Harold Pinter only ever wrote one novel. And, let's be honest, he didn’t rush into this literary endeavour. He started it in 1950 and the book was finally published in 1992. During its extended gestation period, Pinter adapted the story into a radio play for the BBC and this was first performed in the Arts theatre in 1963. In 2002 director Christopher Morahan and the author Kerry Lee Crabbe asked Pinter for permission to work on the novel and the new version of the play was performed at the … [Read more...]
Julius Caesar at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
“All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs.” A statement that is as true today as when it was first uttered in 1977. In fact it was true back when William Shakespeare wrote about a Roman general, statesman and member of the First Triumvirate, whose political life ended in death and dishonour. The play was Julius Caesar, and I had the opportunity to see it recently at the Globe … [Read more...]
Dreamgirls at New Wimbledon Theatre | Review
Sometimes, people forget that the ‘biz’ part of showbiz actually stands for business. Because entertainment is a multi-billion-pound business. Sometimes the people on the business side of the industry make a name for themselves – think of Simon Cowell – while their acts rise to fame, become stars, and then disappear from sight, apart from the odd appearance on some celebrity reality show. And this is the world that three young ladies from Chicago are aspiring to join in Dreamgirls which started … [Read more...]
Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare’s Globe
What do we look for in a romantic partner? Some people can fall in love at the merest smile while others have a list of those things that make someone else desirable to them. The majority of us are probably somewhere in the middle of these two extremes but the two couples in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing definitely fall at either end. For this version, the play is set in Northern Italy in April 1945. Following years of war, Leonata (Katy Stephens) and her family, daughter Hero Nadi … [Read more...]
Eleemosynary by Lee Blessing at Waterloo East Theatre
I really enjoy being a reviewer. In my time, I’ve seen so many different types of plays and shows, many of which take me outside of my comfort zone – apparently, I can’t just watch musicals and count jazz hands. I like most things and try to be as positive as possible about the shows I see whilst always remaining honest about my impression of it. The reason I’m saying all this is because occasionally an absolute zinger of a show pops up out of nowhere and absolutely blows my mind. One example is … [Read more...]
Orlando by Sarah Ruhl at Jermyn Street Theatre
Like many people, I’ve heard of Virginia Woolf but have never read any of her work. In fact, I’m a complete novice to her writing. This is why I was excited to break my Virginia virginity with a visit to the Jermyn Street Theatre for a production of Orlando. If you have read the original novel – “Orlando: A Biography” – then you will already know what to expect in the story. If like me, you haven’t then I’m going to tell you so little about the play, you will have to see it. The play … [Read more...]
Drag Baby at King’s Head Theatre | Review
Many years ago, I made the monumental decision to assist humanity by ensuring my genes were taken firmly out of the pool. No sprogs for this bloke. However, lots of people do feel the urge to procreate and produce and thanks to modern fertility technology you don’t need to do things the traditional way. Whoever you are if you want an ankle-biter in your life, there is an option out there. And babies, or the desire to have one, are a major part of Grace Carroll’s new one-act play Drag Baby, part … [Read more...]