King’s Head Theatre Archives - Page 2 of 2

21Apr

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Eating Myself – King’s Head Theatre

Pepa Duarte takes us on a journey into her past struggles with eating, body image and her relationship with her Peruvian heritage. It shows a vivid depiction of disordered eating and the comical absurdity of it all when seen from a distance. The themes of womanhood and culture continuously overlap, as she challenges traditions and reconciles with her roots. Pepa cooks and leaves the soup to stew, and we become immersed in the aroma and her story. The set designed by Laura Arroyo is effectively minimalistic, hinting at a Peruvian kitchen with utensils dangling at the sides and a kitchen top. Michael Harpur’s lighting design highlights dramatic moments and shifts the mood between different scenes. Duarte’s writing is balanced and truthful. The script is written in a way that feels lik...

Freud’s Last Session – King’s Head Theatre

24Jan

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Freud’s Last Session – King’s Head Theatre

Freud’s Last Session directed by Peter Darney is an Off-Broadway success combining philosophical thought with comedy. As its foreboding title suggests, the play imagines Sigmund Freud’s final psychoanalysis session. He invites C.S. Lewis to meet him, to help him make sense of something that disturbs him. A debate ensues between the two, as they grapple with an age-old question; the existence of God. The eagerness and receptivity of the characters carries the arguments through with an aliveness, keeping it engaging as well as educational. Séan Browne brings C.S. Lewis’ character to life, endowing him with an earnestness and a stark vocal resemblance to Lewis himself. He enters Freud’s room as a visitor, polite and reserved with a kind of reverence for Freud but as the play progres...

31Oct

By Natalie J RomeoNo Comments

London

Tender Napalm – King’s Head Theatre

No set, no props, no effects except a few subtle lighting changes; just two barefoot actors and a full house. It is shows such as these that remind us, trudging through our day to day reality, of what it is to imagine, and how easy it is, if all the elements are right, to become completely immersed in a scenario totally removed from normality—immersed enough that it makes you squirm. The audience last night was fully immersed in this 10th anniversary in-person production of Tender Napalm, directed by Max Harrison at the King’s Head Theatre, Islington. Trapped on a remote Island—as we are told—a Man and a Woman tell each other stories, passing time, playing much in the way children might. However, there’s an edge to these games. An undercurrent of pain runs through most, of resent...

19Aug

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Tell Me Straight – King’s Head Theatre

Tell Me Straight is a new two-hander play written by Paul Bradshaw about a gay man on a path to self-improvement. Staged as part of the Queer Season at the King’s Head Theatre, the show is produced by Gartland Productions and directed by Imogen Hudson-Clayton. With inimitable performances and quick-witted dialogues, the audience witnesses the many layers to dating in the modern age and how our relationships with our sexuality, identity and self-worth are far more intertwined than what we perceive. The lead character, played by Bradshaw, has set himself a solid 30-day plan to bring order back to his life – no booze, no fast food and most importantly, no more random hookups. His friend Dani (voiced by Stephanie Levi-John), whose disembodied presence is manifested through funny voic...

5Aug

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

All That – King’s Head Theatre

All That is a deliciously funny and heart-warming take on how convoluted modern relationships can get when their very foundation is threatened. Written by Shaun Kitchener (Hollyoaks, Positive) and directed by James Callàs Ball, this production at the King’s Head Theatre, staged as part of their popular Queer Season, is a delightful watch. Through the lives of four housemates – two couples with wildly different outlooks on life – we witness a hilarious evening of misunderstandings, confessions and secrets unfurl as they try to salvage the lives they’ve built together. The show additionally explores themes of love, sex, monogamy and the fallacy of the “right” way for LGBTQ+ couples to manifest their relationships in the public eye. At the centre of the drama is a decision made by suburba...

Seeking Arrangement comes to the King’s Head

14Jul

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

NEWS

Seeking Arrangement comes to the King’s Head

Whilst some questioned whether they could survive the pandemic and others wondered what to do during lockdown, Kitty Ball and Alexandra Hannant took control of their own destiny and set up Burning Brick Theatre Company, so it was a delight to catch up with them – and compatriot Phoebe Coop – to discuss their forthcoming production, Seeking Arrangement, written by Hannant, directed by Ball, and starring Coop. By day, Bolton lass Charlie struggles to make a difference as a UN intern, working to prevent the sexual exploitation and abuse of women across the world. By night, she moonlights as Sugar Baby Tamara, trading companionship and intimacy to survive in New York City. Assessing feminist ideas of ownership of the body while yielding it to a paying consumer, Seeking Arrangement follows ...

No Strings Attached – King’s Head Theatre

28May

By Jessica BattisonNo Comments

London

No Strings Attached – King’s Head Theatre

“You asked ‘who are you then?’ I don’t think I know the answer to that.” The debut play by Charles Entsie marks the King’s Head Theatre’s return to live performances after 436 days. Directed by Aileen Gonsalves, the audience are exposed to, and reminded of, the lengths gay men feel they must go to hide in the closet. Sorcha Corcoran’s skeletal car structure against a concrete backdrop, set in an underground car park, brilliantly highlights the claustrophobia felt by the two men. At very different stages in their lives, they are equally lost in trying to find themselves, “tired of just surviving”. The play is riddled with their anxieties, distraught and pain, despite attempts to suppress. Utilising Gonsalves’s own method, of the audience feeling what the actor does in each moment,...

King’s Head Theatre announces return to live performances

29Apr

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

King’s Head Theatre announces return to live performances

King’s Head Theatre announces the world premiere of No Strings Attached by ‘magnificent new talent’ Charles Entsie. Originally programmed for summer 2020, this electrifying two-hander was the winner of the King’s Head Theatre’s Adrian Pagan Award for new writing, and will mark a return to live performances for the London venue after more than a year. The production will be staged at a site-specific location within the Islington Square development, just minutes from the current King’s Head Theatre space as well as its planned future home, offering audiences an exciting immersive experience. Directed by Aileen Gonsalves, this intense, powerful and startlingly original drama takes place within the charged confines of a car at midnight. A clandestine encounter between Boy (Shak Benjamin...

King’s Head Theatre announces its first ever digital season

19Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

King’s Head Theatre announces its first ever digital season

Over a year since the King’s Head Theatre closed its doors due to Covid-19 (16th March 2021), it is delighted to announce Plays on Film: its first ever digital on-demand season, which brings together five smash-hit shows from some of the UK’s most exciting theatre makers, and combines the raw immediacy of live performance with high definition cinematography. Filmed on location at the King’s Head Theatre, Islington, by the award-winning Shoot Media, the shows will be available to watch on the venue’s new on demand platform, KHTV, from anywhere in the world, ensuring every seat is the best in the house. Over 50% of ticket sales will go directly to the artists and companies involved at this difficult time for freelancers across the entertainment industry, with the remainder helping to sec...