REVIEW: Yen, Royal Court Theatre ✭✭✭✭✭
Her characters are abundantly flawed while still empathetic, and their relationship with the modern world is a marriage of dark comedy and struggle. Her plays are hugely important. See for yourself.
Her characters are abundantly flawed while still empathetic, and their relationship with the modern world is a marriage of dark comedy and struggle. Her plays are hugely important. See for yourself.
If you can trust anyone to execute a black comedy, it’s Martin McDonagh. The Irish playwright is an undoubted master of the genre, with an enviable back catalogue which includes The Pillowman, The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Lieutenant of Inishmore and In Bruges. Hangmen is a worthy addition to his collection, offering a fascinating insight into the dark absurdities of a death-fixated culture
Director Andrew Beckett keeps the pace lively and ultimately makes Alright Bitches!, a sunny antidote to the bleak winter here in the UK.
Over the past forty years, the Olivier Awards has marked the cream of London’s artistic talent. This anniversary concert brought together some showstopping stars, past and present, to provide a fitting tribute to the capital’s musical theatre.
They took firm hold of Larson’s lyrics and crescendoing rock melodies – every word, every beat, brimming with anger and exigency; his lyrics carry imperative messages that couldn’t be swallowed passively by Larson’s audiences, and capture a sense of urgency characteristic of a life lost too soon.
For as long as there are families, this poignant script will resonate with them. The music plays somewhat apologetically from offstage, but despite that, it is a near perfect restoration that does justice to its stunning location at The Print Room Coronet.
As the lights go down, and Rafiki begins summoning the animals to Pride Rock, it becomes obvious that Director Julie Taymor has created the greatest opening for any musical EVER! You can’t help but get goosebumps on your goosebumps as The Circle Of Life transports you to the African heartlands. There is an amazing majesty in the staging of this number that I doubt will be equalled any time soon.
The Picture Of Dorian Gray Trafalgar Studios 2 20 January 2016 2 Stars Buy Tickets This adaptation restores passages from Wilde’s original manuscript, which were censored from the novel as a result of scandal amongst his contemporaries. Rather than a daring display of unbarred moral putrefaction, however, this production offers a tame and uninspiring taste of Wilde. Peter Craze has directed this breezy four-hander with an emphasis on florid Victorian diction, which is entertaining for comedic value but prevents the dialogue from growing teeth. Guy Warren-Thomas as Dorian suffers the most from this approach; he remains too buoyant to convey the depths of immorality at the heart of this tale. As a result, the stage becomes a cross-dressing up box of multi-rolling actors who too often play for the laughs. The most fully realised character is Rupert Mason as Basil Hallward, who delicately confesses his romantic love for Dorian. It … Read more