The current fashion for pop up theatre in unusual venues has led me to witness some surprising pairings over the last couple of years. Ionesco over empty dinner plates in Latvian House? Done. Opera in the Thames Tunnel? Seen it. Macbeth in a rose garden? Yep. In this context, a supernatural murder … [Read more...]
Alice in Winterland at the Rose Theatre Kingston – Review
Every time I see a new interpretation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland I think to myself; This is it, surely there can’t be any more, we’ve finally come to the end of the road. Every time I am proved wrong, and almost every time I am pleasantly surprised. The Rose Theatre’s production of Alice … [Read more...]
Review of When Midnight Strikes at The Drayton Arms Theatre
Some musicals are original. Some are well written. And some - though sadly very few - have memorable tunes. To find a musical which combines all three is rarer than hen’s teeth, and to find it in a small, intimate theatre above a pub - well, that really is the stuff of fantasy. When Midnight … [Read more...]
Review of Hedda Gabler at Drayton Arms Theatre
Looking at Euphonia Studio’s recent catalogue of work, including La Bohème, The Duchess of Malfi and now Hedda Gabler, one might be forgiven for thinking that they have a rather unhealthy obsession with miserable, doomed women. Their productions are certainly not laugh-a-minute, and no-one could … [Read more...]
Review of Flashdance The Musical at New Wimbledon Theatre
As far as eighties bonanzas go, Flashdance has got to be up there with the best of them. True, it cannot compete with Dirty Dancing for sequins and sparkle, but there is real gutsy glamour in the juxtaposition of the grimy, seedy backdrops and the dazzling dancing. The musical makes the most of this … [Read more...]
Review of The Duchess of Malfi at Drayton Arms Theatre
One might be forgiven for thinking that nobody could outdo John Webster when it comes to sickening violence, particularly in the case of The Duchess of Malfi, where the body count is higher than Donald Trumps’ spray tan bill. However, he has been bested by Euphonia Theatre company, for the true … [Read more...]
Review of Iris Theatre’s Macbeth at St Paul’s Church
Iris’ Theatre’s production of Macbeth is a visual and aural feast. Fantastically weird costumes, obscenely twisted set design and eerie, ominous chimes and rumbles combine to create a deliciously dark and menacing atmosphere, perfect for this story of betrayal, murder and madness. It is therefore … [Read more...]