London Archives - Page 91 of 150

6Mar

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

My Dead – Barons Court Theatre

From growing up in Washington state, to her flat in South Ealing, Carolyn Hartvigsen has traversed the continents but the story she tells is of her ancestors, and the distance between her and them. Walking onto the stage in wonder, Hartvigsen reels us in, with heightened intimacy in the old pub basement space of the theatre. She whips out a small tree, with photos of her family members attached to the leaves with herself as the tree trunk. She shares a carefully and truthfully woven patchwork of her personal life, her ancestors’ stories, and her reactions to them and how they help her reflect on her circumstances. With an unerring fear of death, she seeks understanding from her dead family, and how they lived. As she discovers that one of her great grandfathers was polygamous and...

6Mar

By Marita MatarNo Comments

London

Rat King – Vault Festival

For about an hour or so, I was shaken by a journey of strong feelings being part of an immersed setting depicting an encounter one could relate to from different perspectives. Rat Kingwritten by Bram Davidovich, directed by Mark Hilton and played by Georgina Tack (Kelly) and Jacob Wayne-O’Neill (Jacko) presents the story of a girl, Kelly, clearly from better-off family who meet Jacko -which sounds as ghetto- a man ingrained in his condition of homelessness as she was running away from home. They soon start developing a bond that goes into an uncommon story notably in uncomforting ways; the girl’s persistence to ‘fix’ Jacko and drag him into arts as well as Jacko’s obsession with her. I was amazed by the actor’s performance and the staging of the piece. Choosing to set the audience...

3Mar

By Marita MatarNo Comments

London

Barely Visible – Jacksons Lane

"How can you know you're a lesbian if you've never been with a woman?" was one of the interesting thoughts made by an audience member concerning the subjects addressed by Rowena Gander, who had us spellbound with her outstanding performance. Barely Visible is a solo performance choreographed and performed by Rowena Gander, directed by Elinor Randle, and backed by a creative team that worked with digital tills and lighting to generate the ambiance. The performance addressed lesbian identity; one that is questioned, banalized, sexualized, objectified, and fetishized. “I always wanted references to relate to” was Rowena’s answer to Elinor’s question “Why did you put on this show?”. Barely Visible problematizes people’s perception of lesbianism that stems from misogynistic and patriar...

An Absolute Farce of a Murder Mystery – Drayton Arms Theatre

3Mar

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

An Absolute Farce of a Murder Mystery – Drayton Arms Theatre

Seeing a play taking on a very well-known genre and trying to reference it, turning it into something different, is an entertaining and educational experience, though things can turn out less interesting than expected, if the intentions are better than the implementation. This show, written by Peter Rae, and directed by Helen Bang, both doubling as actors, is an attempt at making fun of the genre of the Murder Mystery trope. While the intentions are clear from the beginning, the actual running of the show is a hot mess of overly saturated references and misplaced punchlines. The show starts with "Manning – The Butler", portrayed by Christian Ballantyne, who is cleaning some props on stage, and makes the first attempt at getting the audience to laugh, when spitting a candleholder whil...

How To Break Out of a Detention Centre – Riverside Studios

2Mar

By Marita MatarNo Comments

London

How To Break Out of a Detention Centre – Riverside Studios

“I was born in a strange century where people are taken to jail because they were born with a heart that beats for honesty and justice” – Nawal el Saadawi (Memoirs from the Women’s Prisons, 1984). It is with deep solidarity that the production paid tribute to women in detention centres in the UK, and it is with tremendous honesty that art consolidated with social causes brings justice to women in detention, choosing to sensibilise the public’s eye rather than choosing to stay silent. Allowing visibility for women suffering because of multiple systems of oppressions for a staged production is an empathetic choice by nature. How To Break Out of a Detention Center? A compelling world premiere of a female migrant led international co-production from BÉZNĂ Theatre and Romanian theatre compan...

2Mar

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

Oklahoma! – Wyndham’s Theatre

A hit for over 75 years, the Tony Award-winning musical ‘Oklahoma!’ returns to London, bringing its charm, humour and heart with it. The classic tale of who will win the girl is transformed into a contemporary and deep portrayal of modern lust, with exotic artistic choices and set design utilised to revive this show. As the audience take their seats, they are met with bright blinding lights which remain almost constant, focusing the audience’s attention and indicating what’s to come. In addition to the sunlit stage, the set is panelled with a pine wood aesthetic, creating a modern barn feel, with shotguns displayed proudly on the walls. The set is kept minimal, with one long wooden dining table and several wooden chairs. The show begins abruptly, as no curtain is used. The audi...

1Mar

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

BriTANick – Soho Theatre

They tell you to laugh and you laugh. They tell you how much to laugh, and you listen. But when you try to stop laughing, that seems impossible. Welcome to BriTANick. The comedy duo of Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney, under the direction of Alex Edelman and produced by Zach Zucker and Allegra Rosenberg, brings a thrilling series of short comedy sketches with a non-stopping rhythm and precision that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Starting with a very short slapstick sketch of an annoying spirit that decides to haunt an innocent reader, the audience will be quickly introduced into this clockwork machinery were the two actors play a version of themselves playing characters through eight sketches and some intermezzos. The deceptively simple mechanism of addressing the audience a...

27Feb

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

In PurSUEt – Vault Festival

At first glance, In PurSUEt - Eleanor Higgins’ one-woman show, is about a superfan and their obsession with Bake Off star Sue Perkins, yet, as the story unfolds, it is far darker and more tragic than you’d imagine. We follow an unnamed woman during a therapy session as she recounts her journey and love for Sue Perkins, from sneaking into backstage areas to drunkenly crashing a charity event for dogs. As her story progresses, it quickly becomes clear that the show goes beyond obsession and is a powerful tragicomedy which delves deep into mental health issues and addiction. Higgins artfully commands the stage as we see the ups and downs of her character, from self-assured and charismatic as she recounts her drunken nights out to lonely and self-destructive as her reliance on alcoho...

26Feb

By Jennifer LaishleyNo Comments

London

The Wedding Speech – Vault Festival

The Wedding Speech is a one-woman show all about a toxic mother-daughter relationship. Rose has been asked to do a speech at her mother’s wedding. But Rose is hiding in the toilets as she would prefer to tell the audience the truth about how her mother mistreats her. This is a story about co-dependency and different ways two people deal with trauma. The show reaches a huge climax when Rose finally gives her speech. Cheryl May Coward-Walker’s play deals with the toxic parental relationship issue in a setting that has a lot of room for comedic moments. There are serious heart-warming messages to take away, as Rose tells the audience her experiences and tries to comfort herself. But the stream of consciousness causes some pacing issues. There are a lot of key moments off-stage. This takes ...

The Walworth Farce – Southwark Playhouse Elephant

26Feb

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

The Walworth Farce – Southwark Playhouse Elephant

Southwark Playhouse have chosen the Walworth Farce by Enda Walsh as their opening production in their splendid new location at the Elephant. Apart from the location being appropriate it was not a good choice. This is an extraordinary play based on the scenario of a father and two sons exiled from Ireland who barricade themselves in a squalid flat in the Elephant and Castle district who cut themselves off from the outside world almost completely. They spend their time under the direction of the father, Dinny, in ever more extraordinary and surreal ways their recollection or imagined recollection of their final days in Cork. Only one of the sons, Sean, is allowed to leave the flat to obtain basic provisions. One day he returns home with the wrong shopping bag.&...