REVIEW: Titus Andronicus (New Wimbledon Studio)
For “Titus Andronicus”, theatre company Arrows & Traps get out the claws their name promises. The audience finds themselves following a sinister world where the Shakespearean, Roman and contemporary eras blend together. War hero Titus Andronicus cannot catch a break – his victory over the Goths and sacrificial killing of Queen Tamora’s eldest son – […]
REVIEW: Avenue Q (Richmond Theatre)
Avenue Q is an adult version of Sesame Street. Puppets, learning videos and a lot of foul mouthed humour. From Trekkie Monster’s ‘The Internet Is For Porn’ to Lucy The Slut’s ‘Special’ this show is a laugh a minute musical comedy which inspired SouthPark writers Trey Stone and Matt Parker to write The Book of […]
REVIEW: The Screenwriters Daughter (Leicester Square Theatre)
The Screenwriter’s Daughter is a compelling tale of a strained relationship between a father and daughter, separated by the upheaval of the Sixties but bound together by a preoccupation with legacy and, as much as they try to deny it, love. It is based on the life of Ben Hecht (Paul Easom), an aging screenwriter, […]
REVIEW: The State vs John Hayes (King’s Head Theatre)
One often reads that Death Row inmates receive love letters, even marriage proposals. What attracts people to murderers? Could it be that they have violated the ultimate taboo by taking a human life, thereby placing themselves outside of society? Or are they cunning manipulators who succeed in making people believe they do not deserve to […]
REVIEW: Grounded (Park Theatre)
Grounded was written by George Brant as a one-woman show. Telling in monologue the tale of a female fighter pilot removed from her solitary blue skies to the grey of the ‘chair force’. This is a meaty role, recently performed by Anne Hathaway in New York who pursued the role after reading a review of […]
REVIEW: The Phantom Raspberry Blower (St James Theatre)
This comedy has quite a history stretching back to 1969 when Spike Milligan conceived the idea as a possible vehicle for television for his former fellow Goons Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe. Sellers’ filming commitments meant that never happened and the script was eventually taken up by Ronnie Barker in 1971 for a one-off episode […]
REVIEW: Piaf (The Bridewell Theatre)
Edith Piaf would have turned 100 this year so it seems fitting to perform Piaf, the tale of her life written by Pam Gems in 1978. The cast of multi- talented actors and musicians bring to life the laughter, loves, tragedies and most importantly the songs of Piaf’s world. Piaf’s life was full of drama […]
REVIEW: The Magic Hour (Grand Royale Hyde Park)
After all the obvious stuff like love, friendship, good health and chocolate, magic ranks very highly on my list of Favourite Things. As I strolled into the Grand Royale hotel last night, I was concerned that The Magic Hour wouldn’t live up to my ridiculously high expectations but my concerns quickly vanished in a […]
REVIEW: Cats (London Palladium, REVIEW, 2015)
As a theatre-kid, growing up on the other side of the world in New Zealand was tough. I never got to discover shows by seeing a live performance. Instead I would use dial-up internet (when my parents didn’t want to use the telephone) to research the composers and musicals of the day. Early on I […]
REVIEW: KATHY KIRBY: ICON / I PLAY FOR ME (White Bear Theatre)
In the heart of The White Bear Theatre in Kennington comes a two act musical based on two different stories. The first act- ‘I Play For Me’ is based on the fictional story of 1960’s musician Elliot Figueroa whose temperamental side comes hand in hand with his raw talent. When Elliot clashes with his […]