REVIEWS Archives - Page 27 of 563

8Nov

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Arlington – Traverse Theatre

The most visually remarkable production to grace the Traverse Stage in years, Arlington. This new Shotput production of Enda Walsh’s dystopian fable is a feast for the eyes, ears, and the darker corners of your brain. It is strange, unsettling, sometimes hilarious, and very occasionally infuriating, but it is never dull. The set earns its own applause. Designer Anna Yates places Isla, our imprisoned heroine, on a raised metal platform, roughly level with the third or fourth row of Traverse 1, surrounded by the cold glow of surveillance screens. Behind her, a full wall of projection blooms with shifting images, ghostly fragments, data streams, and hints of an outside world, or what might once have been. The stage picture is technically dazzling, a precise marriage of lighting, sound...

Sung Im Her: 1 Degree Celsius – Southbank Centre

8Nov

By Klervi GavetNo Comments

London

Sung Im Her: 1 Degree Celsius – Southbank Centre

An empty stage. Neutral lighting. A square mat. Suddenly, a woman (Sung Im Her, the choreographer and company director) finds her way onto it and begins to move — in silence, cautiously at first, then with growing boldness. Nothing tells you the show has started. No lights dimming, no cue. Like life itself, it just begins — without asking for permission. As she leaves the stage, six performers arrive. They are the constant of the piece, the small society around which everything revolves. Their presence shapes the next fifty minutes: movement as language, relationships as rhythm. There’s something intriguing in watching them evolve, not through character but through tension, proximity, imitation. The soundscape by Husk Husk and Lucy Duncan is kept to a disconcerting minimum — alternat...

8Nov

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

The Red Rogue of Bala – Theatr Clwyd

1913, with a war looming, we are transported to a dark, dingy pub where we are treated to stories of mischief and misdemeanours from scoundrel and rogue, John Jones. But all is not as it first seems. Written by Chris Ashworth-Bennion and directed by Dan Jones, we are taken on a journey of deceit, lies, “magic” and unusual friendships. As we enter the Theatr Weston we are invited into the local pub, where the audience can buy a drink at the on-stage bar, sit in the pub and mix with the locals (cast) and join in with card games and conversations. We immediately feel involved as we are taken directly into this world and you become a part of it. With jolly music and frivolity, all is good and light, that is until the change in music and lighting and John Jones, otherwise known as Coch Bach ...

Romeo a Juliet – Sam Wanamaker’s Playhouse

8Nov

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Romeo a Juliet – Sam Wanamaker’s Playhouse

The tale of Romeo and Juliet, the young lovers Shakespeare ensnared in a tragedy across a familial divide, is a play that has been performed countless times, in many forms, some more successful than others. Never before though it been presented as a bilingual production, the original Shakespearean English interwoven with the acclaimed Welsh translation by J T Jones. It's bold and innovative - in the wrong hands this could be seen just as a gimmick, but director Steffan Donnelly's adaptation is a vehicle to enhance the conflict between the families, the misunderstandings and miscommunications that inevitably lead to tragedy, the reason for the enmity between the Montagues and Capulets long forgotten. The fluidity and flow of the text is retained, the characters' intentions portr...

7Nov

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

North West

Bad Lads – Unity Theatre

Created from a story by Jimmy Coffey and the testimonies of other men held in the Medomsley Youth Detention Centre during the 1980s, Bad Lads is a powerful, devastating and vitally important play which exposes the systemic abuse suffered by these men throughout their sentences. We follow Jackie Jones, a fictional character whose story is inspired by these testimonies, including Coffey’s own, as he serves his 3-month sentence. Jackie is portrayed by 3 actors: Danny Raynor as Older Jackie, Robin Paley Yorke as Younger Jackie, and Craig Painting as Signing Jackie. This was an effective decision, as conversations between Older and Younger Jackie not only rounded out the character, but also demonstrated just how severe and long-lasting the impact of Jackie’s terrible abuse was. Older Jackie,...

The Great British Bake Off Musical – The Grange Theatre, Hartford

7Nov

By Dan GrimesNo Comments

North West

The Great British Bake Off Musical – The Grange Theatre, Hartford

The timing could not have been more perfect for this opening night performance by the immensely talented company of Salt & Pepper Productions. Less than 24 hours after the denouement of series 16 of the iconic baking contest, we were treated to this tasty morsel — a delightful love letter to the TV institution that is Bake Off. The show follows an entire series in the tent, charting the trials, tribulations, treachery, and triumphs of eight hopeful bakers. The characters are all instantly recognisable from series past, celebrating the rich tapestry of British idiosyncrasies: Izzy, an overachiever with cut-throat ambition (Laura Johnson); Dezza, a vegan hipster (Matt Austin); Russell, a delightfully flamboyant and outrageously camp old luvvie (Stuart Dutton); Babs, a brassy granny en...

La Fille mal gardée – The Royal Ballet and Opera House

7Nov

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

London

La Fille mal gardée – The Royal Ballet and Opera House

Based on a 1789 French ballet originally created by Jean Dauberval, Frederick Ashton’s final full-length ballet for The Royal Ballet premiered in 1960, with this the 377th performance by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House. Inspired by his love for the Suffolk countryside, the piece is set on a farm and tells the story of the burgeoning love between Lise (Francesca Hayward), the daughter of Widow Simon (James Hay), and Colas (Marcelino Sambé), a local farmer. But Widow Simone has far more ambitious plans for her only daughter and is determined that she marry Alain (Joshua Junker), the half-witted son of a wealthy landowner (Christopher Saunders). The only question is, will love win the day? The ballet displays some of Ashton’s most virtuoso choreography, that stretches the wor...

Blackadder the Third – The Little Theatre, Birkenhead

6Nov

By Gill LewisNo Comments

North West

Blackadder the Third – The Little Theatre, Birkenhead

A thoroughly entertaining production, providing plenty of belly laughs. A lovely homage to a popular cult comedy classic. The Carlton Players take on one of the most iconic British sitcoms, Blackadder the Third. Written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, the scripts provide an absolute feast of sharp wit, blistering sarcasm, and fast-paced satire that would keep even the most seasoned actors on their toes. So, full kudos to this company for tackling such a challenge with evident enthusiasm and affection. Director Mike Sanders successfully pulls together a performance that captures the heart and soul of Blackadder. The decision to stage three of the series’ most memorable episodes — Ink and Incapability, Nob and Nobility, and Amy and Amiability — makes for a cleverly structured even...

Here & Now: The Steps Musical – New Wimbledon Theatre

6Nov

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Here & Now: The Steps Musical – New Wimbledon Theatre

Here & Now is a brand-new jukebox musical packed with some of the biggest and most nostalgic hits made famous by Steps. Rather than retelling the pop group’s story, the show cleverly builds an original narrative around the music, focusing on the everyday lives of a group of shop workers at a bargain discount store called Better Best Bargains. It’s an unexpectedly relatable setting from fluorescent lighting to discount bins and it quickly becomes the foundation for a funny, heartfelt story about the friendships and found families we form at work. The plot follows several employees as they navigate their dreams, romantic anxieties and personal ambitions. Through witty dialogue and musical numbers, we watch them confide in each other about everything from love and heartbreak to c...

The Problem with the Seventh Year – White Bear Theatre

6Nov

By Charles PipeNo Comments

London

The Problem with the Seventh Year – White Bear Theatre

In this one-man show, James McGrgory plays a mediocre medical student who is also a mediocre amateur boxer. He realises that his middling skills in both fields can be combined to make him an excellent cutman: the person responsible for patching a boxer’s wounds between rounds. (Even if you don’t know much about boxing, the play explains the sport just enough that you’ll be able to keep up.) Like a Scorsese movie, the plot meanders through various events in this character’s career as he interacts with shady characters, gets into scrapes, and scrabbles to make a decent life for himself. McGregor’s performance is enjoyably intense. The character has a certain charm and sweetness, and it’s endearing to hear him gush lovingly about boxing, but there is an unsettling aggression and anger ...