Stuart Thompson Archives - North West End UK

I have heard Cleansed be described as unreviewable. Is this owing to its explicit, horrific imagery? Or its polarisation of audiences into the enthused and the disgusted? Tinkler, a doctor-drug-dealer, acts as puppeteer to lovers Rod and Carl; to siblings-turned lovers Graham and Grace; and to the juvenile Robin. Set in a university - although deeply unclear until spelled out by Dan Rebellato’s poignant programme notes - the trios and pairs of people are stretched to their limit. The initial scenes take on surreal stakes. The smallest of choices bear the greatest of consequences. The question of why these choices are made seem to be the play’s very pulse. The choreography was captivating, unsurprising given it is a recognisable Frecknall feature. Muscular contractions are reminiscent...

Radiant Boy is a unique, evocative, and intensely personal play that explores a young man’s relationship with his mother, his sexuality, and his faith. Russell has returned home after a ‘sickness’ prevented him from continuing his singing training in London. Unsure of how else to help Russell, his mother Maud has called a Priest who specialises in supernatural occurrences. Part kitchen-sink drama, part Exorcist style horror, Nancy Netherwood’s script effortlessly moves from understated but heartfelt conversations between a mother and son one moment and a dramatic exorcism the next. Her use of music, particularly traditional folk and New Wave, not only add to the atmosphere of the play but also embody Russell’s internal struggle. As Netherwood says in her Playwright’s note, folk and New Wav...

Tag: Stuart Thompson

Cleansed – The Almeida

Radiant Boy: A Haunting – Southwark Playhouse Borough