Riverside Studios Archives - Page 2 of 3

Alan Turing – A Musical Biography to play Studio 3 at Riverside Studios

10Dec

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Alan Turing – A Musical Biography to play Studio 3 at Riverside Studios

Alan Turing – A Musical Biography will play Studio 3 at Riverside Studios from 8th – 27th January. ‘A genius who ended up in despair’. Directed by Jane Miles, with music by Joel Goodman and Jan Osborne, book by Joan Greening, lighting design by Rob Dyer, and starring Joe Bishop as ‘Alan Turing’ and Zara Cooke as multiple roles including Joan Clarke. This OffFest award-nominated show was a sold-out hit at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe, where it garnered great critical acclaim. A journey through the extraordinary life of Alan Turing, the genius whose code breaking brain saved approximately fourteen million lives in WW2. Joel Goodman said, “I am delighted to be bringing Alan Turing A Musical Biography to London, and very much looking forward to our run at Riverside Studios. ...

8Oct

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Othello – Riverside Studios

The features which set this production of Othello apart are its length, only 100 minutes without an interval, and the casting of three actors to play the villain Iago. A full production of the Othello text would probably run to about three and a half hours although few productions are totally uncut. So, cutting it down so severely inevitably means that a lot of the background and subtlety of Shakespeare's text is lost, although the main plotline was preserved and presented in Shakespeare's language. The casting of the three Iago's was the defining characteristic of this production. The director Sinead Rushe, had apparently explored a similar methodology with Hamlet and says in an informative interview in the programme that this was intended to underline the conflict...

Run to the Nuns The Musical – Riverside Studios

15Jul

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Run to the Nuns The Musical – Riverside Studios

It was a curious, rich and unique evening. The first hiccup to curse Run to the Nuns was a technical hitch, which meant the show opened over 30 minutes late. It was their first night. The upside was that the mysterious delay meant there was ample time for cocktails from the bar. In addition to unruly wires in the theatre, the box office printer broke down. A member of staff wrote out a ticket for me with a biro. It was very analogue. And slightly chaotic. I was into it.We were informed that the performers’ microphones had been abandoned. Instead, they’d be singing without electrical amplification. Tech gremlins were forcing a spontaneous descent into the unplugged old school. Our usher didn’t even check tickets when we finally piled into Studio 3. ‘Just get in and grab a seat,’ she begg...

29Jun

By Ely KingNo Comments

London

Tarantino Live – Riverside Studios

Quentin Tarantino is a name that everyone has heard at least once, whether you’re an avid fan of the movies, or have just heard the name in conversation, this industry juggernaut is known for some of the most classic films in history, so it simply makes sense for a show to be made surrounding his work. Whilst it is widely advertised as a musical, it is more of a cabaret/live show. Singing, dancing and photos/videos are all allowed and encouraged – providing that you are still respectful to those around you and the actors, so stay in your seat and don’t take photos with flash. This encouragement of crowd involvement creates such an exciting air around the show, with excited cheers coming from the audience at classic movie moments being recreated onstage. This production stars the Fox ...

1Jun

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

I Found My Horn – Riverside Studios

What mark are we leaving? What can provide for sense? Is there anything to give wings to our life? In this production of I Found My horn, based on the book by Jasper Rees, with direction by Harry Burton and performed by Jonathan Guy Lewis, the audience delves into questions of existential dimension with a kind perspective, and navigating through the difficulties of music, art, and life. The play starts in an attic overcrowded by objects, many of which are covered by old rags, as if in hiding while waiting for the action to begin. When a hatch opens on the left, letting the light come in, it is as if magic were happening, and the actor were coming from deep beneath the stage. The physical space will barely change during the piece, but we will be taken to different times and spaces, an...

24Mar

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

Killing the Cat – Riverside Studios

Can music and speech give fundamental answers to the questions that seem impossible to answer? Can we address the whys and what for of our existence through sound and bodies? Killing the Cat, the new musical with book and lyrics by Warner Brown and music by Joshua Schmidt, undertakes a very ambitious task, both dealing with very complex and interesting topics, while trying to develop a new and unique language in musical theatre. While the play does not reach those goals, it is undoubtedly a refined clockwork, performed with exquisite harmony. When going into the hall, the audience is met by a beautiful white set, designed by Lee Newby, where lights and colours designed by Jamie Platt will combine during the play, joining the music to display the different stages through which the cha...

How To Break Out of a Detention Centre – Riverside Studios

2Mar

By Marita MatarNo Comments

London

How To Break Out of a Detention Centre – Riverside Studios

“I was born in a strange century where people are taken to jail because they were born with a heart that beats for honesty and justice” – Nawal el Saadawi (Memoirs from the Women’s Prisons, 1984). It is with deep solidarity that the production paid tribute to women in detention centres in the UK, and it is with tremendous honesty that art consolidated with social causes brings justice to women in detention, choosing to sensibilise the public’s eye rather than choosing to stay silent. Allowing visibility for women suffering because of multiple systems of oppressions for a staged production is an empathetic choice by nature. How To Break Out of a Detention Center? A compelling world premiere of a female migrant led international co-production from BÉZNĂ Theatre and Romanian theatre compan...

13Feb

By Gonzalo SentanaNo Comments

London

Cirque Berserk! – Riverside Studios

Imagine you could fly. Imagine that the air is your house, and that floating above the ground is where you thrive and show your true self, shining and gliding without any efforts. And then, you will understand what it feels to see Cirque Berserk! Celebrating its tenth anniversary with a series of performances in Riverside Studios, this amazing theatre-circus spectacular combines contemporary circus-style artistry with a very traditional circus feeling in some of its acts. Inside of the stage, from the very beginning of the performance there is a huge cage in the shape of a ball, creating anticipation for what is presented as the main event, although every single moment of this show is charged with as much adrenaline and astonishing acrobatics. Starting with a group of acrobats jumpin...

12Feb

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

David Copperfield – Riverside Studios

David Copperfield is one of the best-loved of Charles Dickens' novels and is believed to be at least a semi-autobiographical narration of his life. He said that Copperfield was always his "favourite child". Dickens' family were extremely poor; he was forced as a young boy to work in a factory in conditions that informed his later efforts to achieve social reform by highlighting the cruel lives of London's poorest. Dickens ensured that his writings could reach the general public by publishing in magazines, so that the poorer in society could read them when they could not afford books. Simon Reade's innovative adaptation re-imagines the story as a Victorian Music Hall performance, a popular form of theatre in the 19th century, which reflects the period of Dickens' and Copperfield's lif...

<strong>Pericles – Riverside Studios</strong>

11Nov

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Pericles – Riverside Studios

Flute Theatre’s Pericles begins with a hushed stage as the performers sit quietly on benches facing the audience. The sombre silence borders on ritualistic as we wait for the drama to unfold. The story begins in King Antiochus' palace. When Pericles finds out about the incest within the kingdom, Antiochus sends someone to kill him. Pericles' flight starts a long voyage through which he falls in love but then endures several tragedies. Flute Theatre specialises in staging productions of Shakespeare for autistic individuals. Scenes are cleverly brought to life with impressive movement direction and choreography by Juan Sanchez Plaza. This made the play visually captivating, and the masterfully seamless transitions kept it light and dynamic. With strong physicality and emotive expre...