Charing Cross Theatre Archives

The Seven Deadly Sins and The Human Voice – Charing Cross Theatre

14Sep

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

The Seven Deadly Sins and The Human Voice – Charing Cross Theatre

I am not an opera regular, so I arrived at this double bill with a certain curiosity about what it might feel like to encounter two works from very different European traditions, Germany and France, almost a century after they were written. This contemporary staging by Alejandro Bonatto offers an accessible entry point, presenting Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s The Seven Deadly Sins alongside Francis Poulenc and Jean Cocteau’s The Human Voice. Synopsis: In The Seven Deadly Sins, Anna travels through American cities in pursuit of enough money to build a house, negotiating the expectations of her family and the moral compromises required to survive. The Human Voice follows Elle through a single telephone conversation with a former lover, as an attempt at connection gradually exposes emot...

Jeeves Takes Charge – Charing Cross Theatre

19Aug

By Charlotte MansfieldNo Comments

London

Jeeves Takes Charge – Charing Cross Theatre

A comedy of manners from a by-gone era, Jeeves Takes Charge is a highly enjoyable two hours in the company of P.G. Wodehouse's famous duo. Jeeves and Wooster are brought to life by Sam Harrison, who has the daunting task of playing both, as well as a host of other characters, from a schoolgirl to a doddering uncle, in this fast-paced one-man show. Written and performed first in 1980, the play is a collection of Wodehouse's short stories, one of them from Jeeves' perspective, showing some of the ridiculous situations that Bertie finds himself in. In Wodehouse's world, women are either fickle or domineering and men are boorish or inept, and no one is more incompetent than Bertie Wooster. Fortunately, he has a remarkable valet, Jeeves, to get him out of trouble. Co-creator of the show, ...

Dark of the Moon – Charing Cross Theatre

2Jun

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Dark of the Moon – Charing Cross Theatre

This new musical version by Lindy Robbins, Dave Bassett and Steve Robson is the latest in a long series of versions of this piece. It was first performed as a play in 1942 and a substantially revised version transferred to Broadway in 1945. It was produced in London at the Lyric Hammersmith in 1948 and the Ambassadors Theatre in 1949. The story has not been updated. It is effectively a fairytale about a rural Appalachian community who live in close proximity to a coven of witches in the nearby Smoky Mountains. One of the witches, John (Witch Boy), is enamoured with one of the human girls, Barbara Allen, and seeks to develop a relationship with her, to the dismay of both communities. Its theme is the clash between cultures with the boy/ girl relationsh...

The Daughter of Time – Charing Cross Theatre

26Jul

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

The Daughter of Time – Charing Cross Theatre

It must be the ultimate cold case: the investigation of the reputation of Richard the Third and his involvement in the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower. This is the task which Inspector Alan Grant sets himself when he is laid up in bed convalescing from an injury in M Kilburg Reedy's new play, based on the renowned book by Josephine Tey. The setting is Grant’s rather spacious hospital room, where nurses are encouraging their reluctant patient to undertake the necessary exercises to ensure his full recovery. His interest in King Richard is stimulated by a portrait provided to him by a friend. Using his police skills and assistance from a number of friends and acquaintances, he obtains as many contemporary accounts as he can to try and uncover the truth behind the life of Ric...

5Feb

By Olivia CoxNo Comments

London

Mrs President – Charing Cross Theatre

Mary Todd Lincoln is an enigmatic character in American history, shrouded in an equal parts myth and tragedy. The much-criticised First Lady witnessed the assassination of her husband president Abraham Lincoln as well as losing three of her four children, with her fourth child controversially committing her to an insane asylum. In John Ransom Phillips’s play Mrs President we see a different side to the infamous First Lady (played by Miriam Grace Edwards) as she poses for a series of portraits with esteemed photographer Matthew Brady (Sam Jenkins-Shaw), whose iconic photography of Abraham Lincoln reportedly helped him to secure the presidency. Photo: Pamela Raith As Mary strives to control her image through these photographs, whether that’s as a strong leader, doting mother, or a g...

Jack and the Beanstalk: What A Whopper! – Charing Cross Theatre

1Dec

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Jack and the Beanstalk: What A Whopper! – Charing Cross Theatre

For those who think pantomime is merely a children’s festive pastime, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk: What a Whopper!’ gleefully shatters all expectations with its unapologetically adult spin on the classic theatre genre. Written by Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper and directed by Andrew Beckett, this production isn’t just sprinkled with innuendo, it’s flooded in wickedly clever humour and deliciously naughty smut, which keeps the audience roaring with laughter throughout. Photo: Steve Gregson From the moment the curtains rise it is clear that this is not your typical Christmas show. The plot, centered on Jack Trott’s (Keanu Adolphus Johnson) quest for something “truly giant”. Jack is poor, gay, and very horny, living 10 miles from the nearest Grindr user in the quaint Yorkshire Village of U...

21Aug

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

The Fabulist – Charing Cross Theatre

1920’s Tuscany, Mussolini and the Church hold overwhelming authority and in the mix lives two sisters, their movie studio and their big dreams for the future. Screenwriter Clarice (Réka Jónás) is a well sought after, independent woman. Her 43 previous suitors have never quite lived up to her and her father’s standard- or more appropriately haven’t lived as they all died in their heroic demonstrations to deem themselves worthy. An unsuspecting 44th suitor tumbles on stage, clownish and down to earth ‘Julian’ (Dan Smith). A ‘fabulist’ or as more often known be a ‘magician’ who is being hunted by the church for fears of the Occult. Julian’s presence alters the course of the play as the question of magic vs science stirs our characters who believe themselves to be logical and marry fo...

8Jun

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Marie Curie – Charing Cross Theatre

A woman scientist!? The woman scientist. Marie Curie, a new musical written by Seeun Choun and Jongyoon Choi fleshes out the story of a scientific pioneer who put her own body on the line in order to secure both a scientific and feminist legacy. Whether or not this was her intention or merely a by-product of her inexhaustible efforts to unearth more information about radioactivity is not a question this play entirely answers over the course of its approximately hour and forty minute run time. Narrated by Marie (Alisa Davidson) but seen from the hazy imagined perspective of her daughter Irène Curie (Lucy Young) this play is very much concerned with the legacies passed between mothers and daughters and the value of role models. With English lyrics, new musical arrangements and musical dir...

Bronco Billy The Musical – Charing Cross Theatre

1Feb

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Bronco Billy The Musical – Charing Cross Theatre

"There's a world out there that has lost its way, full of dark and hateful things to say." The first line of Dennis Hackin's Bronco Billy - The Musical is as relatable to the current world as it is to the 1979 in which this musical is set. Powerfully delivered and led by Karen Mavundukure as Doc Blue, the opening song, "Ride With Us" sets the scene with a wow start to the show. With music and lyrics by Chip Rosenbloom and John Torres, and based on Hackin's earlier movie, this is a wonderful triple-threat of a production. Marvellous vocals, credible characters with chemistry and a clever set that almost steals the show. Bronco Billy and his small troupe of Wild West show people are touring the US in a beat-up bus to ever-dwindling audiences. They've made it to Kansas when Bil...

20Sep

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Rebecca – Charing Cross Theatre

There seems to be no source material nowadays which cannot be turned into a musical. However, Rebecca, having its London musical premiere at the Charing Cross Theatre illustrates that some material is really not suitable for such a treatment. This show premiered in Vienna in 2006 and ran for 3 years. It had original German lyrics by Michael Kunze, translated for this production by Christopher Hampton, and music by Sylvester Levay. It follows the story of the famous Daphne Du Maurier novel closely. An unnamed young woman is swept off her feet by the enigmatic Maxim de Winter in a Monte Carlo hotel and agrees to become his wife and returns with him to his home at Manderley on the Cornish coast. However, the memories of the first Mrs De Winter, Rebecca, are everywhere in the house, kept ...