London Archives - Page 99 of 110

25Jul

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

London

Kaleidoscope – Alexandra Palace

Going to a festival during a pandemic may seem a strange choice. But if life is to get back to ‘normal’ then attending an event outside is part of the journey – plus you have to show proof you’ve been double jabbed. The difference with Kaleidoscope is in the setting of Alexandra Park. The gently sloping grounds cradling the main stage (Hilltop) mean you can watch from afar taking in the views of London as an accompaniment to the main act on stage. The awesome sound system means you don’t have to be right up front to hear the action, you can dance on your picnic blanket to your heart’s delight. And if you don’t like the main stage, there’s the bandstand or the terrace or the fringe theatre offering alternative entertainment. Short of options you are not. And talking of options, the...

The Play That Goes Wrong – Duchess Theatre

24Jul

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

The Play That Goes Wrong – Duchess Theatre

The first time I’d heard about Mischief Theatre’s The Play That Goes Wrong was way back in 2015, when I was a part of my collegiate dramatics society and found the premise to be absolutely hilarious (and deeply relatable). It was only six months ago that I watched the show for the first time, managing to catch it just before the new year lockdown forced theatres to shut down once again in the UK. When I got the opportunity to watch the show again this week, this time as a press reviewer, I only had one question on my mind – I knew I was in for a hilarious evening, but would the creative team be able to replicate the same spontaneity and surprise that greeted me the first time around? These two elements are the cornerstone for physical comedy, and doing it night after night requires a delic...

The Show Must Go On! Live – The Palace Theatre

22Jul

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

London

The Show Must Go On! Live – The Palace Theatre

Who would have thought that a song released 30 years ago this year, would have been so relevant today, and even become the mantra/motto of theatres, shows and performers over the last 18 months?! The Theatre Support Fund was set up in March 2020 by Chris Marcus and Damien Stanton, as a direct response to the pandemic. They work alongside Acting For Others and The Fleabag Support Fund, to provide much needed funds and support to the Theatre community with their ‘The Show Must Go On campaign’. Following on from the success of the t-shirts, posters, notebooks sales (other items are also available); Marcus and Stanton put on a concert celebrating the West End’s fabulous talent and wonderful musical productions, when the restrictions were eased in June. If you missed out on tickets or forgot...

21Jul

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

Hairspray – London Coliseum

Re-opening at one of London’s biggest theatres, the Coliseum, the West End revival of multi-award-winning musical Hairspray, set in the 1960s, tells the story of young girl Tracy Turnblad who strives to challenge racial discrimination on her favourite TV show. Following theatre’s highly anticipated return to full capacity after over a year of struggles, from the opening number “Good Morning Baltimore” this talented cast truly delivered an exceptional fun-filled evening as if nothing had changed. Jerry Mitchell’s high-energy choreography, David Rockwell’s eye-catching set and William Ivey Long’s colourful costumes offered a warm welcome back to live performance that the industry truly deserved. By the end of the final number “You Can’t Stop The Beat” everyone was dancing and singing i...

16Jul

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Lava – Bush Theatre

Lava is more than just a play about race and identity – it is about a never-ending struggle to be acknowledged. Written by Benedict Lombe, the text was originally conceptualized in 2020 as part of the Bush Theatre's Protest Series, a digital artistic response to the murder of George Floyd. A little over a year later and after a historical conviction in the legal trial, a lot has changed for the global Black community but equally, a lot has not – case in point being the England football team’s black players being subjected to racist abuse and trolling just a few days ago in the aftermath of a Euro Cup loss. Lava is not only an urgent call to acknowledge this moment in time for the Black community but a frantic imploration to recognize the world’s complicity in the past and the present. A...

15Jul

By Eugene GriffinNo Comments

London

Pippin – Charing Cross Theatre

The Charing Cross Theatre was the perfect venue for this latest revival of Pippin. Written in 1972 with Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a Book by Roger O.Hirson. The piece itself is very interesting as it follows a mystery performance group who tell the story of Pippin who longs to find something to fulfil his life. This piece can be interpreted in different and interesting ways. Director Steven Dexter has placed Pippin in a 60’s, flower power environment, where you are immediately transported to somewhere in the middle of nowhere where the performance group are. As soon as you walk into the space you are engulfed by 60’s tapestries hanging all over the theatre walls. And incense burning which further transported the audience away from London in July to somewhere in America in ...

The Red Side of the Moon – St Paul’s Church

14Jul

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

The Red Side of the Moon – St Paul’s Church

The delightful garden of St Paul's Church (The Actors Church) is the location for this new musical written by Zoe Woodruff playing as part of Iris Theatre's summer festival. The story tells of an up-and-coming folk musician Beth (Elinor Peregrin) who, one night, plays in an unremarkable bar in unnamed provincial town where she comes across the barmaid Ellen (Kathryn Tindall) who writes songs but never performs them. Beth persuades Ellen to share some of her song book and then perform with her. This leads to a professional partnership, which in turn, develops into a personal relationship. But this is the early 2000's and gay relationships in the performing arts are frowned on and force a choice between their professional and personal lives. Kathryn Tindall wrot...

14Jul

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Final Farewell – Tara Theatre

Final Farewell is a multi-layered theatrical experience by Tara Theatre that explores grief, remembrance and mortality through six short audio stories. Each of the six stories puts us in the footsteps of those who succumbed to the pandemic, their lives remembered through the real-life memories and testimonies of those who knew them, which were then crafted by writer Sudha Bhuchar and dramatized by Tara’s creative ensemble. The audience is invited to listen to these stories and undertake an outdoor walk through the arches of Henry Prince Estate into the gardens of King George’s Park, walking past the Old Burial Ground in Garratt Lane and St. Anne’s Church. The audio walk is accompanied by an exhibition containing artefacts and items to commemorate each story, as well as a digital photo fram...

14Jul

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

The Invisible Hand – Kiln Theatre

Written by Ayad Akhtar and presented by The Kiln Theatre The Invisible Hand by Ayad Akhtar is a thrilling exploration of capitalism, Wall Street and geopolitics set in the backdrop of rural Pakistan. Directed by Artistic Director of the Kiln Theatre Indhu Rubasingham, this revival of Akhtar’s 2014 play is deliciously exciting and thought-provoking, combining the frenetic pace of the financial world with the growing disillusionment of Pakistan’s working class against interference by Western nations. The story centres around the unlawful detention of American banker Nick Bright (played by Daniel Lapaine) who is being held ransom by a local Imam (played by Tony Jayawardena) in a rural village in Pakistan. Supporting the Imam’s mission is the fiery Bashir (played by Scott Kar...

12Jul

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

The Comeback – Noel Coward Theatre

Is it a play? Is it a series of sketches? Is it stand-up comedy? The answer in the case of Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen's new play now resumed at the Noel Coward Theatre following the Covid interruption is…. Yes…. to all of them. The storyline which runs through the piece is of two aspiring comics, Ben and Alex, starting out as the warmup tour for an ageing well known duo, Sid and Jimmy, who are trying to re-establish their former glory in a production in the mythical town of Diddington. Both comic pairs are played by Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen who have established their name as comics on the BBC radio series The PIn. Their debut play demonstrates them as accomplished live performers. They set up an immediate rapport with the audience, many of whom appeared to b...