Barons Court Theatre Archives - North West End UK

19Nov

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

London

Kindliness – Barons Court Theatre

Set in mythical country torn apart by war, Kindliness tells the story of a man (Malcolm) who must choose between his family and the young immigrant (Mimmi) with whom he is having an affair. Writer and producer Daniel Chaves, who also plays Malcolm, has crafted a script which attempts to tackle themes of xenophobia, racism, and tribalism. As such, Kindliness is a direct response to the many atrocities and conflicts ongoing around the world. The premise is certainly promising and, combined with Jenny Eastop’s dynamic direction, Kindliness had the ingredients to be a poignant, timely production. Indeed, when the show is firing on all cylinders, such as whenever Malcolm’s wife, Amara, delivers casual and cutting xenophobic comments, it is raw, haunting and depressingly real. Sadly, howe...

13Nov

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Phoenix – Barons Court Theatre

Phoenix is about a journey from constriction and avoidance to inner freedom. Dressed in flowy dungarees, and big, curly blonde hair, Helen is like a children’s storybook character. There is an intention to heal, which is manifest in her radiating warmth, and inviting eyes. She sets the scene with the cosy familiarity of a night in with a friend, drawing us in with intimacy. She confesses to being a Towie addict, and this comedy takes a turn, exploring different ways people numb themselves. The lightness and humour in her stories float above uncomfortable feelings. She squishes these down, dancing away the pain, and distracting herself. She shows us snippets of her life; her relationships, growing up, and her experiences as an actor. These personal moments feel sincere and make th...

The Nine Day Queen – Barons Court Theatre

20May

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

The Nine Day Queen – Barons Court Theatre

It’s said that birds of a feather flock together- until the cat comes. When danger looms does solidarity dissipate? Can you really save yourself if no one else is safe? How can women do right by each other when the world seems so determined to do us wrong? The fledgling Itchy Feet Theatre Company asks these questions and more in their new staging of The Nine Day Queen both written and directed by Jen Tucker. A youthful and bright-eyed company of four delicate but determined looking girls is anchored in this performance by Maddie White as Rita, a fifteen-year-old, whose best friend Lena (Moya Matthews) has suffered a brutal attack and is hospitalized and comatose. While Rita awaits Lena’s eventual reawakening or untimely passing, she dwells in memories of their friendship, buries herself...

2Feb

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Stimmicanto – Barons Court Theatre

Do you keep more than five pictures of Paul Rudd on your laptop? Have you ever tried and failed to make small talk with your own brain? Do you find yourself giggling at peculiar street names on a regular basis? If so, consider this your sign to check out Stimmicanto, an hour of offbeat comedy full of surprises. The show, conceived and performed by comedian Paggy Gacheva, densely packs a wide-ranging slew of information into its 60-minute run time. Audiences are guided gently through its many transitions between topics, but their frequency and lack of clear directional focus prevent viewers from settling into consistent enjoyment, and the absence of an overall theme in the work at times makes it difficult to follow. The joy, or “encanto” Gacheva finds in performance is evident and...

22Jan

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Fire Embers Ash – Barons Court Theatre

This play by Hailey Mashburn tells the little-known story of the establishment by the Soviet Union of the first all-female aviation regiment to fight against the Nazis in the Second World War. Apparently, the regiments were created by Stalin after pressure from one of the early aviators Marina Raskova, portrayed in this play by Henrietta Laursen in the role of commander. The establishment of the unit was controversial and looked down upon by many of their male colleagues. They were only allocated old and decrepit planes and had to wear ill-fitting male uniforms. Nevertheless, they distinguished themselves, and were nicknamed by the Nazis as the " Night Witches". The title which they adopted themselves with pride. To overcome the deficiencies of their equipment...

The Two Gentlemen of Verona (& Sonnet 104) – Barons Court Theatre

28Jun

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

The Two Gentlemen of Verona (& Sonnet 104) – Barons Court Theatre

A friend betraying another friend to get their objective, and going to the farthest distance to achieve success, turning slowly into villainy. A story of morality, from Shakespeare to our days. This version of Shakespeare's work, directed by Evan L. Barker, follows its sell-out previews, and has a slightly different cast in some of the supporting roles. This is an adaptation by Barker of the well-known piece, setting into a high-school context. The roles of the two gentlemen are played by Hugo Papiernik as Valentine, and Paul Surel as Proteus. The two ladies with whom they fall in love and then fight for are Tor Leijten as Julia, and Lavinia Grippa as Sylvia. Completing the cast are Harry Rosa as Lance, Izzi McCormack-John as Lucetta/Thurio, Alun Rees as Speed/Host, Gemskii as Duke/Anto...

8Apr

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

The Two Gentlemen of Verona (& Sonnet 104) – Barons Court Theatre

Relentless, quick-witted, fast-paced, surprising. Shakespeare has not yet said everything he had to say. The approach taken by Evan L. Barker in this new staging of Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona is to set the action in a school environment, redefining and giving new meaning to the situations the characters are put through and their decisions in that context. The apparent freedom of the cast in the performance, while being strict with the words and rhythm of the piece (abridged and adapted by the same Barker), gives it a solidity and integrity that further contributes to a contemporary interpretation of the play. The audience is received by a character painting on stage. After a short very intense introduction where the actors rile up the audience and set the tone with juv...

6Mar

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

My Dead – Barons Court Theatre

From growing up in Washington state, to her flat in South Ealing, Carolyn Hartvigsen has traversed the continents but the story she tells is of her ancestors, and the distance between her and them. Walking onto the stage in wonder, Hartvigsen reels us in, with heightened intimacy in the old pub basement space of the theatre. She whips out a small tree, with photos of her family members attached to the leaves with herself as the tree trunk. She shares a carefully and truthfully woven patchwork of her personal life, her ancestors’ stories, and her reactions to them and how they help her reflect on her circumstances. With an unerring fear of death, she seeks understanding from her dead family, and how they lived. As she discovers that one of her great grandfathers was polygamous and...

Avocado Presents: Improv – Barons Court Theatre

4Nov

By Jennifer LaishleyNo Comments

London

Avocado Presents: Improv – Barons Court Theatre

Avocado presents improv started and ended with Hazma Mohsin and Jake Migicovsky eating guacamole and chips. Through the show Jake and Hazma experimented with various different characters. Every time the story ended they rearranged the chairs and started a new story with different characters. Avocado Presents: Improve is a fun way to shake up your Thursday night trip to the pub. At the end of the show the actors also invited the audience to come and hang out with them! Jake and Hazma did have some funny moments and demonstrated that they had good chemistry on stage together. This show has allot of potential and room for further growth. With some more work this show could be hysterical. It would be good to see Jake and Hazma ask the audience for some prompts rather than doing a ...

<strong>A Butcher of Distinction – Barons Court Theatre</strong>

4Nov

By Jennifer LaishleyNo Comments

London

A Butcher of Distinction – Barons Court Theatre

Who would enjoy a butcher of distinction? Well, I can firmly say that this show is not for vegetarians. The show contains references to animal cruelty, death, sexual assault, suicide and blood (as thankfully we are warned before entering). This play by Rob Hays is chaotically dark and by touching on so many striking dark themes this play is not able to deal with any of these issues with any depth or meaning. The result is a play that successfully shocks its audience at every turn. Connor McCrory plays the bossy twin Hartley whilst his brother Hugo (Joseph Ryan-Hughes) timidly struggles to stand up to him. Hartley and Hugo however are terrified by Teddy (Ethan Reid) the debt collector who comes to collect their late fathers’ debts. Pretty early on it’s clear that Hartley isn’t sta...