London Archives - Page 80 of 110

I Know, I Know, I Know – Southwark Playhouse

10Apr

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

I Know, I Know, I Know – Southwark Playhouse

I Know, I Know, I Know, at the Southwark Playhouse was originally in place for The Vaults festival however with this year’s cancellation has moved. Starring Ethan Moorhouse, Hannah Khalique-Brown and Martha Watson Allpress, we are split between two locations: one where friends drive to a wedding discussing the success of the band they created and the other we watch a young woman writing the article, expressing her experience with this band member from the age of 16. The two scenes run side by side, weaving through each other as we grasp on what is truth and who could be lying. The tragedy of this piece is its relevance and the violence against the victims who come forward. It can take some attention to keep up with the pace of this piece, the rhythm is very tight and so harmonious with ...

10Apr

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Richard II – The Vaults

This inventive take on a Shakespearean classic finds itself in the grizzly, ambient Vaults. Quandry Collective presents a world in which a woman disguises herself as a man to hold onto the throne. The story follows Richard II’s demise starting from the moment he banishes Bolingbroke to his bitter end. The cast is all male with the exception of Coco Maertens who plays Richard. They convey a harsh, sterile environment full of dormant aggression and angst which often explodes into violence and you appreciate her precarious position as a woman. The set designed by Valentine Gigadet is cluttered with pieces of fence and other units amongst bric-a-brac that double up as percussive instruments used by the performers. This sets an ominous tone and with the pulsating electronic beats, they both ...

A Good Time Was Had by All – The Hope Theatre

9Apr

By Khushboo ShahNo Comments

London

A Good Time Was Had by All – The Hope Theatre

A black box theatre, dimly lit, with a lack-lustre dinner table placed at the centre, invites the audience to settle on chairs laid on nearly all four sides of the room. The suspenseful score foreshadows the action in the play and Liz (played by Bethany Monk-Lane) inconspicuously starts setting up the table, arranging it with precision and control. Her serious demeanour yet again foreshadows what is to unfold- stark, bizarre, and powerful. Written and directed by Sam Smithson, A Good Time Was Had by All poses important questions about exercising justice and blows the extent to which one can go to take a stand - “I acted when it mattered.” A dinner party hosted by Liz, who has recently returned from a war zone, for a bunch of university friends quickly turns into a surreal amalgamation o...

Bourgeois & Maurice: Pleasure Seekers – Soho Theatre

9Apr

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Bourgeois & Maurice: Pleasure Seekers – Soho Theatre

As people ponder eating their pets due to a cost of living crisis, and war crimes bleed from the airwaves, it was a cheering prospect to spend the night with Bourgeois & Maurice and their new show, ‘Pleasure Seekers’. The habitually dark and subversive cabaret assassins burst onto the stage with unhinged glee and in their opening song, promised to serve unbridled hedonism, positivity and joy to a world drowning in sadness. They didn’t disappoint, with lyrics that pledged taking ‘sixteen pills’ at a rave in Berlin and adopting hedonism as a ruling strategy. The Friday night, Soho crowd lapped up this ecstatic decree and clapped along with bawdy delight, but we were lulled into a party vibe that was about to curdle and veer into darker pastures. Essentially, the show is...

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...