London Archives - Page 63 of 149

The Addams Family Live in Concert – London Palladium

14Feb

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

The Addams Family Live in Concert – London Palladium

Act normal. Wear a black dress or pinstripe suit. Paint your face and snap along. At the London Palladium it’s Halloween in February. Copious amounts of fog billow forth from the palatial stage and the theatre is bathed in purple light as audiences amble in, many dressed for the special occasion and already buzzing with excitement. The orchestra, unlike the assembled spirits of the dead, remains unseen but makes its presence known in a vigorous overture playing jauntily under conductor Andrew Hilton, and is energetically reinforced by a skilled ensemble dancing in choreography by Alistair David. Consistently visually interesting even as the plot stretches itself thin and tired jokes leave audiences groaning, this rendition of a mid-tier musical is nonetheless entertaining and well perfo...

When You Pass Over My Tomb – Arcola Theatre

14Feb

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

When You Pass Over My Tomb – Arcola Theatre

Finger-licking, or rather phalanx licking, good, When You Pass Over My Tomb by Sergio Blanco and adapted and directed by Daniel Goldman, is laden with content warnings (for assisted suicide, mentions of necrophilia, mental health, and blasphemous language) but where it might be expected to sink under the weight of its unwieldy themes, instead sails through increasingly murky waters with ease. Photo: Alex Brenner Neither linearly nor exclusively following the story of playwright Sergio Blanco himself as his fictionalized counterpart prepares to undergo assisted suicide and engages in flirtation with the convicted necrophiliac he plans to donate the majority of his body to, this three-hand play dips its toes into many different stories and traditions, including funerals, children’s gam...

13Feb

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

Self Raising – Soho Theatre

Self Raising is a moving account of the autobiographical story of Jenny Sealey, Funny, poignant, witty and intelligent. Using the memoir form she paints the significant moments, adults and photographs that have left an inedible mark on her life. The joy of being in a theatre with so many diverse patrons itself is Self Raising’s biggest achievement. Disabled members of our society do not have many venues that are accessible, productions that are sensitive or innovatively incorporate signing and live captions in their performance. When Jenny Sealey and her interpreter walk on stage encouraging the audience to continue talking, but no one does because she has our undivided attention. Jenny’s unfettered candour warmth and generosity make our curiosity and investment in her story grow with t...

The Hills of California – Harold Pinter Theatre

10Feb

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

The Hills of California – Harold Pinter Theatre

Jez Butterworth graces us with another play with depth and wonder, beautifully directed by Sam Mendes. The play currently resides at Harold Pinter Theatre in which the world is clear and grand as we walk into a house with a huge staircase, old wooden design and a little bar filled with very old alcohol. The staircase seems like it goes up and on forever, set in a hotel in the 80s which once in the past housed very many visitors but always 4 young girls and their mother. We switch from present day to past, now the mother is dying, the girls all await their eldest sister Joan to come say goodbye. In the past we watch the mother run the home, military style as the girls practice their singing and dancing with the biggest dreams of making it to the London Palladium. Their mother also, pushing ...

Songs for a New World – Upstairs at the Gatehouse

10Feb

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

London

Songs for a New World – Upstairs at the Gatehouse

When you watch a musical production, it usually follows a known formula with a beginning, middle and an end. Not so with ‘Songs for a New World’ for this is what’s known as a song-cycle. That means rather than having one fully formed narrative, the show is an anthology; a collection of short stories that hang together with common themes. For me, I think the best way to describe this production is as an immersive musical show. You honestly feel as though you’ve stepped into the making of a musical and are part and parcel of the actual show, such is the intimacy of this performance. The venue aids this feeling enormously, and to be seated just inches away from the action is a real thrill. Unlike most shows, the band are not hidden away, they are clearly visible, on display and are inte...

Empower in Motion: A Ballet Inclusive – Sadler’s Wells Theatre

9Feb

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Empower in Motion: A Ballet Inclusive – Sadler’s Wells Theatre

Shocking, illuminating, poignant, and triumphant, Empower in Motion is unbeatable ballet. Fundraising for Children Today, this informal gala presents itself without ostentation but packs an overpowering punch. Featuring ten acts over the course of two hours, the strength and diversity of its featured dancers never fails to captivate for even a minute. The program is contextualized by video introductions to each act describing the work done by Children Today and celebrating the inclusive dance efforts made by the event’s various other partners. Host, Grace Spence Green, gives an invigorating preamble to the procession of performances each of which awes in turn. The evening starts strong with a seamless performance by Joseph Powell-Main and Hannah Rudd excerpted from The Royal Ballet’s Sl...

Candace Bushnell True Tales of Sex Success and Sex and The City – London Palladium

9Feb

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Candace Bushnell True Tales of Sex Success and Sex and The City – London Palladium

Candace Bushnell now 65yrs old, the creator, entrepreneurial business woman and writer of the infamous Sex in the City books has come to the London Palladium to tell all, the real truth! She sets the scene in pink, from the apartment her retreat to her garnitures ‘shoes’ and the mini bar where she regularly sips on ‘cosmos’ cosmopolitan cocktails creating a true feel of Sex and the City life. Familiar names Mr Big, Carrie, Sam, Miranda, Charlotte all feature as she exposes the real truth behind the storylines with an audience participation game called ‘Reel or not Reel’. Candace explains why she chose the pseudonym Carrie Bradshaw, why she wrote her books about her single friends and their lives in New York; and what was happening at the time when the HBO series took off on the telev...

Kafka’s Metamorphosis – Lyric Hammersmith

7Feb

By Jennifer LaishleyNo Comments

London

Kafka’s Metamorphosis – Lyric Hammersmith

Frantic Assembly’s production of Kafka’s Metamorphosis is an outstanding piece of theatre that is certainly West End worthy! This is physical theatre deployed at its finest. Metamorphosis promises audiences an evening of suspenseful drama, curated by a team of incredible actors that are supported by stunning visual effects. Frantic Assembly is one of the leading British Theatre practitioners that are known for their storytelling through physical nuance. Frantic assembly certainly explores the brutalist in Kafka’s Metamorphosis both through the physical and vocal performances of the actors. Writer Lemn Sissay has worked closely with director Scott Graham to bring their vision to life, adapting the script throughout the rehearsal process so that this piece of theatre has metamorphosed int...

Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell – Coach and Horses

6Feb

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell – Coach and Horses

Both set and staged in the Coach and Horses pub on Greek Street, Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell is pub theatre par excellence. The play opens with a bang and a crash as attendees are suddenly plunged into darkness and Jeffrey Bernard himself stumbles out into the light, or rather, into the bar itself, knocking over several items on his way to the wall mounted switch by which he will reignite the room’s several chandeliers. This is the first of several pub tricks within a pub trick that delights and disturbs audiences. The environs are more than suitable, and service is good at the bar throughout the 20 minutes of liberal drink pouring that precedes each performance. Seated tickets take bar and benches while the rest of the crowd files into the available standing space, all of which is well u...

6Feb

By Dave SmithNo Comments

London

Twelve Angry Men – Richmond Theatre

The evidence has been heard and the decision is now with the jury. Starting with a voiceover of the judge's instructions, Twelve Angry Men sees the men locked in the jury room. Their job is to decide if the 16-year-old accused is guilty of killing his father, and thus will face execution or if there is reasonable doubt. A quick first vote from the unnamed jurors seems clear, guilty and guilty and guilty again until the final vote is counted - a solitary not guilty. Jason Merrells does a fine job as juror number eight, the single not guilty vote which forces the other 11 men to talk, debate, argue and even come close to blows. Like the jurors, we never learn the name of the defendant or the witnesses. Reginald Rose’s classic script first staged in 1953 but mostly known for th...