London Archives - Page 6 of 174

9Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Muse – Hen & Chickens Theatre

Many great painters have a ‘muse,’ but how does it feel to have someone obsessing about you aesthetically? Artist and muse met at an art gallery on a Friday night, Lilith (Millie Small) is a photographer and interested in art, and Lucas (Xavier Atkins) is an artist desperate for his break, and they both admire a painting. They talk, and Lucas explains that he is looking for a model that he may paint. Lilith is intrigued, but will she go along…? Of course she will! Lucas is somewhat aloof, and Lilith is intrigued by this mysterious painter. The studio is at his place, and once he begins painting, we hear that Lucas has been lined up for a prize if he creates some suitable work, hence his need for a live model, as he wanted his painting to be a masterpiec...

The Risotto Is Burning – The Hope Theatre

9Aug

By Olivia CoxNo Comments

London

The Risotto Is Burning – The Hope Theatre

Debuting in London as part of The Hope Theatre’s North Sapph-Fest 2026, The Risotto Is Burning is a charming, bite-sized comedic drama by Sophie Underwood. We meet Annabelle (a wonderfully anxiety-riddled Georgia Brown) and Ben (a James Acaster-esque Jacob Lovick), a late-twenties couple who’ve moved into a properly grown up — if small — new flat. To prove their adultness, Annabelle has invited her two best friends from uni over for a classy dinner party. She might not be able to cook a decent risotto, but she’s determined to be a good host. Unfortunately, the night soon falls apart when Leah (Naia Elliott-Spence) brings along her 20-year-old girlfriend Layla (Katy Richmond) and Maddy (also played by Underwood) brings along her new “partner”… a blue fuzzy puppet called Charlie. Wh...

A Curious Demise – Hen & Chickens Theatre

9Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

A Curious Demise – Hen & Chickens Theatre

Do you fancy yourself as a murder mystery detective? Or a writer – this Agatha Christie style show might be for you! A Curious Demise, is an improvised murder mystery, and they use their long-form improv skills to create a short play using some suggestions from the audience. As we enter the theatre, a guy with a rather dodgy moustache is brushing up and sets the tone for the show perfectly. With A Curious Demise, the show begins with a body, and the mystery is solved along the way by the cast developing the characters and the storyline naturally unfolds. But first, they must get some suggestions from the audience. Where has the body been found? - a greengrocers is suggested. The dear departed gentleman died holding something in his hand, wha...

Much Ado About Nothing – Thomas’s College

9Aug

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Much Ado About Nothing – Thomas’s College

Tom Littler’s staging of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ is a true masterclass in how Shakespeare should be performed, adapted and directed: intelligent without becoming academic, emotionally rich without descending into sentimentality, and uproariously funny without ever compromising the text. Presented by the Orange Tree Theatre and Guildford Shakespeare Company in the grounds of Thomas’s College, Richmond, alongside ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’, it is an extraordinary theatrical achievement that is brilliant on every level. The production continues the stories of the same characters from ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’, but six eventful years later. The original carefree summer of 1939 has been replaced by the summer of 1945, with the surviving men returning from war and the women revisiting the village i...

9Aug

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Love’s Labour’s Lost – Thomas’s College

Tom Littler’s adaptation of ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ is an exceptional theatrical achievement: intelligent, technically accomplished and irresistibly entertaining. Presented by the Orange Tree Theatre and Guildford Shakespeare Company in the grounds of Thomas’s College, Richmond, this glorious open-air production demonstrates precisely how Shakespeare can be made contemporary, immediate and entirely accessible without sacrificing the richness of the original text. The production is performed in repertory with ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, using the same company to connect the two comedies across six eventful years. Although the productions reward being seen together (this is highly recommended), they also stand independently. Having recently played within the grounds of Braboeuf Manor in G...

The Barber of Seville – Upstairs at The Gatehouse

8Aug

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

The Barber of Seville – Upstairs at The Gatehouse

Hollywood pin-up, Timothee Chalamet caused a global hoo-ha when he claimed in an interview that “no one cares” about ballet or opera. He was rightly ridiculed and provoked a lively debate which proved that high art forms are in rude health and ignorance is ugly, even when it comes from the mouth of a beauty. Nobody can deny that ballet, opera and classical theatre can be elitist, financially inaccessible, intellectually demanding, unfamiliar to the newcomer and outrageously time consuming. As someone who endured Einstein on the Beach by Philip Glass (5 hours) at Barbican and Gaddafi: A Living Myth at ENO, I can confirm that attending such productions can feel like extreme sport mixed with expensive self-harm. It is also true that when some of the cultural barriers are removed or tackled, a...

8Aug

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

CATS – Regents Park Open Air Theatre

The cast of CATS have arrived in style dominating the scene with feline grace. And they’re ready to slink into the spotlight. Regent’s Park Theatre came alight with contemporary dance in a jaw dropping performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatrical classic, CATS. The excitement and buzz in the audience of anticipation was palpable. The set, a rustic crescent moon lit the sky with a warm glow as the smaller moon orbited with ease against the darken sky. A vision captured perfectly for a night of feline adventure and storytelling. Don’t be fooled by the simplicity here, there is so much to appreciate, and time given to lose yourself in the ‘magic’ of the music and artistry unfolding before you. The longevity of Andrew Lloyd Webbers CATS now 45yrs old is a testament to ...

8Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Sick Dog – Etcetera Theatre

As I kick off my Camden Fringe Festival coverage, I began with a charming play called ‘Sick Dog,’ which incidentally does not have a dog as a cast member! Winne (Cara Crofts) shares her flat with her friend Eliza (Pearl D’Souza), and they hang out and share household duties, and this is your usual flatmates play…until you realise that Eliza is not human, but a humanoid! We learn that Winnie has been existing in her flat for months and has an illness which has made her unable to work. Eliza is stepping in to help where she can, and she is also learning about Winnie’s characteristics and mimicking them in an attempt to learn more about humans to integrate more authentically. Directed by Lily Gilchrist, the play is set in Winnie’s flat and revolves around Winnie’s ill...

Some of It Might Be True – Etcetera Theatre

6Aug

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Some of It Might Be True – Etcetera Theatre

In The Ugly Truth Productions’ new production, ‘Some of It Might Be True’, writer and performer Justine Martin attempts to place social media, influencer culture, mental health and trauma within an increasingly absurd narrative involving an online scandal, animal-rights activism and a pig-rescue mission. At its core, it is a strange and chaotic comedy with important ideas at its heart, but neither the writing nor the production is sufficiently developed to explore them with clarity. Whilst there is certainly potential in this collision of anxieties, and the comedy is certainly the production’s strongest element, its storytelling is unfocused, jumping between ideas without giving its themes enough space or structure to make a lasting impact. The same lack of control affects the stagi...

5Aug

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

The Lads – Hen & Chickens Theatre

‘Toxic masculinity’ continues to be a fizzing hot topic. In the past few years, it’s curdled from legitimate concern and intelligent discussion to yet another flashpoint in the culture wars. Well meaning and bad faith operators were soon questioning the term, concerned that it reinforced negative stereotypes and might be detrimental to the mental health of young men. Meanwhile, the ‘manosphere’ continues to grow and curdle. The views of provocative influencers are seeping into the mainstream due to the monetisation model of online media and the grim logic of the algorithm. Andrew Tate went from a misogynist freak on the fringe of the Internet to a global pop culture phenomenon. The reasons for that evolution might be complex, but it’s hard not to conclude that the problem is escalat...