London Archives - Page 53 of 115

Thatcher – Rite – Streatham Space Project

29Mar

By Marita MatarNo Comments

London

Thatcher – Rite – Streatham Space Project

‘What sort of country do you want?’ – Margaret Thatcher Tea, cucumber, a table and Margaret Thatcher. This is how people’s fate is decided. The performance starts with Margaret Thatcher played by Jack Boal, sitting in the middle of a table, looking at a projection screened behind her. It talks about nuclear families and gendered roles; the tone is already set. The character looked at the audience, the performance started. Thatcher – Rite written and performed by Jack Boal, directed by Lila Robirosa, revisits the political and personal legacy left by Margaret Thatcher. Verbatim and lip-syncing techniques, coupled with visuals of Margaret Thatcher herself, extracts of news and political shows, as well as written messages on the screen projection are vigorously explored by the techni...

29Mar

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

One Minute – King’s Head Theatre

The Working Actors Studio have revived Simon Stephens 2003 play One Minute at the King's Head Theatre. 'One minute' refers to the time it takes 11-year-old Daisy Schults to vanish, and the play depicts five characters impacted by her disappearance. In part this is a police drama, with the two detectives, played by Frederick Lysegaard and Lee Lomas, leading the investigation into her disappearance, but later being left on their own as other resources are taken away due to their lack of success. But it is much more an emotional study of the interaction of the five characters. The story unfolds slowly through numerous short scenes, many of which are only tangentially linked to the actual events of the disappearance. For example, the two characters of Mary Louise and Catherine, played by Im...

25Mar

By Dave SmithNo Comments

London

Leaving Vietnam – Park Theatre

On a career break in my late 20s, I spent a few months in Southeast Asia. I followed the well-trod backpacker's routes to the standard tourist sites and the occasional pub. These days most of us know the Vietnam War through pop culture like Robin Williams wishing us good morning or Marlon Brando telling of terrors. When I went to Vietnam, all I really knew was from pop culture. One of the first things I did was visit the Vietnam Military History Museum and I will never forget the moment the guide pointed out to me that of course in Vietnam, they call it the “American War”. Leaving Vietnam is a monologue written and performed by Richard Vergette about an American Vietnam vet. Jimmy wasn’t drafted, he signed up to become a marine and spent a tour in Vietnam, in the jungle, interrogating v...

24Mar

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Slow Violence – The Pleasance Theatre

We are on the sixth floor of the office building of Happy Holidays. Claire is welcoming a new team member, Peter. Initially, things get off to a promising start, although there is a clear mismatch between the personalities; Claire, controlling but clearly needy, and Peter who is more restrained but wants to fit in and make a good impression. As the days turn into weeks and months the constraints of working in that office environment become dominant, it is far too hot, but the "people upstairs" will not allow the radiator to be turned down, the watercooler dispenses stagnant water, the electricity starts fusing, and there is flooding in the lower floors of the building water plus a leak from the ceiling. This is a brilliantly devised piece by Laura Ryder and Harry Kingscott,...

24Mar

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

Killing the Cat – Riverside Studios

Can music and speech give fundamental answers to the questions that seem impossible to answer? Can we address the whys and what for of our existence through sound and bodies? Killing the Cat, the new musical with book and lyrics by Warner Brown and music by Joshua Schmidt, undertakes a very ambitious task, both dealing with very complex and interesting topics, while trying to develop a new and unique language in musical theatre. While the play does not reach those goals, it is undoubtedly a refined clockwork, performed with exquisite harmony. When going into the hall, the audience is met by a beautiful white set, designed by Lee Newby, where lights and colours designed by Jamie Platt will combine during the play, joining the music to display the different stages through which the cha...

24Mar

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

Trade – Pleasance Theatre

Ella Dorman-Gajic's Trade comes to Pleasance theatre. A gripping tale with powerful performances by Katarina Novkovic, in the lead role of Jana, superbly supported by Eleanor Roberts and Ojan Genc. Trade follows the life of Jana, who gets hoodwinked into the European trafficking industry but rises to power to claim her autonomy. Trade was awarded an OffComm commendation by the OFFIE Awards. Trade gives us a taste of some of the manipulation, deception, and violence meted out on women to submit to being involved in the sex trade. It can reflect on the socio-economic politics of gender lack of sexual health awareness of the clientele survivors of trafficking, and modern slavery has to put up with. The artistically integrated captions make Trade accessible to d/Deaf audiences...

23Mar

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

London

Turandot – The Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House’s latest revival under director Jack Furness of Andrei Serban’s 1984 production is an epic on every scale and a true delight for all of the senses as it delivers the perfect synthesis of music and drama. In legendary Peking, a Mandarin (Blaise Malaba) advises that any prince seeking to marry Princess Turandot (Anna Pirozzi) must answer three riddles: if he fails, he will die. Among the crowd Calàf (Yonghoon Lee) discovers his long-lost father, Timur (Vitalij Kowaljow). As the latest failed suitor goes to his death, the crowd implore the princess to spare him, but she orders the execution to proceed. Calàf is transfixed by her beauty and decides to win her heart. Timor and the slave girl Liù (Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha) as well as the ministers Ping (Hansung Yoo),...

Charlotte and Theodore – Richmond Theatre

22Mar

By Marita MatarNo Comments

London

Charlotte and Theodore – Richmond Theatre

‘Is this so bad if they see their mother succeed?’ – Charlotte In the wake of movements related to feminism, LGBTQIA+, disabled bodies, protected groups, hegemonies and systematic inherited structures, Charlotte and Theodore written by Ryan Craig, directed by Terry Johnson, performed by Kris Marshall (Theodore) and Eve Ponsonby (Charlotte) addresses the intricating and the strenuous gaps, that exist between people of different identities and age when talking about inclusivity, gender, pronouns, dilemmas of cancel culture, and dominant groups, etc. The 90 minutes long play proposes solutions, perhaps? Not in the same way Billy Wilder did in Some like it Hot but rather by following the evolution of conversation between two lovers and two professors, at different points in their lives. ...

22Mar

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Black Superhero – Royal Court

Danny Lee Wynter’s debut play at the Royal Court questions queerness, open relationships and loving your idols. David (Danny Lee Wynter) is unsettled by the route of his life. An actor occasionally auditioning, occasionally sleeping around and still recovering from a traumatic event that brought his life to a halt. Living with his sister Syd, (Rochenda Sandall) he can’t help but question his motive especially when comparing himself to friend and popular superhero in a movie franchise, King (Dyllón Burnside). However, when King reveals that he and his husband have decided to try an open marriage, David is plunged into something he might not be ready for. The action in the piece is highly driven, particularly in the first act. David, who is already vulnerable, creates chaos for himself by...

22Mar

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

Ophelia Rewound – Applecart Arts

Honest and vulnerable exploration of the artist's experience and reflections on attempted suicide. The piece has evolved over the three years of lockdown, and writer, director & performer Antigoni Spanou starts at that moment of transformation and reconsideration of 'Ophelia' choosing to reflect and hold on to her breath. Superbly supported in projection mapping, sound and lighting design by Joseph Thorpe. The character's imaginations and reflections get projected, transporting the audience from spirals of the mind to a meditative waterfall. The one-act play moves the audience from passive observers to actively recreating characters on stage, playing games and drinking tea parties! Even if you are not on stage with the actor, you are thinking through what you would reply to that...