London Archives - Page 89 of 160

The Two Gentlemen of Verona (& Sonnet 104) – Barons Court Theatre

28Jun

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

The Two Gentlemen of Verona (& Sonnet 104) – Barons Court Theatre

A friend betraying another friend to get their objective, and going to the farthest distance to achieve success, turning slowly into villainy. A story of morality, from Shakespeare to our days. This version of Shakespeare's work, directed by Evan L. Barker, follows its sell-out previews, and has a slightly different cast in some of the supporting roles. This is an adaptation by Barker of the well-known piece, setting into a high-school context. The roles of the two gentlemen are played by Hugo Papiernik as Valentine, and Paul Surel as Proteus. The two ladies with whom they fall in love and then fight for are Tor Leijten as Julia, and Lavinia Grippa as Sylvia. Completing the cast are Harry Rosa as Lance, Izzi McCormack-John as Lucetta/Thurio, Alun Rees as Speed/Host, Gemskii as Duke/Anto...

28Jun

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Dear England – National Theatre

In 1996, Gareth Southgate stepped up to take the final kick in England's semi-final penalty shoot-out against Germany - and missed. That moment haunts Southgate, the team and the fans, exacerbating the "thirty years of hurt" and failure since England's World Cup win in 1966. James Graham's latest work explores the struggles of the England men's football team to turn failure to success, a metaphor for the plight of the country seen through the lens of football. Southgate, appointed manager of the England team in 2016, recognises that the team, while talented, are sabotaging their own efforts and brings in a psychologist to help them address their fears. One day, maybe, the nation would not be cowering behind the sofa in buttock-clenching terror every time an international match was de...

27Jun

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

Stumped – Hampstead Theatre

How would a game of cricket with two Nobel prizes of literature playing in one of the teams unravel? In Stumped, we get to see a hypothesis about it, with touches of surrealism all around. In this play, written by Shomit Dutta, and directed by Guy Unsworth, the audience finds Samuel Beckett, played by Stephen Tompkinson, and Harold Pinter, played by Andrew Lancel, in a game of cricket and its aftermath, trying to get back home. The slightly outrageous situations that come up, including a ball in the head, and the fear to wait or be alone, make this play an interesting take on a non-naturalistic style of theatre. The stage, beautifully designed by David Woodhead, is like painting. This leads one to think that what we'll see will be a creation, no matter what. The walls on the stage ar...

25Jun

By Ely KingNo Comments

London

Mrs. Doubtfire – Shaftesbury Theatre

If there was a musical equivalent of marmite, Mrs. Doubtfire is exactly that. Some audience members were crying with laughter, whilst others were shrinking in their seat with sheer discomfort. Mrs. Doubtfire, originated by Robin Williams, is an old family favourite film, telling the tale of how a divorce leads to immature Daniel Hillard dressing as a woman to deceive his ex-wife in order to see his kids. This is all done under the guise of him doing whatever it takes to see his children, but brushes off the manipulative, inappropriateness of his controlling actions. From the pre-show announcement, the distasteful tone was set, with a voice-over of Daniel (Gabriel Vick) flitting between impersonations to tell the audience to turn off their phones, with jabs at Prince Harry and Megh...

Robin Hood: The Legend Re-Written – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

25Jun

By Zara OdetundeNo Comments

London

Robin Hood: The Legend Re-Written – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

This show opened as part of the summer season at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre. It’s lovely venue that perfectly houses a story about a hero that gallivants through the forest. Which is why a retelling of the legendary tale of Robin Hood is the perfect tale for this summer season. This play takes a new twist on the classic story, as we delve into whether the outlaws can defeat the sheriff. Robin Hood is a folktale of the underdog challenging the system, where he takes from the rich and gives to the poor. This new take written by Carl Grose challenges everything we know about the tale. But still pays homage to the various forms the original tale has taken in different ways throughout the play. We have different iterations of Robin Hood eager to save the day, but they only exist to be vi...

Tambo & Bones – Theatre Royal Stratford East

24Jun

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

Tambo & Bones – Theatre Royal Stratford East

Theatre is always toying with the ideas of what is real and what is not. Even plays where that is not a theme expect from the audience certain agreement on the temporary reality of the fiction that will be seen. In Tambo & Bones, this is taken to a whole new level. This remarkable piece co-produced by Stratford East and Actors Touring Company, written by Dave Harris and directed by Matthew Xia presents us with the characters of Tambo, played by Rhashan Stone, and Bones, by Daniel Ward. These two characters appear in the first and second acts of the play, and then are replaced by Stone and Ward playing as what seems to be a version of themselves 400 years into the future. The story starts with Tambo and Jones playing two funny characters with simple props that are acknowledged by ...

23Jun

By Jennifer LaishleyNo Comments

London

Scouts! The Musical – The Other Palace

Scouts! The Musical is an exciting new musical filled with fun, adventure, and heart warming inspiring songs. This new show has all the elements of a successful show bringing together a talented cast, show stopping tunes and a great story. Written and directed by Sam Cochrane with songs by David Fallon, Scouts! the musical tells the story of the competition at The Scout Games. Created in partnership with The Scouts, this family friendly show, is filled with nostalgia, adventure and lots of audience interaction as a few members of the audience are picked out to play instruments or be part of the scouts competition. The audience interaction is natural and adds to the comedic effect of the show. The whole cast impressively play multiple instruments throughout the show, sometimes seamles...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – New Wimbledon Theatre

23Jun

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – New Wimbledon Theatre

Roald Dahl’s iconic tale of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is back once more, this time in a magical musical stage adaptation. This beloved story is of Willy Wonka, the man who is famous for making something out of nothing, who invites five lucky children for a once in a lifetime opportunity to enter his famous chocolate factory by winning a golden ticket hidden inside his chocolate bars. The five children are Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, Mike Teevee and remarkably, Charlie Bucket. As the audience arrives, they are met with an intricate set that is later revealed to be a junkyard full of treasures, arches either side of the stage in the wings create a whimsical feel. The show opens with a female Charlie Bucket (Amelia Minto) in a sweet solo ‘Almost Nearly Perfe...

Fastlove: A tribute to George Michael – Adelphi Theatre

21Jun

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

London

Fastlove: A tribute to George Michael – Adelphi Theatre

With all the current talk about George Michael (it would’ve been his 60th birthday on June 25th and July 9th is the 40th anniversary of Wham’s debut album) I decided to hotfoot it to the West End for some music therapy. I’ll admit now, I’m not a massive George Michael or Wham fan, but I am fed up with the constant gloom and doom so I was in the mood for a pick-me-up. Fastlove ticks this on every box. And what did surprise me was how many of the songs I knew all of the words to! From the outset Michael Joseph (the tribute act to George Michael) sets the audience expectations. He proclaims: ‘There will only ever be one George Michael, we are just here to honour the music.’ It’s an honour they do well. The hits come thick and fast and every song you’d want to hear is played. Michael ...

17Jun

By Jennifer LaishleyNo Comments

London

The Crucible – Gielgud Theatre

The National Theatre’s version of The Crucible is a play that is not to be missed. Both new audiences and fans of the original Arthur Miller play will enjoy. This talented cast use every moment to create drama and suspense and keep the audience entertained. The Crucible has recently transferred to the Gielgud Theatre after a successful run at the National Theatre last year. The show uses Arthur Miller’s original script under the direction of Lyndsey Turner. The story follows the town of Salem as they start to accuse the women of witchcraft. Singing is used throughout the play to add dramatic suspense. At the beginning this takes the form of haunting humming and by the end of the show this transforms into a haunted chorus of singing, showing that the girls have taken control. Photo...