Park Theatre Archives - Page 3 of 4

19Apr

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Snowflakes – Park Theatre

What is the logical end game of ‘cancel culture’ and digital pile-ons? In many ways, the ongoing culture wars indicate that society has barely moved on from villagers with pitchforks and crowds of cheering peasants at public executions. We might not be buying rocks to stone the condemned, instead, we’re doing it with clicks and retweets. Robert Boulton’s Snowflakes tackles this unsightly quirk of human nature with a dark satire that is gripping, provocative and grimly entertaining. Dissident Theatre’s first production has elements of Sartre’s No Exit coursing through its veins. Three characters are holed up in a room together and the audience are invited to relish their discomforts and work out what brought them together in this way. ‘Hell is other people,’ the infamous quote from Jean-...

25Mar

By Dave SmithNo Comments

London

Leaving Vietnam – Park Theatre

On a career break in my late 20s, I spent a few months in Southeast Asia. I followed the well-trod backpacker's routes to the standard tourist sites and the occasional pub. These days most of us know the Vietnam War through pop culture like Robin Williams wishing us good morning or Marlon Brando telling of terrors. When I went to Vietnam, all I really knew was from pop culture. One of the first things I did was visit the Vietnam Military History Museum and I will never forget the moment the guide pointed out to me that of course in Vietnam, they call it the “American War”. Leaving Vietnam is a monologue written and performed by Richard Vergette about an American Vietnam vet. Jimmy wasn’t drafted, he signed up to become a marine and spent a tour in Vietnam, in the jungle, interrogating v...

21Feb

By Zoё MeeresNo Comments

London

The Beach House – Park Theatre

Arriving at the theatre last night to find an almost full choice of unreserved seats I instantly regretted tucking myself into a corner and wondered if I’d get the most out of the four-sided stage. I needn’t have worried, though; and was heartened to see that Director Bethany Pitts’s biography includes Jules and Juniper, which was my North West End UK pick of 2022. The Beach House was reminiscent of this in terms of the fluidity and the smoothness of movement – fitting for a play set by the sea. The performers make full use of a tight space and are in almost constant motion – physically and maybe emotionally too. This is complemented by the gentle use of lighting which perfectly moves the action through time, from a dawn interrupted by a crying new born to New Year’s Eve fireworks. &nbs...

<strong>First major revival in 20 years of Neil Labute’s The Shape of Things</strong>

24Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

First major revival in 20 years of Neil Labute’s The Shape of Things

Trish Wadley Productions, in association with Park Theatre, today announce a major revival of Neil LaBute’s acclaimed play The Shape of Things in Park200. Nicky Allpress directs, with set and costume design by Peter Butler. Casting is to be announced. The production opens on 30 May, with previews from 24th May, and runs until 1st July. From the producers of Clybourne Park, this will be the first major revival of The Shape of Things since 2004 – a dark comedy about the drama of human relationships and the nature of love and art. How far would you go for love? For art? What would you be willing to change? What price might you pay? Adam, a geeky young student, works part-time in an art museum and video store to pay his way through college. When he meets post-grad art student Evelyn, his...

<strong>The Elephant Song – Park Theatre</strong>

24Jan

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

The Elephant Song – Park Theatre

When a psychiatrist misses work unexpectedly the head of the hospital, Doctor Greenberg (Jon Osbaldeston) covers for him. One of the patients, Michael (Gwithian Evans) claims to know Doctor Lawrence’s whereabouts but will only cooperate if he gets something in return. Nicolas Billon’s cleverly plotted script teems with intrigue, as two mysteries unravel throughout the play; Doctor Lawrence’s disappearance and Michael’s past related to his peculiar obsession with elephants. As he saunters in singing with abandon, we hear him before we see him, which already establishes the notion of prejudice in the play. Evans’ portrayal of Michael is immaculate, from his jerky movements to the playful yet calculating gaze. His sharp delivery indicates a disregard for social norms and Evans gives us a s...

<strong>On The Ropes – Park Theatre</strong>

11Jan

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

On The Ropes – Park Theatre

Justice delayed is justice denied. ‘On the ropes’ is an autobiographical musical of Vernon Vanriel, co-written with Dougie Blaxland. The thought-provoking play recreates the life and hardships faced by Vernon Vanriel in 12 rounds. The play centres on the experience of a charismatic lightweight boxer from his rise to fame to his challenges with poverty, bipolar and coke. Until his painful marooning on the Jamaican Islands due to insensitive and unjust home office rules. It is a testament to the 57,000 people affected by the Windrush Scandal and those ‘whose rights and freedom are denied by arbitrary acts of injustice.’ Amber James and Ashley D Gayle accompanying our protagonist enthusiastically bring the chorus to life. They portray the entire gamut of accents, pathos, kindness and gr...

<strong>Rumpelstiltskin – Park Theatre</strong>

17Dec

By Khushboo ShahNo Comments

London

Rumpelstiltskin – Park Theatre

Offie Award Winner Charles Court Opera presents an action-packed pantomime Rumpelstiltskin this festive season at The Park Theatre written and directed by John Savournin. The classic tale by Brothers Grimm breaks into a unique plot tracing the adventure of a greedy Rumpelstiltskin as he journeys towards reclaiming his identity after having forgotten his name to Dreamcatcher’s vicious ploy. On this journey, this consumeristic little goblin comes across several interesting characters in different places, offshoots of different classics at the mercy of the Dreamcatcher. Some help him, some ditch him. How does he reclaim his identity and what changes in him? The Panto opens with a delightful musical track ‘Once upon a time’ performed by Emily Cairns, Tamoy Phipps and Lucy Whitney dramatisin...

<strong>Wickies: The Vanishing Men of Eilean Mor – Park Theatre</strong>

11Dec

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Wickies: The Vanishing Men of Eilean Mor – Park Theatre

Park Theatre have teamed up once again with the team that gave us ‘When Darkness Falls’ in 2021. This play delves into the mystery of the disappearance of three ‘wickies’ (lighthouse-keepers), who were staffing a lighthouse on one of the remote islands in the Outer Hebrides called Eilean Mor in December 1900. Their task was to keep the light always working to aid ships in the hostile seas and severe weather. Eilean Mor was uninhabited apart from the lighthouse keepers. As the play explains, this is the bleakest place on earth to do your wickie shift, and the weather was particularly bad when the men went missing. Their disappearance was discovered after a particularly bad storm hit Eilean Mor, and the supply vessel managed to reach the island after being de...

22Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

A Single Man – Park Theatre

Tonight, I had the pleasure of experiencing a near perfect night at the theatre. People, place, performances - to steal a well-known phrase, everything was coming up Zoë and I could not have been happier about it. Arriving at the brightly lit, inviting Park Theatre I was warmly greeted by the super-accommodating front of house, acquired a delightful glass of rose and found my seat. The stage is surrounded on three sides, and the front row of the audience’s knees are level with the stage. I’ve personally never been a fan of this set up, it’s always felt a bit too intimate somehow and if any of the action gets too close to you it’s a bit like being sat on the floor in a school assembly staring at teacher’s feet. Luckily, I was sucked into the action and after about 15 minutes any discomfo...

26Sep

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

SUS – Park Theatre

Writer Barrie Keeffe’s social and political drama examines unemployment, institutional racism in the Police and the use of SUS law (suspect under suspicion) which was incorporated into the 1824 Vagrancy Act. This stop and search section of the act was used extensively, particularly targeting people of colour and it allowed the Police to make the lives of their victims extremely uncomfortable. SUS is set on the eve of the 1979 election victory by Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives, which ousted James Callaghan’s Labour from office. The two policemen on duty, Karn (Alexander Neal) and Wilby (Fergal Coghlan) both support the conservative cause, largely due to Thatcher’s support of more stringent laws to support the police in their duties. Thatcher’s speech ‘Where there ...