London Archives - Page 43 of 123

1Nov

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

King Lear – Wyndham’s Theatre

Written in 1604, King Lear is sandwiched between Measure For Measure, Othello and Macbeth, a period in the bard’s writing dedicated to history and tragedy. 419 years later, and following many extraordinary performances, how can Kenneth Branagh and team bring something different to their production? And here is where I feel that some modern productions fall foul, the need to modernise and bring today’s razzamatazz into the equation. Call me old fashioned, call me a Shakespeare prude, but I want to see, hear, and feel the language, the small nuances that a blank stage can offer, and when I hear the words spoken, allow them to touch me, without the hinderance of external factors introduced by an over eager director wishing to put their own mark on Shakespeare’s work. S...

30Oct

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Boy Parts – Soho Theatre

After a huge TikTok following and cult fan group, author Eliza Clark created a fan club for women with rage. The story follows Irina, a photographer who finds art in violence and gore. She chooses her male subjects with exact images in mind, she won’t compromise her desire of ‘perfection’ up until the very last shot. Many reviews compare it to a female ‘American Psycho’ but I would argue we are exploring the endless pit of ‘The Male Gaze’ as women can never quite escape the sexualisation, the ‘pats on the head’ for their fragility- even when she shows the depth of her evil she will never be a threat. Irina is so full of rage that she’s numb. The language in the book is dirty, uncomfortable and this is what excites fans so much because it’s unusual to explore evil women this way and as you ...

28Oct

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Immersive 1984 – Hackney Town Hall

Fancy a break from the ghouls and gore this Halloween? 1984 immersive experience offers the chill and terror of being governed by an authoritarian state. Having devoured the book years ago, I was excited to see how the world of the book would be brought to life. Hackney County Hall's large space, with a fusion of classic and modern elements was an ideal setting for it. The split stairways and tall ceilings gave the place a ministerial authority. Party members in blue jumpsuits wore stern, mistrusting expressions and gave strict orders. For those who aren't familiar with the book, Orwell wrote it in 1949, imagining what the near future might look like. He depicts a hyper controlling government which thought-polices and scrutinises individuals. Winston, a "thought criminal" works for the ...

26Oct

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

Farm Hall – Richmond Theatre

For a limited run only, Farm Hall opens at Richmond Theatre this October. Inspired by the true events that took place at Farm Hall between July 1945 and January 1946, the play tells the story of six of Germany’s top nuclear scientists – including three Nobel Prize winners – who find themselves locked in a country house in the Cambridge countryside, having been captured by the Allied forces. The show opens with a sharp, loud telephone ring, the audience’s attention immediately drawn to the action on stage. The cast are all present and relax into their positions for the first scene. This gives time to take in the rustic and historical set, a living room and dining area for which the entire play takes place. With limited forms of entertainment, and no insight to the outside world, this is ...

Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett – Boulevard Theatre

25Oct

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett – Boulevard Theatre

There was quite a buzz at The Boulevard Theatre for Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett. For a rainy Tuesday night in Soho, it was giddy with anticipation and high-volume glamour. The relatively new venue is named after the strip club that used to squat the same space in Walker’s Court, which itself replaced a brothel. In the ‘80s, it was a satellite for the alternative comedy scene that grew as a response to the grim reality of seemingly endless years of Tory rule. Prior to commercial success and hit TV shows, The Comic Strip and Eddie Izzard’s Raging Bull Club evolved in the original building. This slick and impressive space opened in 2019, with much excitement about its 360-degree auditorium and high-tech versatility. In a flash, it can be reconfigured from a theatre space to a live music ...

Trueman and the Arsonists – The Roundhouse Studio

25Oct

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Trueman and the Arsonists – The Roundhouse Studio

The scene is set by Truman himself played by Adam Owers, sitting in his living room, smoking verbalising his angst and confusion at the constant fires burning outside his window. All across the city fires are burning, as The Arsonists infiltrate homes of the wealthy and establishments of decadent luxury. It’s a plague, “The Arsonists are burning down our homes”, and there is confusion, “why are they doing this”. Truman is smart and he can recognise an Arsonist from a distance, he is smug and reassures his wife Bobsy (Nadine Ivy Barr) there is nothing to fear. He is finds himself in a situation where he takes in a stranger, Joe Smith played by the funny, assertive (Tommy Oldroyd) who turns up at his home wanting a bed for the night, he is ...

21Oct

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Hamnet – Garrick Theatre

Based on the outstanding sell-out book by Maggie O’Farrell, Lolita Chakrabarti adapts the story for the stage under the RSC, which just recently transferred to West End at the Garrick Theatre. This being such a widely known story it is likely to match the book in being a sell-out, however we lose so much of the quality and depth of the characters to perhaps fit the time frame. We are introduced to Agnes (Madeleine Mantock) a young woman in Warwickshire inspired by plants, herbs and natural resources- she meets her new Latin tutor, William (Tom Varey). From there, they fall in love and Agnes falls pregnant out of wedlock. Quickly married and now twins on the way William goes to London to pursue his writing. Although we have moments with William as his career takes off, we stay with the wome...

21Oct

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Portia Coughlan – The Almeida

There were many factors that made me giddy to see Portia Coughlan. My Irish heritage, The Almeida’s track record for uniquely dazzling theatre, an attraction to the dark side and the play’s notoriety as a ‘90s game changer. Broadly speaking, Marina Carr’s Gothic shocker didn’t disappoint, but might be prey to having a lot to live up to. Alison Oliver plays Portia Coughlan and turns out a compelling, complex performance that’s haunting, oddly thrilling and almost alien to behold. Portia is a spiky, volatile mystery to the other characters in the play and the audience who’re also grappling with her quirks. We meet Portia on her 30th birthday. She is wallowing in pain and grief, fifteen years after the suicide of her twin brother. Portia chooses to self-destruct with drink and spiteful rag...

14Oct

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Jock Night – Seven Dials Playhouse

A decade ahead of its arrival to these shores, I was the first journalist in the UK to write about crystal meth in the gay press. In 1997, after spending a deranged summer in San Francisco, I returned to London and in the pages of QX warned readers of a highly addictive new drug that was decimating the community on the West Coast. That same year, I wrote and performed ‘Twisted’ with Wayne G, arguably, the first ‘chemsex’ dance tune. That portmanteau had yet to be coined by the late, great David Stuart, but excessive drug use and epic sex sessions were the central themes of that record. They are also the driving forces in Jock Night, a new play by Adam Zane. Methamphetamine hydrochloride (aka ‘ice’ ’Tina’ ‘crank’ ‘meth’ ‘tweak’) took almost 20 years to get a foothold in the UK, unlike in...

14Oct

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Delinquent Dad – Tabard Theatre

This kookily animated production took me back to watching My Parents Are Aliens on the TV. Yet, this play is set six months into the future, envisioning increasing rent bills, crypto cases, and an elevated housing crisis. Its incidentally interweaving connections tie into the small-world-feel of the sitcom trope, and the gloriously indifferent, haphazard Dad (John Gorick) makes for a likeable and oddly believable protagonist. A young couple, a pair of millennials as they call themselves, are baffled when what is meant to be a meal for the rents turns out to be a savage split, as Matt’s Dad is dumped on his doorstep with a holdall catapulted into the room by a furious wife. The timing couldn’t be worse – Matt (Bradley Crees) and Cara (Elizabeth Back) are in the midst of a rent strike, to...