Lily Arnold Archives - North West End UK

26Sep

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Consumed – Sheffield Playhouse

The aptly named play Consumed, written by Karis Kelly won the Women’s Prize for Playwriting in 2022, is a dark, deliciously humorous yet disturbing drama, set around the kitchen table in Northern Ireland. It is Eileen’s 90th birthday party and her daughter Gilly, granddaughter Jenny and great granddaughter Muireann gather for the first time in three years to celebrate. However, the cracks; long since painfully covered; appear in this intentionally slow burning and powerful script. Expertly written, the intergenerational differences of Northern Irish women is laid bare - with all its historical ‘Troubles’, trauma and repressed family tension. With ‘food’, perception and more than one skeleton in the cupboard, this four performer play has first rate performances that are unnerving from the o...

4Aug

By Tom ScottNo Comments

Scotland

Consumed – Traverse Theatre

Playwright Karis Kelly believes in challenging audiences even if that makes them feel uncomfortable. And she certainly does that in ‘Consumed’ which opens the lid on a dysfunctional family in Northern Ireland. Four generations of women gather in Bangor to celebrate the 90th birthday of Eileen who lives with Gilly, her 65 year old daughter. Gilly’s daughter, Jenny, aged 40, and her 14 year-old daughter, Muireann, fly over from London for the occasion. Eileen wears a party hat as the play starts, but there is tension in the air as Gilly returns from her last minute shopping. And things don’t get any better when Jenny and Muireann arrive. This is not an easy watch. Light moments are few and far between. And in fact what starts as a naturalistic kitchen sink drama develops into someth...

17Oct

By Sadie PearsonNo Comments

London

Toto Kerblammo! – Unicorn Theatre

Isolation in community, courage in adversity, the bravery it takes to feel – to love. Toto Kerblammo! is a tale from a furry friend which is deeply, tenderly human. Effy, played by Peyvand Sadeghian, is struck with tragedy. Sent to live with her aunt and uncle as her mother recovers from a nervous breakdown, in a flat block which doesn’t allow dogs. Little do her aunt and uncle know, however, that the ‘no-pets-allowed’ rules haven’t been followed. Using 3D binaural audio technology, the audience wear headphones to experience Effy’s world. Felipe Pacheco as Effy’s beloved dog Toto not only takes the stage but narrates Effy’s story through the headset directly into your ears, ASMR-like at times, demanding that to appreciate it all you must “really listen”. Audio performances from Ma...

The Boy at the Back of the Class – Sheffield Lyceum

6Mar

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Boy at the Back of the Class – Sheffield Lyceum

Sheffield Lyceum opened its doors and its generational spanning heart to the adaptation of Onjali Q. Rauf’s well known and much loved book A Boy at the Back of the Class. Adapter Nick Ahad’s does not disappoint in his stage version, retaining all the wit, the power of a collective sense of humanity and the eternal hope we all deserve to experience. Monique Touko as Director strives to paint a desired world stating, ‘May this play push for further actions of kindness, promote equality and depict a world where people are seen as people’. Aimed at children, teachers and parents alike this production is a full, dynamic and impactful theatrical experience bringing the characters and their story to life. The set and costume design by Lily Arnold creates the backdrop of a school setting with P...