Friday, April 26

Tag: The Vaults

<strong>Peter Pan’s Labyrinth – The Vaults</strong>
London

Peter Pan’s Labyrinth – The Vaults

I always think of The Vaults (situated somewhere beneath the rail lines at Waterloo) as a cool if not entirely comfortable venue. A series of tunnels, bright graffiti, neon lighting - it's edgy for sure and a hive for exciting new theatre in an unusual space. So, the set up for Peter Pan's Labyrinth surprised me, although pleasantly so. Set up cabaret style with its own bar and themed cocktails, the effect is welcoming and cosy and were it not for the lack of phone signal I could easily have forgotten where I was. While Peter Pan's Labyrinth doesn't necessarily embrace its natural setting, the production itself is edgy and fun and definitely fits The Vaults' loud, non-conformist vibe. The plot is, simply, daft - Peter Pan needs to get back to Neverland to stop Tinkerbell's wedding,...
Stranger Sings – The Vaults
London

Stranger Sings – The Vaults

Based on the hit Netflix series, Stranger Sings Parody Musical is an entertaining show that will have you laughing from start to finish. With a talented cast playing multiple roles this lively show brings all of your favourite Stranger Things characters to life. Johnathan Houge’s script is hilarious with lots of catchy songs that are glittered with 80’s references. As you enter the theatre you are drawn into the Hawkins set in Will’s house with fairy lights adorning the ceilings and walls. The bar is done up like Hopper’s cabin with an array of sofas, with the odd hanging torch on the ceiling, and the themed cocktails really help to build the atmosphere before the show. The set is quite simple with transformative props hidden around that take the audience to different parts of the stor...
Richard II – The Vaults
London

Richard II – The Vaults

This inventive take on a Shakespearean classic finds itself in the grizzly, ambient Vaults. Quandry Collective presents a world in which a woman disguises herself as a man to hold onto the throne. The story follows Richard II’s demise starting from the moment he banishes Bolingbroke to his bitter end. The cast is all male with the exception of Coco Maertens who plays Richard. They convey a harsh, sterile environment full of dormant aggression and angst which often explodes into violence and you appreciate her precarious position as a woman. The set designed by Valentine Gigadet is cluttered with pieces of fence and other units amongst bric-a-brac that double up as percussive instruments used by the performers. This sets an ominous tone and with the pulsating electronic beats, they both...
Ripples – A Play (A Work-in-Progress)
NEWS

Ripples – A Play (A Work-in-Progress)

It was lovely to be back at The Vaults to take a look at ‘Ripples’, which is a work-in-progress play.  The show is presented at the Fringe Futures Festival, an innovative collaboration between the Pleasance & VAULT Creative Arts, providing an opportunity for early and mid-career artists to try out work at various stages of development in front of a live audience.  How many times have you watched something going on around you, and then when asked a question about what just happened, you cannot give a detailed answer?  Our mind plays tricks on us and fills in the detail that we cannot remember, so we think we know what happened, but that may not be entirely the case.  Inspired by her own experience of this when she was young, Xi Chen (Director), was convinced that...