As I settled into my seat for the performance of The Night Pirates at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, the woman next to me gave me a nudge and, indicating my daughter, asked whether it was her first trip to the theatre. That it was, in fact, my 11 month-old daughter’s fifth trip to the theatre indicates the sheer breadth of shows currently on offer for the under fives. And it’s not just in London that children’s theatre is booming. This touring production, which begins at the Rose Theatre, will … [Read more...]
Review of The Hunting of The Snark at the Vaudeville Theatre
Callouh callay-ing into the Vaudeville Theatre this week is the West End summer run of a successful touring musical inspired by Lewis Carroll’s famous nonsense poem from 1874 ‘The Hunting of the Snark’. In this delightful family comedy musical, we join our intrepid team of five as they search for a Snark on aptly named Snark Island whilst being careful to beware the Boojum, the most dangerous variety of Snark there ever was. Directed by Gemma Colclough, this fast paced 80-minute show by … [Read more...]
A View From Islington North at the Arts Theatre – Review
Max Stafford-Clark and production company Out of Joint have curated an engaging evening of political satire at the Arts Theatre playing until 2nd July. In A View From Islington North Stafford-Clark has brought together three previously performed shorts with two new slightly longer pieces of political writing. The evening runs at 1 hour and 45 minutes (including a 20 minute interval) so the ‘view’ from Islington North is more like a series of snapshots. The evening … [Read more...]
Nell Gwynn is a brilliant romp at The Apollo Theatre – Review
“I can dance and I can sing and I am good at either. And I can do the other thing when we get together”. This bawdy refrain casually sung by Gemma Arterton as Nell neatly sums up Jessica Swale’s play about Charles II’s famous mistress, the actress Nell Gwynn. The play follows Nell from an orange hawker who, as the play begins, stands at the front of the stalls heckling the actors, through her career as an actress and later, plaything and love of King Charles II. As much as the play is about … [Read more...]
Joyous and uplifting Sunny Afternoon at the Harold Pinter Theatre – Review
Sunny Afternoon originally opened at the Hampstead Theatre in 2014 but transferred to the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End last year after sensational reviews and a clamour for tickets. It was understudy night when I was sent to review the Olivier award-winning musical based on the music of The Kinks. With music and lyrics by Ray Davies, Sunny Afternoon follows the story of Ray and the formation of his band, The Kinks. Joe Penhall’s book is lively and … [Read more...]
Mr Popper’s Penguins at The Rose Theatre Kingston – Review
An exploding glitter cannon, falling snow in the auditorium, heaps of warmth and charming, innocent humour, this show is perfect. Directed by the ever-brilliant Emma Earle, this family musical is pure theatre magic. Zoe Squire has designed a playful, whimsical set which the characters alter throughout the show. The puppets by Nick Barnes are delightful and ably operated by Toby Manley and Lucy Grattan. The lively, catchy songs by Luke Bateman and Richy Hughes further … [Read more...]
Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story – Review
Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story is an 80 minute chamber musical about the 1924 ‘crime of the century’, the murder of 14 year old Robert Franks by Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. The musical begins and ends in Nathan Leopold’s fifth parole board meeting. The story of the supposed ‘perfect crime’ is told through flashback. Nathan reveals details about the killing in order to secure his release from prison after 35 years. Stephen Dolginoff, who wrote the book, music and lyrics, has … [Read more...]