London Archives - Page 63 of 122

10Mar

By Zara OdetundeNo Comments

London

Sleepova – Bush Theatre

Sleepova written by Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini, is a celebration of black girlhood as a quartet of friends transition into their adult lives. We start in the months before their GCSE exams at the first sleepover of a group of four best friends. To celebrate Shan’s 16th birthday the girl’s share gossip, eat popcorn and explore their fears for their changing lives and their current struggles. Through their subsequent sleepovers, Ibini discusses issues like religion, grief, sexuality, maturing into adulthood and the struggles of living with chronic illness. Each of the characters had a distinctive flair and the quartet is bursting with chemistry, that you would believe they had been friends since childhood. Although 3 out of the four actresses are making their stage debut, you w...

10Mar

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

The Wolves – The Space Theatre

The one act play is a coming of age drama of a young American Female soccer team. Set around the gossip and warm up banter of nine adolescent female athletes it puts in spotlight issues of mental health, abortion, consent, teamwork and grief. The actors who have recently graduated from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts have set up Orange Peel productions following the success of their graduation shows. The play reflects the spunky energy of The Space Theatre (Isle of Dogs) is aligned very well with the production and the actors' energy lends it to be as big as a football pitch and as tiny as a player's mind. The Physical theatre that combines choreography, dialogue and authentic performances by each of the actresses is very moving. Though the beginning felt like a heady garble of ...

10Mar

By Dave SmithNo Comments

London

Under The Black Rock – Arcola Theatre

Coming up on 25 years since The Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland still has many issues to face and strongly entrenched divides within its community. Thankfully, it no longer sees the violence and terror of the troubles and when there is violence it is condemned by the majority, including leading figures from each side of the division. Tim Edge’s Under The Black Rock looks back at a time when that violence and terror were a daily part of life in Northern Ireland. Set in Belfast, we meet the Ryan family and follow the main role of Niamh (Evanna Lynch, known for Harry Potter, is strong in this) who follows her father into the IRA. Many of the cast play dual roles, Flora Montgomery is excellent; first as a hard-worn senior IRA figure then slipping into the role of Sandra Ryan, desper...

The Bodyguard: The Musical – New Wimbledon Theatre

7Mar

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

The Bodyguard: The Musical – New Wimbledon Theatre

If you have ever wondered what it would be to be one of those people in the crowd in a concert in a movie, wonder no more: this show's got you covered. On fire and starting with a bang. Under the incredible direction of Thea Sharrock, The Bodyguard the Musical invites us to enjoy more than two hours in this jukebox musical where the audience goes through many of Whitney Houston's music hits, intertwined with the story of the namesake movie in which it's inspired. With a rock-solid main cast, every single one of them performing to their strengths, Sharrock seizes every opportunity available to thrill us. The show has one blow of effect after another. Melody Thornton, in her role as Rachel Marron, pays a great homage to the memory of the late Houston, with impressive versions of the si...

6Mar

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

My Dead – Barons Court Theatre

From growing up in Washington state, to her flat in South Ealing, Carolyn Hartvigsen has traversed the continents but the story she tells is of her ancestors, and the distance between her and them. Walking onto the stage in wonder, Hartvigsen reels us in, with heightened intimacy in the old pub basement space of the theatre. She whips out a small tree, with photos of her family members attached to the leaves with herself as the tree trunk. She shares a carefully and truthfully woven patchwork of her personal life, her ancestors’ stories, and her reactions to them and how they help her reflect on her circumstances. With an unerring fear of death, she seeks understanding from her dead family, and how they lived. As she discovers that one of her great grandfathers was polygamous and...

6Mar

By Marita MatarNo Comments

London

Rat King – Vault Festival

For about an hour or so, I was shaken by a journey of strong feelings being part of an immersed setting depicting an encounter one could relate to from different perspectives. Rat Kingwritten by Bram Davidovich, directed by Mark Hilton and played by Georgina Tack (Kelly) and Jacob Wayne-O’Neill (Jacko) presents the story of a girl, Kelly, clearly from better-off family who meet Jacko -which sounds as ghetto- a man ingrained in his condition of homelessness as she was running away from home. They soon start developing a bond that goes into an uncommon story notably in uncomforting ways; the girl’s persistence to ‘fix’ Jacko and drag him into arts as well as Jacko’s obsession with her. I was amazed by the actor’s performance and the staging of the piece. Choosing to set the audience...

3Mar

By Marita MatarNo Comments

London

Barely Visible – Jacksons Lane

"How can you know you're a lesbian if you've never been with a woman?" was one of the interesting thoughts made by an audience member concerning the subjects addressed by Rowena Gander, who had us spellbound with her outstanding performance. Barely Visible is a solo performance choreographed and performed by Rowena Gander, directed by Elinor Randle, and backed by a creative team that worked with digital tills and lighting to generate the ambiance. The performance addressed lesbian identity; one that is questioned, banalized, sexualized, objectified, and fetishized. “I always wanted references to relate to” was Rowena’s answer to Elinor’s question “Why did you put on this show?”. Barely Visible problematizes people’s perception of lesbianism that stems from misogynistic and patriar...

An Absolute Farce of a Murder Mystery – Drayton Arms Theatre

3Mar

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

An Absolute Farce of a Murder Mystery – Drayton Arms Theatre

Seeing a play taking on a very well-known genre and trying to reference it, turning it into something different, is an entertaining and educational experience, though things can turn out less interesting than expected, if the intentions are better than the implementation. This show, written by Peter Rae, and directed by Helen Bang, both doubling as actors, is an attempt at making fun of the genre of the Murder Mystery trope. While the intentions are clear from the beginning, the actual running of the show is a hot mess of overly saturated references and misplaced punchlines. The show starts with "Manning – The Butler", portrayed by Christian Ballantyne, who is cleaning some props on stage, and makes the first attempt at getting the audience to laugh, when spitting a candleholder whil...

How To Break Out of a Detention Centre – Riverside Studios

2Mar

By Marita MatarNo Comments

London

How To Break Out of a Detention Centre – Riverside Studios

“I was born in a strange century where people are taken to jail because they were born with a heart that beats for honesty and justice” – Nawal el Saadawi (Memoirs from the Women’s Prisons, 1984). It is with deep solidarity that the production paid tribute to women in detention centres in the UK, and it is with tremendous honesty that art consolidated with social causes brings justice to women in detention, choosing to sensibilise the public’s eye rather than choosing to stay silent. Allowing visibility for women suffering because of multiple systems of oppressions for a staged production is an empathetic choice by nature. How To Break Out of a Detention Center? A compelling world premiere of a female migrant led international co-production from BÉZNĂ Theatre and Romanian theatre compan...

2Mar

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

Oklahoma! – Wyndham’s Theatre

A hit for over 75 years, the Tony Award-winning musical ‘Oklahoma!’ returns to London, bringing its charm, humour and heart with it. The classic tale of who will win the girl is transformed into a contemporary and deep portrayal of modern lust, with exotic artistic choices and set design utilised to revive this show. As the audience take their seats, they are met with bright blinding lights which remain almost constant, focusing the audience’s attention and indicating what’s to come. In addition to the sunlit stage, the set is panelled with a pine wood aesthetic, creating a modern barn feel, with shotguns displayed proudly on the walls. The set is kept minimal, with one long wooden dining table and several wooden chairs. The show begins abruptly, as no curtain is used. The audi...