Dance and music seem to be perfectly connected. Whether it’s rap or Rachmaninov, trap or Tchaikovsky, people dancing just fits with music. So you’d expect that Dystopian Dream, a marrying of Nitin Sawhney’s music and Honji Wang’s choreography would make for a dystopian delight. Sawhney’s work … [Read more...]
Wilkie Branson’s TOM at the Lilian Baylis Studio
The Lilian Baylis Studio, a kind of smaller, unruly sibling to Sadler’s Wells has an exciting range of interesting, experimental pieces on its programme. Shows that push the boundary of what constitutes theatre and dance, asking questions about the role of the performer, the space of performance. … [Read more...]
NYT REP Company: Consensual at Soho Theatre
‘Consent’ is the buzzword of contemporary theatre right now. Evan Placey’s 2015 play has been revived by NYT Rep Company, directed by Pia Furtado, with ever more relevance than before. Post-Weinstein, the systemic issues of rape and sexual control have resurfaced with paramount … [Read more...]
Romeo and Juliet at The Barbican, London | Review
Romeo and Juliet is, despite its popularity, a tricky play. There are a number of difficulties in the script which mark out better performances from, well, bad ones. First, Romeo’s arrival at the Capulet’s party is engineered by an illiterate letter postman. So what if someone can’t read, you might … [Read more...]
Macbeth – RSC at The Barbican Theatre | Review
The RSC’s production of Macbeth comes at an apt time. Greed for power at any expense is the universal feature of politics and business, living as we do in this bizarre mix of entertainment and reality. Time is obviously important in Macbeth, and Fly Davis’ decision to plant a massive digital … [Read more...]
Review: Drip Feed – written and performed by Karen Cogan
Dark and cheery, drunk and teary, Drip Feed is eventful, to say the least. Karen Cogan’s non-stop, no-pity delivery of a day in the life of ‘Brenda’ renders what might otherwise be a genuinely dark story into a sort of comedy routine. Perhaps apt considering the material: Brenda is gay, Irish, works … [Read more...]
Review: Deafinitely Theatre’s 4.48 Psychosis at New Diorama Theatre
Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis is difficult to stage. There are no indications as to staging, location, cast or even who speaks. For some, this is a fascinating examination of the emptiness and despair of depression and psychosis; for others, it’s pretty confusing. Deafinitely Theatre neatly dovetails … [Read more...]