London Archives - Page 99 of 107

Monday Night at the Apollo – Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue

25May

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

London

Monday Night at the Apollo – Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue

One positive that has come out of theatres being closed? Line ups like this evening that probably wouldn’t have happened had we not had lockdown and the closing of theatres. It’s about the only good thing I can think of – that and the streaming of shows, such as this one, that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to get to! This powerhouse quintet is enough to cheer anyone up after a miserable Monday and worth the ticket price alone. Billed as an intimate evening of conversation and song filled with an eclectic mix of music from the performers’ favourite genres, the night definitely did not disappoint. The first act felt like it got off to a slow start and that it was going to be an evening more about the talking than the singing, but after each performer had sung once and chatted with host G...

24May

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

CRUISE – Duchess Theatre

Having reviewed the online stream of CRUISE during the last lockdown back in April, I was super excited to see how this intimate piece would translate from the screen to the stage, and believe me it did not disappoint. CRUISE is a lyrical celebration of queer culture, a musical and spoken word tribute to the veterans of the AIDS crisis written and performed by Jack Holden. In every way it is a perfectly crafted piece of queer theatre and whilst the online version was deeply personal in its storytelling, the on the stage narrative hits you with full force square between the eyes. A brilliant, beautiful and yet gut wrenchingly brutal piece of theatre. Poetic. Artistic. Honest. One man’s memory of a horrific period in the gay culture of ‘80s London. CRUISE is the true story of what shou...

22May

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Harm – Bush Theatre

Harm is a one-woman show, written by Phoebe Eclair-Powell and produced by the Bush Theatre, which explores the fickle nature of human relationships in the backdrop of social media obsession and the ends to which one would go to attain the #blessed life. Commissioned with the support of the UK Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, the show is a thrilling and sharp-witted commentary on the effects of social media and isolation. It was staged live at the Holloway Theatre which serves as the Bush's main space with all social distancing protocols being followed — reduced seating, separate entry points, mask on policy unless exempt – which was reassuring. At the centre of Harm is an unhappy estate agent, played by Kelly Gough, who finds herself stuck in a dead-end job with little to look forwar...

22May

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

ABBA MANIA – Shaftesbury Theatre

“You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life…!” There really are no better lyrics to sum up Shaftesbury Theatre’s grand re-opening after what has been a challenging and lengthy journey out of lockdown. The night kicked off with an emotional welcome from the theatre's CEO, thanking the audience for returning to the West End, and showing honest appreciation to his team for sticking with him during the pandemic. You could sense from everyone a real gratitude that we were back, and the words “thank you for coming” repeated throughout the evening holding a true sincerity and purpose. It was impossible not to start the evening feeling emotional and it provided the perfect foundation for what proved to be a lively and exhilarating experience for all. However, that sai...

21May

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Herding Cats – Soho Theatre

As I was not able to make the live performance, this review was conducted virtually. Even though I was not in attendance at Soho Theatre, it was thrilling to hear the buzz of the audience as they found their seats, with a feeling that live theatre is once again possible. To enhance this experience, Soho Theatre have used new technology to deliver the first of its kind, a transatlantic theatre experience with two actors performing live on Soho Theatre’s stage, while a US based actor performs live in a studio in LA. To prepare us for this modern age experience, the staging has a backdrop of a large screen which will be used to beam actor Greg Germann (Saddo), virtually onto the stage. The play begins with Justine (Sophie Melville) unpacking her shopping, onto...

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Southwark Playhouse Stream

26Feb

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Southwark Playhouse Stream

After the exciting rise of new British musical theatre came to a dreary halt last March it feels immensely hopeful to finally catch a new offering, in the form of Ben Morales Frost and Richard Hough’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”, as our industry slowly comes back to life. Due to have had its premiere at the Southwark Playhouse (an innovative home for new musicals) earlier this year, the production now finds itself shifted online in the form of a three-week stream. Taking inspiration from J. W. Goethe’s 18th century poem, which went on to inspire Dukas’s orchestral piece, a section in Disney’s Fantasia and its subsequent 2010 live action adaptation, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” in its new musical form sheds most of these skins until it is mostly unrecognisable aside from its magical danci...

25Feb

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Typical – Soho Theatre On Demand

Having premiered at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2019 to sold out audiences, then transferring to Soho Theatre, ‘Typical’ has now taken on a hybrid digital form to begin an online season from the 24th February, on Soho Theatre’s On Demand platform. Created by Nouveau Riche and Soho Theatre and written by Ryan Calais Cameron whose previous work includes Rhapsody, Retrograde and Queens of Sheba co-written with Jessica Hagan; Typical is based on a true story and tells of the life of Christopher Alder played by Richard Blackwood. The play is set in the late 1990’s, and a selection of 90’s music, VHS tapes and Whigfield, help to transport us back to that era. Alder is in his mid-thirties, an ex-paratrooper, and a British Nigerian. We learn that he is divorced with two child...

Suitcase Under The Stairs – Greenwich Theatre

12Feb

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Suitcase Under The Stairs – Greenwich Theatre

In my time, I’ve seen more drag queens than I care to remember. From Danny La Rue at the Palladium to Naughty Nikki down the local pub. There is usually something to entertain, even if it’s the way home. However absorbed we are with the performance I would bet we never give a second thought to the artist under the slap, we just want to be entertained. In their play “Suitcase under the stairs” Lewis Pickles and Lauren Tranter take us quite literally behind the scenes and shows us the performer inside. Like drag queens, ventriloquists also create a second persona for themselves and put it in a suitcase after the performance. Sometimes though, the alter ego dominates Anthony Hopkins covered similar ground in the movie “Magic”. Here, the drag queen takes over the performer. In this pe...

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change – London Coliseum (Online)

29Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change – London Coliseum (Online)

Recorded during one of the toughest times for the theatre community, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is the perfect tonic we need in these tough times. Filmed on the stage at the London Coliseum and brought to us by Lambert Jackson Productions, the cast of four, Brenda Edwards, Alice Fearn, Simon Lipkin and Oliver Tompsett bring this hilarious and poignant show to our screen. It follows the highs and lows of first dates, loves, marriage, babies, in-laws and growing old together. Lipkin was brought in last minute due to the sad indisposition of Trevor Dion Nicholas. Lipkin has played the role before, rehearsed into the show for the afternoon and then immediately began filming. The show opens taking us through the beautiful interior of the theatre with eerie vocalisations and voice...

Welcome to the Café – The Theatre Channel

20Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Welcome to the Café – The Theatre Channel

At the beginning of October in 2020, The Theatre Café released the first episode of their new series, The Theatre Channel, presented by Adam Blanshay Productions. Rallying together some of the West End’s top performers, viewers are treated to fantastically produced musical numbers directed by Bill Deamer. Each episode has its own unique theme, and so fittingly, the first one introduces and welcomes us to the café itself. Opening with ‘Coffee (In a Cardboard Cup)’ from And the World Goes Round, featuring series regulars ‘The Café Four’ (Alyn Hawke, Emily Langham, Sadie-Jean Shirley and Alex Woodward), we instantly get a taste for the energetic, perfected and stagey songs we’re in for. Deamer also lends his tight, upbeat choreography to the series, and it’s evident in this fun first numbe...