REVIEWS Archives - Page 7 of 588

Sherlock Holmes – Regents Park Open Air Theatre

15May

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Sherlock Holmes – Regents Park Open Air Theatre

Sherlock Holmes is back in his home place at the Regents Park Open Air Theatre from the 2nd May to the 6th June. This atmospheric theatre is a perfect backdrop for Conan Doyle’s favourite detective to come alive. And he does not disappoint. Horwood’s’ writing and Sean Holmes theatrical and high energy adaptation of Sherlock, captures the presence of this serendipitous sleuth as he and Watson unravel another mystery, under a damp lit moody sky of Victorian London. The set appears simplistic in the round but don’t be fooled as there is so much going on. The scene changes are rapid and unfolds in front of your eyes. This is a brisk moving story line and at times it was difficult to keep up with the switch in movement, characters and the unfolding plot. In some scenes the lines were deli...

The Last Man – Southwark Playhouse Elephant

15May

By Olivia CoxNo Comments

London

The Last Man – Southwark Playhouse Elephant

Deep down in an underground bunker made of concrete and reinforced steel, our unnamed protagonist (played by Lex Lee on press night, alternating the role with Nabi Brown) is seeking shelter from a zombie apocalypse caused by a mysterious unknown virus. As he stocks up his new abode with bulk bought food and supplies, some audience members may feel a shudder of deja vu as there is a touch of the COVID-19 about it all. But not to worry – there aren’t any Zoom quizzes or clashing of pots and pans this time. Photo: Rich Lakos/ArenaPAL Instead, The Last Man, a new English translation of Jishik Kim and Seungyeon Kwon’s Korean musical with dramaturgy from Jethro Compton, follows the protagonist as he reckons with what it takes to survive against all odds and leave the life he once knew behi...

15May

By Zandra OdetundeNo Comments

London

Noughts & Crosses – Hackney Empire

Noughts & Crosses arrives on stage with traces of something oxymoronically freshly familiar. Adapted from Malorie Blackman’s landmark novel, this production takes a story many already know and makes it feel sharper, stranger, more physical, and more painful in the flesh. Set in an alternate society where racial power is reversed, the play follows Sephy and Callum, whose relationship unfolds in a world determined to divide them. The production’s strongest moments are visual and physical. The first hanging scene is spectacularly staged, with the use of red creating beautiful and horrific image. The physical theatre is some of the best I have seen in a long time, especially in the sequence of the bombing, where movement and violence seem to collapse into one another. With only ...

14May

By Klervi GavetNo Comments

London

BalletBoyz at 25 – Sadler’s Wells

What does a 25-year retrospective owe us? Nostalgia, certainly. A greatest-hits reel, perhaps. What BalletBoyz offer instead at Sadler’s Wells is something more rigorous: a map of possibility. Photo: Hugo Glendinning Curated from works commissioned since 2001 by Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, BalletBoyz at 25 resists the flattening instinct of retrospectives. The evening moves with intent across forms, aesthetics, and dramaturgies, not as a sampler but as an argument. Movement is not one language. It is many, and they do not always agree. The opening triptych, Critical Mass, Motor Cortex, and Ripple, operates almost like a study in physics. Bodies fold, suspend, and redistribute weight as if governed by invisible laws. In Motor Cortex, choreographed by Seirian Griffiths with li...

14May

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

An Ideal Husband – Lyric Hammersmith

An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde is given a fresh and contemporary adaptation at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, blending Wilde’s classic wit with modern cultural references and humour. The story follows London high society as the mysterious Mrs Cheveley returns, using blackmail and manipulation to gain influence and expose secrets hidden beneath society’s polished surface. Visually, the production is striking. Although the set is relatively minimal, it feels grand enough to reflect the wealth and prestige of London society. The elegant tiled flooring and open staging successfully create the atmosphere of lavish drawing rooms. The costumes are another major highlight, filled with sophistication and extravagance that perfectly capture the glamour and excess associated with the upper classes. ...

14May

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

1536 – Ambassador’s Theatre

In 1536 Anne Boleyn, then married to Henry VIII, was accused of treason, locked up in the Tower of London and subsequently executed. Her only real crime, not providing an heir. From the publicity material surrounding this play you would think that that is what it is going to be about. It is not. The setting is a village in Essex, in a small clearing with a large tree stump and tall grasses. Here three village women, Anna, Jane and Mariella, live out their intertwined lives in a highly patrimonial society where women's status and lives count for little. They hear the stories of the arrest and fate of the Queen which they can scarcely credit, but it has little relevance to their lives. Or does it? In their rural microcosm they are subjected to the same misogyny and arbitrary male decision...

13May

By Emma WildNo Comments

North West

Spamalot – Blackburn Empire

It is always a privilege to return to beautiful, Blackburn Empire Theatre. On a Tuesday evening, sitting in the auditorium, with the footlights highlighting the plush red curtains (under the exquisite proscenium arch). The fourteen-strong band strikes up and the magic begins! Spamalot, also known as Monty Python’s Spamalot: A New Musical (lovingly) ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail, proved to be a fabulous choice of show for Blackburn Musical Theatre Company. This historic company (dating back to 1912) appears to be going from strength to strength. With an ensemble made up of over 30 people (of all different ages), this show gave every single individual the chance to shine. With sparkling dance routines, stilt walking, beautiful harmonies, hilarious ...

13May

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Blood Brothers – Richmond Theatre

The classic and much-loved musical Blood Brothers returns to Richmond Theatre, bringing Willy Russell’s iconic story back to the stage with emotion, humour and heartbreak. Written by Willy Russell, Blood Brothers tells the tragic story of the Johnstone twins, separated at birth and raised in completely different households, unaware that they are brothers. Despite growing up in contrasting worlds, fate continually draws them back together, forming a lifelong friendship as “blood brothers”. The story powerfully explores themes of class, family, destiny and whether blood really is thicker than water. Kristofer Harding was outstanding as the Narrator, commanding the stage whenever he appeared. His presence helped guide the audience through the story while creating a constant sense of ten...

To Kill a Mockingbird – Liverpool Empire

13May

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

To Kill a Mockingbird – Liverpool Empire

To Kill a Mockingbird at the Liverpool Empire is a powerful and emotionally charged production that proves Harper Lee’s story still has enormous relevance today. Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation brings a sharper, more contemporary edge to the novel, while Bartlett Sher’s direction balances moments of humour and warmth with the darker realities of racism, injustice and prejudice. The result is gripping theatre that feels both timeless and uncomfortably current. Set in 1930s Alabama, the story follows lawyer Atticus Finch as he defends Tom Robinson, a Black man falsely accused of assaulting a white woman. Told through the eyes of Scout, Jem and Dill, the production cleverly contrasts the innocence of childhood with the ugliness of the adult world around them. This adaptation also digs deeper int...

13May

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Fawlty Towers – Hull New Theatre

It was standing room only in every bar and eaterie at the Hull New Theatre on Tuesday night; theatregoers were even sitting on the stairs pre-curtain up. We were all there to watch Fawlty Towers the Play - a brand-new stage production adapted by John Cleese. Who, along with his then wife, actress Connie Booth, wrote and acted in the 1975 TV comedy, Fawlty Towers, a hotel at 16 Elwood Avenue, Torquay, boasting “traditional English hospitality”. Fast forward over 50 years and Cleese has chosen three of his favourite episodes out of the original 12, to delight audiences once again. Directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, those three - The Hotel Inspectors, The Germans and Communication Problems - are so cleverly and seamlessly merged into one story, we couldn’t see the join. The stage se...