Amélie Review | New Wimbledon Theatre
One of the beauties of the film Amélie is that very little happens. There’s no drama, no test of faith and no real obstacles to be overcome. And yet it’s mesmerising, whimsical and charming. So how could a musical adaptation live up to its following, especially when Yann Tiersen already created a fantastic score? Amélie […]
A Simple Space Review Underbelly Southbank
“Both beautiful and hard to look at” It’s always hard to tell what’s impressive circus. I can’t even do a forward roll so seeing someone do a handstand is impressive to me. Even if tricks are good it can be hard to immerse yourself as you become immune to the spectacle. Gravity & Other Myths’ […]
Top Girls Review National Theatre
“Gender performativity in all its contradictory glory” Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls is a perfect skewering of Thatcherism and individualism that to this day reverberates through school text books, university lecture halls and theatres worldwide. But it’s Lyndsey Turner’s National Theatre revival – shiny, attitude-packed, ominous and shoulder padded to the rafters – which convinced me […]
Admissions Review
“Initially compelling but somewhat wearing” Alex Kingston (Doctor Who, ER) stars in Joshua Harmon’s new play as Sherri, an admissions tutor at an elite private school, trying to encourage diversity in the student body alongside her husband, the school’s principal (Andrew Woodall). When their son Charlie (Ben Edelman) is deferred for a place at Yale, […]
Tartuffe Review National Theatre
“Thoroughly entertaining throughout” One could call Molière France’s answer to Shakespeare. He’s been lauded as the greatest writer in the French language, and his plays written in the 17th century were originally written in similarly complex verse. The National Theatre’s production of Tartuffe brings the story into the 21st century with John Donnelly’s new adaptation […]
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical Review
Austria: The MOOsical When you have endless possibilities for the setting and story line of a musical, the topics that come up can be adventurous, hilarious and quite frankly, strange. The theme chosen for my evening at the improvised musical, Showstopper! involved cow-milkers in the hills of Austria set to the music of Fiddler on the Roof, […]
Mind the Gap (Showstopper!) Review
The London Underground. 1954. An illicit affair on the Piccadilly line which could cause a scandal in the Ministry. Pickpockets trying to climb up the social ladder. The threat of Russian spies. The music is inspired by the likes of Hamilton, Sweeney Todd, and Singin’ in the Rain. It’s called ‘Mind the Gap’. It was […]
Chambre Noire Review
“Let’s hope their puppets never find peace, because these tortured souls are the stuff of theatre magic.” Plexus Polaire creates imagery that stamps itself onto the retinas and holds fast in the memory. In Chambre Noire, two life-size puppets wrestle on the ground, Andy Warhol’s disembodied head floats in the air and a spider-woman sporting […]
The Wedding Review
It is commonplace to be moved to tears by a bittersweet story. It is much rarer to be similarly moved by optimism and the sheer force of joy. But in their nine-strong physical theatre piece The Wedding, Gecko and creator Amit Lahov nail it, as if they are preachers with a limitless supply of mojo. […]
The Unreturning Review
“An exploration of home and the self, and what happens when you lose the sense of either” The meeting of Anna Jordan‘s words and Frantic Assembly‘s movement sparks potent potential. In the anxiety-logged poem that is The Unreturning, Jordan’s empathic character studies are subtly underpinned by Frantic’s earthy choreography. The piece is split into three […]
