Feargus Woods Dunlop’s adaptation of Anthony Horowitz’s best-selling 1986 YA novel, The Falcon’s Malteser, has some highly entertaining staged pieces but, at 80+ minutes long, is guilty of being overly faithful to the novel and not going far enough to establish a theatrical life of its own. Four or five mad-capped chase scenes or slow-motion ultra-noir pastiches … [Read more...]
About Mary Beer
Jellyfish by Ben Weatherill at the Dorfman Theatre | Review
No show has ever made me want to eavesdrop on the conversations of fellow theatre-goers as much as Ben Weatherill’s Jellyfish, which has transferred from the Bush Theatre to the National’s 450-seat Dorfman Theatre earlier this month. Funny and thought-provoking, Weatherill’s two-act, four-hander drama is both searing and sincere. It finds the heights of extremely … [Read more...]
Beg, Borrow & Bitch at the Union Theatre | Review
Beg, Borrow & Bitch is a work in progress. As such, many common teething issues were visible. At times the pair struggled with props, forgot lines and tripped over each other. These are things that the two leads can easily refine as they become more familiar with their act. Abbie Murphy and Ricky Hunt as Cindy and Cassandra, hosts of America’s number one … [Read more...]
Noises Off at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
Ever since its debut in 1982 at the Lyric Hammersmith itself, undertaking a production of Noises Off is a bit like attempting a triple axel in the figure skating final at the Olympics. The precision and grace required to land this farce’s potential is so extreme that the audience’s tension ramps up. If the cast’s timing succeeds, not only are the funnies so non-stop … [Read more...]
Hard Copy at Camden People’s Theatre | Review
Isabelle Sorente’s ultra-dark (and ultra-French) script is a very funny and twisted play in the best tradition of close-to-the-bone Gallic humour-meets-terror. Jo Emery, who describes herself as a ‘creative artist working in semi-professional/professional theatre’, directs, designs and performs as a quarter of the ensemble cast. If bringing Hard Copy to premiere in … [Read more...]
Review of Reformation at the White Bear Theatre
James Charlton has written a dense and layered work with much texture to experience but perhaps just a tad too much to grab in the White Bear’s small and immediate theatrical setting. His play is interesting and well-constructed but, in its current staging, succeeds even more as a dramatic study (with teleplay potential) rather than as the fundamentally gripping … [Read more...]
Review of Garry by Sophie Treadwell at the White Bear Theatre
Thank you, Graham Watts, for reminding us how powerful a strong story and actors who won’t give up can be, even upstairs in a Zone 2 pub! This is how you do it: assemble disciplined, committed and charismatic players at the start of their (promising!) careers and give them every reason to tell a story like their lives depended on it. And guess what happens? Our lives … [Read more...]
Flights of Fancy at The Hen and Chickens Theatre
FLIGHTS OF FANCY is a suite of five short plays all by James Mannion, with some of them based on concepts by Edward Mannion (credited as a film-maker in the programme). Various directors, including Rebound Productions’ Laura Román (who also acts in one of the playlets, Honey) helm Mannion’s work. The Hen & Chickens is a staple in London’s vibrant pub theatre … [Read more...]
Review of The Psychic Project at the Vaults Theatre
If you want to hear the word ‘amazing’ over-used to such an extent that it’s lost all meaning then this is the show for you. David Narayan’s ‘mind-reading’ show professes to cover the true story of the CIA's psychic spy research from the Cold War ‘whilst the audience attempts some of the actual paranormal espionage experiments’. But what you get is a mid-market … [Read more...]