What has changed about the nature of violence against women since John Webster wrote his play in the 1600s? What, for that matter, have we learned since #MeToo about the nature of that violence against women? The Duchess of Malfi unpacks the lengths a few crazed men will go to in order to control and…
When Ibsen wrote Rosmersholm in 1886, he looked to pit political and moral concerns of his day against each other – to engage in debate, on stage. He set his play in the midst of political upheaval; conservative politicians are being unseated, disrupted and challenged by radical and freethinking leftists. The question of equality, of…
A Christmas Carol at the Arts Theatre brings to life this classic Christmas story, in a very likeable and entertaining production. Narrated and acted entirely by Simon Callow, it is a warm interpretation, delivered as a good story around a fireplace on a snowy evening. There is much to enjoy here, and you leave with…
It feels like it was only a matter of time before VR started to infiltrate theatres – the fact that Frogman is the first instance of this technology I’ve experienced on stage is quite surprising. Having heard rumours of this ground-breaking show long before my opportunity to see it, I’d be lying if I said…
Having reviewed Chivaree’s outstanding show Becoming Shades, expectations were high for this follow up, Crash. And I wasn’t disappointed. Created by Edward Gosling and Laurane Marchive, the show is truly a ‘celebration’ – of eccentricity, of pushing physical limits, and of the ability to carry on in cheerful spirits – perfect for the current state of…
Set in a takeaway off an Australian highway, Food explores the tumultuous relationship between sisters Elma (Emma Playfair) and Nancy (Lily Newbury-Freeman). With unresolved tension from their youth played out in the claustrophobic takeaway kitchen, their antipathy comes to a head with the arrival of traveller Hakan (Scott Karim). Beautifully designed and executed, Food is…
They Built It. No One Came, is a play about where earnestness becomes naivety, and integrity starts to look ridiculous. It follows Tobias (Christopher Neels) and Alexander (Patrick Holt), two idealists who form a peaceful commune named ‘Humbleton’ – a place they envisaged as a refuge from modern society – hoping to attract others like…
The Chivaree circus have created a show that is really something special; intricate, aesthetic and bold, there is a lot of distinct and quirky talent on display. Created by Edward Gosling and Laurane Marchive, Becoming Shades reworks the classic myth of Persephone, travelling through the underworld. No better location could be found for such a…
In an unadorned room of the Camden People’s Theatre, Emma Packer’s CTRL+ALT+DELETE achieves so much more than the sum of its parts. A room, a woman and a chair – this is minimalist theatre at its best. We meet Amy (performed by Packer), politically-aware and with a sense of the wider injustices of the world around her, as…