Pros: Lovely gentle comedy Cons: Very much a children’s show – possibly overly simplistic for accompanying adults. Friendship and treasuring the little things are the themes of this charming silent comedy for children ages 3-6. Andy Manley is a warm and clownish figure, asleep on his desk as the audience take their seats. Silliness ensues when he wakes and finds his chair taped to his bottom. Manley says he thought it would be fun to make a show featuring sticky ...
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Half me, Half You @ Tabard Theatre, Review
It may say Trump and America on the label, but this superbly written play could as easily be examining the world being created by Brexit, and for that reason, it is well worth the time of anyone who cares about what is happening all around us.
Read More »Smack That (a conversation), The Barbican – Review
Pros: Inventive and inclusive dance theatre. A moving and necessary exploration of domestic violence. Cons: While the piece’s educational mission can’t be faulted, it could have explored the psychology of the subject matter more creatively. ‘Welcome to the party!’ Music is blaring, and drinks are being poured. ‘Help yourself to popcorn, marshmallows, what can I get you my love?’ Beverly is having a party, but it won’t all be fun and games. A collaborative, participatory piece, Smack That (a conversation) ...
Read More »Stroke Odysseys, The Place – Review
Cathartic show in which professional performers work with a group of people who have suffered a stroke.
Read More »Richard Alston Dance Company – Mid Century Modern, Sadler’s Wells- Review
Pros: A programme of finely tuned and fast-paced choreography which elicits technical and musical prowess. Cons: A characteristic as much as a con, but a little too repetitive in movement terms. This programme marks Richard Alston’s fiftieth year as a choreographer, so what better to way to celebrate than by presenting an evening which combines new work alongside extracts of that which spans the last five decades. We start with the new Cut and Run by Associate Choreographer and ...
Read More »Candoco Dance Company Double Bill, Sadler’s Wells – Review
Contemporary dance at its best – exhilarating to watch, entertaining and thought-provoking.
Read More »The Forecast, The Place – Review
Pros: Funny, witty, and beautifully performed Cons: A couple of sections felt too long Perhaps it’s a cliché, but they do say the English love to talk about the weather. However, they’re not so keen on discussing sexual matters, so Amy Bell’s pairing of these themes in The Forecast might seem a little unusual at first. It works beautifully. Over the course of an hour she navigated issues around gender, identity and sexuality the way one might travel though high ...
Read More »Macbeth, Wilton’s Music Hall – Review
Well performed and beautifully designed, but it was style over substance with no new insights into this familiar play.
Read More »Booby’s Bay, Finborough Theatre – Review
A quirky Cornish comedy-drama dealing with the housing crisis and the growing gap between the haves and have-nots. May contain sea shanties and traces of mackerel.
Read More »Border Tales, The Place – Review
A clichéd portrayal of a Northern ‘bigoted homelander’ dealing with people from different cultural backgrounds. Worth seeing for the excellent and poignant music and dance.
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