Marry Me A Little
Aria Entertainment have brought Stephen Sondheims show of hidden gems to the beautiful St James Studio in Victoria for a two week run. Craig Lucas first met Stephen Sondheim when performing in the 1979 production of Sweeney Todd. Sondheim mentioned a suitcase of abandoned songs he had written in his life that had never been […]
The Probleming
When writers try to combine horror and comedy, the result is usually a cringeworthy disaster a la Scary Movie. It just doesn’t seem to work as it’s not truly scary, or funny. So, could the Probleming by Steve Jordan be the first successful horror comedy? Well, it did squeeze a few laughs from the audience […]
Dessa Rose
As we enter Studio 2 it already seems cramped, with the MD and cellist taking up a fair proportion of the stage. As the actors enter with drums to the strong first musical number ‘We are Descended’ the stage is suddenly too full, but although the band are ever-present, for the most part they do […]
Fairytales & Fire
London’s an odd place. Thousands of people crammed together on tubes, buses and trains. Sometimes the same people, day after day. But do we ever stop to introduce ourselves to our fellow commuters? Absolutely not. Yet sometimes, one person can surprise you… This is precisely what happens to Elizabeth (Victoria Fox) when she meets James […]
Porgy and Bess
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre creates the illusion of separation from the outside world. As soon you step through the gates you’re transported and engulfed into the magical world of the theatre. A sparse yet unique pre-set of a broken rusty chair, another chair with a piece of red cloth draped off of the […]
West End Stars on Theatre Etiquette
Theatre Etiquette is an issue that will sadly probably never go away. Any regular theatre-goer will have probably been frustrated at one time or another with audience members talking or using the dreaded mobile phone during a performance. One question I often ask people during interviews is what annoys them about theatre etiquette. I decided […]
What The Ladybird Heard
What The Ladybird Heard is based on the children’s picture book, written by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks. This relatively short story has been cleverly padded out to fill an hour on stage by spending the first 20 minutes or so with the cast waiting for Dave to turn up in his lorry with all […]
Fflur Wyn has Tea With Wilma
Can you tell me about some of your career highlights for anyone who may not be familiar with you work? I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the country’s best opera houses, along with some wonderful houses in Europe and beyond. For me, some of the highlights would be performing the role of […]
Wolf Kisses
The very small and baron black box space of The Old Red Lion Theatre leaves much to the imagination with only a bench, a stool and a small pile of books in a very dimly lit set. Wolf Kisses is originally a Spanish piece of theatre that examines the fragile boundaries between love, […]
Gulf
Tucked away amongst the startlingly shiny office blocks of Euston is the Camden People’s Theatre. Delightfully ramshackle and serving quality wine for very reasonable prices, it has the air of student digs or a proletarian meeting place. Staging new work is always going to be risky. If an audience has never seen your work before […]