Kaitlin Howard Archives - North West End UK

7Jun

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

The Dumb Waiter – Hope Street Theatre

Moxie on Fire are certainly that with their production of Harold Pinter’s classic one-act play, considered to be one of his best, and certainly one open to much interpretation depending on who you talk to, with director Kaitlin Howard successfully navigating the potential pitfalls whilst still leaving us with plenty to reflect on at its conclusion. Gus (Gareth Llewelyn) and Ben (Richard Cottier) are hit men who are holed-up in a dingy basement kitchen, waiting to be sent out on their next job. Even from before the start of the play it is clear that Ben is the more senior of the two as they lie on their respective beds – Ben reading the newspaper, Gus seemingly asleep. The unravelling scene captures the uneasy frustration between them as they wait for instruction on their next victim ...

Romeo and Juliet – Chester Grosvenor Park Outdoor Theatre

It’s not often that you feel transported to Italy in a park in Chester, but this year’s repertory theatre company has done just that with its new production of Romeo and Juliet. This is arguably Shakespeare’s most famous play: the story of two young lovers from different families, who meet by chance and are torn apart by family history and circumstance. The play asks us to consider whether love can overcome division, or whether forbidden love in a divided society is simply doomed. This new adaptation of Romeo and Juliet is set – the programme tells us – in the 1950s, albeit with the original text, and I was very interested to see how that would be incorporated into the production. However, I suspect because of the minimal set and the nature of the outdoor space, there was little other t...

Habibti Driver – Octagon Theatre

What links Laurence of Arabia, Vegan bacon, bingo and burkas? The answers lie within a fantastic new ‘clash of the cultures’ play. Habibti Driver, receiving its world premiere tonight, follows the relationship between Egyptian Muslim cab driver Ashraf, and his ‘Habibti’ half Egyptian, half Wiganese daughter Shazia. The mischief starts when Ashraf (Dana Haqjoo) introduces Shazia (Shamia Chalabi) to his new Egyptian bride, whilst she is attempting to break the news of her own secret engagement. Based on Chalabi's real-life experiences and co-written with Sarah Henley, the play, described as ‘East Meets Wigan’, explores the clashes, compromises and comedy that come with living in a mixed-culture family in today's Britain. Thanks to a superb script that is funny and moving in equal...