Riverside Studios Archives - Page 3 of 6

21Mar

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Sisyphean Quick Fix – Riverside Studios

Few plays handle the quiet complexities of family duty with as much tenderness as ‘Sisyphean Quick Fix’, Bettina Paris’ semi-autobiographical debut now playing at Riverside Studios. Set between London and Malta, the story follows two sisters, Krista and Pip, forced to confront the worsening alcoholism of their father, a man whose reckless behaviour has long been their shared burden. Paris plays Krista, a struggling actor in London juggling auditions and bar shifts, while Tina Rizzo’s character, Pip remains in Malta, holding down a steady job and a seemingly more conventional life. What unfolds is a careful dissection of how physical distance can breed resentment, as the sisters wrestle with uneven responsibilities, and the question of what anyone truly owes a parent who repeatedly hits ...

14Feb

By Klervi GavetNo Comments

London

Ordinary Madness – Riverside Studios

“There’s a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out, but I pour whiskey on him and inhale cigarette smoke.” Bukowski’s famous poem opens Ordinary Madness, the latest literature-based production from international ensemble company Art Theatre London. Cleverly staged into a series of sleek vignettes, the production attempts to stitch together Bukowski’s short stories and poems, but something crucial fails to connect. Bukowski’s world is dirty, grim, and visceral — his words make you taste the cigarette smoke, smell the sweat, and inhale the sensual perversion of our human condition. Here, under Anya Viller’s direction, the show too often feels like a sleek Drama Center showcase of its best and brightest: too safe, too clean, too polished. The young, dynamic cast struggles to capture ...

4Feb

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Second Best – Riverside Studios

Asa Butterfield is immaculate in Barney Norris' one-man tragicomedy. A mixture of playful and self-deprecating, the play, based on David Foenkino's novel, explores the cumulative impact of childhood trauma. Martin (Butterfield), who is at the brink of fatherhood, becomes troubled by past wounds. He recounts his experiences which all ultimately stem from losing the part of a lifetime - Harry Potter. Like a gawky, wry man you'd find in a British sitcom, Butterfield prances across the stage. His body moves erratically, finding expression before his words can catch up. The tone is conversational. Casual. But we see his dry wit progressively morph into a gritted teeth-resentment. The slow build is structured wonderfully. Martin begins half jokingly recounting his story, aware of its r...

14Jan

By Ralph JeffreysNo Comments

London

10 Nights – Riverside Studios

10 Nights is a funny and earnest play that sadly fails to live up to its full potential. The play follows Yasser, played by Adeel Ali, who decides to undertake I’tikaf, a 10-day period of isolation, prayer and spiritual cleansing at the end of Ramadan. For Yasser, more interested in TikTok than religion, this is a daunting prospect. One of the play’s strengths is in the themes it sets out to explore. Of these, imposter syndrome and social exclusion feature prominently. Yasser is made to feel uncomfortable by religious busybodies. His impassioned assertion that the mosque is supposed to be a place for everyone produced audible reactions of affirmation from the audience. Yet most of the play’s themes feel underexplored. Yasser is a character wracked by a central guilt, but we never fully ...

The King of Broken Things – Riverside Studios

20Dec

By Zak RosenNo Comments

London

The King of Broken Things – Riverside Studios

At the start of The King of Broken Things, we enter into a space full of lost, discarded objects. We sit. We contemplate the items around us – well loved, full of potential. A young child arrives, fleeing bullies, and then, having pushed out their cruel, overwhelming voices, shares with us what it means to be broken, what it means to mend and what possibilities exist for us when we dream, imagine and believe. The King of Broken Things, written and directed by Michael Taylor-Broderick, who collaborated on the (lovely) design with Bryan Hiles and Darren Peens, is a delightful story for the whole family. Creatively textured and built out, and ever inviting the audience to join in on the fun, whimsy, and heart, the show offers adults and children alike a window into a more joyous, mor...

Slave: A Question of Freedom – Riverside Studios

2Nov

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Slave: A Question of Freedom – Riverside Studios

Slave: A Question of Freedom is a powerful performance that transports the audience to the Nuba Mountains, where we are introduced to Mende Nazer in her childhood. We see Mende with her family, singing, dancing, playing, attending school, and enjoying the wonders of life. This remarkable true story soon shifts gears, confronting us with the brutal reality and horrors inflicted by humankind. We witness the devastation as Mende’s village is raided, families are killed, and children are taken—forced into lives they never wanted or deserved. The play delves into the ongoing existence of modern slavery, vividly portraying the tragic reality that such horrors are still a part of our world. The scenes make references to incidents including sexual violence, murder, female circumcision and many ...

12Sep

By Olivia CoxNo Comments

London

Kim’s Convenience – Riverside Studios

London’s theatre scene has no shortage of productions inspired by TV shows, from Stranger Things to Fawlty Towers. Kim’s Convenience, on the other hand, is the rarer example of a successful play that spawned an even more successful TV adaptation. Over 13 years since its first debut at Toronto Film Festival (and nearly six since the premiere of the Netflix sitcom it inspired) Ins Choi’s Korean-Canadian family comedy has debuted in London, transferring to Riverside Studios after a sell-out run at Park Theatre. In this Esther Jun directed production, Choi takes on the role of patriarch Mr. Kim, fondly known as Appa, who owns and runs a neighbourhood convenience store with the reluctant help of his daughter Janet (Jennifer Kim). With new condos springing up across the area and the impend...

19Jul

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

The Defamation – Riverside Studios

Presented as part of the Riverside Studios Bitesize Festival, this is an intriguing piece of theatre written by Zen Tucker. Said to be inspired by the events of the Depp versus Heard defamation lawsuit in the US, it is situated in a liminal space between life and death. Five of Shakespeare's best-known female characters are obliged to spend interminable time awaiting the decision of an afterlife court as to whether they should be dispatched to heaven or hell. The setting is a library with somewhat irregular shelves and two small tables. The characters are Desdemona, Lady Macbeth, Hermione, Ophelia and Hero. For those not familiar with Shakespeare, the character sheet provides a useful summary of their roles their respective plays. The play, which is written in blank verse, involves the ...

17Jul

By Louise PennNo Comments

London

Knives and Forks – Riverside Studios

In Danielle James's ambitious but uneven play, Iris and Thalia live in a flat share. Firm friends who share a life of carefree partying and fun. But Iris is hiding a catastrophic secret that will rip their world apart. Knives and Forks, directed by Annah Calascione, has a strong story at its heart, one of love and acceptance in the face of the ultimate ending. Where it becomes a little problematic is in the additional elements utilised to tell this story. Both Iris and Thalia have shadows, or 'psyches' who dress like them and express themselves through movement and words or art, added to a huge canvas backdrop. Now and again, it is a clever shorthand to highlight what is not being said. But as both an emotional device, and a practical one to tell us where we are in the non-linear...

10Jul

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Home, Sweet Home – Riverside Studios

Amalia Kontesi's contribution to Riverside Studio's "Bitesize Festival" of short plays explores the concept of home. Ellie lives in London, working in a high-paid marketing job which she hates, having left behind her parents and brother in Athens. Is "home" in London, Athens, or the summer cottage by the sea that the family scraped together the means to buy, and which Ellie and her brother adored? Ellie has returned to the cottage in order to sort it out prior to putting it on the market. As she reminisces about the wonderful summer times by the sea, the fun, her first kiss, first love and subsequent heartbreak, sibling rivalry and eventual loss, can she bring herself to sell up or does she need to hold onto this house that holds so many memories? Is the cottage her home now? Behind this...