London Archives - Page 68 of 111

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 ...

26Sep

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

SUS – Park Theatre

Writer Barrie Keeffe’s social and political drama examines unemployment, institutional racism in the Police and the use of SUS law (suspect under suspicion) which was incorporated into the 1824 Vagrancy Act. This stop and search section of the act was used extensively, particularly targeting people of colour and it allowed the Police to make the lives of their victims extremely uncomfortable. SUS is set on the eve of the 1979 election victory by Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives, which ousted James Callaghan’s Labour from office. The two policemen on duty, Karn (Alexander Neal) and Wilby (Fergal Coghlan) both support the conservative cause, largely due to Thatcher’s support of more stringent laws to support the police in their duties. Thatcher’s speech ‘Where there ...

24Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

A Night at the Kabuki – Sadlers Wells

The description of Hideki Noda’s ‘A Night at the Kabuki’ sets the tone for the production itself. The classic tale of Romeo and Juliet, taking place at the dawn of the Samurai in late 12th Century Japan, set to the music from Queen’s A Night at the Opera. It’s chaotic, colourful and exciting – a bizarre clashing of cultures which shouldn’t work on paper but culminates in a thrilling and utterly enthralling sensory overload of an evening. Of course, it isn’t quite that simple – no giving the game away here but the audience is invited to join older and wiser star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet as they journey back to their younger selves to see if they can rewrite their own tragic love story. The production is performed with subtitles, but dialogue is used sparingly, instead favouring en...

The Wonderful World of Dissocia – Stratford East

24Sep

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

The Wonderful World of Dissocia – Stratford East

Anthony Nielson’s dizzyingly timeless play is given a spectacular revival. The story follows a young woman, Lisa who receives a visit from a peculiar watchmaker explaining why her wristwatch is broken. He sends her on wild goose chase to the land of Dissocia where she seeks to restore her life’s balance. She meets a plethora of colourful characters bound by a strange collective consciousness. Think of Alice in Wonderland with more wit and luridness. Neilson’s play explores dissociative disorder from the perspective of the sufferer, whilst also showing the absurdity within our social world. The set designed by Grace Smart along with Alexandra Faye-Braithwaite’s sound design combine to create the surreal feeling of a children’s TV show with brightly coloured, 2D cardboard cut outs of scen...

20Sep

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

The Snail House – Hampstead Theatre

A new play written and directed by Richard Eyre is something to look forward to. Neil Marriot an eminent paediatrician and recent scientific adviser to the government during the pandemic, think Chris Whitty or Patrick Valance, is preparing to celebrate both his birthday and his elevation to a knighthood. Unfortunately, the meticulously planned celebrations are marred by the internecine warfare between the members of his dysfunctional family and the revelation of a historic medical misjudgement with appalling consequences. There are topical themes aplenty in this piece: management of the pandemic, enduring class divisions, the incompetence of contemporary politicians, Brexit, race, the inequalities of private and public education, north/ south divisions and even referen...

Queenz: The Show With Balls – The Clapham Grand

17Sep

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Queenz: The Show With Balls – The Clapham Grand

Following a very successful run at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, ‘Queenz: The Show With Balls’ has strutted into London at the Clapham Grand before heading out on a UK Tour. Advertised as a trailblazing, life affirming drag extravaganza, the production features a cast of five phenomenally gifted, and sequin-clad divas who make up the ultimate ‘drag queen super girl group’. The five are fierce, and they clearly mean business, performing a jam-packed list of hits and the full spectrum of pop classics from across the decades, including The Spice Girls, Lady Gaga, Little Mix, Marilyn Monroe, Beyonce, and Shakira, as well as their own original remixes of show tunes and diva anthems arranged by Alex Turney (Musical Supervisor & Arrangements). The show offers up drag on a big scal...

16Sep

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

The P Word – Bush Theatre

Waleed Akhtar’s new play is sharp as it combines the warmth of friendship with the brutal reality of life as a refugee in the UK. The story follows two gay Pakistani men as we watch their lives unfold in London. Zafar is seeking asylum, fleeing from the danger he would face as a gay man in Pakistan. He attends counselling sessions and lives in a constant state of unrest as he waits to hear about his application. Bilal, who goes by the name Billy, has been brought up in London and as he enters the stage, we are given the lowdown on his Grindr status. The pacing is gentle and gradual as the parallels between their lives are established, assisted by Max Johns’ minimalistic stage design; it is a rotating circle platform split in two. Each character sticks to his own side of the circle, whic...

Antigone – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

15Sep

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

Antigone – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre concludes its 90th season with playwright Inua Ellams' fiercely modern adaptation of Sophocles' Ancient Greek tragedy. This fresh version of Antigone explores family, faith, politics and power in 21st century Britain. Jointly directed by Max Webster and Jo Tyabji, the titular character (played by Zainab Hasan) is a British Muslim woman whose family faces a tragedy which tears them apart. Living in a politically divided world where her faith and identity are constantly scrutinised, Antigone rises up and decides to take matters into her own hands. Ellams draws on numerous real-life parallels in his adaptation, from xenophobia, political tensions and questions of religion, the famous heroine re-imagined as a determined young woman who runs a youth cent...

14Sep

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

Heathers The Musical – The Other Palace

The wickedly funny, energetic and chaotic Heathers is back in the West End and for its second run at The Other Palace Theatre. Produced by Paul Taylor-Mills and Bill Kenwright, Heathers The Musical made its record-breaking box office debut in 2018 for a limited season. Re-opening in 2021, the show kickstarted the post-pandemic theatre recovery period. A high-school classic, Heathers stars Veronica Sawyer (Erin Caldwell), a girl simply trying to fit-in at high school and make it through to graduation. She joins the infamous Heathers, the school’s lead clique who are beautiful but impossibly cruel. When new rebel, Jason Dean/JD (Nathanael Landskroner) joins Westerberg High, Veronica find herself in a toxic whirlwind romance resulting in lies, deceit and much worse... The show begins wi...