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Monthly Archives: April 2013

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei, Hampstead Theatre

Howard Brenton, based on Barnaby Martin’s book Hanging Man Directed by James MacDonald ★★★★ Pros: An intelligent script which portrays the life of an important figure both realistically and with great humour. Benedict Wong breathes life into the central role. Cons: A slow start makes it difficult to fully engage in the first half. Our Verdict: This show isn’t ground-breaking, but it explores important issues with terrific insight while incorporating nice performances and a surprising number of laugh-out-loud moments. Courtesy ...

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Rope, Brockley Jack Studio Theatre

Patrick Hamilton Directed by John Fricker ★★★★ Pros: Absolutely superb acting – you’d never want to see this play cast differently! Cons: Needless break and clumsy sound effects. Our Verdict: A very entertaining night out – even for die hard television fans – at a lovely theatre. Courtesy of Mark Bowsher for OutFox Productions Anyone who lives in London will be aware of Zone Prejudice. If you live in Zone 2, then Zone 3 is an uncivilized place. If you ...

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Take a Deep Breath and Breathe, Ovalhouse Theatre

Bola AgbajeDirected by Toby Clarke★★★ Pros: An electric display of young acting talent with moving performances from all cast members. Cons: Sexism seems to be engrained in the script and is never challenged – I came away hating both men and women. Our Verdict: A brave and hard-hitting piece of work which thrusts its wide range of emotions onto the audience and says it how it is. Courtesy of the Ovalhouse Launched in 2008, 33% London is a festival run ...

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Between Ten and Six, Leicester Square Theatre

Chris Mayo with additional material by Owen LlewelynDirected by Garrett Millerick★★★ Pros: Mostly confident and nuanced performances with a set that perfectly augments the creepy atmosphere of an odd ball’s flat. Cons: Whether this was the tale of a psychopath, a farce of a horror flick or simply just a farce, was a little unclear. Whatever it was, it went from quirky, awkward and mildly amusing to dark and tedious all too quickly. Our Verdict: Perhaps aiming for down right outrageous, the script fails ...

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It Never Rains, White Bear Theatre

Presented as part of AXIS Emerging Artists Festival Written and Directed by Shaun Kitchener★★★ Pros: Great atmosphere with laugh out loud moments thanks to some fantastic writing. Cons: Some of the dialogue was lost on delivery leading to some awkward and polite audience laughter. Our Verdict: Makes for an enjoyable evening in the cozy environment created by the White Bear Theatre. Courtesy West Avenue Theatre Walking into the theatre you could be forgiven for thinking you’d made a complete idiot ...

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Love vs Hate, Tristan Bates Theatre

Wounds Chantelle Dusette Directed by Zoe Ford To The End Of Love Edwin Preece Directed by Sean Turner ★★★ Pros: Two plays for the price of one. Well-crafted, well-produced performances set in an intimate space. Cons: The individual character storylines lacked that spark of originality. Our Verdict: An intensely moving and depressing show – wouldn’t recommend it for someone looking for a jovial night out. Gripping, though not particularly groundbreaking. Courtesy of Lonesome Schoolboy Productions When I was 14, I ...

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Shaw Thing: Two one act plays, The Poor School

George Bernard Shaw Directed by Paul Caister ★★★ Pros: You can’t beat George Bernard Shaw for witty, digestible period drama with a twist in the tale. The cast do a good job of delivering an enjoyable performance and provide plenty of laughs. Cons: There are some clunky bits and some performances are a bit hollow. At times the lines are delivered at such a pace that they become blurred, lose impact and are a little difficult to distinguish. Our Verdict: ...

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Tartuffe, Canal Café Theatre

Molière, adapted by Sarah E. Pitard Directed by Cat Robey ★★ Pros: Great choice of era (1920s) to set this 17th century French classic. The lavish and indulgent background feeds perfectly into the title character’s greed and his champion’s blind charity and devotion. Cons: The ‘frame’ of the piece (cabaret) was not clear until an out of place reference at the end of the show, and the physical space itself was too small for such an iconic farce. The show ...

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Trash, White Bear Theatre

Tom HuntDirected by Timothy J Howe★★★ Pros: A wonderful atmosphere and a few laughs. Cons: Lack of development or evolution of the characters. Our Verdict: Light and amusing, but it could be more engaging. Courtesy of LittleBerry Productions With curtain up being about the time of your evening meal, it’s not unusual to attend a show feeling a little peckish, which is somewhat worrying considering that this play is all about food. I should not have feared however, as this ...

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