Home » 2018 (page 3)

Yearly Archives: 2018

Urinetown, Bridewell Theatre – Review

Pros: A talented and tuneful cast making the most of a limited performance area. Cons: A low key Act I suffers in comparison with a sparkling Act II which emits a genuine West End feel. Urinetown is hardly the most obvious title for a musical, but its purpose soon becomes apparent as an antidote to the sugar coated fayre common to the genre. The show made its debut off Broadway in 2001 and went on to win two Tonies and ...

Read More »

Cuckoo, Soho Theatre – Review

Pros: Superb script and performances Cons: A few plot points not entirely clear “Thank fuck for Ryan Air!” isn’t something you hear that often in real life or in the theatre, what with all the cancelled flights and relentless penny pinching. But this uncommon praise is understandable, coming from the lips of young misfits looking to flee small town life in Ireland for the bright lights of London. Iona (Caitriona Ennis) and Pingu (Elise Heaven) are best pals with a ...

Read More »

Love Lies Bleeding, Print Room at the Coronet – Review

Pros: An excellent cast of familiar faces give the play a much needed boost. Cons: A beautiful venue in serious need of refurbishment and a script requiring similar tender loving care. I feel quietly reassured when a Grade II listed building is purchased and restored to its original function. The Coronet in Notting Hill Gate is one such example. Designed by legendary theatre architect W.G.R. Sprague it opened with royal patronage in 1898 and hosted a variety of productions until ...

Read More »

Rendezvous in Bratislava, Battersea Arts Centre – Review

Pros: Rendezvous is inventive and immersive, with catchy songs and great performances.   Cons: The comic interludes can be frustrating, as they distract from an otherwise compelling story. Laughter is a powerful response to oppression. Comedy has a long history of speaking truth to power, and cabaret is no different. Czechoslovakia, a country that endured both Nazi and Soviet rule, had plenty of horrors to contend with, particularly for the Jewish population. But for one cabaret writer, plenty to laugh at as ...

Read More »

Super Duper Close Up, The Yard – Review

Pros: Engaging, smart and surprising, Jess Latowicki carries you with her deeper and deeper. SDCU takes on baffling cultural matters with an engaging directness. Cons: Too baggy particularly around the end and could benefit from pruning, sharpening and general revision. The dance? Fun, but too long.  Jess Latowicki performs Made in China’s new show on a set made up of an over-fluffy carpet, a calming waterfall backdrop, and, we are soon to discover, a camera providing us with a live-stream of the performance, ...

Read More »

Walk Swiftly and with Purpose, Theatre503 – Review

Pros: A beautiful insight into the minds of four teen girls as they come of age. Cons: More work is required to make the conversations feel much more natural. Eve, Robbie, Misha and Looby: four teenage girls protected from much of the world due to the privilege of their private education. Of course that also means protected from boys. So it’s no surprise that much of Walk Swiftly and with Purpose explores that aspect of any teens life, the opposite ...

Read More »

Little England, Museum of Comedy – Review

Pros:  A funny and entertaining show with good performances from all concerned. Cons:  The points being made were accentuated unnecessarily.  The Museum of Comedy is an interesting place full of old posters, props, books and photographs. It is worth getting there a bit early to get a drink from the bar and have a good look around. The cosy theatre space smells a bit damp which is to be expected as it is in the basement space of a church. ...

Read More »

The Pit and the Pendulum, Omnibus Theatre – Review

Pros: The original twist of a Poe horror classic. Cons: Too much focus on how the play is delivered (headphones, projections) and less on the content of the play itself, which feels overloaded. There are many things in common between the Spanish Inquisition and the Guidance Patrol of Iran. Both were created to maintain religious orthodoxy and police people’s morals. Neither was particularly keen on women. Edgar Allan Poe’s short horror story The Pit and the Pendulum recreates the torments of ...

Read More »

Drowned or Saved?, Tristan Bates Theatre – Review

Pros: The poignant portrayal of Primo Levi is brought to life by an excellent cast. Cons: Condensed into just over one hour, the events described might feel fragmentary. Primo Levi’s contributions play a pivotal role in our understanding of the Holocaust. Born and bred in the Italian city of Turin, he was deported to Auschwitz in 1944 and owes his survival to the Nazis’ decision to employ him as a chemist in a rubber factory – which kept him away ...

Read More »