The razzle dazzle of one of Broadway's most prolific song writers just landed squarely in the intimate studio space in the St James Theatre, Victoria. And boy, does it ever work. Cy Coleman was an artist whose work spanned decades yet who is placed in that arena of musicians whose songs are more famous than he himself ever was. Perhaps this is because of the breadth of his talent which covers every musical genre from the ballad to the toe tapping Rhythm of Life which once featured, believe it or … [Read more...]
Review of The Liberty Tree at the Cockpit Theatre
It’s gratifying to see a theatrical production that so whole-heatedly embraces the need for political activism. In this current climate of austerity and government swindling, the need for clear and didactic lessons in how to propagate positive change has never been more necessary. As evidenced by the recent electoral farce, subtleties aren’t really cutting it anymore. The Liberty Tree is a collaboration of students and activists who have identified this niche and gleefully claimed it; using … [Read more...]
Hot Stuff at The Queen’s Theatre in Hornchurch
Even if you're not a fan of 70s disco hits (and I certainly am), 'Hot Stuff' at Queens Theatre in Hornchurch is guaranteed to have you unsuccessfully suppressing an enormous grin, and trying, equally unsuccessfully, to stop your foot tapping along with the tunes that this show bowls at you. Ok, it's not a particularly clever reworking of the songs, and a storyline is practically nonexistent, but this show delivers a corker of a suburbanly gleeful night out, staying just the wrong side of … [Read more...]
Review of Mrs Roosevelt Flies to London at King’s Head Theatre
This lovely biopic narrating the story of Eleanor Roosevelt’s visit to London during World War II, performed by the inimitable Alison Skilbeck, is a gem in the one woman show genre. An inspired and insightful play that has been thoroughly researched, and more importantly loved, Skilbeck shows us the motivations and energies behind the difficult life of a relatively unsung mover and shaker of the Second World War. I should say Skilbecks, for coincidentally both director and performer/creator, … [Read more...]
Review of A Level Playing Field at Jermyn Street Theatre
There’s a particular array of sense memories attached to the experience of an English secondary school. Perhaps this is why literature such as The History Boys and television series such as Byker Grove and The Inbetweeners have found such success and even adoration among the public; the familiar is scrutinised, the experience relived and dealt with, the humour used to build fond memories and the characters identified with in all of their adolescent awkwardness. A Level Playing Field by Jonathan … [Read more...]
Review of Bridlington at Rosemary Branch Theatre
The fragile frame of Ruth, a patient in a York psychiatric ward, is the centre pin of Bridlington, an emotionally flooring new play addressing the at times tragic and at times spectacularly funny sides of life in an institution for the mad. Addressing the audience Ruth weaves an engrossing narrative of her life over a decade during which the lines between reality and fantasy are virtually indistinguishable. It is, as Ruth would declare, ‘gobsmacking’ how this production has managed to pin down … [Read more...]
Review of The Dissidents at the Tricycle Theatre
As spring steps into gear so The Tricycle Young Company begin their second annual takeover of the prolific Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn. In keeping with the aims and objectives of this political theatre, The Dissidents examines in an accessible manner some of the more problematic complexities faced by the poorest in London's community, giving artistic voice to the marginalised and underprivileged. The story focuses on estranged siblings Juan and Selena who lose their father at the beginning of … [Read more...]