Christopher Marlowe’s Dr Faustus deals with greed, blind ambition, and the pursuit of ultimate power through knowledge, whatever the cost. Dr Faustus, a scholar, grows dissatisfied with traditional learning, so seeks new knowledge through black magic. Faustus summons Mephistopheles, servant to the Devil, and makes a pact with him: Mephistopheles will do Faustus' bidding for for 24 years, after which time, the devil gets Faustus' soul. With multiple incarnations of the play vying for audiences … [Read more...]
Ron Arad’s Curtain Call: London Contemporary Orchestra – Review
Picture this - you’re standing encircled by a 360 degree light curtain: 5,600 silicon rods dangling from a huge metal ring suspended from the ceiling. The rods hang together to display images and video. It’s otherworldly - like you’re in a planetarium staring up at the stars, but with an added bonus of a live choir and orchestra enveloping you with sound. This was the setting for the London Contemporary Orchestra and Choir, who delivered the final live immersive gig for Ron Arad’s Curtain Call … [Read more...]
Ubu And The Truth Commission at Print Room at the Coronet
Ubu and the Truth Commission, by William Kentridge, Handspring Puppet Company and Jane Taylor, is on the one hand a barmy piece of contemporary theatre, where the near naked protagonist Ubu converses with three-headed singing dogs and a crocodile-handbag mutation which acts as a paper shredder, and on the other hand a shocking description of the atrocities committed by white authorities and lawmakers during the apartheid in South Africa. The moulding of the two themes together was in some way … [Read more...]
The Doughnut Theatre’s Darkridge – Review
One of the joys of living in the capital is the huge variety of theatre on offer. Not only are there an abundance of different plays and musicals spanning the ages and genres, but also, a plethora of locations in which to hold a performance. London theatre has embraced the pop up culture, with immersive and space-led productions springing up all over the city. One of the more recent theatre companies to grace the genre is Doughnut Productions, whose "conceptual theatre space... attempts to … [Read more...]
In a world of pure imagination… with Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
Some of the early reviewers of Sam Mendes’ mega-budget musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory felt that he had perhaps overlooked the storytelling and emotion due to a focus on mind boggling sets, magically expanding costumes, and technical wizardry. Two years into its run, the innovation on the stage remains astounding, but the show has also developed a heart, for which credit goes to its fantastic cast. I was particularly impressed with … [Read more...]