London theatre reviews written by Sally Knipe

This year alone I have seen ten different productions of Shakespeare’s plays; however, I’m certainly not complaining, as I really love Shakespeare! By way of contrast, I last saw a production of Chaucer in 1987, mainly because I was 'doing Chaucer' for my English Literature A-level. I did enjoy it but remember it being quite hard work. Chaucer by Guildford Shakespeare Company (GSC) is not hard work. There are only a few words of Mediaeval English used in this production, as it is a very … [Read more...]

This morning, the weather is atrocious: thunder, lightning and torrential rain. It makes me reflect on how lucky we were last night; not just with the weather but to see such a terrific production at such an iconic venue. Henry V is one of my favourite plays and includes some of Shakespeare’s most powerful speeches. I am often worried that these won’t be delivered well, and I might be disappointed. I have no such worries with Guildford Shakespeare Company (GSC). This fabulous company of just … [Read more...]

Molly (Rosa Strudwick) has a homework assignment about the dangers of taking recreational drugs. She wants her mother to help her revise the specific dangers of taking ecstasy, focusing on the three different ways it can kill you. This makes her mum, Louise (Emmy Happisburgh) feel awkward, as she used to take the drug herself when she was in her teens. In Second Summer of Love, Louise was an original raver, hitting the scene when she was just 16 years old. She reminisces about the “good … [Read more...]

I used to know this part of Brixton well; today, I hardly recognised it. Brixton Market is now a foodie heaven and, just over the road, is this shiny new theatre sitting proudly among some heritage buildings that have been completely refurbished and look fantastic. So far so good! I am here to see Family Tree, a play written by Mojisola Adebayo about the incredible legacy of Henrietta Lacks, someone who most people will not have heard of. Henrietta was a black woman, who died of cervical … [Read more...]

Shakespeare wrote Richard II in 1595 when Queen Elizabeth I was over 60 and without a direct heir. Consequently, the question of succession was on everybody’s mind. In this tumultuous period and setting rival factions of the nobility were vying for supremacy and influence. The play only covers the last two years of Richard’s life and is set during an economic crisis following the plague. Director Natasha Rickman has set Guildford Shakespeare Company’s production of Richard II in modern times … [Read more...]