Charlie Wilks - Page 3

Pure magic are the two words I would use to describe The Boy in the Dress. Appearing for the first time on stage, David Walliams' book has sold over 32 million copies worldwide. Most recently the BBC adapted it for screen, which went down very well and ensured that the story reached even more people. Now, it is the RSC and Mark Ravenhill's turn to bring it to life, under the direction of the venue's Artistic Director Gregory Doran. It's an adventurous challenge and clearly there has been no expense spared to ensure that the musical remains as authentic to its origins as possible.

a??a??a??a??a??a??a??Tom and Samad have spent their entire lives separated. When one was given up for adoption, the other was raised with their biological parents. But despite their distance apart, when the pair finally meet, they realise they aren't so different at all. Award-winning director Bijan Sheibani's debut play is a tender a?" but at the same time - harrowing examination of family loyalty and betrayal.

Music royalty arrives in full force, as international superstar Christina Aguilera brings her X Tour to the UK. Featuring all of her classic hits, as well as some less commonly known tracks, the night is a blast from start to finish.

Maxim Gorky's Vassa Zheleznova is currently playing at the Almeida Theatre, in a new adaptation from Mike Bartlett a?' a playwright of brilliant achievements. The last time Gorky's play had a version of it on was in a lukewarm production at the Southwark Playhouse in 2016. The production here was thrown into the contemporary without much substance to back it up. Bartlett keeps it traditional, putting questions of capitalist corruption at the forefront of the narrative. His version is a black comedy, a jovial piece filled with many zingy one-liners and exciting punchiness.

Following the tragic death of 15-year-old Sam, four people who know attempt to navigate through their grief, as their lives continue to roll along. Trapped in memories and regret, they struggle with their loss, each of them crumbling in a different way. Ethics are questioned, past decisions are interrogated and the consequences of actions are revealed.

On an isolated space station, far away from human life, three scientists sit and observe Solaris a?" a newly discovered place made solely of water, which orbits around two suns without ever going off course. Originally a place of unsurety, the planet slowly reveals itself to be a place full of life; the beings that inhabit it are known as 'visitors', and slowly begin to drop by to bother the investigators. Resembling the people that were once lost, their presence on the satellite causes lots of turmoil and agony.

Six clowns take to the stage. They sit and stare at one another, before one of them launches into a giant rage. As a game of cat and mouse occurs, the other clowns struggle to break the pair apart. They attempt to hold them back and block their path by putting obstacles in the way. Eventually, calmness resumes and the six sit down. But it doesn't last for long, as the music begins again and more chaos arises.

Having never seen a Mischief Theatre show before, it's safe to say I was very excited to attend the premiere of their new piece last night. You might recognise their work from the highly acclaimed, critical hits The Play That Goes Wrong and The Comedy About A Bank Robbery. The pair have been playing on the West End for quite some years and I predict Groan Ups may also become a permanent fixture to the district's programming.

I go to the Bunker more than any other London theatre, but when stepping into the building this time I hardly recognised it. Still retaining it's open and welcoming atmosphere, the inside has been completely transformed into a traditional working boozer. If you arrive in the hour before the show you can grab a drink on stage. On Tuesday there's a pub quiz and Thursday allows you to show your skills on the karaoke microphone.

In the heart of central London, a seven-building, 35-floor, 42,000 sq ft adventure awaits brave travellers. Putting you in the shoes of your favourite action character, participants must navigate rough terrain, darkened corridors and fog-filled chambers a?' all while trying to avoid meeting infected creatures, which will attack.

Ruby Thomas' debut play is a delicious mix of humour, intelligence and desire. Playing at Hampstead Downstairs and directed by Guy Jones, the production is an energetic attack at the conventional monogamous relationship so many people find themselves in.

Following on from their phenomenal, Oliver-Award winning spectacle Blak Whyte Gray, which I saw last year, world-renowned dance company Boy Blue present their new show at Barbican Centre. The one-act piece is a massive triumph, again leaving me completely in awe of the company's work.

There was so much love at the Kiln Theatre last night. People from Brent and beyond came to celebrate the community production about an area consisting of 149 different languages. Residents from all walks of life graced the stage to demonstrate how beautiful the call for kindness can be.

It's been a week of new Artistic Director's kicking off their debut seasons. Lynette Linton smashed it out of the park with her gig-theatre epic revival of Chiaroscuro, Rachel O'Riordan's direction of Tanika Gupta's A Doll's House has gone down a treat, and now it's the turn of Hampstead Theatre boss Roxana Silbert's to give an insight into what her tenure will be. Differing from the ladies above, Silbert isn't directing her inaugural seasonal show, instead relying on the hand of Michael Boyd.

In an explosive blend of live music, spoken word and theatre, Jackie Kay's 1986 provocation is breathed a new life under Lynette Linton's hand. It is the director's first show since taking the AD job at the Bush Theatre, and is one that highly entertains, whilst also shines a light on queer women of colour across generations.

In an inventive blend of text, illustration, live performance and audience awareness, Tim Crouch's new offering - that arrives straight from Edinburgh International Fringe a?" takes its followers to the end of the world, whilst also preparing them for the start of a new one.

'There can be miracles, when you believe'a?? This is the overarching message in the Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel in London a?' the location of the launch of the new Dreamworks musical, The Prince of Egypt. Together, members of the press and industry sit and experience the epic emotional and thrilling music of Stephen Schwartz, told through the impactful words of Philip LaZebnik, and performed by the 32-strong company.

Tom and Amber are a few months into their studies at Princeton. They both struggle to find their sense of self amongst the hustle and bustle of higher education. The pair couldn't be more different. Tom is a piano player with lots of sexual confidence, whereas Amber is an awkward English student who is a bit zany.

Last night at the Savoy Theatre, audiences were encouraged to come and dance the night away as the Chicago Blues Brothers appear in the West End for the very first time. Performing a medley of Motown classics, their high-energy antics and over the top production values prove a little too cringe for most of the people in the auditorium.

a??a??a??a??a??a??a??Close your eyes. Think happy thoughts. Imagine that the waves are gently pushing the water to your feet. Be at peace with yourself and your surroundings. Feel better?