Written by Ross EricsonDirected by Harry Burton ★★★ Pros: Excellent direction of a world premier with an outstanding central performance and realistic dialogue. Cons: Somehow the tension just seemed to be lacking at key moments and I never really felt like I cared what happened to these characters. Our verdict: A good show with nice staging and some realistic and funny dialogue. I’ll take a small fringe or community theatre with a pleasant front of house team over the glam ...
Read More »Monthly Archives: June 2013
Four Farces, Wilton’s Music Hall
Various Playwrights Directed by Jonathan Kemp★★★ Pros: A spectacle in the best sense. Cons: Sometimes not quite funny enough. Our verdict: Possibly the best performance of these farces ever given. Courtesy of European Arts Company The program promises a hilarious evening of Victorian one-act farces. What we get instead are moments of hilarity and moments of merriment. The show begins with a performance of Box and Cox, written in 1847 by John Maddison Morton. This is followed by Wanted, A ...
Read More »Early Days, Finborough Theatre
David StoreyDirected by Tim Newns ★★★ Pros: A rarely performed play that carries itself with gentle humour and poise. Cons: The play doesn’t quite pull the heart strings as you would expect about from such a subject. Our Verdict: A poignant tribute to a celebrated novelist and playwright David Storey. Courtesy of the Finborough As the audience sat down, there was an immediate sense of calm and stillness in this small, intimate theatre. The mellow murmuring of the sea permeated the ...
Read More »Romeo and Juliet, Old Red Lion Theatre
William Shakespeare Directed by Grassroots Shakespeare London ★★★★ Pros: Say what you like about Shakespeare, but he knew how to write a play. Romeo is excellent and Juliet lends a bit of spice to a role that can be bland when performed with less skill. This production is energetic and entertaining. Cons: Not all performances were as strong as they might have been and the music was, at times, distracting. Our Verdict: When performed well, Romeo and Juliet is funny ...
Read More »Held by the Habit, New Diorama
Ben SeagerDirected by Sam Carrack ★★★ Pros: Enjoyable and entertaining, with some great potential. Good acting from all and a great performance from lead actor Jeff Lewis. Cons: There wasn’t much movement on stage. Our Verdict: A great initiative with a family atmosphere set in a flashy new space with some serious potential. What else would you want on a Thursday night? Courtesy of All the Pigs I was glad to be invited to this event at the New Diorama, a recently welcomed ...
Read More »Disgraced, Bush Theatre
Ayad Akhtar Directed by Nadia Fall ★★★★★ Pros: Brilliant performances. Explosive, intelligent and gripping to watch. Cons: Starts out a little too abstract and intellectual; the set-up–a dinner party between four people of four different ethnic and religious backgrounds—feels a little contrived. Our Verdict: A must-see! Disturbing, sharp, important. Stays with you long after you leave the theatre. Courtesy of timeout.com Disgraced starts with Amir (Hari Dhillon) standing in his swanky New York apartment, with no pants on, being painted by his ...
Read More »Black Out, Simulacra Studios
Martin Malcolm, Dan Horrigan, Nathan CrossDirected by Marta Noguera-Cuevas★★★ Pros: A tremendous performance venue with fantastic atmosphere. Cons: The production’s point of interest is that the three plays all supposedly take place on the same night. There is little to connect them, however, so the idea is a bit hit and miss.Our Verdict: An interesting hour of entertainment with some compelling performances. Courtesy of Fox Trotter Theatre Used mainly as a photography studio, the characterful Simulacra Studios is snuggled under ...
Read More »Hard Feelings, Finborough Theatre
Doug Lucie Directed by James Hellier★★★★ Pros: An excellent young cast dazzle in this still relevant play about both being in your early twenties and the inequality of modern society. Cons: While the set contributes much to the atmosphere of the play, the actors are still finding their feet with the clutter and consequently it can sometimes act as a barrier rather than a tool. Our Verdict: Once again the Finborough produces great work, with a young cast we should watch ...
Read More »Blood Wedding, Waterloo East Theatre
Federico Garcia LorcaDirected by Zoe Ford★★★ Pros: Some strong cast members offer passionate and realistic performances. Cons: The surrealism surrounding the final act may be off putting for some. Seating arrangement made it hard to see some of the action. Our Verdict: The first and final acts leave much to be desired however this is more to do with the play itself than this production of it. Courtesy of Hiraeth Artistic Productions Hiraeth Artistic Production‘s version of Lorca’s Blood Wedding is ...
Read More »Shield, Ovalhouse Theatre
Amaara Raheem ★★★ Pros: Engrossing, poetic commentaries on stories that span continents. Lovely music to accompany the narrative. Cons: Incomprehensible dancing at points that felt disjointed from the rest of the piece. Our Verdict: Good production value that successfully creates an intimate feel and absorbs the audience in the tales that are told. Courtesy of Ovalhouse Set in the Ovalhouse Theatre, Shield by Amaara Raheem encompasses the mediums of movie, music, movement and monologue to portray three stories. One is an ...
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