Polly (The Heartbreak Opera) goes back into the archives to create a very contemporary adaptation. An obscure 1729 ballad opera is the perfect source material for a modern feminist show? Tell me more! A Historic Work, Ripe for a Radical Retelling Do you have to be familiar with John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera or its […]
Rosamund Gravelle brings to life Tudor intrigues over the course of a dramatic night in Three Queens, now on at Barons Court Theatre. Three Queens What goes on behind the closed doors of the royal family? It’s something we speculate about frequently today. But this interest has been around for at least as long as […]
A new play by Sonali Bhattacharyya, Liberation Squares puts the government’s Prevent strategy under the spotlight as three Muslim schoolgirls find their path to confidence and self-determination. Liberation Squares There’s been a synergy in the theatre I’ve seen this week. A shared preoccupation between SO THAT YOU MAY GO BEYOND THE SEA and Liberation Squares […]
A very personal exploration of identity, cultural appropriation and relationships, Undone Theatre‘s SO THAT YOU MAY GO BEYOND THE SEA will forever alter how you see Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. On at Camden People’s Theatre. SO THAT YOU MAY GO BEYOND THE SEA Have I seen theatre in the form of a thought experiment before? I’m […]
The Salterton Arts Review heads to Watford Palace Theatre to see Frankie Goes to Bollywood, a brand new, ‘billion colour’ musical. Frankie Goes to Bollywood We all have an image of what Bollywood is. Not surprising for an industry which grossed around 200 billion rupees in 2023. But Bollywood film-goers aren’t thinking about the box […]
Olive Jar encapsulates the mission, range, and communities of Elixir Festival, on at Grand Junction community arts space until 2 May. Olive Jar Rarely is a multi-sensory experience as multi sensory as this. Heading to Olive Jar, on at Grand Junction as part of Elixir Festival, it’s not what I expected. And yet I found […]
Burnt Orange Theatre inject youthful energy and creativity into their take on The Tempest at Drayton Arms Theatre. The Tempest I’m endlessly impressed by how youth theatre companies tackle Shakespeare. First Intermission Youth Theatre, and then yesterday I had the opportunity to see the work of Burnt Orange Theatre and their take on The Tempest. […]
Sadie Clark’s Algorithms is a relatable, hilarious, Queer rom-com for the modern age. Algorithms “A bisexual Bridget Jones for the online generation”. That’s what Algorithms is billed as, and what it more than lives up to. Sadie Clark writes and performs as Brooke: almost thirty, a hopeless romantic, and working at dating app start-up Slide […]
The Playground Theatre sees the world premiere of Agathe, a look at the real life events leading up to the assassination of Rwandan head of state Agathe Uwilingiyimana. Content warning: discussion of violence, murder and genocide. Agathe There can be few things more inspirational and more harrowing on the London stage right now. Agathe, a […]
Shaun Blaney explores d/Deafness and zombies in an energetic new play, Deaf as a Post, at Barons Court Theatre. Deaf as a Post It’s certainly ambitious. To stage a dystopian, zombie sci-fi story, in a pub theatre, with a cast of three, in a little over an hour. Then add in making it a metaphor […]
