Aliya Al-Hassan - Page 90

There seem to be something consistently appealing about the music of the 1980s; acts such as Rick Astley and Bananarama seem to attract more concert-goers today than they did in their heyday. It makes sense, therefore, for a revival of a musical featuring such classic hits as 'Holding Out For A Hero' and 'Let's Hear It For The Boy' would appeal to the current zeitgeist.

Alistair Beaton has solid form as a political satirist as writer on Spitting Image and author of The Trial of Tony Blair. In Fracked! he turns his hand to the political hot potato of drilling for shale gas in the sedate countryside village of Fenstock. It is a story pitting the malign forces of corporate company Deerland Energy against the virtues of the reasonable and just campaign against them, spearheading by protesting pensioner Elizabeth Blackwood.

In a captivating UK premiere, Sandra is preparing to take her seat on the first day of the Truth and Reconcilliation Commission for Northern Ireland at Stormont, when her estranged sister Teeni bursts in on a wave of racist and expletive-ridden anger. Everything Between Us is David Ireland's award-winning play, which follows the sisters for the next 70 minutes, as they wrestle with their own relationship, a brutal history of political violence and the seeming impossibility of resolution.

Billed as a new musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll's beloved books, Wonderland sees Alice as a deflated and disappointed 40 year old, living in a grimy tower block with her teenage daughter Ellie. Upon the unexplained appearance of a white rabbit, they descend, via the tower block lift, into Wonderland with their neighbour Jack

If City of Glass was a modern art installation, it would undoubtably be worth five stars. It is one of the most visually impressive productions I have ever seen on a London stage.

After You is the first musical to be performed at The Crazy Coqs venue, deep under Piccadilly Circus at Brasserie Zedel in London's West End. Childhood friends and musical collaborators Katie Lam and Alex Parker were commissioned to create a musical specifically for the venue and the result is a time-honoured story of strangers meeting and an irresistible connection being sparked.

Following the sell-out run in 2015 at The Vaults deep under Waterloo Station, Les Enfants Terribles' and ebp bring their Olivier award nominated Alice's Adventures Underground back to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll's beloved book. Less like a gentle retelling of the story and more like experiencing falling down the rabbit hole yourself, Alice's Adventures Underground is a more grown up way to immerse yourself in this fantastic story.

Mike Leigh wrote his most famous play, Abigail's Party, 40 years ago, as a reaction to the boom in consumerism after the war and as a general commentary at the absurdism of class aspiration. Set in a suburban 70s house, Beverly and her staid estate agent husband Laurence are hosting that most potentially awkward of scenarios; a drinks party with the neighbours. Nurse Angela and brooding Tony join socially self conscious Sue, whose daughter Abigail is having her own party down the road.

Arthur Miller's The Crucible was written in response to the McCarthy-era in America, as an allegory for the witch hunts against supposed communists. The presidential order resulted in an obsession with exposing the 'red under the bed', destroying friendships and disrupting communities with fear and suspicion. Today, it appears more timely than ever, as we again find ourselves living in an era of heightened fear and anxiety. The play resonates as current warning against hysteria, the threat of religious fundamentalism and even the potential danger of fake news.

In a plot more than a little reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier, Gabriel sees Jeanne Becquet is trying to keep her young daughter and Jewish daughter-in-law safe under the ever-increasing threat of the Nazis in German-occupied Guernsey in 1943. When a young man washes up on the shore near the house, it is not clear who he is or where he comes from. Fluent in both German and English, it becomes increasingly clear that his presence in her house is incredibly dangerous and one wrong move could spell disaster for Jeanne and those closest to her.

Last seen in 1984 as BBC's Play for Today, Dog Ends establishes a scenario familiar to many; George is growing weary of looking after his frail elderly father and his beloved dog. Set in an ordinary home, the play looks at a social impact of an ageing population and the possible solutions that may be attempted to alleviate this pressure on the NHS and society.

There are few male playwrights who have captured the female psyche as well as Willy Russell. The character of Shirley is both simple and complex. On one hand all she wants is to escape her life of regimented predictability, where her husband Joe demands his steak on a Thursday and the only source of entertainment is talking to her kitchen wall. On the other is the deep and heartbreaking aspect of wanting to return to her past, where she felt she had more worth and character.

Not Dead Enough is the third novel by best-selling crime writer Peter James to be adapted by Shaun McKenna and directed by Ian Talbot. Brighton socialite Katie Bishop is found raped and murdered in gruesome circumstances. The evidence points to her husband Brian, who claims to have been asleep in his flat in London at the time. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is called in to investigate but the evidence is not quite what it seems and the body count starts to rise.

Patrick Hamilton's Gaslight had its premiere in Richmond Theatre in 1938 and so it seems suitable for it to end its UK tour in the same setting. Set firmly in an era of Victorian melodrama; Bella Manningham is increasingly convinced that she is going mad. She loses jewelry and finds photo frames in the piano stool. Her husband Jack only seems to encourage this belief, systematically chipping away at her confidence and independence. One night, a mysterious visit from a detective reveals that the truth is very different. Bella is not going mad and her husband is certainly not who he claims to be.

Federico Fellini's Oscar-winning film La Strada has earned its place as a cinematic classic. As a film, it is a visual feast and so therefore a huge challenge to put on the stage. In a world of extreme deprivation and poverty, a widow sells her daughter, Gelsomina, to travelling strongman Zampano. An erratic and aggressive man, Zampano teaches her to introduce his act and exposes her life on the road. They join a circus, where tightrope-walker The Fool tries to revive Gesolmina's broken spirit. They are expelled as Zampano's violence escalates and the tale turns to tragedy.

The wonderful thing about fringe theatre is the variety and quality of what can be produced in a tiny space, with very little budget. Creativity is key to make an audience return to what is essentially the back room of a pub with slightly uncomfortable seating. Madam Butterfly is the latest creative offering from the King's Head Theatre, who has a well-known reputation for producing innovative and unique shows in such a room.

It is 30 years since Clare McIntyre's Low Level Panic premiered at the Royal Court. Focusing on a snap shot in the lives of three flatmates; Mary has found a pornographic magazine in the bin and wants to talk about it. Jo is in the bath, wondering how her life would be if she were that bit taller and slimmer, while Celia just wants to light a candle and get away from them both.

It is no secret that acclaimed film director Mike Leigh has a passion for Gilbert and Sullivan; his 1999 film Topsy-Turvy was an outright celebration of them and their music. In this first revival of his version of Pirates of Penzance, Leigh maintains and expands on that celebratory spirit in a colourful and vivacious production at the London Coliseum.

It's a common complaint that as you get older, you start to become invisible to others. This is compounded further if you are an actress over a certain age. The recent performances of actresses such as Glenda Jackson as the titular role in King Lear have highlighted even more that there is dearth of roles for older women.

With an established tradition for producing plays set in memorable venues, Antic Disposition returns with its production of Henry V, performed in eight cathedrals around the country.