Pros: Funny dialogue, smart observations and powerful performances from two leads with natural chemistry. Cons: The lack of nuance and erratic pacing sometimes makes the play difficult to engage with, particularly during moments of revelation. Europe has a long history of antisemitism. Hatred of Jewish people has existed on the continent for centuries, and is not going away anytime soon. Last week, a survey of European Jews found that nearly a third avoid attending events due to safety fears. In Britain, ...
Read More »Search Results for: the space
Hole, Royal Court Theatre – Review
Pros: The devil is in the detail: a compassionately crafted show. Cons: Issues with the flow of each segment of the show in to the next. A piece of staging advice on the inside of the playtext of Hole reads ‘The word “Big” can mean any number of things. This might mean people who occupy their bodies in space in a way that feels radical or powerful’. If I was really feeling this Wednesday Humpday, I might leave the review ...
Read More »Burke and Hare, Jermyn Street Theatre – Review
Pros: A wonderfully talented cast happily connecting with the audience. Cons: Multiple characters and minimal costume changes occasionally makes the action difficult to follow. The story of Burke and Hare has been regularly plundered for TV dramas, documentaries and two big screen versions, the most recent of which starred Andy Serkis and Simon Pegg. It’s not difficult to see why, as it remains a cracking yarn based on true events. The play tells of the titular characters that embarked on ...
Read More »The Crumple Zone, King’s Head Theatre – Review
You don’t have to be gay to be moved by this abiding tale of love and passion.
Read More »Catch of the Day, The Finborough Arms – Review
Riotous, rollicking, fun-filled fishy frolics.
Read More »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 »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 »Bury the Dead, Finborough Theatre – Review
Pros: Irvin Shaw’s 1936 expressionist play about the futility of war is brilliantly brought to life by director Rafaella Marcus. Cons: This excellent staging does its best with a slightly uneven work, though the last third feels very much of its time. There’s always a lovely sense of expectation, going up the stairs to the Finborough Theatre. While the pub has recently been modernised and lost its old school atmosphere, the theatre remains unchanged and is as evocative as ever. ...
Read More »Peter Glanville on Bringing ‘How to Hide a Lion’ to Life
Adapter and director Peter Glanville shares how he and his team brought the whimsical puppet production 'How to Hide a Lion' to life.
Read More »Frankenstein, Old Red Lion Theatre – Review
Pros: An original play with a largely female cast. Good use of props and set pieces to create the multiple locations of the play as well as nice use of puppetry. Cons: The issue of feminism wasn’t really explored despite the gender swap of the lead characters. It felt like the script could have done with an edit to make it more succinct as was a little meandering in places. Burn-Bright’s production of Frankenstein replaces the male scientist from Mary ...
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