I’ll start at the end. This is not quite the equivalent of reading the last pages of a long novel to ascertain the final outcome, if only because the final outcome in The Woyzeck Theory is not definitive. The audience is left to decide what it is for themselves (and therefore it would be most unfair of me to offer my opinion on what the theory is), but suffice to say the question to be answered is, “What is it that makes us human?” The production begins suddenly, and many of the scene changes … [Read more...]
Review of COME IN! SIT DOWN! at The Tricycle Theatre
It is perhaps inevitable that a Muslim and Jewish theatre company putting on a comedy sketch show at the Tricycle Theatre would make light of a 2014 debacle, in which the Tricycle boycotted the annual UK Jewish Film Festival because it was partly funded by the Israeli government, and therefore could be construed as a political event. The irony was not lost that the Tricycle receives a portion of its income from Arts Council England - a public body. The Tricycle eventually reversed the … [Read more...]
Review of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
‘Bless your beautiful hide, wherever you may be / We ain’t met yet, but I’m a willin’ to bet / You’re the gal for me…’ Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is distinctly so politically incorrect, there’s a part of me that’s a bit surprised there aren’t feminists with placards outside protesting that such a respectable establishment as the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre would dare put on such a show. Perhaps the inclement (or at least unpredictable) weather put them off. Six of the seven said brides … [Read more...]
Review: 5 Star American Idiot at the Arts Theatre
Is there anything potentially more daunting for a lover of plays who can’t abide chart music than to see a musical featuring songs by a punk rock band (albeit a highly successful one) and featuring not even a winner, but a third place finalist, of the television series The X-Factor? The great advantage of not being a natural follower of the sort of music for which Green Day is renowned is that I went in to American Idiot with almost a completely open mind. I say ‘almost’ – I thought of the … [Read more...]
Review of Taken In Marriage at Waterloo East Theatre
The Waterloo East Theatre has a simple rule regarding mobile phones. You cannot use them in the auditorium. You can use them in the bar and in the foyer but not in the auditorium. It doesn’t matter if the show hasn’t started yet, or if it’s the interval. You cannot use your mobile in the auditorium. It’s straightforward, with no room for misinterpretation or feigning ignorance of ‘theatre etiquette’ (whatever that is!), and it works: I had the rare opportunity to experience a play without a … [Read more...]