The New Wimbledon Theatre continues a run of quality productions at its Studio theatre with Blown Youth. Despite not knowing what to expect, I was quickly impressed by this new play by Dipika Guha. Blown Youth follows the intertwined lives of seven young women, centring around Celia (Lydia Bakelmun), an aspiring actress who struggles with her anxiety surrounding her artistic pursuits – it’s such a strong compulsion and yet inspires such a huge degree of paralysis, a feeling I felt I knew all … [Read more...]
The Amish Project at The New Wimbledon Studio Theatre
In a London premiere performance at The New Wimbledon Studio Theatre, Saint Mary’s University theatre majors from Winona, Minnesota, will unveil how forgiveness and compassion are forged in the wake of unspeakable sadness and grief in a riveting production of The Amish Project. The fictional work—written by Jessica Dickey—was inspired by a 2006 shooting in a small Amish community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Although the play was developed around the horrendous tragedy that occurred … [Read more...]
Awesome Little Shop of Horrors at New Wimbledon Theatre
Sometimes us London based people with access to the West End and all manner of fringe theatres, can be a little, well let’s be honest, snobbish about regional theatre. It doesn’t help that often a show does fantastically in the West End with a wonderful cast, then goes off as a nationwide tour and the star names suddenly are missing and the producers are relying on a name that most people will recognise to bring the punters in. I have to say that based on my experience, touring productions and … [Read more...]
European premiere of BLOWN YOUTH at New Wimbledon Studio Theatre
Inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Blown Youth asks what happens to the universe if a woman is at its center. All Celia wants is to play a great role. But unlike Hamlet, there isn’t one for her to inherit. Despite her sophisticated education and a profound intellectual commitment to helping other women somehow Celia, like her counterpart, cannot act. Still, it seems that her consciousness doesn’t only lie inside her. It seeds and sprouts amidst her twenty first century kinships: her friends. A … [Read more...]
Macbeth at the New Wimbledon Studio Theatre – Review
The Arrow and Traps Theatre Company continues its re-workings of Shakespeare in a new production of Macbeth, at the New Wimbledon Theatre. Adapted by Artistic Director Ross McGregor, the production is the first of the company’s attempts at one of the big five Shakespeare plays, and though it is more faithful to its source material than the director’s notes suggest, the play is solidly executed with a clear commitment to maximum visual impact for minimum staging … [Read more...]
Polka Theatre’s James and the Giant Peach – Review
Roald Dahl would be 100 years old this year and in celebration of this event the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon is presenting James and the Giant Peach. In a seaside town, young James Henry Trotter (Nathan Guy) has a lovely life with his friends, his parents and the sea to paddle in. That is, until his parents die having unexpectedly been eaten by a rhinoceros and James is left an orphan. Sent to live with his two horrible aunts, James’ life goes downhill as he is treated as a drudge, beaten for … [Read more...]
Jackie The Musical at New Wimbledon Theatre – Review
Every Thursday between the years 1964 and 1993, teenage girls would rush to the newsagent to pick up the latest edition of their favourite magazine. In total 1,534 issues were published and for many ladies of a certain age the magazine described as “The best thing for girls, next to boys” taught them all they needed to know about going from being a girl to being a woman. So, why am I chatting about a 1970s teenage magazine when I am meant to be a theatre reviewer? Obviously it’s because at last … [Read more...]