REVIEWS Archives - Page 351 of 549

Mozart’s Requiem – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

19Feb

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

Mozart’s Requiem – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

Transporting the audience back to 18th Century Vienna, Mozart's Requiem does not disappoint. The orchestra, conducted by Award-winning German conductor Corinna Niemeyer, was complemented by appearances from Victoria Randem (soprano), Eléonore Pancrazi (mezzo-soprano), Stuart Jackson (tenor) and Benjamin Appl (baritone). The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir were in full, lively voice. Opening with Haydn's Symphony No.49, La Passione, the concert began as it meant to go on. Niemeyer animatedly gesticulated at the front to lead the orchestra through the allegro piece, paying particular attention to the contrasts between loud and quiet, light and dark. Haydn's work is written in the 'storm and urge' style with a somewhat unusual structure for the time. All four movements are in F minor...

19Feb

By Zara OdetundeNo Comments

London

Text & Delete – King’s Head Theatre

We’ve all had a flatmate we’ve hated right? Two women who are each other’s complete opposites attempt to coexist in a flat share, and after deeply hidden secret is revealed, we explore the continuum from enemies to budding friends. A fantastic new show, from In Her Element theatre production bringing together drama and comedy for a one act production full of laughs and unexpected comfort. The staging of this show at the King’s Head Theatre was well done, the small space was made to look like a living/dining room through furniture and through characters being off stage when they were in bedrooms or the kitchen. This made the production feel so intimate, like we were spectators sitting inside their living room. Both actresses multi role in this show and they do it fantastically. ...

19Feb

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Medea – Soho Place

Soho Place’s second classic, since recently opening as the newest West End theatre, is ‘Medea’ played by Sophie Okonedo and directed by Dominic Cooke. This tale is renowned, presenting to the world a woman consumed with revenge. Opposite her is Ben Daniels, taking on all male parts swiftly moving between characters like putting on fresh new skin. The space being in the round completed this picture of judgement circling Medea as she mourns the life she left behind, killing her own brother and defying her city to live a life with Jason. Upon arrival, Jason moves on to Creon’s daughter with the desire of power and wealth, leaving Medea and their two children. As the tragedy begins, Medea wails beneath the stage as her nurse seeks our guidance. Placed within the audience, the Women of Corin...

19Feb

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

The Masks of Aphra Behn – The Space

Seeing passionate performances is always a beautiful experience, and performers who love their work are always an enjoyable company. Even more so if they are former spies. The Masks of Aphra Behn, written and performed by Claire Louise Amias and directed by Pradeep Jey, is being brought back to The Space in the context of a fundraiser to build a statue in Canterbury commemorating Aphra Behn. This interesting piece is a well told story about the adventures of the historic figure as a spy. The play begins with one mask, the only physical mask we will see during the performance. The other metaphorical masks will come in and out in a succession of interesting intrigues and political affairs. The actor and writer Clare Louise Amias strongly connects from the very beginning with the audien...

18Feb

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Phaedra – The National Theatre

Simon Stone’s take on this Greek Tragedy finds itself in a domestic setting, ostensibly a quintessentially British family sitcom. It feels familiar, from the witty, jesting Dad (Paul Chahidi), to the moody teenage son (Archie Barnes), the uptight, activist daughter (Mackenzie Davis) and the quirky son-in-law (John MacMillan). But in spite of the sharp back-and-forths and intellectual masturbation, the mother, Helen’s cool, detached demeanour belies an unsettling tension. The family eagerly await their guest, Sofiane (Assaad Bouab), the son of Helen’s dead Moroccan lover Ashraf. His arrival creates a seismic wave over the family, as he seems to exude a profound peace, intrigue and wisdom. When it becomes clear that Helen and Sofiane hold different versions of Ashraf’s death, Sofiane rages b...

The Wizard of Oz – St Helens Theatre Royal

18Feb

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

The Wizard of Oz – St Helens Theatre Royal

It’s Pantomime season again in St Helens with this half term’s offering of The Wizard of Oz Directed by Reece Sibbald. Dorothy (Maddie Hope Coelho) is caught in a twister storm and is transported to the Land of Oz with her little companion the very cute and adorable ToTo the Dog. However, in order to get home she must seek to find the almighty Wizard of Oz down the yellow brick road. However, it wasn’t going to be quite so easy as she first thought as the Wicked Witch (Bethany Grace) vowed to make Dorothy pay for killing her sister when her house landed on her after the twister. Glinda (Hayley Russell) reassured Dorothy by saying as long as you have those Ruby Shoes on your feet the wicked which couldn’t harm her. Upon her journey she found a Scarecrow (Reece Sibbald) who needed a Brain...

17Feb

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Bootycandy – Gate Theatre

This wasn’t a normal night at the theatre. It felt like a 1960s ‘happening’ but with smart phones in place of LSD and a post-modern, clued-up crowd who‘ve seen previous generations failed dreams and repeated ‘revolutions’ and have taken to TikTok to cuss their hippy forbears. The Summer of Love died and became the Bummer of Life. Welcome to 2023. There was a domestic installation near the entrance of the theatre, a little pop-up kitchen, complete with electric hob and saucepans full of condoms, lube and sexual health info. ’Black Joy is Power’ said one of the stickers, while brilliantly bigging up STI home testing kits and PrEP The show is presented in the round and as the lively audience took their seats, an ‘80s soul soundtrack span a semi disco vibe as Cheryl Lynn and Michael Jack...

17Feb

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

Love Rash – Pleasance Theatre

First impressions can deceive. When the stage lights up, we see the least believable face possible, with a weird rictus in the face, and an even weirder voice filling the space, then the fear of having to endure a whole show like that becomes strong. Oh, my, how first impressions can deceive. Weirdness was just the tip of the iceberg (…or should I say fatberg?). From writer/performer Natasha Sutton Williams, this one-woman show of comedy at the Pleasance Theatre is an exhilarating and alienating incursion into human beings' desires and lust for connection. The first character (and the last) to appear is Gary Strange, a curious and thoughtful individual who screams offering for help from the sewers to the people who he records with his cassette recorder. He introduces us to the other cha...

17Feb

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Moonset – Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

Finishing it’s too short 15 day run at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Citizens Theatre Glasgow brings a thought provoking coming-of-age piece which has its roots in the infamous burning in 1697 of seven witches, known as the Paisley or Bargarran witches. The play, set in modern day, follows 15-year-old Roxy (Layla Kirk) as she tries to come to terms with her mother’s recent cancer illness at the same time as pre-exam stresses. This is a loss of control for Roxy, which throws her into a tailspin. At her lowest point we see the importance of her friendships with studious Bushra (Cindy Awor), who also has her own sexuality/faith issues, rebellious live wire, Gina (Leah Byrne) and glamor-pus rich kid Joanne (Hannah Visocchi), with boyfriend troubles. Evoking the turmoil of young minds, Jen...

A Bunch of Amateurs – Rainhill Village Hall

17Feb

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

A Bunch of Amateurs – Rainhill Village Hall

When one of your favourite satirists meets one of your favourite theatre companies what could possibly go wrong? Well for all the right reasons, quite a lot in this ‘love letter to amateur dramatics’ penned by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman and directed by Lynn Aconley. The question is what happens when spoilt, arrogant Hollywood star Jefferson Steel (Gerald Walker) washes up, pursued by journalists (George Lowe; Tom Nevitt), and meets a struggling group of actors including their premier star Nigel Dewbury (Rick Young), the local B&B owner Mary Plunkett (Rosetta Parker) and local handyman Denis Dobbins (Richard Parker), all of whom are capably coordinated by their director Dorothy Nettle (Jo Webster). This is a different kind of Stratford however and with the threat of the venue being s...