London Archives - Page 30 of 111

23Nov

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

A Christmas Carol – Old Vic

Dickens' classic tale of redemption, empathy and love remains a powerful and timely reminder of the gross discrepancies between rich and poor. Seeing the intense deprivation many Londoners were experiencing, Dickens took up his pen and created Scrooge, a character whose name has become synonymous with miserliness. First published in 1843, the message of A Christmas Carol sadly remains just as valid in 2023. Ebenezer Scrooge is a man alone whose only love is money who literally receives a wake-up call on where his life will end up if he doesn't change his ways. Berated by a harsh father who showed no love to his son, but inculcated in him a need to pursue wealth, Scrooge leaves Belle, the love of his life and a secure position with Belle's father to take up an opportunity as Marle...

22Nov

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

London

Wishmas – Bauble Factory, London

I love the spirit of Christmas. I may not have kids and be in my forties, but I love the festive cheer the season brings. It was for this reason I was so excited to be going to ‘Wishmas’. Billed as an all-age fantastical immersive Christmas experience, I was all over it. Sadly, Wishmas was not my Christmas wish. From the very start, I felt awkward: I did not have a child. This is the sort of experience where you are expected to have a child, the younger the better, because otherwise you not only feel like an imposter, but also the parents will look at you strangely. If they don’t, you will feel like they do. This is because all of the activities - and that’s a term I use loosely - have been based on the skills a three-year old would have. From spinning a giant spongy cog to placin...

16Nov

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

SuperYou – Lyric Theatre

Katie is a young girl struggling to find her way in the world, overwhelmed by self-doubt, and feeling that her older brother, Matty, a talented comic book artist, is their mother's favourite. Mother is dealing with her own difficulties. Domestic abuse has led to the break-up of the family and frequent house moves. The mother's eventual spiral into alcoholism results in her losing job after job leaving her daughter to care and provide for her. Like her brother, Katie has a talent for art and immerses herself in drawing, in particular developing her own comic book character, Lightning Girl. With her brother's encouragement, she creates a team of superheroines who she literally brings to life. In dealing with life's problems and losses, she learns to love herself and have faith in her o...

La Clique – Spiegeltent, Leicester Square

16Nov

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

London

La Clique – Spiegeltent, Leicester Square

I don’t remember the last time I booed - with disappointment - that a show was over. Such was the sheer joy I’d had watching La Clique, I never wanted it to end. Billed as a cabaret, circus, comedy, music extravaganza, I can vouch that it is. And while it’s based in the tourist heartland of Leicester Square’s festive Christmas market, I can tell you there’s no tourist tat on offer here. What there is, is a madcap world of tomfoolery and off the wall antics that will have you begging for more. Taking place in a big tent – which is warm and comfortable, and set with booths around the outer perimeter (designed for groups of 4-6), there are two stages which the performers make full use of. The atmosphere from the start is frenetic and mad. The music is what I’d call ‘circus hyper’...

16Nov

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

The Woman in Black – Richmond Theatre

This is a two-hander play with Malcolm James playing Arthur Kipps and Mark Hawkins the actor and takes place in the early 1950’s. The story is of an older man Mr Kipps living out his disturbing life and telling his story through is younger self portrayed by the enthusiastic Actor. The scene is set; Arthur Kipps is a solicitor advisory on the estate of Alice Drablow in a small town of Crythin Gifford. It starts with the two players clashing over Arthur’s portrayal and mere reluctance to perform and act out his story in preference to speaking it in a monotone fashion, this frustrates the actor, and this is an ongoing theme throughout. There is narration and switches of character which at times leaves you feeling slightly confused and playing catch up on who is who. ...

10Nov

By Khushboo ShahNo Comments

London

Mates in Chelsea – Royal Court Theatre

A fistful of comedy of manners, a pinch of absurdism with a hint of surreal topping and you get Rory Mullakey’s Mates in Chelsea directed by Royal Court Associate Director Sam Pritchard. It follows the story of a vain, leisure-loving, man-child viscount Theodore ‘Tug’ Bungay (Laurie Kynaston) who has been living off inherited wealth in a spacious West London flat with a housekeeper Mrs Hanratty (Amy Booth-Steel) until one day there is none left and her mother Lady Agrippina Bungay (Fenella Woolgar) is forced to sell their Northumberland castle to a Russian Oligarch. The larger-than-life yet empty-from-within tone is set right from the beginning with clever design (Milla Clarke) and directorial choices- an empty, high-rising, narrow-looking white apartment with steel fittings a...

10Nov

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

London

Treason the Musical – Alexandra Palace

From a young age people in the UK know the 5th of November is Fireworks Night. ‘Remember, remember the 5th of November…’ we all know the rhyme for Guy Fawkes night. We may be hazy on the details, but we know it’s something to do with some guy plotting to blow up parliament. Which is essentially what ‘Treason: The Musical’ is the story of: it is the gun powder plot of 1605; the failed assassination attempt to blow up King James I during the opening of parliament. The story could’ve been heavy – it deals with religion, ideological conflict, tolerance, revolutionary thought and protest, but it’s not. It’s an uplifting musical celebration of protest and revolution. It’s about not standing by while the authorities overreach their power, it’s about speaking up and taking action to make wha...

Balletboyz: England on Fire – Sadlers Wells

9Nov

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Balletboyz: England on Fire – Sadlers Wells

Based on the book, England on Fire by Stephen Ellcock and Matt Osman, this sizzling production brings England’s eclectic past and present to life. The show begins with a meditative lighting design (designed by Andrew Ellis) projected on the high side walls. This gives way to a sombre, moody, arboreal setting with freakish animal-hybrid characters extravagantly dressed in black, watching the metaphorical birth/death of our protagonist. A dramatic start. The piece is a curation of different dances, each relating to a segment of the book. The setting explores England through time; from the ancient land to the modern day featuring a sparky Arctic Monkeys-esque band, Gag Salon. It is no surprise that the result is outlandish and stylistically fluid. The main thread is this new-born person we...

9Nov

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

Scratches – Arcola Theatre

Self-harm and comedy don’t seem like concepts that sit quite right together; it almost feels like a toxic pair. But Aoife Kennan nails this combination, and with such panache! Kennan starts off on stage with a sex story that seems like a one-woman comedy show, only to be interrupted by her ‘best friend’ played by Zak Ghazi-Torbati. Together, the duo challenge stereotypes, take a dig at how ‘diversity and inclusion’ boxes are commonly ticked, how GPs only focus on handing out medication instead of dealing with the feelings and how they can outdo each other’s stage presence - which is a hard contest because they’re both brilliant performers! In the power packed hour, we are able to gently unpack what goes on in the brain and body of those battling with anxiety and depression, and how t...

9Nov

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Beyond Ourselves – Union Theatre

Beyond Ourselves is a new piece of writing, aiming to highlight the challenges for drama graduates and ‘the obstacles they face and the drive and determination to overcome them’. This hopeful premise prompted a personal and emotional response. It’s not just my story, but the woeful narrative of most of my friends. Not only do I have a dog in this fight, my life has been nothing but a canine battle to a symphony of yaps, howls and sighs. Despite heartfelt sympathies and an abundance of experience, my expectations for Beyond Ourselves were low. The thought of giddy drama kids doing high-kicks and forlorn soliloquies sent shivers down my wizened spine. It’s entirely possible that the failures and odd diversions of my own career swayed my judgement. It was a curdled mix of grim curios...