Lyric Hammersmith Archives - North West End UK

22Mar

By Jennifer LaishleyNo Comments

London

Faith Healer – Lyric Hammersmith

This season the Lyric in Hammersmith are showcasing some of the best classic pieces of British and Irish Theatre for modern audiences. Faith Healer was written by Brian Friel in the 1970s and will appeal mostly to audience’s who lived through or understand the political context of the time. Rachel O’Riordan’s direction is imaginative and powerful use of spacing helps to lift moments in this play. However, the stream of consciousness nature of the monologues in the play could lose some audience members. The key flaw here being that this is a play from another Era and audiences today will only give an awkward chuckle to moments that would have initially intended to fill a room with hysteria. Nonetheless, as Rachel O’Riordan describes ‘some of the best British and Irish talent around’ have b...

Kafka’s Metamorphosis – Lyric Hammersmith

7Feb

By Jennifer LaishleyNo Comments

London

Kafka’s Metamorphosis – Lyric Hammersmith

Frantic Assembly’s production of Kafka’s Metamorphosis is an outstanding piece of theatre that is certainly West End worthy! This is physical theatre deployed at its finest. Metamorphosis promises audiences an evening of suspenseful drama, curated by a team of incredible actors that are supported by stunning visual effects. Frantic Assembly is one of the leading British Theatre practitioners that are known for their storytelling through physical nuance. Frantic assembly certainly explores the brutalist in Kafka’s Metamorphosis both through the physical and vocal performances of the actors. Writer Lemn Sissay has worked closely with director Scott Graham to bring their vision to life, adapting the script throughout the rehearsal process so that this piece of theatre has metamorphosed in...

4Dec

By Jennifer LaishleyNo Comments

London

Cinderella – Lyric Hammersmith

Lyric Hammersmith’s annual panto promises endless family fun in this modern retelling of Cinderella. In this story Cinderella is a thriving business woman who isn’t quite honest about how hard life is on Instagram. Filled with recognisable songs with a cheeky panto twist, this panto is not to be missed. The Lyric Theatre runs as a Charity and offers a number of complementary tickets to local schools during the panto season and also runs a number of initiatives to support the local community theatre scene. Despite the charitable status, the lyric is still able to mount a West End level show! Tilly La Belle Yengo used fantastic vocals as Cinderella. She led the cast effortlessly, pacing the play perfectly, enjoying some comical moments of interaction with the audience. Tilly’s Cindere...

12Oct

By Khushboo ShahNo Comments

London

The Empress – Lyric Hammersmith

Tanika Gupta takes on the mammoth task of weaving three narratives spanning over 13 years marking the golden era of the British Empire under the rule of Queen Victoria with her Golden Jubilee celebration. Directed by Pooja Ghai, The Empress reveals the larger truths about Asians, especially Indian Ayahs and lascars in Victorian Britain. A boat carries Rani (Tanya Katyal), an Indian Ayah accompanying a British family, Hari (Aaron Gill), a lascar/sailor, political leaders Dadabhai Naoroji (Simon Rivers), Gandhi (Anish Roy), and Abdul Karim (Raj Bajaj), an Indian servant meant to be a gift to Queen Victoria for her golden jubilee, to the cold British Isles, all with different expectations and dreams. As their narratives progress, colonial atrocities are revealed. While a 16-year-old Rani ...

The Good Person of Szechwan – Lyric Hammersmith

22Apr

By Khushboo ShahNo Comments

London

The Good Person of Szechwan – Lyric Hammersmith

To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the first performance of Bertolt Brecht’s The Good Person of Szechwan, Lyric Hammersmith is an ideal home with its aim of reinventing classics. Boldly translated by Nina Segal, and directed by Anthony Lau, this rendition is surreal, emotionally unsettling, and powerful! True to Brecht’s convention of theatre, but ripped off its extreme didacticism, the creative team should take a bow for cohesively repositioning the production with oomph and wonder. The play begins with Wang, the water seller (Leo Wan) prancing in a swim-suit and flippers, mocking the city-dwellers and their stupidity in paying money for a free resource like water as he waits for the Gods (Nick Blakeley, Callum Coates, Tim Samuels) who appear in pristine white toga outfits whi...

Accidental Death of an Anarchist – Lyric Hammersmith

20Mar

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Accidental Death of an Anarchist – Lyric Hammersmith

Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist is justifiably championed as a paragon of political theatre. It’s a satirical farce, focussed on police corruption and collusion with right-wing agitators. The play premiered in 1970 and was inspired by the 1969 Piazza Fontana bombing and the very suspicious death of Giuseppe Pinelli, while being interrogated by the police. Why would a 50-year-old Italian comedy still have relevance today? Hmmm. Well, Lord Scarman’s 1981 report into the Met’s handling of the Brixton riots recommended major changes to police training and law enforcement. In ’93, after the murder of Stephen Lawrence, the Macpherson Report found the Met’s investigation was “marred by a combination of professional incompetence, institutional racism and a failure of leadership”. T...

<strong>Othello – Lyric Hammersmith</strong>

25Jan

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Othello – Lyric Hammersmith

Frantic Assembly bring back their widely celebrated production of Othello adapted and directed by Scott Graham at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith. This modernised show follows Othello (Michael Akinsulire), the leader of a gang in a pub setting. They protect this area of land through violence shown in a series of movement pieces and dances. Desdemona (Chanel Waddock), daughter of gang member meets Othello in a montage hitting it off straight away, exuding with sexual connection and quite quickly becoming the metaphorical king and queen of the pack. In the background, Iago (Joe Layton) looks at this relationship as a threat and therefore creates his plan of revenge. The revenge? I’m not too sure- it could be the rumours that he has slept with his wife, Emilia (Kirsty Stuart) or simply just...

<strong>Jack and the Beanstalk – Lyric Hammersmith Theatre</strong>

27Nov

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Jack and the Beanstalk – Lyric Hammersmith Theatre

Widely acknowledged as a staple part of the festive celebrations, pantomime has a long theatrical history in the UK, performed up and down the country during Christmas and New Year, with the expected, cookie cutter format, with singing, dancing, cross-dressing and slapstick humour, along with a healthy dose of topical references and audience participation. It’s not often you would describe a pantomime as quality theatrical production, they are usually lots of fun, something for the kids to enjoy, and a mixed bag of talent, but the creative team at the Lyric Hammersmith has raised the bar this year with this year's production, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’, written by Jude Christian and Sonia Jalaly, and directed by Nicholai La Barrie. The team has kept all of the essential pantomime elements b...

22Jul

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Closer – Lyric Hammersmith

An obituary writer’s life is changed when he meets Alice, a reckless free spirit. Her habit of not looking as she crosses the road lands her in hospital where the two have flirtatious banter with Alice seeking intimacy through bizarre personal questions. From there unfolds the messy interweaving of four characters’ lives as they struggle and scheme to hold onto love or what they think is love. Patrick Marber’s play, first performed in 1997 feels as relevant and as shocking as it would have been then. With hints of the 90s as well as modern aspects and a minimalistic bright red stage designed by Soutra Gilmour, it gives the story a timeless feel. Marber’s dialogue fascinates and entertains, particularly the consistently surprising quips from Larry’s character. It was engaging and intrig...

2Jun

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Britannicus – Lyric Hammersmith

This intense adaptation by Timberlake Wertenbaker and directed by Arti Banerjee explores a dictator’s rise to power and the intense jealousy that bubbles in those that seemingly have the love of a nation but no genuine love around them. This is the inciting fire for Nero to punish his brother Britannicus by demanding his love Junia for his own, in hopes that it’ll settle that lacking inside him and banish any enemies that threaten his position on the throne. However, with this tragedy you get a real inside of Nero’s vulnerability towards his mother and how her passiveness has affected how he loves other people, a man who is the most powerful leader in the world seeking only the approval of his mother and in not getting it, turns to resentment and devastation onto others. Nero played fa...