London Archives - Page 42 of 111

School Girls or The African Mean Girls – Lyric Theatre Hammersmith

15Jun

By Zara OdetundeNo Comments

London

School Girls or The African Mean Girls – Lyric Theatre Hammersmith

This show wows with sharp witted remarks and a hilarity that surpasses cultural barriers. The London premiere of Jocelyn Bioh’s 2017 comedy is a commentary of female friendship and feeling of isolations in school, dealing with bullies and hierarchy is set against the backdrop of Aburi Girls Boarding School in 1986 Ghana. Paulina is the queen bee, the most popular girl in school who picks girls up out of obscurity and makes them feel special. That is until her status starts to be questioned upon the arrival of new transfer student Ericka. The main group of girls attend the best Girls school in Ghana and are awaiting the arrival of a recruiter for the Miss Ghana pageant. Paulina (Tara Tijani) is the group leader and believes she is the only choice for the pageant but Ericka’s (Anna Sha...

15Jun

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Lost in Music – Adelphi Theatre

Lost in Music a production? not quite, a night at the disco? yes, full of fun singing and dancing to the classic tunes of the seventies; Musical director Tony Wood on the keyboards has created a trio of musicians to recreate the ‘funk’ of disco and a band to drive the sound forward for the five-piece singers who romp through a non-stop set list of classic music memorabilia. A trip down memory lane including songs from, CHIC, Earth, Wind and Fire; Gloria Gaynor Donna Summer, Sister Sledge and many more, the Adelphi theatre came alive with the first song from Chic, which had the audience up on their feet within the first 5 minutes, quite inspirational. It is clear from the start that this is ‘party time’ with the audience encouraged to be a part of the show, sing loud, dance and r...

When Winston Went to War with the Wireless – Donmar Warehouse

15Jun

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

When Winston Went to War with the Wireless – Donmar Warehouse

Just like the BBC, which is the subject of this new play by Jack Thorne, both inform and entertain. It is set in the early days of the general strike in 1926 when the British Broadcasting Company, as it was then known, was in its formative days under the leadership of the redoubtable John Reith. Since the strike led to the temporary closure of all the print media, this provided a golden opportunity for the new broadcaster to become a premier news channel. This brought it into conflict with the government's own alternative press media, the British Gazette, overseen by Winston Churchill, then Chancellor of the Exchequer. Reith, played by Stephen Campbell Moore, is the central character of the play. He struggles both with trying to position the new company as an impartial media o...

14Jun

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

London

Il Trovatore – Royal Opera House

Verdi wrote Il Trovatore hot on the heels of Rigoletto, with its premiere at Covent Garden in 1853 a mere two months before that of La Traviata, but of the three it is the more conventional opera, although Director Adele Thomas’ production has steered clear of the traditional, opting instead for a more modern interpretation whilst remaining rooted in its original medieval setting and themes of jealousy, revenge, and love. The Count di Luna (Ludovic Tézier) loves Leonora (Rachel Willis-Sørensen), but she loves Manrico (Riccardo Massi), the Count’s military enemy. Manrico’s mother Azucena (Jamie Barton) tells him how her mother was burnt to death for supposed witchcraft against the Count’s baby brother, with the subsequent unravelling story reflecting differing perspectives with only Azuc...

Adam Riches: The Beakington Town Hall Murders – Soho Theatre

14Jun

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Adam Riches: The Beakington Town Hall Murders – Soho Theatre

Adam Riches’ captivating performance in ‘The Beakington Town Hall Murders’ at Soho Theatre delivered a boisterous evening of entertainment, leaving the audience in stitches from start to finish. This highly interactive and participatory production showcased Riches’ remarkable talent for comedic storytelling, combining it with an immersive and unique “whodunit” style play. Despite the London audience being much smaller than anticipated, the intimate setting of Soho Theatre only enhanced the overall experience. With the theatre barely half-filled, an atmosphere of anticipation and exclusivity was palpable, providing an immediate connection between the performer and the audience, and with the threat from Riches that “no one is safe”, Riches was able to engage directly with spectators, draw...

11Jun

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

The Mikado – Wilton’s Music Hall

Take one classic operetta, mix it up a bit, add some brilliant choreography, phenomenal singing and a fantastically talented all-male ensemble and you have a witty and joyful new show. Gilbert and Sullivan purists might object, but Sasha Regan's imaginative take is stuffed full of all the elements that make a hit show. First performed in 1885, Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado was set in Japan so they could take sideswipes at the British establishment and idiotic laws, but with plausible deniability, by referencing a far-off land. At the heart of the convoluted plot is the law enacted by the Mikado that makes flirting a capital crime. Along comes the Mikado's son, in the guise of a wandering minstrel, who has fallen in love with a young lady who is the ward of the Lord High Execut...

My Uncle Is Not Pablo Escobar – Brixton House

11Jun

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

My Uncle Is Not Pablo Escobar – Brixton House

Matters of representation have become an important issue in the globalized world. What if a group of immigrant misfits could topple one of the most powerful banks in the world? The play written by Valentina Andrade, Elizabeth Alvarado, Lucy Wray and Tommy Ross-Williams and co-directed by Wray and Ross-Williams deals with several of the problematic issues of being a Latin American Londoner woman. The piece portrays four characters played by Cecilia Alfonso-Eaton, as Lucia, Yanexi Enriquez as Alejandra, Pía Laborde-Noguez as Catalina, and Nathaly Sabino as Honey. The play starts with a promising introduction, listing the categories included in University admission forms for ethnicity: the intention was to highlight the non-existence of a "Latin American" category in that list. It conti...

Yours Unfaithfully – Jermyn Street Theatre

9Jun

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Yours Unfaithfully – Jermyn Street Theatre

The Mint Theatre Company of New York specialises in uncovering forgotten plays that deserve to be remembered. In Unfaithfully Yours by Miles Malleson they have uncovered a little gem, which was premiered in New York in 2017 and now UK audiences have the chance to enjoy it at the Jermyn Street Theatre. The play features an outwardly extremely happily married couple, Anne and Stephen Meredith, who secure in the knowledge of the soundness of their relationship are happy for each other to engage in dalliances on the side. However, their intellectual commitment to allowing their partner to do what they like in order to further their happiness is severely tested byte feelings of jealousy which arise. At the time when it was written 90 years ago this would have undoubtedly been a shoc...

8Jun

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Grindr The Opera – Union Theatre

Grindr The Opera (An Unauthorised Parody), directed by the brilliant William Spencer and designed by the visionary David Shields, delivers a bold and innovative theatrical experience at London's Union Theatre. This groundbreaking and highly risqué production explores the intricacies of contemporary gay relationships in the digital age, presenting a thought-provoking adult narrative that challenges societal norms and delves into the complexities of human connections in all of its darkest, dirty and sometimes painful elements. Leading the cast of ‘Grindr’ is the immensely talented Christian Lunn, whose portrayal of the main character, Grindr, is nothing short of exceptional. Lunn's remarkable acting skills, combined with his powerful singing voice, and otherworldly physique, create a capt...

8Jun

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Patriots – Noel Coward Theatre

It’s hard not to be struck by the ironic luxury of witnessing a West End play about Russian politics, as the war continues to rage in Ukraine. The collapse of the Kakhova dam means that up to 42,000 Ukrainians are being displaced while I sip on Aperol spritz outside the Noel Coward theatre. Russian hackers are being blamed for a massive cyber-attack that’s screwed the BBC, Boots and British Airways. There are fears that Putin may bomb the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, but al fresco revellers at The Salisbury on St. Martin’s Lane appear untroubled at the prospect. Life, and the show, must go on. Peter Morgan’s Patriots arrives with such pedigree at its helm that it’s hard not to be dazzled by the prospect. Morgan is responsible for The Queen and Frost/Nixon on both stage and sc...