REVIEWS Archives - Page 4 of 456

5Apr

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Fluff – New Wimbledon Theatre

This is a one-woman play and is the first creation from the duo James Piercy and Tayla Kenyon, the founders of Teepee productions. This story focusses on a life afflicted by Alzheimer’s in ways that highlight how this debilitating disease impacts the lives of the people it penetrates. Tayla Kenyon as Fluff herself acts out the story through her many different roles, narrative and dramatisation from birth, school years from young love and boyfriend crush to her adult years as a teacher and a mother. Surrounded by her father for whom she loved dearly, and an Irish mother. Fluff faced challenges of her own as she navigated her way through life. The staging is simplistic, the lightning and projection of pictures amplify the poignancy of how people change and mem...

4Apr

By Ralph JeffreysNo Comments

London

RELIC – Coronet Theatre

RELIC suggests in its blurb that it is about “what survives from the past. A thing left behind, be it a memory, an object, a language or being”. On stage, we are treated to a barrage of images, sequences, and absurdist stand up and cabaret style performances from a strange figure: initially in just heels and a kind of bloated, amorphous body suit, this grotesque mannequin transforms and mutates throughout the performance, taking on several forms that are barely, but not entirely un-human. It's a strange show. At the heart of the piece is Euripides Laskaridis’ incredible performance which is itself a serious feat. Purely on a physical level, it demands a great deal of endurance and an incredible physical awareness of the body on stage. But considering he is also the director and set desi...

4Apr

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Nessie – The Studio, Edinburgh

Produced by Capital Theatres & Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Nessie, is a family-orientated tale of friendship, set to music with nods towards global warming, climate change and clean energy production that plays out a bit like a tick-box exercise for the 21st Century. However, from the reactions, the ooos and awwws, of the younger audience members and their quiet attention for 80 minutes it certainly seems to hit its target. And that, as we all know, is no easy feat! The life-sized puppets of Otter, ‘Oggie’ played by Keith Macpherson and Grey Heron ‘Heather’, operated by Alison Orr play a big role and are certainly cute and cuddly. And star of the show Nessa operated by Eden Barrie has a gurgling prehensile presence and a clever operation which allows her to be handled and operated r...

The Bollywood Guide to Revenge – Soho Theatre

4Apr

By Savitha VenugopalNo Comments

London

The Bollywood Guide to Revenge – Soho Theatre

Where there is Bollywood, there is melodrama. There is song and dance. There are beautiful faces. Shafeeq Shajahan’s cabaret brings all these to the stage and uses them to pick at some scars and talk about healing. And yes, revenge. As his springboard, Shajahan (who is also the writer and director of this performance) picks “Satyam Shivam Sundaram”, a 1978 Hindi movie about Rupa, a woman with a heavily scarred face, and her suitor Rajiv, who fails to see beyond the scars. It forms the backdrop not only to an exploration of his own life, but also to his mother’s, who grew up in Singapore as a neglected dark-skinned girl and found resonance in Rupa’s character. Photo: Marc Sirsi Through songs, storytelling and some playful interaction with the audience, Shajahan talks about his grow...

4Apr

By Kevin EcclestonNo Comments

North West

Imaginary Friends – Unity Theatre

As part of his current 2025 tour, award-winning writer and director Daniel Bye’s "Imaginary Friends" opened at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool on April 3rd. The show seamlessly transitions from a lively and engaging comedic introduction to a deep connection with the audience. Bye expertly constructs a nuanced framework that resists easy classification into a single genre. Embracing his identity as a TV comedian, the show starts in a traditional yet captivating manner, featuring a solitary figure, a microphone, and sharp observational humour that immediately draws the audience in. Bye begins with a trigger warning that the performance includes themes of grief and loss, toxic masculinity, the end of the world, profanity, and Piers Morgan. Throughout the show, he introduces imaginary friend...

Les Misérables: Let the People Sing – Leeds Grand

4Apr

By Adam CraddockNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Les Misérables: Let the People Sing – Leeds Grand

It was an absolute pleasure to be invited along to review “Let the people sing!”, The UK amateur premiere of Les Misérables at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House. Presented by Leeds AOS, in collaboration with Buttershaw St Paul’s AODS, Leeds Insurance Dramatic Operatic Society and Wakefield West Riding Theatre Company, this production is a true community project, showcasing the very best talent that West Yorkshire has to offer. Directed by Louise Denison and Musical Direction by Jim Lunt, this production seemed more like a full professional production in terms of scale and budget than an amateur show. “Let the people sing” features two fully independent principal cast, the “red” team and “blue” team. I was lucky enough to watch the red team. Robert Durkin starred as Jean Valjean, the h...

4Apr

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

JB Shorts 26 – 53two

After a couple of days spent down at the wrong end of the M62 in Liverpool, it was a joy to be back reviewing in the 0161, and the pleasure was doubly sweet as the subject was the 26th iteration of the ever-reliable JB Shorts under the 53Two arches at Watson Street. The format is the same as ever; original, fifteen-minute short plays on any subject matter, showcasing some of the best in northern writing and acting talent. Number 26 features only five, rather than the usual six pieces and as ever the result is an eclectic mix of humour and thought-provoking work. Meeting Morag Writer Ben Tagoe wowed this reviewer a couple of years ago with ‘Better Days’ his one-man exploration of football hooliganism and rave culture and his latest offering gets the evening off to a great start. Pa...

3Apr

By H.S. BakerNo Comments

Scotland

Little Women – Festival Theatre

Louisa May Alcott’s classic, much loved tale of the coming of age of the March sisters in 19th century Massachusetts, is brought to the stage in an adaptation by Anne-Marie Casey. The narrative will be familiar to many, and is loosely based on Alcott’s own life. Sisters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, living a frugal life with their mother, Marmee, whilst father is away fighting in the American Civil war, struggle to keep spirits up as they endure the deprivations that poverty brings them. They could ask rich Aunt March for money, but no one really likes her or her strict views on what is considered proper behaviour in good society. When father is injured in battle, Jo (always one for the dramatic gesture), cuts off her hair and sells it for $25 to help pay for Marmee to tra...

3Apr

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

Animal Farm – Liverpool Playhouse

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. As to be expected from a play, based on a novel by George Orwell, Animal Farm is a dystopian social commentary, that allegedly refers to the Russian revolution of 1917. It tells the story of Old Major, Napoleon, Snowball and the other animals of Manor Farm wanting to overthrow the human owner – Mr Jones and become free and self-sufficient. The production is one that would definitely be approved by Orwell himself, with a clever set designed by Ciarán Bagnall, which you don’t think would be much, as it is all set on the farm. But the moving parts that were added in – to create the windmill and show the commandments were clearly so well thought about and came across so well throughout the performance. It is truly...

3Apr

By Robert BartleyNo Comments

West Midlands

Dear Evan Hansen – Wolverhampton Grand

The West End production of ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ was one of the biggest casualties of the pandemic, forced to close 6 months into its run and then unable to gain back its momentum after its eventual re-opening, despite 3 Olivier wins (a mis-judged film adaptation released around the same time probably didn’t help either). Its fate is somewhat ironic, given the themes of isolation and longing for connection that run so deeply throughout the show, themes which were heightened during those Covid times. Fortunately, the musical has found a new lease of life with a well-received touring production which kicked off in Nottingham in September 2024. Now 6 months in, the tour has connected strongly with audiences, and rekindled the fire that burned all too briefly in the West End. ...