REVIEWS Archives - Page 11 of 629

27Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Truthmachine – C-Arts Studio

There is something inherently unsettling about agreeing to take a lie detector test, particularly when the results are going to be shared with a room full of strangers. Australian company Counterpilot has built Truthmachine around precisely that proposition, using real biometric sensors and live voting technology in a thirty-minute immersive experiment. This was a new C Venues space for me, above Victoria Street. Two flights up, we were ushered into a darkened room dominated by a long table, six seats on either side, each equipped with headphones, microphone and voting panel. At one end sat our questioner; at the other, an ominous chair surrounded by the equipment into which one of us would eventually be plugged. It is an impressive set-up: clinical, mysterious and tech...

27Aug

By Leanne RushtonNo Comments

North West

Burlesque the Musical – Regent Theatre

The Regent Theatre Stoke-on-Trent was welcomed to Burlesque in style. The 2010 film had been transformed into a stage show, which glistens in just the same way as its cinematic counterpart. When you entered the theatre, you were instantly met with three spotlit mirrors, transporting you into the vaudeville feel of Burlesque, with some modern twists. The cast slinked across the stage before the show began, creating an atmosphere like no other. The costumes were a sight to behold from the off, glittering under the lights. The iconic music from the film was incorporated into the show alongside some new songs written by the formidable Todrick Hall. You can tell his love for the material through how well all the music suits the piece. The new songs fit the vibe of the show very well. T...

Of Mice And Men – Drawing Room at Assembly Rooms

26Aug

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

Of Mice And Men – Drawing Room at Assembly Rooms

If like myself you were forced to read the book: Of Mice And Men in school you will already know what tragedy awaits you, but if you are new to the story beware. John Steinbeck’s famous novella takes to the stage this fringe as a 2-man, 1 act play and truly succeeds in capturing the essence of its lead characters Lennie and George. From the get-go we know exactly who these two characters are: George is the man in charge, aggressive and fed up with his life and Lennie is the simpler of the two, a very tall man whose strength is not in his mentally but his unintentional brute. Actors Nigel Miles-Thomas and Michael Roy Andrew successfully bring the opening chapter of the book to life, capturing the harsh yet somewhat loving relationship between these two men. Out of all of the given play t...

26Aug

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Fruit Flies – TheSpace on the Mile

Produced by Fast Snail Productions, Fruit Flies begins when Ollie’s best friend from home, Maddy, travels from Ayr to Edinburgh to stay at Ollie’s and see the Chappell Roan concert together. Problem is, Ollie’s flat mate Steph and Maddy on meeting despise each other. And to make matters worse, it turns out there are only two tickets for the concert, not three. Steph and Maddy have to fight it out and prove to Ollie that they deserve to be the chosen one. This seems like a simple enough premise, until you watch the show and are completely blindsided. It becomes completely surreal as we are taken into a liminal space full of clocks and gags. One person must be killed to sacrifice to the yassifying mirror. With a very loose plot and jokes we’ve hea...

Agathi – The Plight of the Refugee – temple at C-ARTS

26Aug

By Christina SchmidtNo Comments

Scotland

Agathi – The Plight of the Refugee – temple at C-ARTS

It’s Apsaras Dance Company’s first time in Edinburgh and this was their first performance of Agathi – The Plight of the Refugee. Coming all the way from Singapore to share this beautiful piece of dance theatre with Scottish and International audiences. Agathi intends to destigmatise the refugee experience and calls for empathy and understanding. Inspired by the book of poems by refugee children as well as specific lived experiences, the show explores displacement, various people’s stories and the dangers refugees often have to deal with. Some of the Voice-overs and monologues are in English and during the songs in Tamil, surtitles of the translations are screened to make it fully understandable. The traditional Indian Bharatanatyam dance is choreographed beautifully and although the...

26Aug

By Phil MeikleNo Comments

London

The Choir of Man – Richmond Theatre

From the moment you enter the auditorium, The Choir of Man transports you to the world's most joyous pub lock-in. For two glorious hours, the stench of real-world toxic masculinity and male bravado is replaced by the clinking of pint glasses and the warm embrace of an inclusive, fun-filled tavern where everyone is welcome and encouraged to open their hearts. Originally conceived by Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay to celebrate human connection, the show loudly and proudly places men's mental health centre stage, with the charity CALM serving as the show's current charity partner. Here, the only male threat you'll find is that posed by the triple threat of nine incredibly talented singers, musicians and dancers performing together for the sheer joy of the shared experience. From its inception ...

26Aug

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Nell Gwynn – Storyhouse in the Park

A Co production between Theatre by the Lake, Shakespeare North and Storyhouse, Nell Gwynn has arrived to finish off the summer season at Storyhouse in the Park this year in its final venue. Photo: Mark McNulty Nell Gwynn tells the story of an orange seller who meets theatre manager Thomas Killigrew (Adam Clifford) who is willing to take a chance on her and train her to become an actress, something which is very rare of the time. During her time as an actress, she becomes very famous and people come to see her, including the then king, King Charles 2nd. Gwynn and King Charles start an arrangement where he pays her to be around, gives her a place to live, a carriage, clothing and that arrangement eventually turns in to love where they shared two children. We are introduced to the pl...

26Aug

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

High Society – Leeds Grand Theatre

Well, Did You Evah hear a more peerless collection of classic showtunes as High Society? Fans of other musicals will no doubt quibble with that claim, but Cole Porter composed at least three timeless songs for this reworking of double Oscar winning, The Philadelphia Story, which was also a hit movie starring Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Ol’ Blue Eyes. This scrumptious production of High Society was hardly Shakespeare as spoilt New England socialite Tracy Lord was about to marry boring George, and her lovelorn ex-husband Dexter equally determined to get her back. Throw in a couple of undercover reporters, and a case of mistaken identity, and you had all the ingredients for a classic light hearted musical, but with wall to wall Porter masterpieces. One of the main criticisms o...

26Aug

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Belated – Etcetera Theatre

Celebrating a milestone birthday almost a year late might suggest poor organisation, but for Anna, it represents something far more purposeful: a refusal to let disappointment have the final word. In ‘Belated’, a postponed party becomes the stage upon which she takes stock of middle age, abandoned ambitions and the uncomfortable feeling that everybody else’s life has progressed more successfully than her own. Anna once worked as a professional dancer but now teaches Pilates to wealthy and famous clients. Approaching her 51st birthday, she is contending with the demands of motherhood, the aftermath of a painful separation and the lingering frustration of creative aspirations left unexplored. Rather than quietly accepting that those opportunities have passed, she transforms her long d...

2 Guys, 3 Drams: The Ultimate Live Blues and Whiskey Experience – The Space Triplex

26Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

2 Guys, 3 Drams: The Ultimate Live Blues and Whiskey Experience – The Space Triplex

Let’s talk about the elephant first, the one fairly fundamental problem with 2 Guys, 3 Drams: the room. Big at theSpaceTriplex feels rather like a gym hall, with its high vaulted roof, glaring light and rows of plastic chairs laid flat across the floor. Sightlines aren't great and intimacy is in short supply. This is a show crying out for a basement dive, everyone lounging around in near darkness with a glass in hand. Remarkably, Felipe Schrieberg and Paul Archibald make something very good out of something very bad. Together they are The Rhythm and Booze Project, Schrieberg on vocals and lap steel guitar and Archibald providing drums and percussion. The musicianship is excellent. Schrieberg's vocals may not be the strongest element, but blues hardly demands vocal purity. It...