In eco-thriller Scavengers, written and directed by Bryan Oliver and set in the bowels of a London tower block, we are introduced to a terror-stricken world already destroyed by a deadly virus. The first character we meet in this post-apocalyptic universe is young Zeb (Grace Richardson), her gaze locked onto a cellphone screen and looking somewhat antsy and bored - is this just another day to endure in what appears to be a makeshift bunker stacked with food tins, candles, a fast-diminishing … [Read more...]
Review of Spiral at Jermyn Street Theatre
Abigail Hood's play Spiral makes a strong statement about loss, guilt, accusation, and the faulty place of the father in family life. It begins with an interaction between Leah (Abigail Hood) a young woman dressed in school uniform, and Tom (Jasper Jacob), a father-type male who, at first, appears to be a pervert offloading his sexual fantasies onto a faux-teenage girl. Midway into their verbal interaction, we learn that, six months ago, Tom's own adolescent daughter disappeared on the … [Read more...]
PlayFight at Seven Dials Playhouse | Review
Every once in awhile a play comes along that drives home an irrefutable truth, one which philosophers and playwrights have wrestled with since time immemorial. PlayFight, written by Christina Alagaratnam and directed by Leian John-Baptiste, is such a play. Although PlayFight's themes draw us into the minefield young Black males confront on their road to full-blown maturity - if any of us can ever achieve such a thing - its overriding arc is that mistakes made in adolescence can either … [Read more...]
Review of breaDth at Omnibus Theatre
COVID 19, remember it? Or would you rather forget it ever happened? In BreaDth, playwright Raminder Kaur has a lot to say about the pandemic and its effect on Asian family life, the isolation of elderly people, and caregivers and young people in the UK. Its message often feels like an opinion piece lifted from a national newspaper, Twitter feed, or breakfast news channel, with dialogue that replicates the opposing positions of Labour and Conservative ministers, each drawing swords to … [Read more...]
The Beekeeper of Aleppo at Richmond Theatre
In March 2011, Syrian security forces opened fire on a pro-democracy demonstration in the southern town of Deraa, killing several protesters and injuring many more. It was a heinous act that touched off what is now known as the Syrian Civil War, a war that left hundreds of thousands dead, destroyed the infrastructure of Syrian towns and cities and resulted in the world's largest refugee crisis. As we now bear witness to 2023 as the age of the refugee, there is no more poignant statement … [Read more...]