BWW Review: I KNOW IT WAS THE BLOOD, London Irish CentreAugust 9, 2019Tara Lake introduces her family to Camden Fringe after a critically acclaimed US tour. I Know It Was The Blood: The Totally True Adventures of a Newfangled Black Woman recounts her growing up in Jersey in the 80s and 90s. Southern roots, bizarre reunions, and lots of music all have a place of honour in the monologue.
BWW Review: VALHALLA, The Monkey HouseAugust 8, 2019Fourth Monkey's Two Year Rep programme students take over the entirety of The Monkey House directed by Rich Rusk and create a world dominated by Norse Mythology. Loki becomes the master of ceremonies in this site specific piece, introducing Odin, giant spiders, fortune tellers, and an army of Valkyrie to enthrall the audience with a poignant reflection.
BWW Review: ANITA LUNA: THE DIVA, Hen And Chickens TheatreAugust 8, 2019Anita Luna is not merely a diva, she's The Diva. She takes a look at her life-story, sharing it through physical comedy and cabaret aiming to find bittersweet humour in the tragedy. Anita Giovannini is the star. Hailing from Italy and narrating the tomboy roots of her characters, her journey is nostalgic in its nature.
BWW Review: THE PARTY, The CockpitAugust 7, 2019After President Donald Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be elected to be a member of the Supreme Court of the United States, Doctor Christine Blasey Ford accused him of a sexual assault happened at a house party 36 years prior when they were both in high school. Kavanaugh went on to call the indictment a political hit to prevent his ascent and denied all the allegations. A televised hearing followed and more stepped out to testify against him.
BWW Review: GRIEF ENCOUNTER, Moors Bar TheatreAugust 6, 2019Two friends get together and discuss their relationship with death. From saying goodbye to the older people in their lives to being faced with the loss of a close friend gone too soon, mourning is a universal experience.
BWW Review: RED PETER, Etcetera TheatreAugust 5, 2019In 1917 Franz Kafka wrote a short story titled A Report to an Academy. In the piece, he introduces an ape called Red Peter who, in order to escape captivity has forced himself to behave like a human.
BWW Review: THE HUNTERS OF GHOST HALL, The Chapel PlayhouseAugust 5, 2019A low-budget tv show crew and two treasure hunters seeking shelter from the storm find themselves in the same spooky mansion at night. Unaware of each other, they try to figure out if they're actually the only ones in there.
BWW Review: CHATROOM, Upstairs At The GatehouseAugust 4, 2019Enda Walsh's Chatroom debuted as part of the 2005 National Theatre Connections, receiving its first staging the following year starring Matt Smith and Andrew Garfield among the cast. UpStaged Theatre Company revives the chilling tale of cyberbullying and manipulation as part of this year's Camden Fringe. The young company is directed by Nick Hooton, who delivers the text with distinct sensitivity.
BWW Review: READY, STEADY, CO*K!, Hen And Chickens TheatreAugust 4, 2019Carmen (Cova Camblor) and Audrey (Victoria Lynn Hamilton) are auditioning to be the new presenter of Ready, Steady, Cook!. The first needs the money to pay for her pet iguana's very expensive medical bills, while the other is going through a rough divorce and wants to keep affording her over the top lifestyle.
BWW Review: WHEN IT HAPPENS, Tristan Bates TheatreAugust 4, 2019Three women are caged by their own lives. One hates her office environment (Rachel Causer), one is an exasperated mother (Roisin Bevan), one's conservative father oppresses her (Niamh Watson). Then at 2:16 everything changes, an energy takes over and they engage in an animalistic liberation from societal expectations and demands.
BWW Review: BABY MINE, Etcetera TheatreAugust 4, 2019Freya Alderson premieres her new play Baby Mine at Etcetera Theatre, as part of Camden Fringe. Deeply disturbing, it meets present and past to tell a jarring tale of violence and obsession. A young woman's infatuation with a boy at university transforms into a horror story when she is raped in a park but her rationalisation is even more disquieting.
BWW Review: SAILING, The CockpitAugust 3, 2019Prince is in his late twenties, lives by the sea, and still goes by the old nickname his mum gave him when he was little. He was raised to be a sensitive and delicate man, one who - by his own admission - always had the tendency to become 'one of the girlsa??. Duarte Bandeira writes and plays a sweet and funny character who struggles to fit in a world that demands him to be a?oea real mana?? - whatever that means.
BWW Review: THE TIME OF OUR LIES, Park TheatreAugust 2, 2019Cancelling a press night is never a decision that's to be taken lightly. Holding a press night with a replacement actor in the main role could be catastrophic. When Daniel Benzali became incapacitated to perform at the opening night of Park Theatre's The Time Of Our Lies, director Ché Walker invited Martina Laird to take his place.
BWW Review: MR GUM AND THE DANCING BEAR - THE MUSICAL!, National TheatreAugust 1, 2019The Dorfman stage at National Theatre transforms into Lamonic Bibber for the summer break. Mr Gum - a grumpy man who hates children and any kind of fun - traps Padlock the bear, Polly's new, unexpected friend and forces him to dance to entertain Gum's crowds of sailors and scallywags. Aided by her loyal friends, the nine-year-old embarks on a perilous journey to save Padlock and take him back to his home in the forest.
BWW Review: NAKED PEOPLE WAKING UP, Etcetera TheatreJuly 31, 2019Four people wake up in a locked room, almost naked. They couldn't be more different from one another but right now they're all equally confused as to what's going on. Concept Theatre's debut show starts off with a strong premise but it doesn't, unfortunately, fulfill its capacity at the present stage.
BWW Review: F**K FREUD, The Water RatsJuly 30, 2019From having a mundane job to stay on top of bills to having to deal with agents who show no respect whatsoever, starting a career in the entertainment industry isn't for the easily impressionable. The life of the budding actor swarms with clichés on its own but Lucio Veronesi amps up the struggle and tells the semi-autobiographical story of an Italian expat in London who's trying to break into the industry.
BWW Review: SOUTHERN BELLES, King's Head TheatreJuly 27, 2019This year's rendezvous with King's Head Theatre's Queer Season kick's off with Southern Belles, a double bill of one-act plays written by Tennessee Williams. Jamie Armitage, fresh off his multiple Olivier Awards nominations for Six, directs Something Unspoken and And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens, combined together for the first time in history.
BWW Review: JEAN PAUL GAULTIER: FASHION FREAK SHOW, Southbank CentreJuly 25, 2019Straight from a clamorously successful run in the City of Lights (and capital of style), Jean Paul Gaultier: Fashion Freak Show comes to London to celebrate fashion's most renowned enfant terrible. The two-hour raucus revue is hard to define and absolutely impossible to pigeonhole.