Who could have predicted, a few years ago, that Mischief Theatre - who once performed a fringe show in which the cast outnumbered the audience - would one day have no less than three successful plays running simultaneously in the West End? Following the runaway success of The Play That Goes Wrong and Peter Pan Goes Wrong, the company's latest show is a fast, frantic … [Read more...]
Review of Daughter at The Pleasance Theatre
Daughter, billed somewhat contrarily as "a brand new play about fathers", has been developed from an award-winning short play at this year’s INK Festival, which showcases short scripts for film, radio and stage from writers with an East Anglian connection. Directed by Julia Sowerbutts, Bill Cashmore’s play is a funny and heart-warming portrayal of a father-daughter … [Read more...]
Review of Torn Apart (Dissolution) at TheatreN16
Torn Apart (Dissolution), written and directed by Bj McNeill, is an intense and compelling drama about three couples. Though their stories take place years and miles apart, there's a common theme of love and loss - not only of partners but of family, home and history - as well as an actual connection between the three that's revealed a little at a time, with the final … [Read more...]
5-star 1 in 3 presented by Now You Know Productions
We’ve all heard the frightening statistic that 1 in 3 of us will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in our lives. What that means is that pretty much everyone knows someone who's either had or been affected by the disease - and yet, for something so common, we find it incredibly hard to talk about, let alone deal with when it affects us directly. Writer and … [Read more...]
Review of Unnatural Selection by OPIA Theatre
It seems innocent enough: four girls wait anxiously to appear on the latest reality TV game show. It's like Take Me Out or Blind Date - but with much higher stakes, because if contestants, who are always female, don’t get picked after three appearances, they get taken away and brutally mutilated in a procedure that they may or may not survive. And if they do win, they … [Read more...]
Review of Macbeths at the Hope Theatre
I sometimes wonder if Shakespeare ever imagined, in his wildest dreams, that 400 years later theatre companies would not only still be performing his work, but seeking out new, original perspectives to make the stories feel like they were written yesterday. Macbeths, by David Fairs, is Shakespeare's Macbeth. Except it isn't, exactly. A fresh take on one of the … [Read more...]
5-star Hairspray at Churchill Theatre – Review
Musicals don’t come much more feel-good than Hairspray, the Tony and Olivier award-winning smash hit with a big heart and even bigger hair. I've long maintained that this infectiously joyful show has one of the best finales in musical theatre, and I stand by that judgment after catching the most recent UK tour at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley, and then singing all … [Read more...]
Morley College Scratch Night – March 2016 – Review
Last year Morley College held their first ever scratch night, inviting external theatre companies to perform their works in progress for members of the public and a panel of judges, with the winner getting the opportunity to come back and preview the full show in the summer on the way up to Edinburgh. Following the success of last year’s event, Morley held its … [Read more...]
Black Dog Gold Fish at The Hen and Chickens Theatre – Review
With many theatre companies now choosing to tackle the difficult subject of depression, an absurd comedy on the topic is an intriguing prospect. How exactly do you go about making mental illness funny? Written and co-directed by Sam Bailey, and based on his own experience of living with clinical depression, Black Dog Gold Fish tells the story of Remy, a … [Read more...]
The Patriotic Traitor at Park Theatre – Review
It's easy to forget that behind every big political decision, there's a human being (well... usually). History informs us that Marshal Philippe Pétain was a WW1 hero who later betrayed his country by signing the armistice with Nazi Germany in 1940. After the war, at the age of 89, he was tried for treason and exiled by General Charles de Gaulle. Those are the cold, … [Read more...]
Review of Happiness is a Cup of Tea at VAULT Festival
Like many Brits, I’m a great believer in the idea that a cup of tea makes everything better - so when the opportunity arose to review a show whose title expresses that very sentiment, I couldn’t resist. Happiness is a Cup of Tea is a solo show from Annie McKenzie, described as ‘part autobiography, part character piece’. It’s an exploration of grief and loss, but also … [Read more...]
Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers at the Churchill Theatre – Review
What is it about Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers that keeps bringing audiences back time after time? Last night at the Churchill Theatre, I saw the show for the third time; for my mum, it was the fifth. And as on every other occasion, as the final scene came to an end, the (mostly sobbing) audience rose as one to our feet in a standing ovation that went on for several … [Read more...]