London Archives - Page 52 of 150

5Jun

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

The Finellis – Wonderville

"The Finellis" based on the 2022 movie of the same name, is a vibrant musical that tells the compelling story of Tony Finelli, portrayed by Mark Janicello, who strives to reintegrate into his family's life after a 15-year prison stint. Janicello delivers a convincing performance as the ex-felon Tony, grappling with reconnecting with his distant children and his ex-wife, who has moved on, all whilst being pursued by the relentless Mafia boss Mr Big, played by Michael Cristopher. The musical kicks off with an energetic start, filled with singing, dancing, and catchy tunes that keep the audience engaged. The pace is brisk, ensuring that there are no dull moments. The ensemble cast, although small, demonstrates remarkable versatility and chemistry, with most actors taking on dual role...

1Jun

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

May 35th – Southwark Playhouse Elephant

4th June 1989 – This is the date to remember! But, if you live in China or Hong Kong, this date causes their government to have amnesia, and the Chinese government enforces countrywide amnesia on its people. There is no longer a 4th June 1989 in the Chinese calendar, not one that can be discussed anyway. To disguise discussion, this date is now May 35th, and both the date, and the lives of the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre have been erased from history. In a country where the government uses dehumanisation as a means of controlling its people, this play attempts to overturn this, by bringing together interviews from some of the victim’s families and allows them to speak in one voice. The play centres around a student, Ah Dai who was a hard-working b...

Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-A-Lomp!! – Southwark Playhouse

31May

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-A-Lomp!! – Southwark Playhouse

If you're craving a delightfully exciting blend of retro charm and laugh-out-loud comedy, look no further than ‘Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-A-Lomp!!’ which is currently dazzling audiences at Southwark Playhouse (Borough). Directed by Mark Bell, the genius behind ‘The Play That Goes Wrong,’ this brand-new musical offers a riotous escape to a sun-soaked beach brimming with beach competitions, vibrant characters, and musical nostalgia. The story unfolds on a picturesque sunny, summers day during the famed ‘Beach Romp-Bomp-A-Lomp’ competition, where participants vie for the prestigious titles of King “or” Queen of the Beach. As expected, romance and rivalry intermingle amid a series of increasingly absurd and entertaining challenges. The show cleverly satirizes the conventional jukebox music...

The Comedy of Errors – Eastbury Manor House

31May

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

The Comedy of Errors – Eastbury Manor House

Double twins and twin doubles! This quartet of Three Inch Fools bring it all to the stage in their rambunctious rendition of “Shakespeare’s shortest comedy” trimmed of all its fat and implanted with several eye catching new musical interludes. Billed as “a musical take on Shakespeare” the Fools’ performance methodology is a tried-and-true formula. There are trap doors, nametagged doublets, ad libs, and prat falls -gimmicks galore. The play is both pure frivolity and ruthless efficiency as the company works overtime to squeeze every gag and galivant into the hours before darkness claims their almost obnoxiously charming outdoor playing space. Detailing (and on many occasions instead summarizing) the exploits of long-lost and reluctantly-reunited identical twins Antipholus and Anti...

30May

By Olivia CoxNo Comments

London

Strategic Love Play – Soho Theatre

Two singletons walk into a bar, ready for (at least) a polite two drinks’ worth of getting-to-know-you chatter with a person they’ve never met outside the confines of their phone screen. What could go wrong? The dating app-induced first date is a scene many of us are all too familiar with, and it sets up the premise of Miriam Battye’s Strategic Love Play, currently playing at Soho Theatre until 15th June. We join the two characters — simply referred to as Woman (Letty Thomas) and Man (Archie Backhouse) — at their first meeting, and it’s abundantly clear from the get-go that they’re not on the same wavelength. While Man seems content exchanging bumbling pleasantries that avoid any risk of a genuinely enlightening conversation, Woman is bitingly honest and desperate to dig deeper....

30May

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Fabulous Creatures – Arcola Theatre

“We used to kill, but now we cabaret!” “Fabulous Creatures,” written by Quentin Beroud and Emily Louizou, showcases creatures of Greek mythology in a captivating and unique setting. The story begins in a cabaret club where the monstresses welcome and seduce the audience members with their enchanting songs. The trio at the heart of the show includes Scylla, Charybdis, and a Siren. The narrative interweaves various Greek myths, mentioning a range of other creatures and Gods. The music, enticing from the start, features a variety of styles from ballads to disco pop and even rap, effectively moving the story along. Jazz Jenkins, who plays the Siren, particularly stands out with a stunning singing voice. The performance is set in one act and progresses quickly, transitioning from the caba...

The Secret Diary of Henry VIII – Eastbury Manor

27May

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

The Secret Diary of Henry VIII – Eastbury Manor

Come rain or shine. Bring a chair, a picnic blanket, or a picnic for that matter. There’s merry fooling to be had, mellifluous music to be heard, and a manicured lawn to lounge on. This relaxed staging of theatrical farce is anything but languorous. With frenetic pacing to match the attention span of even the most distractible of children and a host of characters frenzied enough to drive parents to distraction, Three Inch Fools’ The Secret Diary of Henry VIII pulls off a difficult balancing act of consistently holding audience’s attention without ever demanding or begging it. Gently cradled in the charming back garden of the only moderately grandiose Eastbury Manor House, audiences are engaged without ostentation and entertained without overwhelming. The rapport between performer and au...

26May

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

The Windrush Warriors – Theatre Peckham

The Windrush Warriors begins its 25-date tour of the UK. Written by and starring Nicola Gardner, who appears as receptionist and narrator, regales us with tales of time gone by. She is joined by Sisters Johnson and Richards and Brother Leroy and Myers recreating for us banter that is equal measures funny and familiar and parts offensive. Ribbed with wordplay, it is refreshing to see senior women express their sexual wants and needs at centre stage. It's essential and fun to witness the yearning, curiosity and playfulness they embody. The characters are all familiar, which adds to their charm, and one would imagine that the rehearsals were a riot! However, widespread and outdated tropes make the jokes fall short like a fizzy drink without its fizz. The play does have several moments of good...

23May

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Lady Dealer – Bush Theatre

Business is booming. Bass is thumping. Charly’s heart is beating a little too fast, the world is spinning a little too quickly, and someone might be getting sick on the carpet any second now. In this production of Lady Dealer by Martha Watson Allpress, the explosive Alexa Davies plays Charly, the “Lady Dealer” breaking the greenhouse ceiling on feminist drug dealing. A whip smart and poetically eloquent but socially stunted and economically frustrated young woman cusping millennial and gen z identities, Charly is a dynamo in bed rot. Jasmine Araujo’s costume design is convincingly sloppy and effectively evocative of an era of isolation all too familiar to us all. The “Lady Dealer” is not a covid avoidant recluse, but her lifestyle will be comprehensible to anyone who at one point...

22May

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

Surfacing – Omnibus Theatre

A heartwarming starlit production. Surreal, evocative and empathetic Surfacing's preview run was an Evening Standard Top Pick of VAULT and earned it an Origins Award nomination, and it's previously been shortlisted for New Diorama Theatre's Untapped Award. The ASYLUM Arts is a company focused on improving the representation of neurodiversity and disability in the arts. Founded by Stephen Bailey in 2021, ASYLUM produces work, delivers training on neurodiverse inclusion and reinvests its profits in training for early-career disabled and neurodivergent practitioners. ASYLUM is a Barbican Open Lab resident company and was shortlisted for New Diorama's Untapped Award 2022. The show centers the story of neurodivergents / mental health experiences navigating a maze of a system that sounds l...