REVIEWS Archives - Page 377 of 429

17Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Spectra – Etcetera Theatre

I was in for a double treat this morning when I saw the collaboration of RoL ‘N Productions and Imposters Collaboration at the Etcetera Theatre. Liane Grant and Olja Mladjenovic have brought their theatre companies together to showcase two short pieces, ‘Wines from Santorini’ and ‘Chance of Rain’ at the Etcetera Theatre as part of the Camden Fringe Festival. First up was ‘Wines from Santorini’, this two-hander follows the lives of Caz (Liane Grant) and Ali (Olja Mladjenovic) who were childhood friends who meet again when Caz is due to marry. As Caz is getting ready to move house, they are surrounded with packing boxes and Ali has thoughtfully brought a bottle of wine along with her. As they reminisce over old times and mutual friends from years ago, the unspoken hostil...

17Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

Scotland

Call Me Elizabeth – Edinburgh Fringe

Call Me Elizabeth, written and performed by Kayla Boye, is a sumptuous look at the life of Elizabeth Taylor shortly after she received her Oscar for Butterfield 8 and recovered from a bout the pneumonia which nearly killed her. A solo performance based around Taylor’s real-life conversations with biographer, Max Lerner, director Erin Kraft has created a piece of theatre which is both intimate and carefully guarded. Opening with a view of Taylor’s luxurious dressing table, the glamour and opulence which she exuded in public is made clearly a part of her persona even at this early point in her career. Stacks of gossip magazines with her face on the cover litter the coffee table and Boye elegantly stands, in a classic little black dress, with sparkling diamonds adorning her ears, before de...

17Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

London

Jam Tart / Lemon Kurd – Camden Fringe

Ragged Foils’ Jam Tart / Lemon Kurd are two monologues, directed by Natalie Winter, in which women explore their wants and desires in later life. Both Claire (Katy Maw) and Cathy (Mary Tillett), were wives, mothers and daughters, swept along in life’s journey realising one day that they had lived their lives for other people and finding a determination to break out of the mould and do something that is just for them. The first monologue, Jam Tart, written by Rhiannon Owens, tells Claire’s story after she flees her 54th birthday party in order to begin a new life. The piece opens with Maw staring nervously, too close to her wobbly webcam, before settling on an untidy bed, with a pretty landscape hanging above it, an idealistic image reminiscent of the stifling life Claire is trying to es...

Warhol: Bullet Karma – Edinburgh Fringe Festival

17Aug

By Kiefer WilliamsNo Comments

Scotland

Warhol: Bullet Karma – Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Garry Roost’s one-man performance of Andy Warhol starts at the point where he survived a murderous attempt on his life by Valerie Solanas, who was convinced that he wanted to steal her script. From there on Roost gives a breathless and sometimes overly hectic account of Warhol’s creative and emotional life. The screen is split into four smaller screens all in day glow primary colours to give the effect of Warhol’s iconic pop art structure and I must say it actually works very well indeed. The set is minimal and keeps to the pop art theme Warhol: Bullet Karma is so well written and researched throughout and Roost’s outstanding impersonations of that Warhol era are quite remarkable but on reflection I did feel it was a touch rambling in some parts and although it would definitely a...

Under The Floorboards – Edinburgh Fringe Festival

17Aug

By Kiefer WilliamsNo Comments

Scotland

Under The Floorboards – Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Simon Shaw’s unsettling one man horror show based on the infamous serial killer Ed Gein is one very intense ride. Gein (Shaw), who was mother dominated for most of his life, was the influence for Alfred Hitchcock’s classic movie Psycho and also inspiration for many horror films since then. As you would probably expect, this show is not for the faint hearted and Shaw pulls out all the stops in his powerful performance. During the course of the show Shaw’s character moves through many transitions and the attention to detail in Shaw’s well-judged performance is excellent throughout. This is totally gruesome stuff and quite unrelenting. If you are a horror fan (which I am) you’ll be morbidly fascinated by his “conversations” with his persistently screaming and angry mother as we begi...

17Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

London

Tree Confessions – Camden Fringe

Tree Confessions, written by Jenny Lyn Bader, and directed by E B Mee, is a unique audio play told entirely from the point of view of a tree. Performed by Kathleen Chalfant, this is a site-specific piece which should be listened to while sitting beneath a tree. The piece begins with a buzzing and humming sound, reminiscent of bees. The story is told by a single tree, who is embarrassed to be caught humming to itself, but takes the opportunity to tell the story of a scientist who discovered that trees communicate, with each other at least. Presumably inspired by the story of Suzanne Simard, the persistent scientist is never actually specifically identified, but the trees, admiring her determination to prove her theory right, and being keen to seize the chance to help humans save the p...

16Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

REVIEWS

Lear Alone – Scenesaver

Lear Alone is a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear, using only King Lear’s lines in a unique performance set across five short episodes. Directed by Anthony Shrubsall and performed by Edmund Dehn this original show explores themes of ageing in today’s world, the increasingly problematic issue of homelessness, and isolation and its effects on mental health. The show opens with Dehn sitting alone and obviously unhappy on a bench. Birdsong is prominent and Dehn begins to walk around the building whose grounds he is in, surreptitiously peering through the windows before beginning his first monologue, in which Lear is asking his daughters to describe the amount of love that they have for him to enable him to decide how to split the kingdom. Dehn has excellent presence, and it is ea...

Changing Sheets – The Playground Theatre

16Aug

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Changing Sheets – The Playground Theatre

Changing Sheets is a new two-hander romantic comedy about the complexities of modern relationships written by Harry Butler. Developed at The Playground Theatre and directed by its artistic director Anthony Biggs, the story takes us through a series of encounters between Patti (Máiréad Tyers) and Robert (Harry Butler) who meet over a series of Tinder dates. The script touches upon the loneliness, confusion and self-doubt that comes with hookups, where partners have mismatched expectations and boundaries. Through awkward run-ins, friendly banter and unassuming pillow talk, Patti and Robert navigate their feelings for each other. Interestingly, the design of the show calls for an empty stage with minimal movements and no props. The romantic action and intimacy referenced in the text are never...

The Emoji Project – The Hen & Chickens Theatre

16Aug

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

The Emoji Project – The Hen & Chickens Theatre

If there’s one thing that has dominated digital communications for the last 10 years, it has to be the little animated icons and hieroglyphs that have now carved out an entire subculture of their own. It’s hard to deny the overwhelming presence and impact of emojis (or emoticons) on our day to day lives, filling the important emotional cues that would otherwise be missing from our typed conversations. Their rapid growth and ever-evolving nature as a digital language are at the heart of The Emoji Project, an anthology of new writing staged by Distracted Rat, a writing company whose work intersects radio, film and theatre. Consisting of pocket-sized pieces and scenes that span the absurd and the political, the show has been assembled by a team of creatives ranging from 11 to 75 years of a...

Corona Cutie: A Digital Quest for Love – Edinburgh Fringe

14Aug

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

Scotland

Corona Cutie: A Digital Quest for Love – Edinburgh Fringe

Part of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Corona Cutie tells the story of Claire who longs to be part of a fictional reality she cannot have and believes her problems can be solved by love. Claire is a hopeless romantic living in New York City who dreams of finding someone during the COVID-19 pandemic and decides to try online dating. Written and composed by Lucy Gellar, the songs are funny, catchy and entertaining. Annika Hoseth delivers a relatable yet sweet performance as the slightly awkward Claire as she attempts virtual dating whilst on a journey of self-discovery. Hoseth portrayal of the aimlessness and frustration of online dating during the pandemic through Claire is certainly relatable especially in “Whatever I Say” which delves into the pressure of creating the perfect bio. Ri...