London Archives - Page 66 of 111

14Oct

By Wendy McEwanNo Comments

London

La Performance – Tron Theatre

In La Performance, we peek behind the pretence of theatre and language. Instead of words, the performers use non-verbal techniques to tell the story, drawing on the Commedia dell’Arte tradition. On the stage of the intimate Changing House space, we see a dressing room in a theatre. The composer (Ross Whyte) enters and takes the outer layers of wood off his piano so that its inner workings are laid bare. What about the inner workings and inside the people on stage? Will we see those too? Him (Ramesh Rayappen) enters and begins his warm up with frantic, anxious energy. He warms up his hands and arms, acknowledging the language of gestures that is used. Her (Emmanuelle Laborit) joins him. She is chic and disdainful in a little black dress. Th...

Wipe These Tears – Camden People’s Theatre

14Oct

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

Wipe These Tears – Camden People’s Theatre

BÉZNĂ Theatre brings another powerful and hard-hitting performance traversing space, time, years and gender to centre conversations about love, sacrifice, strength and war. Wipe these tears is based on interviews with over 90 individuals, including survivors of war and torture, clinical psychologists and medics working with ex-service people and the UK's leading anti-war, anti-Islamophobia, state crime and colonial studies academics and activists. The ensemble of female, working class and BME-led cast hold forte traversing the narratives and transforming characters, accents and costumes seamlessly. It was satisfying to witness symbols of British Imperialism receive what they deserved and see how capitalists profit from the wars on stage. We start at the innocuous setting of a teac...

14Oct

By Jennifer LaishleyNo Comments

London

Stranger Sings – The Vaults

Based on the hit Netflix series, Stranger Sings Parody Musical is an entertaining show that will have you laughing from start to finish. With a talented cast playing multiple roles this lively show brings all of your favourite Stranger Things characters to life. Johnathan Houge’s script is hilarious with lots of catchy songs that are glittered with 80’s references. As you enter the theatre you are drawn into the Hawkins set in Will’s house with fairy lights adorning the ceilings and walls. The bar is done up like Hopper’s cabin with an array of sofas, with the odd hanging torch on the ceiling, and the themed cocktails really help to build the atmosphere before the show. The set is quite simple with transformative props hidden around that take the audience to different parts of the story...

14Oct

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Choir of Man – Arts Theatre

Do you fancy a night down the local? Choir of Man takes the audience to their local pub, not one of those swanky, shiny wine-bars, but the sticky-floored boozer where you meet friends and put the world to rights over a pint. Only, in this pub, The Jungle, the patrons sing, dance, narrate, play music and are not afraid to talk about emotions and community and yes even cry. There's not so much a through-story as a series of snapshots as the different characters from the talented group of nine performers have their moment in the spotlight in between the superb ensemble numbers. Ben Norris acts as MC for the evening with his eloquent poetic monologues, pulling the whole together. There's an eclectic mixture of re-orchestrated songs from artists like Adele, Sia and Avicii. And...

13Oct

By Caroline JamesNo Comments

London

Life of Pi – Wyndham’s Theatre

Adapted from the book, Life of Pi is a beautiful piece of storytelling, full of vibrancy and wonder. Chirag Benedict Lobo led the cast as Pi on this performance. We meet him in a hospital where he is being questioned about the ship he was on and how it sank. The rotating stage and realistic floor projections allowed a seamless transition from the hospital to the open sea. A lifeboat appears as if from nowhere and the joy Chirag Benedict Lobo brings as he jumps into the stage floor, magically disappearing into the ocean, sent a flurry of delight through the audience. The sound, designed by Carolyn Downing, created the world at sea for us along with Tim Lutkin’s lighting design and Andrzej Goulding’s video design. In addition to the strong lead role, the ensemble moments really shone in t...

13Oct

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Fame Whore – King’s Head Theatre

‘Fame Whore’, written and directed by Tom Ratcliffe holds up a morality mirror (and light ring) to modern societies desperate desire for attention, relevance, and the ultimate goal, “followers”. It highlights the lengths that people will go to achieve fame, and the pitfalls for some once they achieve this, as well as the ever-evolving cancel (or call-out) culture that is growing within many online communities, that can leave some entirely ostracised from their friends and fans. Part one-man play, part cabaret and part social narrative, ‘Fame Whore’ introduces the world to Becky Biro (Gigi Zahir), a hard-working drag performer, with a modest social media following, but a wild desire to be the next Drag Factor contestant. Beck feels she “deserves” fame, and having been rejected from Drag ...

German Cornejo’s Tango After Dark – Peacock Theatre

12Oct

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

German Cornejo’s Tango After Dark – Peacock Theatre

Tango after dark lingers on the notes of passion from the first beat. Arriving in London after a world tour, it delivers, as promised, a show of technique and unbelievable craftsmanship. The performance expresses nostalgia and melancholy, dripping with sensual passion. Produced at Peacock Theatre by Sandra Castell Garcia with a limited run until 22nd October 2022. The brilliance of nimble, trained bodies that do not tire by the non-stop dancing have one transfixed by the agility, flawlessness and rhythm. The sustained and palpable chemistry all the dancers can create on stage transports us to Buenos Aires. From a marketplace where a chase ensues, breaking into an energetic group dance to a dimly lit bar where the slowness of each poised swish and matching notes takes one's breath away. ...

11Oct

By Akshay RahejaNo Comments

London

Ruckus – Southwark Playhouse

Written and performed by Jenna Fincken, Ruckus is a single-act, one-woman performance that narrates the aging of a toxic relationship. The play brings to life the experience of being with a coercive partner and interrogates the subjectivity of consent in a relationship. There are many parallels between ‘Ruckus’ and the iconic ‘A Doll’s House’ by Henrik Ibsen. Just as Torvald creates a Doll house for Nora Helmer, in Ruckus the protagonist moves in with her partner in a beachouse that she had always dreamt of. Just as A doll’s House contemplates the fracture of this house by Nora’s departure, Ruckus explores the fracture in the architecture of a house built on shallow foundations. The protagonist continues to pity and continues to live through the thicks of her relationship. But...

11Oct

By Akshay RahejaNo Comments

London

So You’ve Found Me – Lion & Unicorn

‘So You’ve found me’ did not start on the right note. When a guy comes on stage, it feels as if he is playing with pretence, not honesty, and that such energy is not sustainable. The narrative starts with a story about a Tinder date, and one felt that this experience is merely trying to be relatable and won't feature anything profound about our collective subjective human experience. Sam Moore, the playwright, and Moah Alfred Pantano, the director, proved this early assessment wrong in every possible way. Luis Donegan Brown is incredible in the show. Solo shows have a high risk of going wrong in a beat, so the performance, script, and tempo must work together to keep the audience engaged and all of the artists seemed to be sensitive and aware of this. ‘So You’ve…’ celebrates the life of...

11Oct

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

The Doctor – Duke of York’s Theatre

Almeida Theatre's production of Robert Icke's The Doctor has now transferred to the West End. The play begins as Professor Ruth Wolff, founding member and director of the Elizabeth Institute, which undertakes groundbreaking research into Alzheimer's, is caring for a young girl in the final hours of her life. A Roman Catholic priest demands to be allowed to perform final rites to the dying girl on the grounds that her parents are Catholics. The Doctor refuses, on the grounds that the girl's religious beliefs are unknown, and the presence of the priest would disrupt what would otherwise be a peaceful death. An altercation ensues, the consequences of which have profound consequences both for the Doctor and her institution. Around this simple event Icke has written a most fascinating, engag...