with the various dietary demands of family members, including a vegan tart, a ham and a turkey and concerned about the gravy which usually falls to her friend Jackie. Conneff’s Tracey is chatty and familiar, if not entirely relatable; it’s an interesting cross between feeling like you’re gossiping with a friend and having that person at work talk at you about people from their life that you’ll never meet and frankly don’t care about. It’s all pretty safe territory, though – amusing gripes about picky family members, her irritating mother-in-law and char...

9Dec

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

Peter Pan – Rose Theatre

Second star to the right, and straight on till morning. The classic tale, and a firm family favourite, is brought to life once again this Christmas in a new production at the Rose Theatre in Kingston. Following the mischievous boy Peter Pan who refuses to grow up, and happens to fly, the story begins when Peter crash lands into the bedroom of a strong-minded young girl and her brothers, who desperately seek adventure. With the help of a little fairy dust, and countless happy thoughts, they are whisked away into the land of never growing up, Neverland, where they encounter pirates, mermaids and much more. Bursting with magic from the get-go with the enchanting music and lighting, we are introduced to the story in the classic way in the Darling’s room, narrated by a Gran telling the st...

7Dec

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

The Nutcracker – Turbine Theatre

This very adult pantomime is far from the beloved ballet with the same name. Bursting with adult humour and raucous fun, this ‘anything but sweet’ version of The Nutcracker opens at the Turbine Theatre for a limited run this Christmas. Written by Joshua Coley (Elf the Musical), the show begins with our protagonist, Carly (Holly Ashman) who has gone through it this year, let’s put it that way. Her relationship ended abruptly (for better or for worse as we soon find out), her father passed away suddenly when he was caught in an outlandish collision with a Just Stop Oil protest, and her Mum is adamant about hosting her annual festive gathering in attempt to stick to the norm. With a surprise visit from her uncle, Carly receives the iconic Nutcracker doll, which soon turns out to be the ...

7Dec

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

The Time Machine – Park Theatre

Produced by Original Theatre and currently playing at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park. The Time Machine is a hilarious romp. It is based upon the pretext that the great great-grandson of HG Wells discovers several items belonging to his illustrious ancestor in a locked box in his auntie's attic. These include items such as a ticket for a Take That reunion tour featuring Robbie Williams in 2025, that “proves” that HG Wells's famous novel was not just a work of fiction but, that he actually built a Time Machine. The play takes the form of a play within a play, and the actor playing the great-great-grandson Dave Wells (Dave Hearn) with his two fellow actors, set out to verify the time travelling exploits of his famous relative. In this they seek the assistance of a wide range...

Chriskirkpatrickmas: A BoyBand Christmas Musical – Seven Dials Playhouse

6Dec

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Chriskirkpatrickmas: A BoyBand Christmas Musical – Seven Dials Playhouse

Everything about Valen Shore and Alison Zatta's musical looking back at 90s boyband NSync is quirkily eccentric. Even the title is a tongue-twister! This is a show that oozes nostalgia, while offering a commentary on the meteoric rise to fame of some very young guys, and their subsequent sudden break-up. It's Christmas Eve 2009, seven years after Justin Timberlake decided to pursue a solo career and NSync was said to be "on hiatus". The band's founder Kirkpatrick (Valen Shore) waits in a queue in a Hollywood coffee shop, still recognised by fans. He wistfully sings that he used to be on MTV as he continues his long wait for Timberlake (NIcole Wyland) to call him to get the band back together for a reunion tour. Every year he meets up with the three other members of the band - Lance (Riley...

4Dec

By Jennifer LaishleyNo Comments

London

Cinderella – Lyric Hammersmith

Lyric Hammersmith’s annual panto promises endless family fun in this modern retelling of Cinderella. In this story Cinderella is a thriving business woman who isn’t quite honest about how hard life is on Instagram. Filled with recognisable songs with a cheeky panto twist, this panto is not to be missed. The Lyric Theatre runs as a Charity and offers a number of complementary tickets to local schools during the panto season and also runs a number of initiatives to support the local community theatre scene. Despite the charitable status, the lyric is still able to mount a West End level show! Tilly La Belle Yengo used fantastic vocals as Cinderella. She led the cast effortlessly, pacing the play perfectly, enjoying some comical moments of interaction with the audience. Tilly’s Cinderel...

4Dec

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

A Sherlock Carol – Marylebone Theatre

Sherlock Holmes meets Scrooge in a spoof take on, a classic Dickens novel; A Christmas Carol. The staging was set and to some degree in keeping with Victorian London with Sherlock played by Ben Caplin (from Call the Midwife) whom did a Stirling job of characterising Holmes as we have grown to know him whilst emulating the essence of Ebenezer Scrooge. Misery of a character forced to see his life, past present and future through the eyes of the ghosts. However in this play Scrooge himself played by Kammy Darweish provides the reflections for Holmes as the ghost Scrooge through visitations. Showing Holmes the error of his ways and experiences of what will happen if he refuses to change, a role reversal, in the true sense. The play is intertwined with the meeting of many ghosts and Ho...

30Nov

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Ikaria – Park Theatre

This play is about mental illness, although that is not immediately apparent. The setting is students' lodgings in 'Ikaria', a hall of residence. Simon, a third-year student, who has just taken a year out from his studies, has invited Mia, a first year student in her second term, back to his room. After meeting at a film club, he has offered to share some pizza vouchers. Mia, who is for some unaccountable reason strongly attracted to Simon, is clearly expecting that this invitation will lead to something more. Simon seems initially pleased at the chance to develop a relationship with Mia and although the first meeting is uncomfortable, it is followed up by others, and soon develops into a romantic relationship. Early on both parties declare their love for each other, alt...

28Nov

By Khushboo ShahNo Comments

London

The Witches – National Theatre

If there was a list of children’s shows where the adults laughed perhaps more than children, The Witches would top the game. Bold, fierce, and oh, so hilarious! The Witches consumes you into its world with reverberating movement, savage one-liners, hit songs and theatrical design. Book and lyrics by Lucy Kirkwood, lyrics and music by Dave Malloy and directed by Lyndsey Turner, the play is adapted from Roald Dahl’s 1983 dark fantasy novel The Witches. It opens with a dark, mysterious animation of a terrified young person encountering a witch. The screen is surrounded by an even darker, iconic backdrop of violet and black-hued witch claws. The Witches ensemble enters with the first number, “A Note about Witches”, and transform from innocent middle-aged worki...