Jack Studio Theatre London Brockley SE4 2DH | Reviews

A suitably warm and positive introduction to this double bill of theatrical adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe stories by the Jester (Anna Larkin) entices the audience well enough. But it’s easy to get the impression that things were going to get darker, perhaps very quickly indeed. And while some aspects of The Masque of the Red Death were predictable, there were enough plot twists to maintain interest. It begins as very much a ‘good versus evil’ story, with mention of the godly religious values … [Read more...]

In theatrical circles ‘The Scottish Play’ is one that is steeped in superstition and ever cautiously mentioned by name. With that in mind, if you’re going to perform Macbeth (there I said it!), you need to do it justice and The AC Group certainly do! One of Shakespeare’s darker plays, it is thought that the story of Lord and Lady Macbeth was first performed at Hampton Court Palace in 1606. A timeless piece, its themes of ambition, betrayal, patriotism and greed continue to resonate with … [Read more...]

It’s sometimes said of offspring that happen to display similar modes of behaviour to their parents that they are ‘a chip off the old block’. This is often meant to be complimentary to both generations, but in a show with a title like The Bad Seed, whichever way one looks at it, young Rhoda Penmark (Rebecca Rayne) is not portrayed kindly. Not that anyone uses that particular idiom in this play, but Rhoda is a version of what certain religious texts consider the Devil to be - a master of deceit, … [Read more...]

It’s very broad, but not very deep. Handbagged, in its exploration of the years in which Margaret Thatcher (Sue Higginson) either restored or destroyed Britain (dependent on one’s point of view) from 10 Downing Street, is a bit like exploring central London from an open-top bus, with a tour guide chatting away name-dropping miscellaneous famous landmarks for a couple of hours, but from an arms-length perspective, never actually going into any of the buildings to see what lies beneath the … [Read more...]

I’ve read the novel or at least a translation of it, and although there are many advantages to being ruthless in deciding what to emphasise in bringing Crime and Punishment to the stage, I’m not sure this particular 90-minute version does it full justice. Two-and-a-half hours twice over works magnificently for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, for instance, but in losing significant chunks of the narrative from the book on which this particular show is based, this production comes close to … [Read more...]

For many families, Christmas means that along with decorations, presents, too much food and the Dr Who Christmas special, there is the annual trip to the theatre to see a well-known face appearing in one of the many pantomimes currently in theatres up and down the country. That’s all well and good but, if you fancy taking your family to something a little different this festive season, then I would definitely recommend you head off to the Jack Studio Theatre and go and see their Christmas … [Read more...]

Is it appropriate to retain the title The Beggar’s Opera if it is no longer an opera? The programme tells the audience this particular adaptation is a ‘musical play’, itself causing slight derision amongst patrons: is it a musical or is it a play? Without a single musical instrument to be seen, and without a list of musical numbers, I shall plump for the latter. Except there are musical numbers, and even one with harmonising parts where different characters are singing different narratives over … [Read more...]