London Archives - Page 3 of 167

The Lady Boys of Bangkok: Full Moon – Sabai Pavilion, Shepherd’s Bush Green

2Jul

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

The Lady Boys of Bangkok: Full Moon – Sabai Pavilion, Shepherd’s Bush Green

For almost thirty years, The Lady Boys of Bangkok has been a reliable fixture of the UK's touring entertainment calendar, building its reputation on flamboyant spectacle, irreverent humour and an unapologetically camp celebration of Thai-inspired cabaret. Its latest production, ‘Full Moon’, arrives at Shepherd's Bush Green promising a glittering evening of music, comedy and escapist fun. Unfortunately, while the enthusiasm remains intact, the production itself feels increasingly outpaced by the modern cabaret landscape. Entertainment has evolved dramatically since the show first toured in the late 1990s, audiences are now accustomed to the polished excellence of international drag artists, contemporary cabaret, immersive productions and televised performance competitions. Against that b...

1Jul

By Charlotte MansfieldNo Comments

London

Springwood – Hampstead Theatre

On the verge of the WWII, King George VI (Bertie) and Queen Elizabeth visit President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to try to gain U.S. support for Britain. The occasion takes place, not at the White House, but at Roosevelt’s country home, Springwood. Written and directed by Richard Nelson, the play explores the meeting between these two men from a human angle, rather than a political one – what personal challenges were they facing, and where might they have found a connection? Springwood opens with a simple set of dining furniture that is immediately moved off stage and replaced with a small table and a few chairs. Presumably there was a reason for this, but whatever that was is not clear, and it makes for a disconcerting and awkward beginning. Perhaps it’s to foreshadow the awkwardness of th...

30Jun

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Archduke – Royal Court Theatre

Rajiv Joseph's ‘Archduke’ arrives at the Royal Court with an intriguing premise, imagining the lives of the young conspirators whose actions would trigger the First World War. On paper it sounds epic, and it promises a darkly comic examination of radicalisation, friendship and history, yet despite moments of theatrical flair, the production never quite justifies its existence. Although its themes remain strikingly relevant, this production struggles to offer a compelling dramatic perspective on such a familiar historical event, leaving it feeling oddly unnecessary The greatest obstacle is its uncertain identity. The script lurches between historical drama and absurd comedy without ever settling comfortably into either. There are clear echoes of “Blackadder Goes Forth” and the anarchic w...

26Jun

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Sting – Young Vic

This is a confusing and poorly constructed play. According to the publicity and the programme it is about witchcraft and how persecution of women through the ages has led to the current appalling levels of domestic abuse. That sounds intriguing, but the play lost its way several times. Photo: Helen-Murray It starts in an archive where archivist Lily, played by Phoebe Ladenburg works, although there was not much evidence of that on her empty desk. Enter her new assistant the effervescent Ash (Adelle Leonce), dressed and hung over from a wild night out at a nightclub. Despite appearing to be totally unsuitable for a role in the archive she is actually a very bright individual with a considerable knowledge of the history of witchcraft. She has, however, a dark personal history. Ne...

Cyrano de Bergerac – RSC – The Noel Coward Theatre

26Jun

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Cyrano de Bergerac – RSC – The Noel Coward Theatre

Cyrano De Bergarac is a classic 1897 play by French playwright Edmond Rostand, and has been performed numerous times and starred many famous actors over the years. This is a new version for the RSC by Simon Evans and Debris Stevenson, making its London transfer from the Stratford stage, and it is a corker! Evans and Stevenson have kept the original plot and managed to retain much of the poetic style while making it up-to-date, lively, very funny and fully engaging. Highly theatrical from the very beginning, Christian Patterson comes onto the stage as Ragueneau to welcome the audience and explain that in theatre we are separate from "The world out there, Us quiet in here". The cast makes full use of the theatre space, entering through the auditorium, appearing on balconies and in the box...

Sinatra The Musical – The Aldwych Theatre

25Jun

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Sinatra The Musical – The Aldwych Theatre

Sinatra The Musical comes to the West End bringing the big band sound and gritty romantic storylines. Based on the life and career of the legendary icon” Francis Albert Sinatra. Known to some as “Ol Blue Eyes”, and a man who became one of the worlds influential singers. His life a conundrum of complexity is acted out by the key players who support his rise to fame whilst spotlighting others who stood by and watched is timely demise. Portrayed as a loving family man Frank certainly was close to his children. His daughter Nancy Sinatra has supported and contributed to this production of her fathers staged biopic. The story starts from when Sinatra and Nancy young and in love are finding their feet in showbiz and in their personal relationships. Life takes on a whole new meaning when Sinat...

25Jun

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Monarchs Anonymous – The Other Palace

"We live in our own timeline and are judged by the next" What happens when a group of royals, transported from various periods of history, join a therapy session and talk about their feelings? The massive egos of Henry VIII, Marie Antoinette, Charles II, Sophia Duleep Singh and Mansa Musa inevitably clash, resulting in jousting matches and fist fights. They reluctantly do the therapist's exercises, all trying to outdo one another. When the existence of the Monarchs' Anonymous sessions are leaked to the press, the group find themselves having to put their egos to one side to work together, revealing some deep truths and traumas of their lives in the process. On its surface, Monarchs' Anonymous, written by Nadia Devereux, Joshua Poole and Lyon Devereux, is a jolly surreal r...

25Jun

By Savitha VenugopalNo Comments

London

The Truth – Apollo Theatre

Camouflaged behind rip-roaring humour is a tale of deceit and infidelity. Though the lies look straightforward to begin with, in a while you find yourself out of depth. Who is lying, and who is telling the truth? Is there even a single version of the truth? Written by Florian Zeller and directed by Lindsay Posner, this is the story of two cheating couples. Michel is having an affair with Alice, his best friend Paul’s wife. As seen in several other similar setups, the woman is emotionally attached and wants to spend more time together, while the man is in it only for the physical connection and cannot see anything lacking in the arrangement as it is – hotel room rendezvous between meetings. Things begin to go awry when Alice is struck by a case of guilty conscience. She is haunted by ...

Barnum: The Circus Musical – Richmond Theatre

24Jun

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Barnum: The Circus Musical – Richmond Theatre

There are revivals that simply revisit a beloved classic, and then there are productions that completely reinvent it for a contemporary audience while preserving everything that made it special in the first place. This latest revival of ‘Barnum’ achieves exactly that. This vibrant touring production has arrived at Richmond Theatre bursting with colour, spectacle and seemingly boundless circus energy, and creating a celebration of theatrical imagination. From the moment the curtain rises, the production embraces the organised chaos that surrounded the life and legend of P.T. Barnum. The stage becomes a playground of constant movement, with astonishing circus artistry seamlessly woven into absolutely every scene. Rather than feeling like separate variety acts inserted between songs, the b...

19Jun

By Saloni SanwalkaNo Comments

London

Camdenwalla – Camden People’s Theatre

There are some works of art which one wishes were fiction and Camdenwalla is one of them. The play takes us back to 1990s Camden, when racism against the British-Bangladeshi community was at an all-time high. Amidst police indifference emerged the Camden Monitoring Project, an organisation run by local volunteers which functioned as a helpline of sorts and kept meticulous record of the details of each attack. Camdenwalla is a snapshot of an average night for one of these volunteers, Muhammad, as he races to extinguish the embers of violence before they catch. The first few minutes of the show perfectly capture the period’s unease. Bhasker Patel, in a truly magnetic turn as Muhammad, tries to go about his routine but gives himself away with fleeting glances towards a locked door, wai...