London Archives - Page 44 of 149

The Marriage of Figaro – Royal Ballet and Opera

12Sep

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

London

The Marriage of Figaro – Royal Ballet and Opera

The name may have changed but the production values remain as high as ever, with the optimism and energy of Mozart’s satirical and deeply human four-act comic opera, an adaptation with Da Ponte of Beaumarchais’ banned 1778 play about warring masters and servants, offering the perfect start to a new season, and is delightfully brought to life in director David McVicar’s latest revival of his own 2006 production, conducted this time by Julia Jones. As the day of Figaro (Luca Micheletti) and Susanna’s (Siobhan Stagg) wedding arrives, it becomes clear that their master, Count Almaviva (Huw Montague Rendall), is keen to exercise his ‘droit du seigneur’ – his right to bed a servant girl on her wedding night – and they conspire with the forsaken Countess (Maria Bengtsson) to outwit her husband...

Hugh Panaro: Man Without a Mask – Crazy Coqs

9Sep

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Hugh Panaro: Man Without a Mask – Crazy Coqs

He is not shy about sharing his feelings about the roles he didn’t get before becoming one of Broadway’s greatest stars. This show is perfectly pitched at a level to introduce the Broadway greats of time gone by and bring on ‘The Girls’. In this production Hugh sings with Christina Bianco an American actress, singer and impressionist, best known for her theatre work and impersonations of the stars like Barbara Streisand, Judy Garland and Lady Gaga. She has received acclaim in the role of Fanny Brice in the Paris premiere of Funny Girl. She duets A Little Fall of Rain with Hugh in a touching tribute, followed by a rendition of her unique style of comedic impersonations bringing to the stage; Liza Minnelli, Julie Andrews to name a few. Offering a flavour of true American cabaret to th...

A Letter To Lyndon B. Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First – King’s Head Theatre

7Sep

By Sadie PearsonNo Comments

London

A Letter To Lyndon B. Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First – King’s Head Theatre

A Letter to Lyndon B. Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First is a powerful exploration of the pressures which shape a childhood, devastating loss of innocence, and the path which American foreign politics carved out for a generation of working class boys. Grasshopper (Xhloe Rice) and Ace (Natasha Roland) roll onto the stage as impossible-not-to-love Boy Scouts. Scruffy, mud covered, scamps! Spending a summer camp play-fighting imaginary enemies for the elusive praise of Lyndon B Johnson, a comically God-like father figure in their whimsical imaginations, the duo give magnetic, vulnerable and tender performances, creating characters you instantly invest in. As the story unfolds, folklore and propaganda blends with harrowing truths, and suddenly the looming pressures of manhood and w...

7Sep

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

The Silver Cord – Finborough Theatre

"A boy is never a grown man to his mother." A mother's love - from the self-sacrificing kind to the utterly toxic - has been the subject of many plays, books and films. Sidney Howard's 1926 comedy-drama explores the latter type, his tale of maternal desperation a hit in the West End and on Broadway. The Finborough have now revived the play for its first London production since 1927. And it's a zinger. Set in a middle-class New England suburb in 1926, Mrs Phelps is a morass of emotional manipulation and gaslighting who wants her two grown-up sons to remain with her forever and to be the only important woman in their lives. She has crafted detailed plans for their futures and expects to have complete control over everything, including who they marry. David and Robert have o...

7Sep

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

An Inspector Calls – Alexandra Palace

Stephen Daldry’s iconic revival of ‘An Inspector Calls’ has returned to the stage, opening its highly anticipated 2024 UK tour at the extremely grand Alexandra Palace. First performed in 1992, Daldry's production of J.B. Priestley’s classic thriller has since become a global phenomenon, earning 19 major awards, including Tony and Olivier accolades. With its distinct fusion of heightened realism and surrealist undertones, this tour aims to captivate both new and returning audiences. The play is set in 1912 and revolves around the wealthy Birling family. As they celebrate an engagement, their evening is disrupted by the arrival of the mysterious Inspector Goole, investigating the suicide of a young woman. His inquiries expose uncomfortable truths about the family's involvement in the trag...

The State Ballet of Georgia’s ‘Swan Lake’ – London Coliseum

1Sep

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

The State Ballet of Georgia’s ‘Swan Lake’ – London Coliseum

This world-class ballet company, the State Ballet of Georgia comes to London for the first time in its 175-year history, presenting a full-length classic production of the renowned Swan Lake. With each performance accompanied by the English National Opera Orchestra, this production is sure to captivate the hearts of those who have the pleasure to experience it. The classic tale of Swan Lake is the love story of Prince Siegfried (Oleg Ligai) and the Swan Queen, Odette (Nino Samadashvili). Prince Siegfried is taken on quite the journey when he embarks on a hunting trip and encounters a flock of swans, inescapably falling deeply in love with Odette. However, unbeknownst to Prince Siegfried, Odette is under an evil curse which was cast by the evil magician Rothbart which only allows Odette ...

Ghost The Musical – Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

23Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Ghost The Musical – Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

The stunning Aylesbury Waterside Theatre last night hosted the opening night of the latest UK tour of Ghost the Musical which extends into 2025. This musical will forever be judged against the original production which began in Manchester in 2011. Sadly, in today’s climate it will never be possible to tour this show in that original format due to the ever-rising costs and the logistical complexities the show displayed. In this production, slightly updated from its last tour the set serves its purpose but no more and audiences need to accept that. Based on the hit movie Ghost is a story about Sam Wheat who is murdered on his way home from visiting his girlfriend Molly’s art exhibition and becomes trapped between this world and the next. His subsequent journey teaches him the circumsta...

21Aug

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

The Fabulist – Charing Cross Theatre

1920’s Tuscany, Mussolini and the Church hold overwhelming authority and in the mix lives two sisters, their movie studio and their big dreams for the future. Screenwriter Clarice (Réka Jónás) is a well sought after, independent woman. Her 43 previous suitors have never quite lived up to her and her father’s standard- or more appropriately haven’t lived as they all died in their heroic demonstrations to deem themselves worthy. An unsuspecting 44th suitor tumbles on stage, clownish and down to earth ‘Julian’ (Dan Smith). A ‘fabulist’ or as more often known be a ‘magician’ who is being hunted by the church for fears of the Occult. Julian’s presence alters the course of the play as the question of magic vs science stirs our characters who believe themselves to be logical and marry fo...

17Aug

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Northbound Boy – King’s Head Theatre

Northbound Boy, staged at the King's Head Theatre, stars Neil Ashton as Ken, Sarah Moyle as Aunt Ivy, and Cormac Hyde-Corrin as Rory. The play opens with Rory, a nineteen-year-old hitchhiking his way to Blackpool. It's during this journey that he meets the older Ken, who offers him a ride at a service station. The set design for the production is minimalist, consisting of a simple sofa, chair, and table to represent Ken's living room. Despite the minimalism, the fast-paced dialogue delivered by Neil Ashton and the charm exuded by Cormac Hyde-Corrin quickly draw you into the world of the play, making you forget the simplicity of the surroundings. While the play takes time to reveal its direction, it soon becomes clear that it is an exploration of the different ways homosexuality a...

A Lady Does Not Scratch Her Crotch – Hen and Chickens Theatre

15Aug

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

A Lady Does Not Scratch Her Crotch – Hen and Chickens Theatre

It’s a tale as old as time and a song as old as rhyme. Beauty is painful and beastliness is punishable. For a young girl trying to break the glass ceiling of her blossoming rose’s bell jar there’s just no wiggle room. Written and performed by Celeste Cahn, A Lady Does Not Scratch Her Crotch is permeated with plenty of (a little too) personal details but carries a near universal appeal. Partially thanks to the ubiquity of Disney but in greater part due to the depressing universality of coming-of-age angst and female sexual frustration, A Lady Does Not Scratch Her Crotch hits right in the soft spots of its audience. Cahn is in turns pathetic and poised, cringe-inducing and awe-inspiring. Her generosity with the audience is palpable (really, you can touch, and we’re not playing by P...