The Hope Theatre Archives - North West End UK

20Jan

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

London

Totally Fine – The Hope Theatre

A therapist in mandated therapy, what could possibly go wrong? Susanna Wolff’s one-woman dark comedy, Totally Fine, exposes the stresses and strains that come with being a therapist. Her character, a therapist who remains nameless, insists she is ‘totally fine’ and this whole therapy session is pointless. Somehow, that seems unlikely. The script, written by Wolff, is tightly crafted and exceptionally clever. Even the seemingly inconsequential jokes having pay offs, combined with a slowly unravelling mystery, keep the audience engaged throughout, culminating in an earned and effective finale. Wolff manages to peel back the layers of our protagonist, deftly dancing between comedy and tragedy without ever losing momentum. Not a single line is wasted, no mean feat in a one-person show. W...

18Mar

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Cold, Dark Matters – The Hope Theatre

It is said that curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought him back. It is also said that you shouldn’t go sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, and that good advice is almost certain to be ignored. Cold, Dark Matters is a very curious play, and every aspect of its production at the Hope Theatre is morbidly satisfying. Altogether more thought provoking than it has any right to be, this fun, dark tale is neither cynical nor vapid, instead approaching its murky subject matter with a refreshingly forthright earnestness, much the way one might attempt to earn the respect of a particularly wilful horse, or an intimidatingly intimate crowd. Writer and performer Jack Brownridge Kelly doesn’t bother with charming the audience, he simply gets straight to work, and wins them over by be...

23Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Body 115 – The Hope Theatre

In an extremely warm theatre, I watched poet and writer Jan Noble, create imagery with verse, a necromancer of inventive poetic speech, searingly powerful, and infinitely watchable. Body 115 is a homage to Dante’s Divine Comedy, delving into the underworld with its decay and death. Jan Noble’s one-man show sees Body 115, who is one of the long unidentified victims of the King’s Cross fire in 1987, the 31st victim, who lies in the earth, has memories of fire, and an horrific death. Following the dramatic nature of The Divine Comedy, body 115 becomes Virgil, who guided Dante, and represents human reason. For those unaware of Dante’s Divine Comedy, it is a poem written by Dante Alighieri, during the 14th century, which is divided into three parts, the Inferno, Purgatorio,...

11Aug

By Anisha PucadyilNo Comments

London

The Bareback Kings – The Hope Theatre

Hilarious, energetic and satirical comedy all rolled up in one. The Bareback Kings together since 2017 made up of Lynsey Bonnell, Rebecca Schuster, Juliet Morrish and Francesca Reid. Masters of their game from on point contour makeup to editing and ‘mansplaining’ they guarantee an evening of guffaws and chortles. The drag-king comedy group effortlessly saunters through improvisation, cabaret and sketch. The show begins with the Drag kings breaking out into a synchronized choreography with lip syncing to match that would make Nsync blush. The beats of the show explore themes of connection between audience members. Through the show there is a strong critique of the social assumptions, reinforcement of consent, and topical discussions about the threat of Barbie on the modern man....

<strong>Iphigenia – The Hope Theatre</strong>

14Jan

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Iphigenia – The Hope Theatre

This take on a Greek classic directed by Elsie Yager focuses on how a woman may submit herself to a brutal ending. Set in a bedroom designed by TK Hay with all white props, against a red and black floor, it hints at the drama and tragedy, but the intimacy conveys the feeling of a lived experience. We enter the space with Iphigenia (Karen Barredo) sat incessantly brushing her hair solemnly. The chorus members manifest as real people in video interviews projected onto the bed and wall. Without an introduction to the people in the videos, I searched for the link between them and Iphigenia. I eventually understood that those interviewed were foreshadowing and reflecting upon Iphigenia’s experiences as a woman but throughout different eras. Alongside these, Iphigenia passes through the stage...

15Oct

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

The Moors – The Hope Theatre

‘Tis the season for spooky revivals, cobwebbed drama & cheap Halloween tat in the supermarkets. Creeping into this uneven milieu, like fog from an icy lake is the professional premiere of Jen Silverman’s gothic romp, The Moors. Silverman has taken Bronte as a backbone and given the whole haunted hoo-ha a queer, feminist twist, with a knowing nod to the comedic quirks of the genre. The excellent cast, all graduated from full time actor training in the jaws of the pandemic, with much of their theatrical education gleaned online. It’s a joy to see fresh talent claiming the stage and given an opportunity to flex their chops. As a venue, The Hope is a prime example of ‘black box’ theatre in a poky room above a pub. In a such an intense, cheek-by-jowl environment, there’s n...

A Good Time Was Had by All – The Hope Theatre

9Apr

By Khushboo ShahNo Comments

London

A Good Time Was Had by All – The Hope Theatre

A black box theatre, dimly lit, with a lack-lustre dinner table placed at the centre, invites the audience to settle on chairs laid on nearly all four sides of the room. The suspenseful score foreshadows the action in the play and Liz (played by Bethany Monk-Lane) inconspicuously starts setting up the table, arranging it with precision and control. Her serious demeanour yet again foreshadows what is to unfold- stark, bizarre, and powerful. Written and directed by Sam Smithson, A Good Time Was Had by All poses important questions about exercising justice and blows the extent to which one can go to take a stand - “I acted when it mattered.” A dinner party hosted by Liz, who has recently returned from a war zone, for a bunch of university friends quickly turns into a surreal amalgamation o...