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seven methods of killing kylie jenner – Royal Court, London

24Jun

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

seven methods of killing kylie jenner – Royal Court, London

After a sold-out premiere in 2019, seven methods of killing kylie jenner returns for a limited run at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at The Royal Court. Written by Jasmine Lee-Jones and directed by Milli Bhatia, this is a stunning exploration of historical oppression and cultural appropriation through the lens of free speech, social media and identities, both lived and virtual. The title of the show alludes to a series of viral tweets posted by the handle @incognegro, run by a young Black British woman Cleo, that has caught the attention of the Twitterverse and its millions of faceless users. Confronted by online trolls and haters who are increasingly calling for her to be censored, Cleo’s only refuge is her best friend Kara whose advice only exacerbates the situation further and opens ...

Romeo & Juliet – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

24Jun

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Romeo & Juliet – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

On a wonderfully sunny evening, the weather gods behaved themselves, and we were treated to one of Shakespeare’s best loved plays. Postponed from last year’s season, director Kimberley Sykes’ version has been eagerly anticipated, with its new viewpoint on this popular play, we ask – did this re-assessment pay off? The set designed by Naomi Dawson, with its backdrop of trees, helps to soften the harsh set of scaffolding, rocks, and earth. Earth is one of Sykes’ themes and can be seen as a symbol of nurturing growth, but earth also throws its arms around death which is a major part of the plotline. When Sykes re-read the play, she was struck by a reference to an earthquake that had happened in Verona eleven years earlier. At the time of the earthquake, the Nurse (E...

24Jun

By Donna M DayNo Comments

South East

Devil’s Food Cake – Brighton Fringe

Devil’s Food Cake, written and directed by Marcia Kelson, is a dark and emotional drama, written for online performance, which explores the bewildering and overwhelming world of anorexia and its effect on both the patient and their loved ones. The play tells the story of Sophie (Eden Vansittart) who is living with anorexia and the efforts her Mum, Jenny (Lesley Ann Jones), Dad, Frank (David Jones) and sister, Katie (Eliza Jones) are making to persuade her to eat. In their desperation they sign up for family therapy sessions with Jasmine (Caroline Salter). When the play opens Sophie’s actions seem almost reasonable as her apparently overprotective mother tries to prevent her following a plant-based diet, for the planet, and going for a run to keep healthy. It quickly becomes clear how...

23Jun

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Queen Mab – Iris Theatre

"O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate-stone..." (Mercutio, Romeo and Juliet, Act I scene IV) Mab, an ancient fairy, travels the world and, as Mercutio describes, has been bringing dreams and nightmares to mortals for centuries. But she's bored and unhappy, seeing humans as nothing more than "a pestilential scourge upon the Earth" and preferring to dole out nightmares that prey upon their deepest fears rather than bestowing positive dreams on their sleeping forms. There are many lockdown and pandemic-themed dramas around, but likely none as charming as Danielle Pearson's "Queen Mab". The play cleverly links Shakespeare's Mab to the present day through Freya, a teenager who is going through all...

23Jun

By Donna M DayNo Comments

South East

Shakespeare (She/Her) – Brighton Fringe

Three Chairs and a Hat’s Shakespeare’s (She/Her), directed by Wayne T Brown, is a short collection of Shakespearean monologues and verse all performed by women, in contemporary settings. Utilising reality TV, mobile phones and subtle references to today’s climate, it is a varied compilation of well performed pieces. The show opens with Delena Gabbidon’s witty and devious portrayal of Ms Quickly. Swiftly changing her clothes before speaking, Gabbidon creates a clandestine atmosphere as she reveals the secrets of the people around her, taking her on a rollercoaster of emotions supported by strong body language and mime. We are then taken to a beautiful park with birds, animals and a mother (Jo Lainchbury) playing happily with her child as she narrates Sonnet 15. This is a peaceful and ...

23Jun

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

South East

The Old House – Brighton Fringe

Written and performed by Kate Maravan, ‘The Old House’, was inspired by her own experience of coming to terms with her mother’s Alzheimer’s. Directed by Kath Burlinson, the play does not fall into the category of monologue, as even though only one person performs, Maravan’s ability to move between characters, creates a feeling of two very different personas on stage. A moving tale of a mother and daughter trying to navigate their changing relationship which is evolving constantly as the side effects of the Alzheimer’s begins to have an impact. We meet the two of them, as they take a trip to their old house, which brings back fond memories, as they spend time together at the beach and reminisce about past times. This is a beautifully written play, with Maravan’...

22Jun

By Donna M DayNo Comments

South East

Nevergreen – Brighton Fringe

The wonderful’s Nevergreen, written by Gus Mitchell and directed by Eloise Poulton, is a hypnotising and beautiful online show, that tries to articulate the colossal fight we need to engage in to save our planet and everything that lives on it. A one woman show, performer Katurah Morrish, switches between playing Rachel Carson and an objective narrator in today’s world who reveres Carson’s work. Physical theatre is blended with heart wrenching monologues, which create a truly original online show. Technical issues about failing connections seen in numerous online shows now as a wry nod to today’s environment, are utilised to illustrate the overwhelming difficulties of communicating the massive issues connected with climate change. As Morrish scribbles into a worn notebook with...

The Complete works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

22Jun

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

The Complete works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

A fifteen month hiatus from live theatre has left everyone in the industry both grateful to be back and trepidatious in equal measure. Therefore, when my editor suggested that my first review in nine months should be 'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare', I checked the calendar to see if it wasn't April 1st. Thankfully, rather than the entire canon of 37 plays, we were presented with an 80 minutes gallop through the collected works of 'The Bard', laced with humour, improvisation and slapstick which made for a highly entertaining Monday evening at the warm and welcoming Garrick Playhouse in Altrincham. Written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Whitfield, this show was originally performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 1987, before transferring to London where it ran successfully ...

21Jun

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Happy Days – Riverside Studios

Celebrating 60 years of Samuel Beckett’s much-acclaimed play, this special revival of ‘Happy Days’ has Lisa Dwan take on its titular role of Winnie, a woman buried to her waist in sand as she goes about her daily routine, often remarking to herself that indeed, “this is a happy day”. Directed by Trevor Nunn and designed by Robert Jones, this production is a stark reminder of the drudgery and futility of the domestic lives we live, caught in a never-ending cycle of repetition and relief as we seek refuge from the same relationships that drive us to the edge. The two-act structure reinforces the central theme of passage of time and how Winnie, through her slow and inexplicable sinking into the sand, is unable to escape the cruelty and disappointment of her perfect life, especially her marria...

21Jun

By Kiefer WilliamsNo Comments

South East

The Crooked Spire – Brighton Fringe

Filmed in 2020 during Covid, based on the novel The Crooked Spire by Chris Nickson and directed by Andrew Miller this 35-minute medieval murder mystery musical (honestly!) is a bit of an oddity to say the least. All the actors are filmed separately in performed sequences and sometimes the editing and isolated performances from the cast is quite jarring. The acting is very patchy throughout and unfortunately the actual musical content and vocal delivery is not that good – was there any need to include music in the first place? I genuinely think it would’ve worked better without the musical element and maybe focus more on monologues rather than have disjointed scenes of actors in isolated duologues. The script by Mary M Hennessy is fairly decent but nothing out of the ordinary T...