Latest Articles - Page 20 of 684

20Mar

By Olivia CoxNo Comments

London

Welcome to Pemfort – Soho Theatre

The titular Pemfort we’re welcomed to in Sarah Power’s new play is a castle – or, arguably, a fort – nestled in a sleepy village that’s home to a host of quirky characters. The 90-minute comedy-drama zeros in on Pemfort’s quiet gift shop, in which the absence of regular customers allows the staff to focus on a new venture: Pemfort’s first ‘living history’ event. The gift shop (brought to life exquisitely by Alys Whitehead’s vivid yet lived-in set design) is run by Uma (Debra Gillett), a dreamy and motherly figure with a penchant for calling her younger staff members “poppet” or “chicken”. The rest of her team initially comprises adventurous Ria (Lydia Larson) and strait-laced Glenn (Ali Hadji-Heshmati), who is especially passionate about ensuring the upcoming event is as historically ac...

20Mar

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

My Name is Rachel Corrie – 53two

It is really quite rare that you get to see a truly great work of art. This was such a stunning, mesmerising, heart-and-gut-wrenching piece of work that it left the audience collectively speechless as they tried to process what they had just witnessed. Unfortunately, there is no avoiding the subject matter of the play, which is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly the treatment by Israel of Gaza. The action of this drama takes place in 2003, twenty-plus years before the current carnage, and it centres around one remarkable young lady. Rachel Corrie was a real person who decided in her early twenties to go to Rafah in Gaza in order to protest against the policies of the US government and its support for the actions of the Israeli army in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip....

Good News! It’s Been Destroyed – The Beaten Track, Sheffield

19Mar

By Nathan DunnNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Good News! It’s Been Destroyed – The Beaten Track, Sheffield

Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin’s latest live stand-up project has taken its first steps in the capital and Manchester before finding its way to Sheffield, where I was fortunate to catch it. ‘Good News! It’s Been Destroyed’ is a full-length stand-up comedy show that orbits around the hopelessness of current affairs, allowing ourselves to be angry and use the energy of that anger to laugh. It takes on serious topics but is never too serious to be misinterpreted as a reductive polemic. That said, it is full of comical diatribes and carefully crafted anecdotes that will leave your face worn from laughter. Tyzack-Carlin makes our lives easier. He goes by ‘Brogan’, as opposed to the Irish pronunciation and spelling of his name (which he likes to remind us has never caused him any difficulty in his...

19Mar

By Jo TillotsonNo Comments

North West

Spitfire Girls – Buxton Opera House

The Second World War is ongoing, and its reality is inescapable. With so many of the able men fighting on the front lines, where does the war effort find its manpower? As we are well aware, it was woman power that kept many industries operational for many years. In Spitfire Girls we meet Bett (played by the writer, Katherine Senior) and Dotty (Hannah Morrison), two women who defied the obligations expected of them by family and society and learned to fly. This play explores their relationship, their identity, and their growth as women and as pilots throughout the war and beyond. Senior and Morrison are authentic in their interactions with one another and with the others they encounter throughout the story. In particular, Morrison’s portrayal of a woman finding her freedom in the ...

19Mar

By Charlotte MansfieldNo Comments

London

Panacea – Riverside Studios

Professor Gus Jamieson (Will Batty) is a man with Autism Spectrum Disorder and an idea for how to save humanity. His cure for infectious diseases will prevent another pandemic, provided he can get approval for the initial stages of lab trials. Written as a collaboration between microbiologist Andrew Singer and theatre-maker Christina James, this one act play explores how science and ethics interact to have real-world consequences. Opening with a Greek chorus that leaves us in no doubt how the play is going to go, we follow Gus as he navigates work, romance and his ASD in his desire to eradicate disease. Egged on by an enthusiastic student (Nina Fidderman), Gus becomes caught between the more cautious advice of those closest to him and his confidence in his own scientific abilities. ...

Come Together: The Lennon & McCartney Songbook – Liverpool’s Royal Court

19Mar

By Bethany EastonNo Comments

North West

Come Together: The Lennon & McCartney Songbook – Liverpool’s Royal Court

One of the most well-known groups in history, the Beatles, have offered a range of musical delights that are still loved and relished today and are celebrated currently at the Royal Court. This show, for many Beatles fans, is a bit of a dream come true as we were never gifted with a retrospective Lennon & McCartney reunion concert. But through the magic of Come Together: The Lennon & McCartney Songbook, we get a heartfelt and expertly delivered window in what that could have looked like. The songbook and songwriting duo are bought to life by Tom Connor (Paul McCartney) and Mark Newnham (John Lennon) undertaking a range of Beatles songs and stories detailing and celebrating the groups history. Connor and Newnham portray Lennon and McCartney well bouncing quips off each other and ...

The Choir of Man – New Wimbledon Theatre

19Mar

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

The Choir of Man – New Wimbledon Theatre

The ‘Jungle’ Choir of Man is on its UK tour, and it started with a blast, setting Wimbledon theatre alight with enthusiasm, superb vocal arrangement and energy. This show born out of the Edinburgh fringe made its home at the Arts Theatre London. Now it’s coming to Towns across the country. Set in a pub, audience members are welcomed to the stage for pre-show drinks from the bar and here the message is clear, this is all about ‘community’. Centered around a group of nine men each with their own characteristics and inner conflicts, they take you on an immersive journey of their lives through song. Narrated beautifully by the character ‘Poet’ Oluwalonimi (Nimi) Owoyemi, he introduces the characters, and very occasionally it was difficult to hear him, possibly due to the sound at the beginning...

Operation Mincemeat – Wolverhampton Grand

18Mar

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Operation Mincemeat – Wolverhampton Grand

“Helsinki!” It seems diversion, deception and misdirection are the mainstay of world politics and a swift scroll through todays newsfeeds uncovers a strew of devices and ploys employed by the most powerful people (mostly men) in the world to distract the same world from uncovering their doings. I think you know who I mean without naming names. So, it’ll come as no surprise people (mostly men) throughout history have been doing the same and in tonight’s case we’re looking at the British deception operation in World War Two intended to disguise the 1943 invasion of Italy. I’m not sure how you disguise an invasion. It surely must be very noisy. Apparently, it involves the body of tramp dressed as a royal marine, loaded with fake ID, fake info, fake uniform and, yes, fake news. This vers...

18Mar

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

The Battle – Manchester Opera House

In the mid-90s the UK music scene saw the explosion of Britpop where bands such as Pulp, The Charlatans and Elastica dominated the airwaves. The power of Britpop was nowhere more keenly seen than in 1995 when the titans of the genre, Blur and Oasis, went head-to-head in a battle to the number one chart spot when their singles Country House and Roll With It were released on the same day. It became more than just a fight between two bands who were known for their disdain for each other but was seen as a duel between North vs. South: posh art graduates versus working class lads. The media seized upon the apparent battle for the nation’s musical soul and a legendary rivalry was cemented. Author-turned-playwright John Niven has focused his attention on this musical milestone for The Battl...

18Mar

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Meursault – Traverse Theatre

There is something slightly incongruous about seeing Meursault at the Traverse Theatre. The venue is best known for drama rather than indie music, and that theatrical context inevitably shapes the experience. What might feel like a raw, emotional gig elsewhere becomes something closer to a performance piece here, with an audience inclined to listen politely rather than react. The evening opens with a generous half-hour set from Stefan Honig, the Cologne-based singer-songwriter. Performing solo with guitar, Honig delivers an intimate and understated opening to the night. His songs, which he admits he isn’t always entirely sure how to explain, lean towards reflective folk, delivered with quiet confidence. One highlight is For Those Lost at Sea (2012), which stands out for its...