This was my first visit to The Bussey Building, and once I found my way through the labyrinth to the theatre, I was totally charmed by the community atmosphere that surrounds it it and by the flexible playing space which would seem perfect for a fresh look at Shakespeare. Unfortunately, the look isn’t all that fresh. The freshest thing about it is the casting: three actors play Hamlet. They were very different, this removing the usual problems of interpretation but the device managed to … [Read more...]
5-star The Master Builder at the Old Vic – Review
The story of The Master Builder can be told in one sentence: An ageing builder meets a passionate young girl who gives him, so he thinks, a new lease of life and a return of creative energy that both restores and destroys him. Warning: This review contains spoilers for those that have not seen the production Within this simple framework, Ibsen considers the whole subject of age and youth, of idealism, of dream and reality of, in fact all of life and death. The play resonates on many … [Read more...]
The Session at Soho Theatre – Review
Mothertongue is a multi-ethnic professional counselling service who are involved with therapy and counselling among multilingual groups, including couples who frequently do not share each other’s language. The Session is a dramatisation of some of the problems which arise in these relationships and looks at both the strengths and weaknesses of communication within them. It all sounds a bit well-meaning when one reads the programme, but what one sees is a touching and painfully honest play … [Read more...]
The Notebook by Forced Entertainment at Battersea Arts Centre – Review
BAC is one if the most exciting venues in London. The atmosphere is at once welcoming and challenging. One feels the creative energy almost from the moment of arrival. They have an ideal partner in Forced Entertainment, who are not afraid to confront major moral and emotional issues in ways that may not be easy or comfortable to watch, but which stir the mind and leave one still engrossed in the questions they raise. In the case of The Notebook, the questions are about war and survival. The … [Read more...]
The State vs John Hayes at The King’s Head Theatre – Review
John Hayes is about to be executed. He is a murderer, who killed his father and his lover for no apparent reason, and with no compunction. A psychopath. The State is about to do away with him and good riddance. Well, not exactly. John Hayes is, technically, a woman called Elyese. Elyese is of course aware of John’s existence, and thus, she is aware of what s/he has done. She feels agonising grief for the dead lover but cannot connect her grief with her own behaviour. As she talks about her … [Read more...]
Kandinsky’s Dog Show at New Diorama Theatre – Review
The New Diorama Theatre has to be one of the most interesting small theatres in London. They consistently present unusual new work, performed to a high standard by mostly young and gifted companies. ‘Dog Show’ is no exception. The play is set on Hampstead Heath (represented by a hat stand, with hats representing branches) and is loosely based on the case of the 'Hong Kong Dog Serial Killer'. Four actors accompanied by a musician, create a series of relationships between dogs and their … [Read more...]
My Mocking Happiness and Life’s Little Nothings
My Mocking Happiness After the first play of their season, ’Ward of the Manor’, this was a complete change of pace, being more of a reading to the audience, without any real conflict or drama. It’s a stroll through Chekhov’s life through his letters to his wife, his brother, and Lidia Stakhievna, a woman friend who was an influence in his life and work. There are some interesting moments with his description of his famous visit to Sakhalin Island (complete with some chains lying on the stage … [Read more...]