Anyone that has ever worked in the corporate world knows that the two most feared words you can hear are “Team Building”! This seemingly innocuous but potentially soul-destroying phrase can mean anything from an uncomfortable lunch with one of the company directors hearing about how great everything is, to spending a few days away with people you barely know, trying to pretend you really like hugging trees, picking the weevils out of biscuits and bonding with nature. This then is the premise … [Read more...]
Review of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
Walking into the theatre to see “Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris” last night, I thought I had no idea who Jacques Brel was. However, thanks to the transformation of the Charing Cross Theatre into a smoky nightclub, together with the performances from Gina Beck, Daniel Boys, David Burt and Eve Polycarpou, I realised how much I actually knew of the music of this highly regarded Belgian singer-songwriter. For those of you who are not too sure who he is, Jacques is widely … [Read more...]
Review of War Correspondents at Stratford Circus
When you hear the words ‘war correspondent’, what comes to mind? Depending on your age, it may be Brian Hanrahan stating ‘I counted them all out and I counted them all back ‘during the Falklands or Rageh Omaar standing in the square in Baghdad as the statue of Saddam was torn down, and we all remember Kate Adie in her blue flak jacket reporting from pretty much everywhere conflict arose in the late 1990s. Today, in our eternal quest for 24 hour news coverage, journalists are spending an … [Read more...]
Review of Matthew Bourne’s Lord of The Flies at Sadler’s Wells
Matthew Bourne has never been afraid to try something new, remember the all-male Corps De Ballet in Swan Lake? But, even for him, Lord of the Flies is a bit of a leap into the unknown. Not many companies would have the temerity to present the paying public with a show that is based on a classic novel, and danced by a cast largely recruited from the youngsters of the area where it is being staged. Now, I have to be honest here. Unlike many schools, the one I went to didn’t force me to read ‘Lord … [Read more...]
Review of Urinetown at the Apollo Theatre London West End
When I told friends I was going to see ‘Urinetown’, I received one of two reactions. Either, “Really? What a horrible name for a show” from those that hadn’t seen it, or “You’re going to love it!” from those that had. It turned out that both groups were right. ‘Urinetown’ is a real mixture of contradictory features. As our narrator ‘Officer Lockstock’ (a wonderful performance by Jonathan Slinger) tells ‘Little Sally’ (Karis Jack) at the start – “this isn’t a happy musical” and its true it … [Read more...]