REVIEWS Archives - Page 385 of 429

27Jun

By Donna M DayNo Comments

REVIEWS

Vigil – Physical Fest

Mechanimal’s Vigil, created and performed by Tom Bailey, with movement direction by Philippa Hambly, is a desperate and poignant illustration of the devastating effects of climate change on animal and plant life endangered as a result of both that and other environmental concerns. Opening in a small wooded area, Bailey walks around with a glass box which he slowly fills with twigs from the ground, some of which are too big to fit into the small confines of the box, indicating from the start that what we are going to see will feel overwhelming in many ways. Moving into a plain room with a white screen, Bailey sits on his box, seemingly full of foliage, when the names of plants and animals on the red list, those at highest risk of extinction begin flashing up on the screen. Bailey watc...

Hello and Goodbye – Elysium Theatre Company

27Jun

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

REVIEWS

Hello and Goodbye – Elysium Theatre Company

As I sat down on my couch and tuned into the live streamed production of ‘Hello and Goodbye’, I was quite curious about how this would play out. A television production and theatrical production are remarkably different, so trying to do both is quite a challenge. When the lights go up, we are greeted to a shabby living room that looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in years. It’s clear that whoever lives here hasn’t got a lot of money or is extremely lazy - or perhaps both? The window netting is torn and the walls are stained. One of the first things to grab my attention is the hole in the wall that appears to be in the shape of Africa. It is soon confirmed that the play is set in South Africa in the 1960s. Set designers; Caitlin Mills and Lee Ward have done a fantastic job in capturing th...

27Jun

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Staircase – Southwark Playhouse

Presented by Two's Company and Karl Sydow in association with Tilly Films Staircase is a revival of late English playwright Charles Dyer’s play from the late 60s that explores the relationship between an ageing gay couple who own a barber shop in Brixton, London. Set in a time when homosexuality was not fully decriminalized in the UK, the play shines a light on the various social pressures and anxieties suffered by gay couples who often had to resort to living an undercover life to stay clear of the law. Presented by Two’s Company, who are known for their revivals of texts from the previous century and staged at The Southwark Playhouse, this production is a striking glimpse into the lives of Charles and Harry as they struggle to get past personal differences, estranged family relationsh...

An Evening with Professor von Goosechaser – Brighton Fringe

26Jun

By Donna M DayNo Comments

South East

An Evening with Professor von Goosechaser – Brighton Fringe

An Evening with Professor von Goosechaser, written and performed by Adam Nightingale, is a mock lecture on the complex field of monsterology, and seeks to answer the question of whether or not the supernatural creatures plaguing the seventeenth century are real, or vicious anti-Catholic propaganda spun out by the Puritans. The esteemed Professor is accompanied by Marco (Mark “el durmiente” Nightingale) a guitarist who plays in a beautiful fingerpicking style which emphasises the medieval mood of the show. Remaining comically nonplussed throughout, Marco’s bored demeanour and minimal responses emphasise the dry humour utilised throughout the piece. The show makes wry nods to today’s world, including the presence of a plague, which the Professor says has come from demons. At the openin...

My Son’s a Queer … but what can you do? – Turbine Theatre

25Jun

By Louise PennNo Comments

London

My Son’s a Queer … but what can you do? – Turbine Theatre

Rob Madge is putting on a Disney parade. In this heart-warming show we meet the young Robert through old videos of the productions staged in their living room. An intelligent and confident child, Madge graced the West End stage in Mary Poppins, Matilda, and Les Misérables. It is clear from the obsessive attention placed on these family shows (programmes, rehearsal schedules, that they were destined to head in front of the footlights. To pinhole this show in a particular genre would be an injustice. It is a play about expression and tolerance. It is a musical, with songs which reach out to queer children anywhere, as step by step their lyrics comment on the actor’s childhood. It is a memoir, with the grown Rob looking back on their younger self, sometimes lip-synching words, always...

25Jun

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

Bow & Arrow: The Outlaws of Sherwood – The Black-E

I spent this evening in Sherwood Forest or in reality The Black E venue in central Liverpool. It was my first time at the venue and seeing this particular group, City Theatre, Rep Theatre Group. The promo promises a night of ‘adult comedy that will shock and make you laugh in equal measure’ and that is exactly what we got. Although there is area for improvement where the vocals and dancing are concerned the thing that would have me returning was certainly the comedy element! This was the groups rescheduled first show since covid, and I must say it was nice to see some live theatre, finally. They provided text to Seat bar service, it was a shame the audience had to be so spaced out and not many allowed in, but all the seats that had been laid out, were full. The show ra...

seven methods of killing kylie jenner – Royal Court, London

24Jun

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

seven methods of killing kylie jenner – Royal Court, London

After a sold-out premiere in 2019, seven methods of killing kylie jenner returns for a limited run at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at The Royal Court. Written by Jasmine Lee-Jones and directed by Milli Bhatia, this is a stunning exploration of historical oppression and cultural appropriation through the lens of free speech, social media and identities, both lived and virtual. The title of the show alludes to a series of viral tweets posted by the handle @incognegro, run by a young Black British woman Cleo, that has caught the attention of the Twitterverse and its millions of faceless users. Confronted by online trolls and haters who are increasingly calling for her to be censored, Cleo’s only refuge is her best friend Kara whose advice only exacerbates the situation further and opens ...

Romeo & Juliet – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

24Jun

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Romeo & Juliet – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

On a wonderfully sunny evening, the weather gods behaved themselves, and we were treated to one of Shakespeare’s best loved plays. Postponed from last year’s season, director Kimberley Sykes’ version has been eagerly anticipated, with its new viewpoint on this popular play, we ask – did this re-assessment pay off? The set designed by Naomi Dawson, with its backdrop of trees, helps to soften the harsh set of scaffolding, rocks, and earth. Earth is one of Sykes’ themes and can be seen as a symbol of nurturing growth, but earth also throws its arms around death which is a major part of the plotline. When Sykes re-read the play, she was struck by a reference to an earthquake that had happened in Verona eleven years earlier. At the time of the earthquake, the Nurse (E...

24Jun

By Donna M DayNo Comments

South East

Devil’s Food Cake – Brighton Fringe

Devil’s Food Cake, written and directed by Marcia Kelson, is a dark and emotional drama, written for online performance, which explores the bewildering and overwhelming world of anorexia and its effect on both the patient and their loved ones. The play tells the story of Sophie (Eden Vansittart) who is living with anorexia and the efforts her Mum, Jenny (Lesley Ann Jones), Dad, Frank (David Jones) and sister, Katie (Eliza Jones) are making to persuade her to eat. In their desperation they sign up for family therapy sessions with Jasmine (Caroline Salter). When the play opens Sophie’s actions seem almost reasonable as her apparently overprotective mother tries to prevent her following a plant-based diet, for the planet, and going for a run to keep healthy. It quickly becomes clear how...

23Jun

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Queen Mab – Iris Theatre

"O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate-stone..." (Mercutio, Romeo and Juliet, Act I scene IV) Mab, an ancient fairy, travels the world and, as Mercutio describes, has been bringing dreams and nightmares to mortals for centuries. But she's bored and unhappy, seeing humans as nothing more than "a pestilential scourge upon the Earth" and preferring to dole out nightmares that prey upon their deepest fears rather than bestowing positive dreams on their sleeping forms. There are many lockdown and pandemic-themed dramas around, but likely none as charming as Danielle Pearson's "Queen Mab". The play cleverly links Shakespeare's Mab to the present day through Freya, a teenager who is going through all...