As a format, Horrible Histories has established an impressive history of its own over the nearly 30 years since the first book by Terry Deary was published. Mining different civilisations and epochs for the weird, gross and ridiculous, the HH approach has - and continues - to delight and intrigue children. This summer’s incarnation, The Terrible Tudors is true to the brand’s tradition and provides plenty of enjoyment but is perhaps not the very strongest of the Horrible Histories Live that my … [Read more...]
Jean Paul Gaultier – Fashion Freak Show
When the creative force behind some of the most storied spectacles of the late 20th and early 21st century puts his name to a consumer entertainment vehicle, the bar is set pretty high. But such is the genius – as well as the optimism and charm – of Jean Paul Gaultier that his Fashion Freak Show more than clears it. Sumptuous and enthralling, Gaultier has created 100 costumes to form 400 outfits on a cast of 18 performers – singers, dancers, circus performers - each at the top of their game. … [Read more...]
The Darkest Part of the Night at the Kiln Theatre
Zodwa Nyoni’s new play brims with so many ideas that, on occasion, the writing can feel a little clunky and polemical - announcing rather than dramatising its intentions. But at its heart is an emotionally gut-punching and tender tale of an autistic black boy, Dwight (Lee Phillips) growing up amongst the ignorance and prejudice of Thatcher’s Britain whilst his family doggedly strive for his dignity and protection, as well as their own. At times, the play’s urge to illuminate specific … [Read more...]
The Dance of Death at the Arcola Theatre | Review
Before there was Edward Albee’s (1962) Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, some six decades earlier, August Strindberg wrote his own claustrophobic four-hander about marital cruelty and trauma - also conveyed through a blend of naturalism and absurdist sensibility. Set in a military garrison on an unforgiving Baltic Sea island, aged and mid-ranking soldier, Edgar (Hilton McRae) and his wife Alice (Lindsay Duncan) bicker - seemingly good-naturedly - about a forthcoming celebration of their … [Read more...]
Invisible: Written and performed by Nikhil Parmar
Nikhil Parmar’s one-man show, originally written as a TV pilot, manages to touch on a wide range of themes from Islamophobia to modern fatherhood with hilarity and deftness without feeling intellectually cluttered or preachy. In contrast to some big epic dramas with large casts and elaborate sets that each seek to be ‘a play of ideas’ (and in many cases cram too much in and fail) within a tight hour, Invisible flits from topic to topic in a wacky and slightly surreal way, provoking more thought … [Read more...]
Travis Jay: Son of David at Soho Theatre, Downstairs
Travis Jay’s stand-up act at the Soho Theatre manages to balance just enough acidic observation with warm-hearted wit to create a simply funny, true and uplifting experience. As a sort of emotional coming-of-age story, Jay speaks with pride about his father, who inspired the show’s title Son of David, as his defender and champion growing up in south London and the inspiration of his comedian mother. Touching on glimpses of celebrity status (so near and yet so far as evidenced by being … [Read more...]
Girl On An Altar by Marina Carr at Kiln Theatre
Riveting, painful and sumptuous, playwright Marina Carr dares improve on Aeschylus and succeeds - with this production rendered further triumphant thanks to Annabelle Comyn’s direction and a flawlessly magnetic and commanding cast performing on a magnificent set by Tom Piper. Of course, the story of the sacrifice of Iphigenia is tragic and haunting, but Carr takes us to the ‘domestic matter’ - as her Agamemnon (David Walmsley) barks when Clytemnestra’s (Eileen Walsh) father, Tyndareus … [Read more...]