Written by Lorraine Mullaney and set in rural Ireland/London in 1956, Body & Body considers whether we should sacrifice personal happiness for family duty. Twenty-two-year-old Aileen (Pamela Flanagan) has left her strict family behind and has headed to London to find her younger sister. A sister who has fled the family home in an attempt to avoid an arranged … [Read more...]
Review of Loop at Theatre N16
A mixture of mime, dance and words performed by an excellent 4-strong cast, Loop is an exploration of the generation gap issue facing one family over a 50 year period. The play begins with a beautifully written descriptive, hopeful and often humorous monologue as Woman (Emily Thornton) plans to leave her East London home for what she believes is an exciting new … [Read more...]
Review of Brimstone and Treacle at The Hope Theatre
Banned from transmission by the BBC in the 1970s, this excellent production coincides with the 40th anniversary of Dennis Potter's controversial play. Patricia 'Pattie' Bates (Olivia Beardsley) is being cared for by her parents, Tom (Paul Clayton) and Amy Bates (Stephanie Beattie), after being paralysed following an accident whilst out visiting a friend two years … [Read more...]
Chinglish at Park Theatre has ‘intrigue, romance and laughs’
Written by David Henry Hwang and previously performed in New York, this production is the UK premiere of Chinglish and is a play with a difference; half the dialogue is being spoken in Mandarin with (often funny) translated surtitles. The play tells the story of an American businessman, Daniel Cavanaugh (Gyumri Sarods)’s attempt at “doing business in China”. In the … [Read more...]
I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard – Finborough Theatre – Review
Set in a Manhattan apartment, Halley Feiffer’s I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard is a two-handed play exploring the fractured relationship between an award-winning playwright and his aspiring actress daughter. The play begins with David (Adrian Lukis) and Ella (Jill Winternitz) sharing a bottle of wine whilst waiting for the reviews of “The Seagull” (a play in which … [Read more...]
Strange The Road at The Hope Theatre – Review
Set somewhere between 1933 and 2033, Lil Warren’s Strange the Road is a noir-y thriller and billed as a letter to Chandler. It is fast paced, gritty and sexy. The play has a five-strong cast but centres on three characters; Frenchie (Joey Ellis) (who is also the narrator) is a famed storyteller/liar, Verda (Andromeda Godfrey) and Frenchie’s “sorta uncle” Molloy … [Read more...]
Happiness is a Cup of Tea at Theatre N16 – Review
Set on Beachy Head, Happiness is a Cup of Tea is a monologue written and performed by Annie McKenzie. Fiona Nash has received a voicemail from her sister informing her that their mother had died and could she write a eulogy. This news was a complete shock to Fiona who was completely unaware of her mother’s illness. It was a painful reminder, of the often … [Read more...]
Review of Jim Cartwright’s Road at The Bridewell Theatre
Jim Cartwright’s plays are usually gritty, observant and, at times, humorous and Road is no exception. The play takes us back to Thatcher’s Britain and is set in a northern town during the 1980s. Whilst set in the past it does not feel overly dated (the only thing missing from today is the endless time spent on/wandering around attached to mobile devices!). … [Read more...]
3 Years, 1 week and a Lemon Drizzle at Exmouth Market Theatre
Opening the inaugural Tellit Festival, 3 Years, 1 Week and a Lemon Drizzle is Alexandra Donnachie’s autobiographical account of her battle with an eating disorder and the effects it has on her family, in particular, her younger, by three years and one week, sister, Kate. This two-handed play opens with Kate performing a song which she has written for the play. … [Read more...]