BWW Review: TRIAL BY LAUGHTER, Richmond TheatreFebruary 19, 2019As Editor and Lead Cartoonist of Private Eye, Ian Hislop and Nick Newman are certainly not immune to the issue of libel. In Trial By Laughter they expand what was a Radio 4 afternoon drama to a full length play, focusing on the trials of satirist and forgotten hero of free speech, William Hone, in 1817.
BWW Review: MACBETH, Orange Tree TheatreFebruary 18, 2019School is where most of us are introduced to William Shakespeare and the nature of this introduction will often impact on how much we love or loath The Bard in later life.
In their series Shakespeare Up Close, Richmond's Orange Tree Theatre continues its quest to bring Shakespeare's plays to life particularly for GCSE students. This year Nathan Powell directs a dark and intensely physical adaptation of Macbeth by six talented actors.
BWW Review: THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, New Wimbledon TheatreFebruary 12, 2019Theatre audiences are certainly less easy to shock these days than they were back in 1973 when Richard O'Brien's outrageous musical The Rocky Horror Show first debuted at the Royal Court. These days gender is a much more fluid concept and cross-dressing is commonplace rather than quirky. Shows such as Everyone's Talking About Jamie and Kinky Boots have The Rocky Horror Show to thank for elevating cross dressing to the mainstream. Despite the fact that the show is no longer radical, here's still something deliciously teasing about a show that celebrates an alternative sexual reality and the joy of grown men wearing fishnets.
BWW Review: CHITA RIVERA, Cadogan HallFebruary 11, 2019At 86, Chita Rivera could easily justify putting her feet up a little. She first performed in London back in 1958 in the iconic role of Anita in West Side Story and has never stopped since. She returned to the capital this weekend for two one-off concerts, chronicling her life and amazing career.
The word legend is overused these days, but Rivera can truly justify the title. She has been nominated 10 times for a Tony Award, which is the joint record for number of nominations. In 1984 she starred in The Rink with Liza Minnelli and won her first (of two) Tony Award for her role as Anna and in 2018 she received the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.
BWW Review: BLACK IS THE COLOR OF MY VOICE, Trafalgar StudiosFebruary 10, 2019Inspired by the music and the political activism of the legendary Nina Simone, Black Is The Color Of My Voice is the tiny gem of a show, written by singer and writer Apphia Campbell. The production has been shown all over the world since 2013 and it now makes its West End debut as it comes to London's Trafalgar Studios in a heady stream of power, emotion and raw talent.
BWW Review: AVENUE Q, New Wimbledon TheatreFebruary 7, 2019Avenue Q is an interesting show to describe to those who have never seen it. Naive graduate Princeton comes to New York with big dreams and little money to match. When he moves to Avenue Q he meets his neighbours where he tries to find his purpose in life. Together they tackle various issues and learn to be happy with their lot in life.
So far, so straightforward, but Avenue Q is a little different. It is a musical puppet show for adults, featuring rude songs and outrageous jokes that touch on issues from internet pornography, being gay and puppet sex. It's difficult to see how it could work, but it does and this new tour that comes to the New Wimbledon Theatre in hilarious and irreverent form.
BWW Review: COUGAR, Orange Tree TheatreFebruary 6, 2019Possession, power and control, with climate change thrown in. Cougar is a new play by Rose Lewenstein which is essentially a series of 80 snapshots into the lifespan of a dysfunctional relationship between younger ex-barman John and older, highly successful executive Leila set in the confines of a number of anonymous hotel rooms around the world.
BWW Review: NOTRE DAME DE PARIS, London ColiseumJanuary 24, 2019It is difficult to overestimate how popular Notre Dame de Paris is in France, leaving audiences in raptures for twenty years. However, the critics were not kind when it was last performed in London back in 2000. Poor translation of the lyrics and a prerecorded backing track seemed to be the main issues. Despite this, the show has been performed all over the world and this new run at the Coliseum will mark its 20th anniversary, this time with a new translation and a live string section.Unfortunately, this is not enough to save a show that often feels dated and self-absorbed.
BWW Review: MANON, London ColiseumJanuary 18, 2019Manon is not a ballet for the #MeToo era. The story follows Manon as she falls in love with Des Grieux, a poor student. She is, essentially, pimped out by her brother to become the mistress of wealthy aristocrat Monsieur GM. Swayed by the material world of gambling and courtesans, we see Manon falling for the fur coats and jewellery, but it is when she wants to follow her heart and escape with her lover, things go dramatically wrong. She is arrested then raped by a brutal jailer and dies. It is not a tale of female emancipation and not even of the triumph of good over evil.
BWW Review: TOTEM, Royal Albert HallJanuary 17, 2019It is easy to be wowed by Cirque du Soleil; the acts themselves are often utterly thrilling and defy any expectations of human strength, dexterity and flexibility. With TOTEM, returning to the Royal Albert Hall for the next six weeks, a lack of some truly breathtaking acts, a coherent storyline and amusing comedy are issues that let a potentially brilliant show down.
BWW Review: COMING CLEAN, Trafalgar StudiosJanuary 12, 2019Playwright Kevin Elyot is best known for his brilliant AIDS-era play My Night With Reg, but after being revived at Islington's King's Head Theatre, his debut play Coming Clean has now transferred to the Trafalgar Studios, exploring male gay culture, fidelity and love set in London in the early eighties.
BWW Review: SWAN LAKE, London ColiseumJanuary 4, 2019After a rather pedestrian version of Tchiakovsky's iconic Swan Lake by the St Petersburg Ballet at London's Coliseum in the summer, ballet fans are eager for a more immersive and emotionally charged version from the English National Ballet to kick-start 2019. They will not be disappointed with this revival which sparkles with energy and delicate elegance.
BWW Review: THE NUTCRACKER, Royal Albert HallDecember 29, 2018London is already blessed with two outstanding productions of the Christmas ballet The Nutcracker. Birmingham Royal Ballet now also presents Peter Wright's beautiful version in the challenging space of the Royal Albert Hall for the second year. And what a treat it is.
BWW Review: CIRCUS 1903, Southbank CentreDecember 21, 2018With extraordinary feats of bravery, strength and skill, the appeal of old-fashioned circus is not hard to understand. Performing a show that is the essence of traditional circus entertainment, Circus 1903 comes to London's Southbank Centre for its European premiere: a celebration of the Golden Age of circus, with highly skilled performers, raucous comedy and excellent family entertainment.
2018 Year in Review: Aliya Al-Hassan's Best of TheatreDecember 15, 2018What a bizarre year 2018 has been. In the months that saw too much Trump, devastating Californian wildfires, an escalation in the refugee crisis, not to mention the dreaded 'B' word, it makes me more grateful than ever for the pure escapism that live theatre so often provides.
BWW Review: HANSEL & GRETEL, Rose TheatreDecember 15, 2018The perfect family show at Christmas is a big ask for theatres. The pressure is on to cater for the biggest range of audiences they see all year. They expect fun, jokes, a good story, great visual effects, excellent acting, maybe some catchy songs (but not annoyingly so) and a happy ending to boot. If you are looking for all these things rolled into one glorious package of festive wonder, head down to the Rose Theatre in Kingston because they have cracked the perfect Christmas show.
BWW Review: NUTCRACKER, London ColiseumDecember 14, 2018London is lucky enough to have three different productions of Nutcracker playing this year. With fabulous reviews for The Royal Ballet's immaculate version already in and anticipation for the Birmingham Royal Ballet's version at the Royal Albert Hall building, the English National Ballet's production of Nutcracker is under pressure to ooze with festive charm and beauty.
BWW Review: PETER PAN, Richmond TheatreDecember 14, 2018Alexander Pope's poignant quote 'To wake the soul with the gentle strokes of art' hangs above the stage of the beautiful Richmond Theatre to remind us of the potent power of art and theatre. Quite what he would have made of modern day pantomime is anyone's guess, as the latest offering of festive mayhem comes to Richmond Theatre in a sea of glitter and flashing lights.
BWW Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Arts TheatreDecember 14, 2018Was there ever an actor more suited to perform a one-man show than Simon Callow? Add in the evocative and mellifluous writings of Dickens at Christmas time and you have the recipe for a show overflowing with festive goodwill. If you leave the Arts Theatre without a tear in your eye and spring in your step, I would recommend that you check your pulse.
BWW Review: THE DOUBLE DEALER, Orange Tree TheatreDecember 12, 2018William Congreve's rarely performed Restoration comedy, The Double Dealer, is an interesting choice to be revived at Richmond's Orange Tree theatre and, for some, will be a welcome relief to the pantomimes and doggedly 'festive' productions at this time of year.