We all have songs that remind us of loved ones and lost ones, special occasions and sad - the right piece of music can trigger the deepest of memories and emotions. So it is a notion rich in potential to be explored in a theatrical context and that is exactly what Paul T Davies has done with his play Play Something, receiving a short run here at the Drayton Arms Theatre in West London. The first half of the play is constructed as something of a memory play. Older versions of the two … [Read more...]
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie at the Donmar Warehouse
Everyone has that teacher that they never forget. Sometimes it’s because they were brilliant, sometimes it’s because they bent the rules, sometimes it’s because they were so bloody-minded that they remain so unforgettable. For the selected few pupils of Edinburgh’s Marcia Blaine School for Girls who found themselves in the orbit of the entirely charismatic Miss Jean Brodie, it’s all three reasons at the same time that are destined to make her such an iconic figure in their schooling. Based on … [Read more...]
Review of Dr Seuss’s The Lorax at The Old Vic Theatre
Two winters ago if you went to the Old Vic Your life would have been filled with something fantastic, A musical treat fit for all of the fam'ly The Lorax is as good as such a show could be. Returning for half-term with some new cast members The musical's just as good as I remember, It's heartfelt and funny and really quite moving A powerful message but not too reproving. From Dr Seuss' story comes David Greig's new book Which warns of the danger of smashing nature's look, It's hard … [Read more...]
Review of Radieuse Vermine at Leicester Square Theatre
Philip Ridley's 2015 play Radiant Vermin was a vibrant and vivid response to the housing crisis that resonated strongly in both the UK (at the Soho Theatre) and the US (in its transfer to 59E59 Theaters), perhaps tapping into something of the societal dissatisfaction that has led to such political turbulence. So it is rather appropriate then that as l'élection présidentielle looks set to shake up French politics, its next move has been to be translated into French (by Louis Bernard) as Radieuse … [Read more...]
Aladdin at The Lyric Hammersmith – Review
There’s something wonderfully political about the Lyric Hammersmith’s pantomime Aladdin this year. Not just in Joel Horwood’s script, which packs in the requisite Trump and Brexit jokes, plus a cleverly worked visual gag for Article 50, and has the land of Fulhammerboosh ruled over by the Emperor One Per Cent. But in almost every aspect of Ellen McDougall’s production, there’s the kind of astute decision-making that has made her a director to watch and whets the appetite even more for her … [Read more...]