REVIEWS Archives - Page 98 of 409

David Suchet Poirot and More, A Retrospective – Festival Theatre

29Jan

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

David Suchet Poirot and More, A Retrospective – Festival Theatre

At one point in this show David Suchet tells the audience the moment he knew he had to be an actor. He describes seeing the stage be prepared from the audience and having the epiphany that this was storytelling, that this was magic. If there was ever any doubt that David Suchet was a born storyteller, and there wasn't, then this show proves it wrong. He has that magic. Suchet has spent 25 years (or at least part of every one of them) playing Agatha Christie’s Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. His interpretation is widely judged to be the definitive version of the character, not only in its characterisation but also its scope, as the series covered all (or almost all, if we're being pedantic) of the Poirot novels and short stories and is said to always be on TV somewhere in the world eve...

29Jan

By Peter RuddickNo Comments

North West

Enough – King’s Arms, Salford

When Enough was first performed at the Greater Manchester Fringe last summer it was depressingly prescient. A play about misogyny, corruption and racism in the police less than six months after a review into the culture and standards of behaviour at the Met was published. As part of a Best of Fringe season, Enough is one of a handful of last year’s highlights being revived at the King’s Arms in Salford. The play won a Best Drama award in the summer, and it is not hard to see why. The subject matter may be, marginally, less topical but is no less important. In fact, the ‘enough is enough’ message is, arguably, even more powerful now. The attention of the headlines circus may have moved on but the issues this play raises have not been resolved. As is often the case, it is down to po...

26Jan

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Last Rites – Shoreditch Town Hall

Devised and performed by Ramesh Meyyappan, this 65-minute work covers a broad swath of one family’s history. Beginning with one man’s arrival in India, accompanied by his young son, on a journey to lay his estranged father to rest, Meyyappan, the solitary performer, alone on stage throughout the show but for the most minimal of props, embodies all three generations. His performance is physically impressive and well directed by co-creator George Mann. An early comedic interlude depicting a series of cooking mishaps especially allows Meyyappan’s gifts to shine. Although rife with comedic moments the overall tone of the show is sobering, and it takes its subject matter seriously. As Meyyappan performs rituals over the body that is in turns both his own and his imagination’s, audiences are ...

26Jan

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Wizard of Oz – Hull New Theatre

Hull New Theatre was packed to the rafters on Thursday night for what turned out to be a magical extravaganza of colour, energy and theatrical perfection. As soon as the curtain rose on The Wizard of Oz musical, it was clear we were in for something special. The imaginative stage setting revealed a huge video backdrop which cleverly reeled us into the story - the opening sequence of a tornado just blew us away (pun intended). And this videography played a huge part in the rest of the proceedings, meaning distracting scene-shifting was kept to a minimum throughout. There can’t be a person on the planet who doesn’t know the age-old story of young Dorothy and her dog, Toto. In last night’s production, Dorothy was played by the very talented Aviva Tulles, while Toto was brought to ...

26Jan

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Forgiving (my mother) – The Glitch

Performed in a small space at The Glitch, this devised performance was an intimate piece set in a ‘rehearsal room’ with two actors practicing a scene with two sisters discussing their mother who had recently had a fight with them. It is as if we are with them and apart of the creative process as their character’s adapt and shape a scene of a play they’re rehearsing. The performance will stop as one actor will question why this line is here, whether that would be a true response and how thoughtless the mother seemed to be. They lead discussions about theatre and its reason, the purpose of understanding our own trauma and the hilarity of being apart of an opinion but one’s only contribution is writing a play and moving on from it. The actors are really in their element here, shaping this tex...

26Jan

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Rita Lynn – Turbine Theatre

Louise Marwood's one-woman performance is informed by her own lived experience, a dark tale of depression, drink, drugs and self-deprecation. "Rita Lynn" lays bare the life of an addict who struggles to break free from the grip of cocaine after her dance career has failed. Imogen has lost everything; with her drug addiction enabled by her toxic boyfriend and dealer Dexter, and her drag queen pal Melian, also an addict. Imogen spirals from overdose to overdose between occasional unsuccessful trips to AA meetings. Then, purely by accident and in a moment of drug-induced delusion, she offers to counsel a wealthy woman as a life coach, adopting the name Rita Lynn. She sees this as an encouraging new start, a way forward out of her chaotic lifestyle and a release from the trauma of her pa...

26Jan

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

London

Rusalka – Royal Opera House

Created and directed by Natalie Abrahami and Ann Yee, who is also the choreographer, the contemporary whilst still traditional new staging of this lyrical fairy tale captures nature’s impassioned plea to humanity whilst musically only Dvořák can break your heart so beautifully. From an exquisite aerial ballet reflecting the delicate balance between nature and humanity at the start, three wood spirits (Vuvu Mpofu, Gabriele Kupšyte and Anne Marie Stanley) playfully tease Vodník (Alexei Isaev), an immortal water spirit. All seems to be perfect but his daughter, Rusalka (Asmik Grigorian) longs to be united with the Prince (David Butt Philip) with whom she fell in love when he swam in the lake. Despite being warned about the seductive dangers of humanity that promises much whilst deliveri...

Stranger Sings – Theatre Royal, St Helens

24Jan

By Gill LewisNo Comments

North West

Stranger Sings – Theatre Royal, St Helens

A playful teasing of the popular TV show which knows its audience well. Backed by a full set of original 80s bubble-gum pop synth beats make for a fun night for fans and mouth breathers alike. The popular science fiction horror series, Stranger Things, based around the unusual supernatural happenings in a small Indiana town, sparked a resurgence in bad haircuts and introduced a younger generation to the iconic Kate Bush. Its growing fandom, a reflection of its richness and texture that makes up the brilliance of the Netflix series. The nerdy quirkiness of its characters who inhabit the small town of Hawkins and their interpersonal relationships, provide the best source of parodic material. With Book, Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Hogue, Stranger Sings presents origin...

The Most Precious of Goods – Marylebone Theatre

24Jan

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

The Most Precious of Goods – Marylebone Theatre

The staging is set in a leaf filled forest woodland, the feeling is sombre the audience full of anticipation of what this story has to unfold about the atrocities, war crimes on humanity, the deliberate genocide during World War 2, the German invasion. The story initially focusses on a young Jewish family, who are new parents of newborn twins, full of zest for life and feeling blessed with their two children, a boy a girl. It was spring, 1942 their life full of opportunity until, they were freshly extricated from their home in France and put on a train to somewhere! Unknowing of what was to come and what they would endure the family with others, cramped into small spaces, no food or water would share their anguish and realisations during this gruelling journey, as to their destinatio...

24Jan

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Murder in the Dark – The Lowry

Thrillers on stage are notoriously difficult to pull off effectively and I am afraid this one didn’t quite hit the mark. Unfortunately, I was not on the edge of my seat and the supposed thrills, twists and turns at the end flailed rather than flabbergasted. Which is a shame because the groundwork was solidly laid for a classic murder mystery thriller. A group of characters are left in an isolated farm, and we become increasingly concerned there maybe something nasty in the woodshed. Danny (Tom Chambers) and Sarah (Laura White) are welcomed into the farmhouse by the eccentric owner Mrs Bateman (Susie Blake). It is New Year’s Eve, he has just buried his mother, they are miles from anywhere and Danny is desperate for a drink. He has crashed his car into a wall, and they will have to sta...