Latest Articles - Page 106 of 655

Donald Grant and The Scottish Ensemble: Thuit an Oidhche Oirnn (The Night Overtook Us) – Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh

15Apr

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Donald Grant and The Scottish Ensemble: Thuit an Oidhche Oirnn (The Night Overtook Us) – Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh

A foot tapping and thought provoking night from one of Scotland’s finest fiddle players accompanied by the tartan security blanket of the Scottish Ensemble, who together created something of a sonic explosion at The Queen’s Hall. Following on from their puppet based space Odyssey The Law of Gravity which I loved at The Traverse earlier this year, The Scottish Ensemble, champions of classical Scottish string, led by Artistic Director, and 1st violin Jonathan Morton head back to their native roots, but with many a twist along the Highland track. Before Donald Grant takes to the stage we are treated to the Ensemble’s remarkable rendition of Touch and In Memorium, by Martin Suckling, like a murmuration of starlings, swooping and wheeling seemingly defying logic (or melody) and yet still ...

12Apr

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Supersonic Man – Southwark Playhouse

Southwark Playhouse Borough hosted the world premiere of ‘Supersonic Man’ this week, a new musical written and directed by Chris Burgess, which sets out to blend science fiction spectacle with emotional resonance and love within the LGBTQI+ community. It is inspired by the remarkable real-life journey of Peter Scott-Morgan, as seen in Channel 4’s ‘Peter – The Human Cyborg’, and follows Adam, a Brighton-based influencer, who faces a devastating diagnosis and chooses to defy it, not by surrendering, but by exploring an experimental path, exploring transhumanism to reclaim control and live a full life. The production offers up a bold premise, full of potential for both drama and imagination, but unfortunately, it doesn’t quite live up to the ambition of its concept and remains somewhat und...

Gideon: A Play with Music – Hallé at St Michael’s

12Apr

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Gideon: A Play with Music – Hallé at St Michael’s

This important play, developed by Modalways and written by Daniel Mawson, hits all the right notes under the diligent direction of Sue Dunderdale as we follow the life of a magnetic musician and his family as they face an impossible choice. World War I ends in November 1918 and the world is on the brink of new opportunities. A year later, Gideon Klein (Max Gallagher) is born into a musical Jewish family in Moravia, and displaying a musical talent from an early age, his sister, Lisa (Rosie Hilal), a fantastic pianist in her own right, encourages her parents to let him move to Prague with her when he is twelve. They are eventually joined by their mother, Ilona (Rebecca Scroggs), in spite of her guilt at leaving her sick husband behind. When Gideon’s opportunities are dashed by the rise...

12Apr

By Coral MourantNo Comments

North West

Mary Poppins – Palace Theatre

Disney’s magical nanny is back delighting audiences all over the UK, and children (even the big kids) are bound to leave the theatre with a smile on their face. Based on the book series by P.L. Travers, this production by Disney Theatricals in collaboration with Sir Cameron Mackintosh, first took the West End by storm over twenty years ago. But just the same as its movie adaptation, I believe that this version is ultimately timeless. The Banks family wish for a nanny to fix all their problems, Jane wants someone fairly pretty, Michael wants someone to play games with, and their parents just want one to stay. Blown in by the wind, the “practically perfect” Mary Poppins appears and takes us all on an amazing adventure filled with colour, magic and a song or two. The twelve-piece orches...

12Apr

By Karen Morley-ChesworthNo Comments

North West

King Arthur – Theatre by the Lake

The best of British comedy and tales brings joy to Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake as Le Navel Bete rides into town with their hilarious performance of King Arthur. The trio bring the untold story of how the legend of King Arthur and his Camelot was born with the very best of physical comedy. The Lake District theatre audiences will be familiar with the work of writer and director John Nicholson who has teamed up with Le Navel Bete. Nicholson brought a very unique and comic production of Hound of the Baskervilles to Theatre by the Lake last year. Those who love this style of silliness and insider perspective to a production will not be disappointed by King Arthur. The opening scene sets the tone and high bar for the comedy to follow. The three actors are in the stocks for treason...

London 50-Hour Improvathon 2025 – The Pleasance Theatre

12Apr

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

London 50-Hour Improvathon 2025 – The Pleasance Theatre

Improvisation - a theatre skill that is underrated, under paid, and underrepresented, but at the Pleasance Theatre from the 4th-6th April, the London Improvathon showed the audience, why the Improvathon, is in its 15th year. This fifty hour, or three thousand minute event, pushes the boundaries of what is physically and mentally possible for a group of improvisers (and some audience members), who create a story in a loose framework, with many deviations, but with a strong emphasis on character development, to give this event a soap-like feel. The inspiration for this event comes from the Canadian company Die-Nasty who originated the Soap-A-Thon and in 2005, the then director of Die-Nasty Dana Anderson worked with Ken Campbell the British theatre impresario to bring the Soap-A-Thon...

11Apr

By Klervi GavetNo Comments

London

Shanghai Dolls – Kiln Theatre

“Shanghai Dolls” at Kiln Theatre traverses nearly 60 years of Chinese history in a brisk 80 minute run, centering on the intertwined fates of two legendary women. United by a passion for theatre yet divided by political beliefs, personal values, and the sweep of history, one transforms into Mao Zedong’s wife while the other rises to become China’s first female theatre director. Directed by Katie Posner, the production tackles vast historical events but occasionally buckles under its own weight. There’s a palpable sense of rushing to cover too much ground at once, with the dense narrative sometimes feeling overloaded—especially for Western audiences less familiar with the period. A clever nod to Ibsen’s A Doll’s House frames the struggle of these women, suggesting that the search for mea...

11Apr

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Midnight Cowboy – Southwark Playhouse

Midnight Cowboy stars Paul Jacob French as Joe Buck, a young and naïve cowboy escaping his small-town roots for the bustling, unforgiving streets of New York City. French delivers a perfect American cowboy accent and brings depth and vulnerability to his role, proving his impressive acting range. Upon arriving in the Big Apple, Joe crosses paths with Rico “Ratso” Rizzo, played by Max Bowden - a streetwise, scrappy hustler barely surviving on the fringes of society. Bowden’s portrayal is gritty and raw, capturing the desperation and charm of a man who’s constantly scheming just to make it to the next day. Together, Joe and Ratso embark on a heartbreaking journey through the underworld of sex work, chasing dreams of wealth, happiness, and an escape to a better life in sunny Florida...

11Apr

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Speed – Bush Theatre

An entrepreneur, a nurse and a delivery driver arrive for their speeding awareness course. Each of them at fault for getting too heated in the moment. To save their license, must complete their specialised course with Abz (Nikesh Patel). Abz is running a new course which combines the speed awareness with self awareness- what is making you so angry that you feel the need to act on it? Each of our guests find moments of self discovery and shame as we dig deeper to understand their moments of crisis but they start to realise something unusual might be at play. Abz’s twitching, quick to rage tendencies and judgemental opinions showcase a deeper reasoning for why they’re here today. Faiza (Shazia Nicholls) our entrepreneur brings an absolutely hilarious performance straight off the bat, prou...

11Apr

By Olivia CoxNo Comments

London

Manhunt – Royal Court

Back in the summer of 2010, the nation was glued to their news channels as police carried out the country’s largest manhunt for Raoul Moat after he shot three people, one fatally. True crime is a morbid fascination for many, but one that usually transfigures into podcasts, TV dramas, or Netflix documentaries. This time, Robert Icke is dissecting the life and mind of one of the UK’s most renowned criminals this century through his new play Manhunt, which is making its debut at the Royal Court. Inspired by a book by journalist Andrew Hankinson, Manhunt envelopes us in the complex interior and exterior worlds of Raoul Moat (played by Samuel Edward-Cook), jumping between timelines as he explains what drove him to shoot his ex-partner Sam (Sally Messham), Sam’s new partner (Leo James), an...