London Archives - Page 77 of 107

Say Yes to Tess – Camden People’s Theatre

9Apr

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Say Yes to Tess – Camden People’s Theatre

When I arrived at the Camden People’s Theatre on Thursday night, despite having been there several times before, I walked straight past it. It has had a lovely post-pandemic spruce up and the space felt clean, calm and inviting. Then, my heart sank when I saw the promotional poster for the show. “Say Yes to Tess - A New Musical”. Now don’t get me wrong, fringe theatre is very much my bag, and the description I’d read of the piece had really appealed to me, but goodness me… a musical in an intimate setting is the stuff of my nightmares. I’m pleased to report, though, that I was very pleasantly surprised and had a genuinely uplifting and enjoyable evening. Say Yes to Tess is Tess Seddon’s autobiographical retelling of her experience standing as a candidate for the Yorkshire Party in the 2...

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy – Royal Court

8Apr

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy – Royal Court

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy by Ryan Calais Cameron is a powerful, overwhelming and utterly entrancing piece where a group of individuals recall to their past as a way to understand each other and eventually succumb to the help they need and deserve although never being able to ask for. My only warning from Twitter was to take tissues and I pass that on as the topics discussed here are so painfully important and unfortunately not discussed enough in our theatres today. This piece was a privilege to watch but I would also describe it as one of the most essential pieces I have ever watched in my life. The company started their journey with this piece at the New Diorama, which created such a stir and therefore was commissioned for Royal Court. They...

8Apr

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Dirty Corset – The Pleasance

Bang Average Theatre’s playful restoration comedy follows a troupe of actors, Mary Moralless, Isabinda Mclovealot and Neil Hasbeen and their drama both on and off the stage. From shifting dynamics between the three to bickering, grief, unrequited love and disease, there is mayhem throughout. We are transported to the grimy 17th century with crude snippets of the past, featuring an animated skincare routine and multiple dance sequences. I loved the minimalistic staging with undergarments hung on a clothing line around the room and the imaginative use of props for swift transitions. The script, written by the performers had fresh, witty dialogue that felt spontaneous as it bounced back and forth. Some of the first scenes were slightly confusing without context but they were then easy t...

8Apr

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Lava – Soho Theatre

A small asteroid hitting London is the context for James Fritz new play now showing at the Soho Theatre. Rather than causing global annihilation, it is a relatively local event although causing significant death and the large-scale displacement of populations. It throws together 4 characters whose relationships are the substance of the play. The central character is Vin played by Don Parr who appears to have been struck dumb by the grief caused by the event. His mother Vicky (Kasey Ainsworth) and friend and workmate Rach (Bethany Antonia) struggle to understand and maintain their relationships with him, especially when the more charismatic and certainly more voluble Jamie (Oli Higginson) arrives. The setting was simple on a bare stage with a large circular well in the middle...

8Apr

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

& Juliet – Shaftesbury Theatre

“What if Juliet didn’t kill herself?” is the premise of & Juliet, a fun, feminist retelling of Shakespeare’s famous love story. David West Read’s book reimagines what would happen when Shakespeare is persuaded by his wife Anne Hathaway to re-write the ending, bringing Juliet back to life for a whirlwind journey of self-discovery. With music and lyrics by Max Martin, Luke Sheppard’s production takes everything we know about Romeo and Juliet and gives it a glittery, pop-fuelled makeover that on paper sounds crazy but in reality, is quite the opposite. With Max Martin and his collaborator's extensive catalogue of songs, from Katy Perry to Ariana Grande, each number is carefully thought out, adding a new dimension as the plot moves along, which other jukebox musicals often struggle with...

7Apr

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Project Dictator – New Diorama

Project Dictator takes control at the New Diorama exploring totalitarianism through clowning and protest. It looks fairly simple but it’s far from, throwing curveballs at any second. Watch as two enthusiastic performers and their DJ explore the rise of political leaders through art but soon take it to a step too far where there is only one exit. Award winning company Rhum + Clay take us through a piece that is entrancing, allowing us to revolt against the piece itself but perhaps then question whether that was the right thing to do, or the right person to follow. Both performers begin very excited about what they’re about to share, the writer clutches tightly to their play like it’s their first born. The other who is playing ‘everything else’ questions the energy of the play, that maybe...

7Apr

By Donna M DayNo Comments

London

Telethon – Shoreditch Town Hall

Telethon, written and directed by Stu Barter and Clare Dunn, is a surreal dark comedy exploring the division in today’s society and how this is exacerbated by social media, as well as performative action and how people use this to make themselves feel better about situations in which they are otherwise helpless or unwilling to take action drastic enough to make a real difference. The show is presented as a live TV charity variety show, presented by veteran TV presenter, Jennifer (Katie Lovell), breakout children’s TV presenter, Erica (Clare Dunn) and successful YouTube vlogger, Chris (Archie Backhouse). All three are super enthusiastic about raising enough money to plant one million trees in the UK to fight climate change, but as Jennifer’s scandalous history starts to impact their effo...

7Apr

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Pass The Hat – Stone Nest

How many of you have researched your family tree only to come to a dead end because the trail goes cold? Do we secretly hope that we will comes across an ancestor with a colourful family history or a skeleton in the family cupboard? Oliver Bennett’s interest was peeked when he was seven or eight years old when his grandad would not disclose details about his great grandfather. Many years later as his grandad’s memory began to fade and Bennet’s hopes of finding further information disappeared with it, he decided to read a book that had been given to him years earlier which was the autobiography ‘Farewell Leicester Square’ written by his great grandad. It was the pandemic when Bennett had time on his hands as most actors did, and the book sparked an idea, to find out ...

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – New Wimbledon Theatre

6Apr

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – New Wimbledon Theatre

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has begun its tour and taken a stop at New Wimbledon Theatre. As with musical theatre fans, the energy in the audience is always high and excited so arriving into that really leaped me into the piece. This evening’s performance was led by the Jamie understudy, Adam Taylor who was fantastic with really beautiful vocals and a great confidence in the character. As well as this shining performance, Sharan Phull playing Pritti Pasha truly stole so many hearts in their emotion and passion. The story itself is famous for inspiring so many young people in their passion to be different during school and to see the journey for these kids is heart-warming and done so well. However, it was unfortunate that to no fault of the performers the speakers were faulty and...

6Apr

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

The Fever Syndrome – Hampstead Theatre

Alexis Zegerman’s new play takes the form of a sitcom with heightened drama, raising thought-provoking questions about science, morality and sociology. The Myers family are united to witness their father receiving his lifetime of achievement award for his contribution towards IVF treatment. Dr Richard Myers suffers from Parkinsons disease and as his children co-habit under one roof, along with his new wife, tensions ensue as they grapple for his inheritance and as wounds of the past are reopened. The play is packed full of different topics for speculation, but perhaps the most pertinent and most interesting is the difference between parenting and raising a child and the physical ability to create new life. The set designed by Lizzie Clachan is grandiose, the interior of a three-storey h...