London Archives - Page 31 of 149

One Day When We Were Young – Park Theatre

4Mar

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

One Day When We Were Young – Park Theatre

Opening with a bang (both literally and lasciviously) but ending with a whimper, One Day When We Were Young illustrates a little too effectively that for war’s hollow men, life is very long. The framework of the script is slightly too frail to support both its underwritten characters. Like the Titanic’s infamously splintered door, this play can only hold up one of its young lovers’ character development. Resultantly male lead Barney White gets to cut his teeth on a sturdily written World War II conscript while Cassie Bradley exhausts her jaw attempting to chew through all the scenery provided to the young lover turned middle aged mother turned elderly author who plays second fiddle to him throughout. Designer Pollyanna Elston’s set is surprisingly rich but unfortunately clashes in palet...

3Mar

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Birdsong – Alexandra Palace

The novel Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks was a popular GCSE text back when I was taking those exams but wasn’t part of the Jane Austen-heavy syllabus followed by my school. Friends at a neighbouring school had studied it though (it was my at-the-time boyfriend’s favourite book) so I went into Rachel Wagstaff’s stage version on Friday night with a vague expectation of a sad World War I love story. The reality is obviously far richer and more complex than that, and I’m still unsure whether having a fuller understanding of what to expect would have made my experience better or worse. At three hours long the production covers a lot of ground, and the three acts divide the action neatly, but for me the first act was quite slow moving and a lot of subtlety was lost in the enormous auditorium. N...

2Mar

By Olivia CoxNo Comments

London

Son of a Bitch – Southwark Playhouse

Ten seconds, seven words. That’s all it takes for Marnie (Anna Morris) to become a viral sensation… for all the wrong reasons. After a stressful long-haul flight in which her husband has ditched her and their son in Economy while he sips champagne in Business, Marnie’s rising frustrations have an almighty climax as she loudly calls her four-year-old a c*nt in front of all the other passengers — including one opportunist filming it on their phone. Soon, Marnie is public enemy number one as she becomes the global poster girl for ‘bad’ motherhood. Some suggest child services need to get involved, some believe she should be sterilised, and #SaveTheSon is the latest trending topic. But in reality, as we discover in time-jumping scenes throughout Son of a Bitch’s 60-minute runtime, Mar...

2Mar

By Klervi GavetNo Comments

London

Where We Meet – The Cockpit

Where We Meet at the Cockpit, produced and presented by Unwired Dance Theatre, is an ambitious interactive and immersive dance theatre performance exploring the nuances of human connexion. Warmly welcomed into a minimalist, darkened space by co-director and Creative Technology Lead Clemence Debaig, participants gather in the center while observers settle along the sides. With an unsettling air of modern anticipation reminiscent of Squid Game and Black Mirror, everyone is equipped with mysterious headsets and pouches. Shortly thereafter, clear instructions are given: these devices will react to the dancers’ proximity, granting telepathic insights into their inner monologues. The dancers—Sara Auguieras, Ryan Naiken, and Livia Massarelli, choreographer and co-director—soon take the ...

28Feb

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

The Score – Theatre Royal Haymarket

Oliver Cotton's new play, The Score, is based on the visit of Johann Sebastian Bach to Frederick the Great at his palace in Potsdam in 1747. During that visit Frederick challenged Bach to improvise a fugue based upon a tune he had written. That led to the creation of Bach’s famous anthology 'The Musical Offering'. Cotton has used his script to explore religious and philosophical themes based upon the supposed conflict between the devout peace-loving musician and the militaristic atheistic political leader. The play is both engaging and humorous and raises important issues. Brian Cox as Bach is the dominant character throughout the play. Cox's gravitas and underlying sympathy make him a great choice to play this role, which he does superbly. He is also supported by an excellent cast. Jam...

28Feb

By Klervi GavetNo Comments

London

Pandora – Coronet Theatre

Under the masterful direction of Riccardo Pippa, PANDORA marks the second coming of the Italian physical theatre company Teatro Dei Gordi at the Coronet, and it’s nothing short of a gem. Set in a public toilet at what’s likely the most transient, eclectic train station in town, the stage transforms into a delightful playground for a colourful parade of modern "stock characters," sharing surprisingly intimate moments. From a clumsy germaphobe facing a grandpa with childlike incontinence, to a failed cook and a struggling office manager finding solace in a quick smoke, ballroom dancers battling stage fright, and my personal favourite, an appalling street performer whose memory and confidence are restored by a caring commuter, each character bursts with quirks and backstories. The shee...

Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical – New Wimbledon Theatre

27Feb

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical – New Wimbledon Theatre

Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical is a bold and exhilarating reimagining of the cult classic 1999 movie Cruel Intentions. Blending drama, comedy, and nostalgia, this production takes audiences on a thrilling ride through seduction, deception, and power plays, all set to an electrifying soundtrack of beloved 90s hits. Staying true to the original storyline, the show follows the cunning and manipulative duo of Sebastian Valmont (played by Will Callan) and Kathryn Merteuil (played by Lucy Carter) as they scheme their way through high school, using their charm, wit, and ruthlessness to control and destroy those around them. One of the standout aspects of this production is its use of music. Packed with some of the most iconic songs of the decade, the show transports the audience back in ...

Pride & Prejudice (Sort of) – Richmond Theatre

26Feb

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Pride & Prejudice (Sort of) – Richmond Theatre

Welcome to the story of Jane Austin’s most famous novel Pride & Prejudice like you have never seen it before. This is not a serene period drama, but a love story between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, and the Bennet’s family race against time to get their five daughters married off for financial security. Yes it is familiar, but this is five women calling themselves the ‘servants of house’ telling the story from a whole new perspective. Right from the first few lines you start to get a feel of what is to come ‘in a good way’ comedy, mayhem and female drama. The story lands in the present day, with familiar language and terminology, including expletives not for the faint hearted which drew gasps from the audience. The five female performers acted out ‘...

25Feb

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

London

Otherland – Almeida Theatre

Otherland is a remarkable, poignant, and emotionally all-encompassing play that explores love, the beautiful and terrifying nature of change, and the ‘many myriads’ of womanhood. In her ‘Note from the Author’, Chris Bush states that she aimed to ‘write with a vulnerability’ she never had before, but nonetheless create a ‘theatrically expansive… rollercoaster’. Well, if that was the goal, she’s passed with flying colours. Jo and Harry, despite a picture-perfect wedding and 5 years or marriage, are breaking up. Harry, assigned male at birth, needs to become her true self and Jo, though entirely supportive of Harry’s decision, needs space to figure out what she wants. She wants to be ‘unplugged’, for a while at least. We’re offered a window into their lives and the journeys they go on, bot...

24Feb

By Olivia CoxNo Comments

London

Miss I-Doll – The Other Palace

The stage is set. The lights are rigged. Five archetypal contestants wait in the wings. It’s the live final of mega reality show Miss I-Doll, and anything can (and will) happen. The first hopeful we meet is Mia (Daisy Steere, who also plays all the other visible characters), who starts to tell her expertly honed sob story to the ‘Confesh Cam’, complete with childhood trauma and emotional support pets. Competing against our protagonist to be crowned Miss I-Doll and win the lucrative prize of heading up a charity of their choice are posh girl Veronica, nepo baby Samy Sire (whose resemblance to Dani Dyer is purely coincidence, I’m sure), buttoned-up Christian girl Prudence, and tough disaster-prepper Ren. As Steere depicts all of these contestants, as well as a ruthless Italian prod...