There are a whole host of tiny Scottish islands, many stretching miles north of the mainland. Naturally this brings a whole host of problems to residents - huge population decrease (especially amongst young people), a lack of investment, and some very rainy weather (although that certainly applies to my experiences of mainland Scotland too). Amy Draper takes these … [Read more...]
NOISES OFF at the Garrick Theatre | Review
A company of relatively inept actors attempt to stage a tour of poorly written play, Nothing On. What could possibly go wrong? In Act 1 it's midnight, the show opens in less than 24 hours, they've had less than two weeks' rehearsal and they still haven't finished their dress rehearsal. We are introduced to the company of fictional actors who are caricatures of what I … [Read more...]
The Elixir of Love at the King’s Head Theatre | Review
Opera has long been seen, rightly or wrongly, as a high brow form of theatre and this perception alone is enough to put many people off going. Cue Opera’r Ddraig, a Welsh opera company who take classic operas and adapt them to Welsh settings. Their latest adaptation sets Donizetti’s L’Elisir D’Amore on Barry Island, probably most famous for its links to Gavin and … [Read more...]
British Theatre Academy presents Godspell In Concert
Stephen Schwartz's 1971 musical Godspell is probably not his most famous work, it is, however, the first one I became aware of when, aged 13. I was granted a solo in my church choir's performance of Prepare Ye which, it turns out, was nothing like Schwartz had originally intended (and not just because I was slightly out of tune). When I arrived at Cadogan Hall this … [Read more...]
Witness for the Prosecution at London’s County Hall
The Mousetrap is perhaps Agatha Christie's most famous offering to London Theatre, but there's another Agatha Christie across town which is just as gripping. The Witness for the Prosecution is a courtroom drama, following the trial of Leonard Vole who is accused of murdering his rich friend. He looks certain to be hanged - even his wife, Romaine, has become a witness … [Read more...]
La Realidad/The Reality written by Denise Despeyroux | Review
What is reality? That is essentially the overall question that this play asks. As twin sisters on different sides of the world talk to, and manipulate, each other, it is clear that their recollections of the same childhood are remarkably different. What’s more, their whole lives have been shaped by their feelings, Lucy retreating to the other side of the world and … [Read more...]
The Elephant in the Room at the Hen & Chickens Theatre
We're overrun at the moment with stories of women struggling to be taken seriously and to break through the glass ceiling in a male-dominated business environment, but who would have thought this problem was just as rife in the criminal underworld of South-West London in the 19th and 20th centuries? The Elephant in the Room shatters any illusion that Victorian gangs … [Read more...]
My White Best Friend and Other Letters Left Unsaid at The Bunker
"Straight, white, able-bodied males to the back, queer, ethnic minority females front and centre." The first line of the show. Later on class was used to arrange the audience too and so, as a straight, white, middle-class female, I found myself on the fringes of the audience from the get-go and that is where I stayed both physically and metaphorically for the rest of … [Read more...]
The Clockmaker’s Daughter Studio Cast Recording
For theatregoers, cast albums essentially serve two separate purposes. For those who haven’t seen a show before they provide a taste of the show and may influence a decision about whether to visit; for those who have seen the show, a cast album provides the chance to relive the show and to enjoy the memories. So when listening to The Clockmaker’s Daughter I have … [Read more...]