REVIEW: WONDERLAND (Sunderland Empire) ★★★
It’s not everyday you get to see a brand new musical but Wonderland has arrived in Sunderland in only the second week of its tour and it’s really rather good. On her 40th birthday Alice (Kerry Ellis) has received a letter from her ex husband to say he’s got remarried. Her car has been stolen […]
REVIEW: WAYWARD (The Vaults) ★★★★★
Cat Loud’s blend of storytelling and song is comic, warm, sharp edged and broadly political but never bitter. She tells her surreal story interspersed with a wonderful selection of contemporary and classic, multi genre songs, sung beautifully. This is political, feminist, cabaret with a bite, featuring Cat Loud who is a London-based writer and performer […]
REVIEW: BARE ESSENTIALS (Seven Dials Club) ★★★★★
Encompass Productions present Bare Essentials, an evening of six new short plays in a small room in the Seven Dials Club in Covent Garden. It was so full on the evening I attended that extra chairs were needed. This is pared down theatre with minimal set; it’s all about the writing here. Encompass Productions select […]
REVIEW: LITTERATI (The Vaults) ★★★★
It’s sweet Millie’s big opportunity. She is excited and nervous about being asked by VICE to write an exposé about a mysterious underground and secretive community called the Litterati. Millie lives with her loving girlfriend, Hattie, in trendy Clapham. Hattie is steady and sensible and works in insurance in the City, she also cares deeply […]
REVIEW: JANUARY: A MUSICAL REVUE (Live at Zedel) ★★★★
January is both a time of year that forces us into a fresh start of our lifestyle, along with reflecting back on the previous 12 months and the highs and lows faced along the way. January: A Musical Revue summarises pretty much all aspects of the month in the gorgeous performance space that is Zedel. […]
REVIEW: DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY (Charing Cross Theatre) ★★★★
After Grand Hotel and Titanic, Thom Southerland has scored another winner with a Maury Yeston musical. Death Takes a Holiday, book by Peter Stone and Thomas Meehan, was nominated for 11 Drama Desk Awards after its Off-Broadway premiere in 2011. Based on the 1928 play by Alberto Casella, the musical takes place in the home […]
REVIEW: EVITA (Liverpool Empire) ★★★★
It is hard to believe that Evita was first released as a concept album in 1976. Over forty years later and Bill Kenwright’s current touring production feels eerily relevant in a world where the news is dominated by politics and unlikely ascensions to power. Tim Rice’s lyrics, such as political leaders opposing “Foreign domination of […]
REVIEW: The Albatross 3rd and Main (Park Theatre) ★★★★
After a successful run at the Emporium Theatre in Brighton, Simon David Eden brings his dark comedy to the Park Theatre. Inspired by Sam Shepard’s work, Eden’s play is quintessentially American, taking place in a run-down convenience store in small-town Massachusetts that has not seen any customers in a long time. Debt-ridden store owner Gene […]
REVIEW: In the Depths of Dead Love (Print Room at the Coronet) ★★★
The most exciting aspect of the world premiere of Howard Barker’s new play is the “Yellowface” controversy. There was a quiet group of protesters on press night, opposite the theatre, holding up placards and handing out flyers to express their dismay. A play that is set in ancient China with characters called Mr Chin, Lady […]
REVIEW: Lord of Thrones – The 10th Annual London 50 hour Improvathon (Wilton’s Music Hall) ★★★★
The 10th annual London 50 hour Improvathon is an improvised story in twenty five, two hour long sections. Performed by a delicious group of young talented actors. It is hilarious, warm hearted and a laugh a second. The two, two hour sections that I witnessed were hilarious. Even the hardcore blanket wrapped sections of the […]