Crownless puts a new spin on Hamlet, incorporating text from the original and from feminist writers. Clever and fast-paced, this is a worthwhile watch. Crownless I’ve written previously about how I feel I’ve seen enough Hamlets now. He is paralysed by inaction. He’s not nice to Ophelia (or pretty much anyone). We get it.* This […]
On today’s walk we trace the Fleet from one of its sources on Hampstead Heath, through centuries and city streets all the way to Blackfriars. London’s Lost Rivers: It’s Been a While! It sure has. “The years start comin’ and they don’t stop comin’,” to quote a key touchstone of millennial culture. And so the […]
One particular magnetic performance overcomes limitations in the writing in Born With Teeth. And it might not be the Elizabethan playwright you’d first think of. Born With Teeth One thing’s for sure: Ncuti Gatwa has charisma in spades. His Kit Marlowe is confident, flirty, and absolutely mesmerising. Having not seen any of his high profile […]
The sustainable travelling Shakespearean company The Handlebards return this summer with Much Ado About Nothing, bringing a cycling spin to the antics of Beatrice and Benedick. Handlebards, We Meet Again Long-time readers will remember the Handlebards, a sustainable Shakespearean touring company. I first saw them performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2023. They’re back this […]
The Globe’s Romeo and Juliet, transplanted to the Wild West, gains more visually than textually from the shift. At the Globe on a Hot Summer’s Day Gosh, it’s been such a long time since I visited Shakespeare’s Globe. Years, in fact. Time does get away on you a bit, doesn’t it? And the Salterton Arts […]
A captivating blend of mythic storytelling, poetic language, and raw theatrical energy, The Godless War is a one-man tour de force that explores the tragic allure of war through a compelling performance. The Godless War Let’s start today with another theatre discovery in South East London. For me at least – others have always known […]
Talawa have the perfect antidote to winter blues with the infectiously vibrant and exuberant Play On!, gracing London on the final stop on tour. Play On! Two nights at the theatre, for two such different shows! Yesterday we had an evening of juggling and magic at The Place, as we were treated to Gandini Juggling’s […]
The Defamation brings a contemporary and feminist twist to Shakespeare’s women plus one current celebrity. The current format is not substantial enough to build on that premise, however. The Defamation An Amber Heard-like character arrives in the afterlife to find she, and every woman who has ever lived or been imagined, must face trial. Was […]
ShakeItUp provide audiences with murder, mayhem and merriment in The Improvised Shakespeare Show, delighting London audiences at The Other Palace Theatre ahead of an Edinburgh run. The Improvised Shakespeare Show Have you ever wished Shakespeare had penned just a few more plays? The History of Keith of Southend, for instance? Or The Comedy of Clarissa […]
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. […]
