London Archives - Page 39 of 95

13Feb

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

Cirque Berserk! – Riverside Studios

Imagine you could fly. Imagine that the air is your house, and that floating above the ground is where you thrive and show your true self, shining and gliding without any efforts. And then, you will understand what it feels to see Cirque Berserk! Celebrating its tenth anniversary with a series of performances in Riverside Studios, this amazing theatre-circus spectacular combines contemporary circus-style artistry with a very traditional circus feeling in some of its acts. Inside of the stage, from the very beginning of the performance there is a huge cage in the shape of a ball, creating anticipation for what is presented as the main event, although every single moment of this show is charged with as much adrenaline and astonishing acrobatics. Starting with a group of acrobats jumpi...

13Feb

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

She – Tara Theatre

Come into the life of two or 14 characters, from birth to death, and live, laugh, sing and cry with them. We challenge you not to. That could be in the doorstep of Tara Theatre when "SHE" is on. "SHE", written by Anthony Clark, is a play comprised by seven short plays. Though largely unconnected, the stories remain attached one to the other through the work of the two young actors on an almost unchanging space, that becomes resignified through the words and actions of the characters in each piece. The interestingly simple design of the space, in charge of Jessica Curtis, domestic but ambiguous, makes us believe that all those spaces could actually look like that, precarious and almost decadent, yet endearing and warm. Loosely inspired by the Seven Ages speech in Shakespeare's As You...

12Feb

By Khushboo ShahNo Comments

London

This is the Land – Vault Festival

Five ghost-like, unidentifiable, unreal performers, all in black, inhabit the stage from start to end and present a visceral and powerful series of images, movement and sound sequences occasionally breathing life into props around- chairs, threads of cotton, grocery and coats! Directed by Mary Steadman and created in collaboration with performers Leeza Jessie, Alice Barton, Xavier De Santos, Samuel De La Torre, and Sofia Velez, This is the Land indeed creates an atmosphere of dream-like liminality using themes associated with the cycle of seasons. It does so by channelling some narratives or images that might emerge using the archetype of Trickster- the one who defies conventional behaviour and is not afraid to experiment. While it was not always possible to comprehend a singular n...

Live to Tell (a Proposal for) The Madonna Jukebox Musical – Omnibus Theatre

12Feb

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Live to Tell (a Proposal for) The Madonna Jukebox Musical – Omnibus Theatre

You may have noticed that Madonna is having a moment. Again. She’s announced a tour that’s seen a demented scramble for tickets. Her appearance, following surgical face-tuning is hotly debated on TV, TikTok and the 77 bus to Tooting. The 64-year-old appears to be getting high and hanging out with hip-hop dons and trans stars, while sharing her exploits on Insta like a gobby teen. This showbizzy noise almost drowns out her musical back catalogue and it’s all a stark contrast to her revolutionary HIV/AIDS activism in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Madonna bigged up safe sex, challenged HIV stigma and supported the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) on her 1987 tour. She delivered this advocacy loudly, when it was controversial and potentially damaging to her career. Madonna released...

The Lehman Trilogy – Gillian Lynne Theatre

12Feb

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

The Lehman Trilogy – Gillian Lynne Theatre

“He dances so hard, he doesn’t hear the music stop” Sam Mendes’ production returns with terrific direction from Zoe Ford Burnett. It is 1844 and embracing America with wonder, Henry Lehman (Nigel Lindsay) starts a fabric business with his brothers, Mayer (Hadley Fraser) and Emanuel (Michael Balogun). The three begin to build a business empire of magnificent scope. We watch the Lehman men across several generations; their brotherly disputes, marriages and how the business grows and expands and its drastic fall in 2008. Where to begin – this was an exquisitely crafted production, with all of the elements feeding beautifully into each other to tell the brimming story of the Lehman family. The concept of evolving is introduced early, as Henry changes his name from a less pronounceable J...

12Feb

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

David Copperfield – Riverside Studios

David Copperfield is one of the best-loved of Charles Dickens' novels and is believed to be at least a semi-autobiographical narration of his life. He said that Copperfield was always his "favourite child". Dickens' family were extremely poor; he was forced as a young boy to work in a factory in conditions that informed his later efforts to achieve social reform by highlighting the cruel lives of London's poorest. Dickens ensured that his writings could reach the general public by publishing in magazines, so that the poorer in society could read them when they could not afford books. Simon Reade's innovative adaptation re-imagines the story as a Victorian Music Hall performance, a popular form of theatre in the 19th century, which reflects the period of Dickens' and Copperfield's li...

12Feb

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Fabulett 1933 – Drayton Arms Theatre

"Fabulett 1933" at the Drayton Arms Theatre presented a thought-provoking and bold take on the impact of the rise of fascism in 1933 Germany on the queer community. Michael Trauffer, who wrote and performed the one-man musical, deserves applause for his ambition in connecting a historical piece to today's world, where many societies are moving to the right. He did a fine job in embodying Felix, the host of Berlin's “most decadent” club, with his portrayal of the flamboyant character, wearing various costumes, including black leather, big skirts, sequined caps and a whip. However, the limited time for plot development and a lack of tension throughout the piece detracted from its overall impact. The inclusion of surprising details, such as the attendance of Nazi officers at the club, of ...

<strong>Much Ado About Nothing – Duke of York’s Theatre</strong>

10Feb

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

Much Ado About Nothing – Duke of York’s Theatre

Love Island meets Shakespeare in this new adaptation of the celebrated play “Much Ado About Nothing”. In this classic Shakespeare tale of love, twists and dark humour, this adaptation is a new take and one which younger audiences are sure to enjoy. The play revolves around two romantic pairings, who have found themselves on a reality TV show, ‘Nothing Island’. The typically happy couple, Claudio and Hero, find trouble in paradise when the cast conspire against them in order to provide those at home with the reality TV drama they crave. Becoming involved, unlikely pair Benedick and Beatrice, form an unlikely romance (with a little help from hearsay) fuelled with plenty of wit and banter for the audience to enjoy. The set is particularly standout. As the audience wait for the action t...

10Feb

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Breathless – Soho Theatre

Laura Horton's "Breathless" is a stunningly crafted and expertly performed play that explores the complexities of self-discovery and the challenges of growth. The play follows the journey of Sophie, a woman in her late-thirties, who opens up to new experiences and begins to delve into long-repressed aspects of herself. With humour and poignancy, Horton delves into the heart of Sophie's struggle as she grapples with the secret of her compulsive hoarding habits and the fear of being discovered for who or what she really is. The play is heart-warming and offers up an incredibly genuine performance by Madeleine Macmahon as Sophie. Her portrayal of the character is both hilarious and touching, capturing the confusion and vulnerability of Sophie's journey with nuance and sensitivity. The ...

<strong>Police Cops: Badass be thy name – Vault Festival</strong>

8Feb

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

London

Police Cops: Badass be thy name – Vault Festival

I’ll be honest, I’m not overly sure I got the storyline right – but what I can tell you: this is the most frenetic, supercharged, high production piece of theatre you’ll likely see at the Vaults. The story is set in the 1990s. Tommy Dixon quits his job because he wants to get more out of life. But he also wants to find his dad who walked out on him when he was younger – not before repeatedly punching a photograph of his young son. As it turns out Tommy then ends up on a quest to become a vampire slayer and finds his dad. And there’s a lot of talk of Manchester and sweets. I wish I could explain more about how all of this makes sense, but I can’t, and I don’t think it really matters because this is a feast (and feat) of physical comedy theatre you rarely get to see. It’s unbeliev...