Southwark Playhouse Archives - North West End UK

Land of the Free – Southwark Playhouse, Borough

16Oct

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Land of the Free – Southwark Playhouse, Borough

That Abraham Lincoln was assassinated while attending a theatrical performance is fairly common knowledge. Much less is generally known about his assassin: John Wilkes Booth. Booth's life is the subject of Simple8's production at the Southwark Playhouse. Booth came from a theatrical family and was himself an actor. It was his familiarity at the Ford theatre in Washington which gave him easy access to the President's private box on the fateful night of April 15 1865. His motivation was unclear, but probably arose from anger at the defeat of the Confederacy during the Civil War, and Lincoln's subsequent decision on the abolition of slavery. These provide the background to the play. The play is highly theatrical. This is appropriate given Booth's theatrical background ...

Julius Caesar – Southwark Playhouse Borough

17Sep

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Julius Caesar – Southwark Playhouse Borough

The Southwark Playhouse Borough’s production of Julius Caesar offers a futuristic reimagining of Shakespeare’s classic tale of political intrigue and the lust for power. While the adaptation remains faithful to the original text and preserves the integrity of Shakespearean language, it falters in its execution, particularly in its attempts to merge modern technological elements with a centuries-old script. The integration of futuristic concepts—such as the use of advanced technology, weapons, and projections—initially seems like a bold choice. The clash between the antiquated language and the modernized aesthetic often feels forced, making it challenging for the audience to remain fully immersed in the world of the play. That said, the production’s technical achievements were impress...

West End and The Greatest Showman star Keala Settle will lead the cast in the UK premiere of the musical Fly More Than You Fall

13Sep

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

West End and The Greatest Showman star Keala Settle will lead the cast in the UK premiere of the musical Fly More Than You Fall

Tony nominated Broadway star Keala Settle is to lead the cast in the UK premiere of the new US musical Fly More Than You Fall at Southwark Playhouse Elephant from 18th October- 23rd November. Based on lived experiences the uplifting and inspiring show navigates grief with some incredible songs that are bound to get stuck in your head! This isn’t just a musical, it’s a journey that will break your heart and mend it all in one night. Keala achieved global fame as the bearded lady Lettie Lutz in the film The Greatest Showman. Her moving rendition of the anthem ‘This is Me’ was a standout song in the movie, going on to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and a video on YouTube has now been watched 82m times. Sh...

I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire – Southwark Playhouse

6Jul

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire – Southwark Playhouse

‘I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire’ takes audiences on a wacky ride, bringing them into the quaint and intimate setting of Southwark Playhouse Borough, which is creatively transformed to resemble a 14-year-old girl’s room. As you might have guessed, this girl is utterly obsessed with Tobey Maguire. Set in 2004, the play is drenched in nostalgia, featuring hit music from the era with songs by Britney Spears, Vanessa Carlton, Natasha Bedingfield, and Avril Lavigne. The story unfolds in Shelby's basement, which she has converted into her personal hub and shrine dedicated to her Tobey Maguire obsession. From the moment the performance begins, Tessa Albertson, playing Shelby, bursts onto the stage with infectious energy. Her portrayal vividly captures the wild infatuation and manic enthus...

1Jun

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

May 35th – Southwark Playhouse Elephant

4th June 1989 – This is the date to remember! But, if you live in China or Hong Kong, this date causes their government to have amnesia, and the Chinese government enforces countrywide amnesia on its people. There is no longer a 4th June 1989 in the Chinese calendar, not one that can be discussed anyway. To disguise discussion, this date is now May 35th, and both the date, and the lives of the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre have been erased from history. In a country where the government uses dehumanisation as a means of controlling its people, this play attempts to overturn this, by bringing together interviews from some of the victim’s families and allows them to speak in one voice. The play centres around a student, Ah Dai who was a hard-working b...

Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-A-Lomp!! – Southwark Playhouse

31May

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-A-Lomp!! – Southwark Playhouse

If you're craving a delightfully exciting blend of retro charm and laugh-out-loud comedy, look no further than ‘Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-A-Lomp!!’ which is currently dazzling audiences at Southwark Playhouse (Borough). Directed by Mark Bell, the genius behind ‘The Play That Goes Wrong,’ this brand-new musical offers a riotous escape to a sun-soaked beach brimming with beach competitions, vibrant characters, and musical nostalgia. The story unfolds on a picturesque sunny, summers day during the famed ‘Beach Romp-Bomp-A-Lomp’ competition, where participants vie for the prestigious titles of King “or” Queen of the Beach. As expected, romance and rivalry intermingle amid a series of increasingly absurd and entertaining challenges. The show cleverly satirizes the conventional jukebox music...

5May

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Captain Amazing – Southwark Playhouse

Good for a laugh and great for a cathartic sob, Alistair McDowall’s Captain Amazing takes only a few minutes (65 give or take) of bedtime storytelling to spin back time and create a whole new universe. The world of Captain Amazing is a sparse one. He goes to work at a store and tells people not to buy things they don’t need, brings chain vouchers on his dates, and lives in an apartment with one chair (and another upstairs if you want him to go and get it). He’s not one to take a stand or cause a fuss but he’ll do his darndest to save an innocent life. Directed by Clive Judd and produced by Matthew Schmolle Productions in partnership with charities working on male mental health and support for single parents, this production is extraordinary. Mark Weinman’s chimerical performance as Capt...

24Apr

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

You Are Going to Die – Southwark Playhouse

It was noteworthy that the Southwark Playhouse was fizzing with an unlikely joi de vivre for the launch of You Are Going to Die. On a Monday? For a ‘nail-biting descent into existential anxiety’? The bar was jumping with a young, up-for-it crowd, and it was mystifying and exciting to be among them. Who told them and why are they here? As a long time supporter of the avant garde, I’ve endured excruciating boredom, genuine fear and questionable thrills, but the audience at such events always leans towards the gothy fringes of artistic society. That crowd were oddly absent and in their place were fresh faced Londoners, keen to party and free from the frosty demeanour of the serious aesthete. In attendance was Michelle Greenidge, who plays Lola, Mandy’s best friend in Diane Morgan’s BBC com...

Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear – Southwark Playhouse

1Apr

By Khushboo ShahNo Comments

London

Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear – Southwark Playhouse

Blackeyed Theatre’s Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear makes its Spring 2024 revival at Southwark Playhouse Borough after a successful run in 2023 across the UK. Adapted and directed for stage by Nick Lane, the play weaves two plots set in the past and the present with stylised, engaging storytelling (Joseph Derrington) and neat choral transitions transporting the audience to a different time where mysteries and adventures are the norm. The play opens with Holmes (Bobby Bradley) decoding a mysterious message signalling “danger” with Dr. Watson (Derrington) and Mrs. Hudson (Alice Osmanski) at the iconic 221B Baker Street. This leads the duo on an adventure to an ancient manor house further unravelling a distant narrative set in Pennsylvanian Vermissa Valley involving a corrupt gang and ...

13Mar

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

London Zoo – Southwark Playhouse

London Zoo is set at the dawn of the Millenium, as print media faced the oncoming juggernaut of online content. Job losses and a decline in quality journalism came in its wake, except in a few rarified and fortunate corners. This play highlights the subtle ways in which prejudice, power and ambition are thinly veiled by passive aggressive marketing jargon, jokey office politics and the cold reality of number crunching. As someone who left print media at the turn of the century and then worked for an online brand that expanded in the boom, I can attest to the accuracy of some of the vibes seen in this odd window onto that period. Much like this fictional news corporation, GAY.com, where I held the role of Editor, imploded due to rapid expansion, shareholder tyranny and phantom accountanc...