Ever seen a couple that you know and wondered why they are together? What it is about the other that is attractive? Human attraction to each other is something that is easy to define semantically - the action or power of evoking interest in or liking for someone or something - but very difficult to explain emotionally. However, when the human in question is attracted … [Read more...]
H.M.S. Pinafore at the King’s Head Theatre | Review
The second paragraph of the United States Declaration of Independence starts as follows: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”. Of course, this is rubbish. Men - or more importantly people - are … [Read more...]
Better Than Sex: The Story of Mae West | Review
I’m terrible at flirting. It’s a fact of life and something I’ve had to accept over the course of many failed attempts to catch someone’s eye and get them to want me the way I want them. However, some people can flirt with words or even a glance. They can take the most innocent of sentences and load them full of innuendo and meaning. One such person was Hollywood icon … [Read more...]
Andy Bell is Torsten in… QUEERETERIA TV | Review
Ever had a night at the theatre where, by the end, you’ve thoroughly enjoyed the show but ultimately are totally confused about what you have seen? Well, I had just such a night at the Above the Stag theatre which is currently playing host to Queereteria TV. Thanks to an accident whilst doing something interesting with a senior member of the royal family, Lady … [Read more...]
Where is Peter Rabbit? at Theatre Royal Haymarket | Review
One of the big problems for parents is what to do with their little ones during the school holidays. Days out are great, but with the British weather, the chances are limited to experience the great outdoors. However, fear not, for if you pop down to the Theatre Royal Haymarket, you can keep the ankle biters entertained and happy as one of literature's best-known … [Read more...]
The Marvelous Wonderettes at Upstairs at the Gatehouse
Ah, the 1950s. For every American high school senior year student of the era, only one thing really mattered and that was the end of year prom. But, after what was usually a very important rite of passage for the students, as the confetti was swept up and the last decorations were taken down, it was time to face their futures as adults. So, what happens after the … [Read more...]
Operation Black Antler at the Southbank Centre | Review
I love immersive theatre. In my time writing reviews, I have experienced many immersive theatre shows. I’ve survived a zombie apocalypse, hunted for Jack the Ripper, lost my sense of sight and trained as a WWII spy. But of all the immersive shows I’ve been involved with, Operation Black Antler is the most unusual and thought-provoking production so far. For obvious … [Read more...]
Oranges and Ink by Claire Louise Amias | Review
We think of the Restoration as being the start of a more enlightened age where things changed for the better. King Charles II learned from the mistakes of his father and, on the whole, his reign was not a bad one. However, the balance of power was, as had always been the case, very much skewed in favour of men with women very much in a secondary position. However, two … [Read more...]
Interview with Linus Karp and Joseph Martin
In May 2018 I met and interviewed two lovely young theatricals preparing to take their show to the Edinburgh Festival. Their names are Linus Karp and Joseph Martin and the show was Awkward Conversations with Animals I’ve F*cked. Move forward to April this year and the show is about to open at Islington’s famous King’s Head Theatre and I met up with the guys once more … [Read more...]
Fiddler on the Roof at The Playhouse Theatre | Review
The Book of Exodus says that after crossing the Red Sea, Moses led the Hebrews into the Sinai, where they spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Fortunately for the inhabitants of a small Russian village at the turn of the last century, all they had to do was move across the river as they took the highly successful Menier Chocolate Factory production of Fiddler … [Read more...]
Lazarus Theatre Company – Lord of the Flies – Review
Some books have a real pedigree to them. For example, one well-known book was awarded a place on both lists of Modern Library 100 Best Novels, reaching number 41 on the editor's list, and 25 on the reader's list. It also made number 70 on the BBC's survey The Big Read. In 2005, it was chosen by TIME magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels from … [Read more...]
Goodbye Norma Jeane by Liam Burke at Above The Stag Theatre
For someone as in love with musical theatre as I claim to be, I have to hang my head in shame that until last night, I had never heard the name Jack Cole. And if you, like me, are not sure who this man is, well I can now tell you that he was one of the most influential choreographers of his day, inventing the idiom of American show dancing known as "theatrical jazz … [Read more...]