REVIEWS Archives - Page 389 of 548

14Sep

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Horse-Play – Riverside Studios

“Set in a dark sex dungeon, crime-busting superhero, the Stallion, and his intrepid sidekick, Butterfly, have been lured to the secret lair of their arch-nemesis: the dastardly Villainor…!” This all sounds very exciting and Hollywood-style cinematic, but in reality, this is not a play about superheroes at all, it is instead an incredibly camp, modern, and queer take on the traditional British farce, conceived and written by Ian Hallard. The play features two main characters Tim (David Ames) and Tom (Jake Maskall), a married couple of 10 years, seeking to spice up their sex life with a bit of superhero, spandex cosplay. It features a very handsome male sex worker and a room full of sex toys. Sounds like the perfect night out for our adventure seeking couple, however, when an unfortuna...

14Sep

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

And Here I Find Myself – The Lowry

There’s an added edge to tonight’s show. We will hear repeatedly how the past feels condensed into a moment that has only just happened. Under the shadow of the very recent death of the Queen, with two major shows in full swing in the Lowry’s larger theatres this theme will probably resonate far more strongly than may have been expected. Created and performed by Wayne Steven Jackson, we are guided through milestones of Wayne’s life, trying to navigate the world and its expectations of conformity, despite the apparent relaxation of attitudes towards LGBTQ+ rights. Suddenly facing 40 and having failed (through surrogacy) to become a father, Wayne has a choice to make – keep pushing towards ‘ticking the boxes’ (marriage, family, career etc.) or reject these rules and forge his own path. ...

14Sep

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

Doctor Faustus – Southwark Playhouse

The plot of Doctorr Faustus is well trodden in the arts – character thinks s/he is getting everything they’ve ever wanted, turns out the small print doesn’t exactly chime with that. Spoiler alert - your heart’s desire may not be all it’s cracked up to be and/or comes with some undesirable side effects. But Faustus really should have known better – he knows he is quite literally making a deal with the devil and even back in the Elizabethan era should probably have known that might come back to bite him. The stage set up at the Southwark Playhouse (never been, would definitely return – front of house staff charming, drinks reasonably priced, delightfully air-conditioned space) is a little confusing. The setting is very 80s with a dial-up telephone and recording apparatus, yet the backdrop...

Distinguished Villa – Finborough Theatre

14Sep

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Distinguished Villa – Finborough Theatre

"Refined" is the word around which Kate O'Brien's 1926 play hinges. Mabel Hemworth is unrelenting in her control of her immaculately cleaned suburban home and her downtrodden husband, Natty. A woman claiming permanent illness and anxiety, frigid and childless, she is constantly on edge and desperate not to attract the negative judgement of the neighbours on their quiet avenue in Brixton. Even her husband's singing along to a record she regards as outrageous due to what she considers to be racy lyrics. She has also ruled over the life of her sister, Gwen, a young woman seeking escape from this situation through marriage to the unremarkable John. Mabel represents the tied-down morals of the Victorian era, with even vague references to "issues of the night" causing her to have a fit of the va...

Truus’ Children – Manchester Jewish Museum

13Sep

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Truus’ Children – Manchester Jewish Museum

Special Eyes Productions documentary tells the extraordinary story of the largely unknown Dutch resistance heroine Truus Wijsmuller (1896-1978), who managed to rescue more than 10.000 people from the hands of the Nazis in the years immediately before and during the Second World War thanks to her unprecedented perseverance, tact, and courage. Most of them were between 2 and 18 years old. This September, as part of European Days of Jewish Culture and Heritage 2022, in cooperation with Margaret and Richard Jacobi, and with the support of the Dutch Embassy in the United Kingdom, the story of a remarkable lady who did what everybody could have done, but nobody did, is being shown. This improbable story, hidden for almost 80 years, comes to life in great detail in ‘Truus’ Children’. When f...

13Sep

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Yellowman – Orange Tree Theatre

Written by Dael Orlandersmith, this beautifully written two-hander is a masterpiece in storytelling of epic proportions. Whilst incredibly simple in design, the work is also superbly complex and intricate in nature, as Orlandersmith has interwoven duologue, storytelling, and testimony to narrate, in a poetic style, the intricacies of love, hate, bigotry, loss and difference that has haunted the African-American communities for hundreds of years. ‘Yellowman’ tells the story of two childhood friends. Alma and Eugene have grown up together. Alma, a dark-skinned African American girl, with a gin-sodden mother and dreams of a life beyond the confines of their small town. Eugene is lighter skinned, mixed heritage, educated and from a wealthier background. The story is one of raw contrasts, an...

Gabriel Byrne: Walking With Ghosts – Apollo Theatre

13Sep

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Gabriel Byrne: Walking With Ghosts – Apollo Theatre

It would be fair to say that my approach to Gabriel Byrne’s show was cautious and slightly disdainful. Reading from a best-selling memoir is de rigeur for a book launch, but is it really theatre? As someone with three Irish parents (don’t ask), my blood pulses with Celtic pride, but I’m wary of romantic stereotypes, fuelled by sentimental Americans or Irish hustlers looking to make an easy buck. Walking With Ghosts brings Hollywood dazzle to London’s West End, but is this A-list glitter a symptom of celebrity mania, filling theatres with gawping fanatics? Gabriel Byrne has starred in more than 80 feature films and been directed by Ken Loach, David Cronenberg, the Coen Brothers and Wim Wenders. Those creative choices throughout his career suggest a thoughtful artist, rather than a red-ca...

Twopence To Cross The Mersey – Floral Pavilion

13Sep

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Twopence To Cross The Mersey – Floral Pavilion

Adapted by Rob Fennah from Helen Forrester’s million-selling book and directed by Gareth Tudor Price, Twopence To Cross The Mersey is a period drama set in the early 1930’s during the Great Depression. Helen’s (Jenny Murphy) spendthrift father (Mark Moraghan) has been declared bankrupt forcing the family to leave behind the nannies, servants, and beautiful middle-class home in the south of England. With little more than the clothes they stand up in, the family take the train to Liverpool where they hope to rebuild their shattered lives, although mother (Lynn Francis) is plagued by other doubts, but it is not the wealthy port that used to exist as the city too has changed and fallen on harder times. With the parents looking for work, Helen is taken out of school to look after her sibl...

The Importance of Being Earnest – Leeds Playhouse

13Sep

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Importance of Being Earnest – Leeds Playhouse

With this lively revival Sir Peter Hall Director Award winner Denzel Westley-Sanderson wanted to bust the myth that Black history started with migrants coming down the Windrush’s gangplank, and instead employs wealthy Black Victorians to reinvent this eternally witty study of manners and the corrosive nature of rigid societal conventions. It works because it actually reinforces the reality that conforming to pointless social niceties only reinforces baseless prejudices, no matter your ethnicity, as love rivals the dissolute Algernon and his social climbing friend John seek the hands of two women who are blissfully unaware they aren’t who they say they are. Throw in a snobbish matriarch, a deceitful governess, a randy vicar, plus knowing servants, and you have all the elements of a class...

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula The Sea Witch – The Lowry, Salford

13Sep

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula The Sea Witch – The Lowry, Salford

Many musicals have now been inspired by Wicked - creating a spin-off of a well-known tale and flipping it on its head. Unfortunate is similar, where it takes the story of The Little Mermaid and makes Ursula (the villain) the protagonist. She is now a feminist and self-confessed ‘tough bitch’ to give the character a backstory. The musical was first performed at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and has now been revamped into a full-length production. Before going into the review, I must state on press night the role of Ursula was played by Allie Dart due to cast illness. Dart was absolutely fantastic; you’d never know she was an understudy. She completely embodied Ursula and made her a wickedly likable character. And perhaps she wasn’t evil after all and just misunderstood? Anyon...