Ian Hallard Archives - North West End UK

Murder Before Evensong – Watermill Theatre

30Sep

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Murder Before Evensong – Watermill Theatre

There is something particularly satisfying about watching a production that understands exactly how to use the theatre it inhabits, and ‘Murder Before Evensong, the world-premiere stage adaptation of Reverend Richard Coles’ bestselling novel, feels completely at home at the Watermill Theatre. Intimate in scale but remarkably expansive in execution, this is a beautifully constructed, wonderfully performed production that manages to make this tiny auditorium feel, at times, like a full-scale West End stage. Adapted by Paul Hart and Shaun McKenna, and directed by Hart, the story takes us to the seemingly idyllic village of Champton in 1988, where parish politics, long-standing relationships and simmering tensions surround St Mary’s Church. When murder intrudes upon this comfortably familia...

Our Cosmic Dust – Park Theatre

Written and directed by Michinari Ozawa and translated by Susan Momoko Hingley, the critically acclaimed Our Cosmic Dust tells the story of Shotaro, a young boy who believes his recently deceased father has become a star. Originally a Japanese play performed in Tokyo, Our Cosmic Dust kicks off its UK premier at the Park Theatre in London. The story is an enchanting blend of puppetry, animation and acting, exploring the concept of death and what happens after we die. The play begins with Shotaro running away from his mother, Yoko (Millie Hikasa), in her desperate attempt to find him, she meets some colourful characters along the way. Hikasa does a great job of playing a grieving mother struggling to cope with her recent loss as she feels her quiet son slipping away from her. Pho...

The Way Old Friends Do – The Lowry

"The Way Old Friends Do," written by Ian Hallard, is an engaging, light-hearted comedy that playfully straddles the line between homage to iconic pop band ABBA and an exploration of significant societal themes. Balancing the frivolity of a tribute band with weightier undertones of male friendship, homophobia, and familial relationships, the play invites audiences to a narrative filled with laughter and introspection. The story pivots around Peter (played by the writer; Ian Hallard), a middle-aged former librarian and ABBA superfan who reunites with his old school friend, Edward (James Bradshaw). Their coincidental reunion leads them to form half of a gender-reversed ABBA tribute show, alongside the prim Mrs. Campbell (Triyé Peterside) and the endearingly anxious Jodie (Rose Shalloo). Th...