London Archives - Page 63 of 107

Are You As Nervous as I Am? – Greenwich Theatre

6Oct

By Akshay RahejaNo Comments

London

Are You As Nervous as I Am? – Greenwich Theatre

‘Are you as nervous as I am?’ Peggy asks the audience before she sings her last song of the evening. Directed by Phoebe Barran, the play looks at the life of two strong women, Peggy and Janet as they find their ways in the world into the world using music, love and compassion. The play essays the journey of two sisters- Peggy and her older sister, Janet who are forced apart by their abusive mother. The play traces the journey of the reconnection of the sisters which empowers them both in different ways. As the play unfolds, the lead character, Peggy Starr comes to accept herself as she is. Her music articulates her freedom and her experience of using her music to come to terms with her life is quite powerful. The musical subtly communicated the therapeutic superpower of musi...

The Boy With Two Hearts – National Theatre

6Oct

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

The Boy With Two Hearts – National Theatre

My second visit at the National this week tells a true story of a refugee family fleeing the Taliban after they call a death warrant on the mother, Fariba (Houda Echouafni) after speaking out in public against the violence against women. Within days, the family sell their items and flee, with the UK in mind mostly to access the NHS to save their eldest son Hussein (Ahmad Sakhi) who suffers from an undiagnosed heart condition. We journey through Moscow to Vienna to France and finally make it to the UK all through the eyes and bodies of this family and as they face every possible curb, we sit nearing the edge of our seats wanting to catch them each possible fall. Above us hang coats and jackets, layering the ceiling ranging from all sizes and ages. My eyes kept catching one of the smaller...

6Oct

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

Theatre Café Diner – London

A homage to the famous Ellen’s Stardust Diner in New York City, the award-winning Theatre Café has just launched its very own theatrical dining experience in the heart of London’s West End. Like its sister venue, the Theatre Café Diner is decked out in full theatrical decor. A glittering golden sign greets customers at the door, alongside colourful photographs of all the West End favourites from Wicked to Frozen. The inside is just as impressive too, covered from head to toe in theatrical memorabilia, with images from shows and framed sheet music signed by cast members. There were theatrically themed areas dedicated to the likes of SIX, & Juliet and Cats, each area had its own unique charm and flair. Theatre fans will love the incredible attention to detail, from the iconic He...

5Oct

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

London

Dmitry – Marylebone Theatre

The son of the Tsar Ivan IV and heir to the throne has been long dead. A young man emerges in a Polish court claiming to be him, the much-revered Dmitry. Who is this man? What is his genealogy? Could he possibly be Dmitry? What does the Tsarina make of this? How much does his newlywed wife know about who he really is? What will be the fate of the current child heir to the throne be, if this man really was Dmitry? Based on the historical and religious stir this mystery caused in 16th century Russia, Peter Oswal’s Dmitry explores the personal and political conflicts around the identity of this man. Oswald boldly took on the task of completing the play after Friedrich Schiller passed away midway through writing the original manuscript. Artistic Director of Marylebone Theatre, Alexander Giffor...

5Oct

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

The Crucible – National Theatre

The National sets us off right into Spooky Season with the retelling of the classic tale, The Crucible directed by Lyndsey Turner. Immediately thrown into a grand atmosphere gushing rain from the ceiling and the distant flickering of two candles placed neatly on a table on stage. It’s hard not to be in awe, a feeling that only seems to expand during your experience with this show. As a very loved, famous tale (although one I’m not familiar with myself) the audience will be very sure on the story that they will be viewing, to make this individual and give it the impact that it is capable of is certainly a task: one that they handled with edge and power. We are firstly introduced to our cast in a beautifully haunting choral song, one that follows through the performance and growing only w...

Only An Octave Apart – Wilton’s Music Hall

3Oct

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Only An Octave Apart – Wilton’s Music Hall

It might sound like an unlikely coupling, a world-famous opera singer and a cabaret legend described as the “the best cabaret artist of [their] generation", but Anthony Roth Costanzo and Justin Vivian Bond really do bring the magic to the stage in their two-person show ‘Only An Octave Apart’, which is currently playing at Wilton’s Music Hall. ‘Only An Octave Apart’ is a juxtaposition of styles in every way possible, vocally, stylistically, and creatively, the pair (with direction by Zack Winokur) have created a fluid and yet genuinely sincere 90-minute musical extravaganza that is truly charming, and that burrows deep to warm the soul. For those unfamiliar with the two performers, Bond, is a pioneer of alternative live performance, a true diva, a legend, with a smoky and inviting ton...

30Sep

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Brown Boys Swim – Soho Theatre

Brimming with excitement and the promise of the future, Kash and Mohsen are unwittingly each other’s lifeline during their isolating adolescence. Mohsen, the more reserved and cautious of the two plans to study at Oxford university and shies away from leaving his hometown. In spite of his banter and humorous nature, he is constantly guarded and aware of how he navigates the world as a young, Muslim man. Kash serves as his polar opposite, uninhibited and blissfully ignorant of others’ perceptions of him and even interprets them to suit himself. When a pool party is on the cards Kash, forever the optimist decides to learn how to swim, much to Mohsen's reluctance. Arguments and clashes arise as they explore tensions surrounding their friendship and their different attitudes to life. Karim ...

29Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

House of Flamenka – Peacock Theatre

Arlene Phillips' spectacular new show, co-created by flamenco star Karen Ruimy, is a feast of passion and fantasy through the medium of dance. This is a production full of heart, demonstrating skill, athleticism and physicality that is a pure joy to watch. Fusing flamenco and contemporary styles might sound odd, but it works remarkably well. Francisco Hidalgo's flamenco choreography (and his lead performance) are off-the-scale, as is the contemporary choreography of James Cousins and the performances of the entire ensemble. There's a narrative of sorts. A goddess collects these astonishingly beautiful, muscular and accomplished dancers who perform for her pleasure, in a house dripping with extravagance and wealth. The unseen gods take umbrage at this decadence and punish the House...

28Sep

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Noughts & Crosses – Richmond Theatre

‘Noughts & Crosses’, adapted for the stage by Sabrina Mahfouz for Pilot Theatre, is based on a series of young adult novels written by critically acclaimed British Author, Malorie Blackman. The series includes six novels and three novellas, all of which take place in an alternative 21st-century Britain, where the Crosses operate complete power over the Noughts, and where inequality and discrimination form the backbone of society, guiding the moral and constitutional compass. In Mahfouz’s adaptation, Sephy (Effie Ansah) is a Cross, she is dark-skinned and part of the elite class. Sephy’s people call the shots. Callum (James Arden) is a Nought, he is light-skinned and lower-class. He and his family are struggling to survive. The pair have been friends for an eternity, and whilst segre...

27Sep

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Ghosts on a Wire – Union Theatre

Linda Wilkinson could not have written a more topical play, confronting contemporary issues of inequality, power and class divides, the conflicts that consume society and the current energy problems. It's a story about power in all its forms, a story set in the past, all the while resonating into the future. Mary Shelley, Michael Faraday and William Blake are propelled into the late 1880s as ghosts, witnessing the results of the introduction of electricity to London. Or more specifically, to the wealthy north bank of the Thames, while the south bank coughs and splutters under the smoke, noise and detritus from the new power station. The electric company's owners convince local residents and traders that clearing swathes of workers' homes in Southwark would be progress, that ...