EDINBURGH 2017 - BWW Review: THE F WORD, ZOOSeptember 1, 2017Sick to death of reading shows aimed at 16-25 year olds written by writers 40+, Conor Hunt has created this story of the millennial child, giving his own personal reflection on what it's like to grow up as a product of the Nineties.
EDINBURGH 2017 - BWW Review: THIRD WHEEL, Gilded BalloonAugust 31, 2017After losing his battle to cancer, Dylan has left in his will a video to be given to his best friends Polly and Eve. The recording contains instructions for the pair to go on a road trip, which will be difficult seeing as they haven't spoken to each other in two years.
BWW Review: HOW (NOT) TO LIVE IN SUBURBIA, Soho TheatreAugust 31, 2017Annie Siddons is a London-based playwright and performer. But more importantly, she is a survivor. Having suffered from extreme loneliness after a 'shitstorm' of life events this autobiographical show takes us on a journey explaining the reasons why. How (Not) To Live In Suburbia is a joyful and poignant reminder of those friends that are forgotten about when they move too far away.
EDINBURGH 2017 - BWW Review: GIRLS, Pleasance CourtyardAugust 28, 2017Girls follows the story of three young women who are hostages, being put to work and forced to marry. Commissioned by Talawa Theatre Company, HighTide and Soho Theatre, Girls provides a deep insight into those that are forgotten.
EDINBURGH 2017 - BWW Review: ALL GENIUS ALL IDIOT, Assembly RoxyAugust 26, 2017Outrageously over the top, All Genius All Idiot celebrates the craziness of life, using expert circus skills to highlight the extremity of human behaviour at its most primal form. Underscored by a harrowing, yet beautiful soundtrack and featuring Chinese pole, aerial rope, hand balance and copious amounts of acrobatics, Svalbard bring their new show to Assembly Roxy.
EDINBURGH 2017 - BWW Review: ALAN WE THINK YOU SHOULD GET A DOG, Pleasance CourtyardAugust 26, 2017Bunting decorates the stage and a cardboard sign reads 'Happy Birthday'. A family has gathered to celebrate Alan's 70th, if only he'd come downstairs. It's a birthday party that will never happen, as Alan isn't the man he used to be. Once a keen gardener, he is now confined to his bed and dependent on his family's care.
BWW Review: BOURGEOIS & MAURICE: STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE, Soho TheatreAugust 18, 2017As one of the leading acts in the queer performance circuit Bourgeois and Maurice have been entertaining audiences for a decade. Since the opening of their first full-length show Social Work back in 2009 they have enjoyed success across the entire country. The duo celebrates 10 years of 'dicking around' in their new show Style Over Substance - A 10 Year Retro-Speculative, a 75-minute celebration consisting of lots of glitter and clever musical numbers.
BWW Review: NOTHING TO PERFORM, Cockpit TheatreAugust 13, 2017Recent graduates of the RADA/Birkbeck MA Text and Performance course have collaborated to create a story of dystopian abstraction; a tale of optimism that has the possibility to resonate with us all. Programmed as one of the pieces at this year's Camden Fringe, Nothing to Perform is a funny, blunt and unpredictable piece about three caretakers from the north-east of England who have written, rehearsed and produced a play that no one will ever see.
BWW Review: THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST, The Yard TheatreAugust 10, 2017Featuring the majority of its original cast from the 2016 Finborough debut, Prasanna Puwanarajah's production tells a glorious story of hope and heartache. Focusing on the 'other', the play places focus on how we divide individuals within society, examining representation and prejudice in post 9/11 New York.
BWW Review: AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, Cadogan HallAugust 5, 2017Jules Verne's 1873 adventure tale Around the World in 80 Days follows Phileas Fogg and his newly employed valet Passepartout as they attempt to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days on a 20,000 wager (the approximate equivalent of 2 million in 2017).
BWW Review: RABBITS, Park TheatreJuly 29, 2017Power, lust and secrecy - are these the ingredients for everlasting romance? Things are more complicated than they seem in Joe Hampson's playwriting debut Rabbits, a sharp, quick-witted and sexually inquisitive dark comedy that explores the domestic struggles that takes place throughout a couple's life together.
BWW Review: THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK, Vaudeville TheatreJuly 29, 2017A shoddy group of explorers, a threatening butcher, and many extravagant creatures are just some of the wonderful creations we find in The Hunting of the Snark. Based on Lewis Carroll's glorious poem of the same name, the audience is invited into a world of magic, wonder and bravery.
BWW Review: DESSERT, Southwark PlayhouseJuly 19, 2017Glorious furniture decorates the stage, with 15th-century Venetian paintings hanging from the walls. A butler pours expensive wine and the four dinner guests congratulate him on cooking delicious food. Dessert is on its way, as is a night the five of them will never forget. Oliver Cotton's new play is a blend of unexpected twists and dark humour, directed by the seasoned Trevor Nunn, but drama is ultimately sacrificed for didactic discussion of capitalism.
BWW Review: TWILIGHT SONG, Park TheatreJuly 18, 2017When we think of Kevin Elyot, one of the first things that comes to mind is his magnificent 1994 comedy My Night with Reg, a touching play about gay lives revived at the Donmar Warehouse in 2015. Elyot's first play, Coming Clean, is about to be staged at The King's Head in a week's time, and now his final play, Twilight Song, receives its long-awaited premiere at Park Theatre.
BWW Review: LORNA DALLAS: HOME AGAIN, Live At ZédelJune 28, 2017After a 20-year absence, acclaimed American singer Lorna Dallas returns to cabaret with Home Again, a music medley that pairs classics by celebrated composers with less well-known, personal favourites chosen by Dallas herself.
BWW Review: GROOMED, Soho TheatreJune 16, 2017How can a truth be told? How can a secret be spoken? The shame, guilt and fear of our childhood can haunt us into adulthood. A betrayed schoolboy, a Japanese soldier, and the inventor of the saxophone all have something in common - the desire to be heard. Raw, thought-provoking and never self-indulgent, GROOMED weaves together three different narratives to show how a story can save a life.
BWW Review: THE UGLY ONE, Park TheatreJune 10, 2017What is the purpose of life? Is it to climb to the top? In theory, a person's success should be a product of their hard work, talent and ambition.