London Archives - Page 51 of 122

5Jul

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Crazy for You – Gillian Lynne Theatre

Crazy for You is a traditional musical from the Gershwin's catalogue of brilliance, a production revitalized by Joey Parnes, Sally Horchow, and Michael Harrison. It had a run of sell-out performances at the Chichester Festival Theatre and is directed by Olivier award-winning director Susan Stroman. Charlie Stemp star of Half a Sixpence and Mary Poppins as (Bobby Childs) and Wicked star Carly Anderson as (Polly Baker) head up a stellar cast showcasing joyous melodies including the familiar Gershwin classic songs, I Got Rhythm and They Can't Take That Away from Me. The performers acted and danced their way through a 2-hour 20-minute score and brought to life the ‘Folies Bergere’ style and glamour, a delightful spectacle of costumes, color, and synchronicity which filled the stage and a...

3Jul

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

La Copla – King’s Head Theatre

What is Copla? How can we understand such a unique expression of Spanish identity? Welcome to La copla, where you will learn about passion and music in a very amusing way. In this very interesting cross over between theatre and documentary, full of music, video and songs, we see Alejandro Postigo, also author of the text, going through his connection with Copla songs and his Spanish heritage. Directed by Sergio Maggiolo, and with Jazmine Mitts as Assistant Director, the play is a fresh mix of acting, singing and projections of examples of the Copla music, as well as some other material which the performer connects through his unique perspective to the idea of Copla. The Video Design, by Ricardo Ferreira, is very detailed, and does not overwhelm the audience or steal the thunder from the...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Opera Holland Park

30Jun

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Opera Holland Park

Warm weather, love and magic are everywhere in the summer. And we can share a piece of that magic in this entertaining comedy, plus the beautiful music that will come with it. Figure, the historical performance ensemble, brings to life this classic written by Willian Shakespeare and with the music of Felix Mendelssohn. Directed by Sam Rayner, and Musical Direction of Frederick Waxman, this famous story is set on the stage in the Opera Holland Park. The play follows the story of the four lovers, played by Johan Munir as Demetrius, Eleanor Sutton as Helena, Emmanuel Olusanya as Lysander, and Hannah Rose Caton, and the ensemble of actors with Jay Mailer as Bottom, Gail Sixsmith as Quince, Jordan Laviniere as Flute, Susie Coutts as Snout, William Eden as Snug, and Joyce Henderson as Starvel...

30Jun

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

One Way Mirror – The Pleasance

One Way Mirror bills itself as a new interactive story about the art of people watching. It is based on the true experience of writer and performer, theatre maker Jonathan Oldfield, one half of PillowTalk Theatre, and the time he spent living in a property with a one way mirror facing out onto the street. From this vantage point, Oldfield can observe people going about their business, a voyeur of sorts who can see you even though you can’t see him. And the show is largely as billed - it does indeed focus on Oldfield’s experience of people watching and it is interactive in as much as it relies on a degree of audience participation. It’s risky but respectfully and gently done - no one is forced onto the stage to pretend to be a cat or a chicken and the excellent willing participants were giv...

30Jun

By Marita MatarNo Comments

London

Duck – Arcola Theatre

The UK premiere of Duck is written by Maatin, directed by Imy Wyatt Corner, and performed by Omar Bynon. Ismail (Omar Bynon) whose name can’t even be pronounced by his schoolmates and teachers is a vibrant Indian teenager whose love for cricket knows no bounds. The story unfolds in the days leading up to the tragic July 7 terrorist attack that occurred in London in 2005. This devastating event led to the endorsement of Islamophobia and the unfair stigmatisation of individuals with brown skin, beards, or thick hair. Amidst this backdrop, the narrative of “Duck” presents a mundane account that immerses readers in the life of a 15-year-old Indian boy. Throughout his passionate journey in the world of cricket, he encounters subtle instances of racism and discrimination based on his name, sk...

30Jun

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

A Strange Loop – Barbican

Nominated for 11 Tony Awards including Best New Musical, A Strange Loop, Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, has just landed at the Barbican for a strictly limited season. The meta musical tells the story of Usher, a young, gay, and Black writer, desperate to escape his life as a theatre usher, so decides to write a musical about a young, gay, Black writer whose writing a musical about a young, gay, Black writer...and so on. We see Usher struggle with his identity, sexuality, and desires while trying to navigate the harsh modern world and the circles within circles of his life. Directed by Stephen Brackett, Usher is joined by the hilarious six-person ensemble who personify his inner thoughts and feelings from self-loathing to sexual ambivalence. Kyle Ramar Freeman who l...

29Jun

By Ely KingNo Comments

London

Tarantino Live – Riverside Studios

Quentin Tarantino is a name that everyone has heard at least once, whether you’re an avid fan of the movies, or have just heard the name in conversation, this industry juggernaut is known for some of the most classic films in history, so it simply makes sense for a show to be made surrounding his work. Whilst it is widely advertised as a musical, it is more of a cabaret/live show. Singing, dancing and photos/videos are all allowed and encouraged – providing that you are still respectful to those around you and the actors, so stay in your seat and don’t take photos with flash. This encouragement of crowd involvement creates such an exciting air around the show, with excited cheers coming from the audience at classic movie moments being recreated onstage. This production stars the Fox ...

The Two Gentlemen of Verona (& Sonnet 104) – Barons Court Theatre

28Jun

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

The Two Gentlemen of Verona (& Sonnet 104) – Barons Court Theatre

A friend betraying another friend to get their objective, and going to the farthest distance to achieve success, turning slowly into villainy. A story of morality, from Shakespeare to our days. This version of Shakespeare's work, directed by Evan L. Barker, follows its sell-out previews, and has a slightly different cast in some of the supporting roles. This is an adaptation by Barker of the well-known piece, setting into a high-school context. The roles of the two gentlemen are played by Hugo Papiernik as Valentine, and Paul Surel as Proteus. The two ladies with whom they fall in love and then fight for are Tor Leijten as Julia, and Lavinia Grippa as Sylvia. Completing the cast are Harry Rosa as Lance, Izzi McCormack-John as Lucetta/Thurio, Alun Rees as Speed/Host, Gemskii as Duke/Anto...

28Jun

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Dear England – National Theatre

In 1996, Gareth Southgate stepped up to take the final kick in England's semi-final penalty shoot-out against Germany - and missed. That moment haunts Southgate, the team and the fans, exacerbating the "thirty years of hurt" and failure since England's World Cup win in 1966. James Graham's latest work explores the struggles of the England men's football team to turn failure to success, a metaphor for the plight of the country seen through the lens of football. Southgate, appointed manager of the England team in 2016, recognises that the team, while talented, are sabotaging their own efforts and brings in a psychologist to help them address their fears. One day, maybe, the nation would not be cowering behind the sofa in buttock-clenching terror every time an international match was de...

27Jun

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

Stumped – Hampstead Theatre

How would a game of cricket with two Nobel prizes of literature playing in one of the teams unravel? In Stumped, we get to see a hypothesis about it, with touches of surrealism all around. In this play, written by Shomit Dutta, and directed by Guy Unsworth, the audience finds Samuel Beckett, played by Stephen Tompkinson, and Harold Pinter, played by Andrew Lancel, in a game of cricket and its aftermath, trying to get back home. The slightly outrageous situations that come up, including a ball in the head, and the fear to wait or be alone, make this play an interesting take on a non-naturalistic style of theatre. The stage, beautifully designed by David Woodhead, is like painting. This leads one to think that what we'll see will be a creation, no matter what. The walls on the stage ar...