Month March 2024

REVIEW: Breeding

Reading Time: 2 minutesBreeding dissects the journey of queer parenthood with brutally honest, painful clarity. The play exposes the stark dichotomy between becoming parents as a straight couple, a relatively simple process that needs no qualification, and that of a queer couple. The audience bears witness to the difficulty of the process and the pain of having to prove your worth as a potential parent. It begs the question of how the adoption process really endeavours to protect children; how do prospective parents prove to a panel how much they will love their child? 

REVIEW: California Connections: Three Pioneering Women

Photo by Jimmy Parratt

Reading Time: 2 minutesCalifornia Connections: Three Pioneering Women is a celebration of some of the finest choreographic minds in modern history. Performed by the Yorke Dance Project, the works of Kenneth MacMillan, Martha Graham, and Bella Lewitzky featured alongside the world premiere of Yolande Yorke-Edgell’s A Point of Balance. Brought to life by the dancers of the Yorke Dance Project, with special guests Michael Barnes & Eileih Muir, California Connections is Modern dance at its finest. 

REVIEW: Pain and I

Photo by Tiu Makkonen

Reading Time: 4 minutesPain and I, created and performed by Sarah Hopfinger at Summerhall, intimately explores the trials and tribulations of living with chronic pain. Hopfinger renders viscerally palpable the relentless torment - both emotional and corporeal - of life with chronic pain. Through an exquisite interweaving of playful yet gripping choreography, avant-garde dance rituals, and raw autobiographical admissions, Hopfinger compellingly envelops the audience in her disquieting and pain-afflicted psyche.

REVIEW: Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle

Reading Time: 2 minutesMind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle at the Apollo Theatre, is inspired by a character originally seen in the Magic Goes Wrong show, curated by Mischief Comedy, forming from a group of LAMDA students who took their shows to Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Their series of performances have taken the West End by storm for just over ten years.

REVIEW: Original Theatre: Jekyll & Hyde

Photo by Mihaela Bodlovic

Reading Time: 2 minutesJekyll & Hyde as a theatre piece emerges as a captivating exploration of duality, conscious choices, and the complexities of human nature. From the outset, it's clear that this rendition delves deeper into the shadows, with a conscious acknowledgement that the protagonist isn't the conventional hero of the tale. This departure from the traditional narrative sets the stage for a nuanced examination of inner conflicts and the masks we wear.

REVIEW: an Accident / a Life

Reading Time: 2 minutesAt the heart of an Accident / a Life, directed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, lies a poignant message: life is a gift, its beauty shaped by our choices even in the face of adversity. This thought-provoking theme resonates deeply, urging audiences to embrace joy over resentment and find solace in shared burdens.

REVIEW: The Comedy of Errors

Reading Time: 3 minutesTwo sets of twins are separated by a shipwreck and end up in rival cities. Obviously. It’s Shakespeare. It doesn’t take long before identities are mistaken and chaos ensues–there’s a reason, after all, that the play’s title is still common parlance today–or before everything is happily wrapped up again. However, this production doesn’t so much hurtle towards its finale, as promised, but rather reaches the finish line in fits and starts.