Reading Time: 2 minutesTheatre503 announces the cast and creative team for 2023 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award finalist Nia Akilah Robinson’s debut play The Great Privation: How to flip ten cents into a dollar.
Reading Time: 2 minutesPortsford is falling into the sea. This coastal town is literally crumbling – buildings will soon succumb to the ocean. Climate change for the residents of Portsford is not a theory, a lofty topic of debate, or a lingering fear for the future. Climate change is Portsford’s current reality. Soon, it might leave the town desolate.
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe programme was well balanced, with a range of contemporary composers. The first piece, Nautilus by Anna Meredith (arr.Jack Ross), was a contemporary “genre-busting” introduction to the concert. This piece brought the Barbican to life with an energetic but sensitive performance from the young musicians. Enyi Okpara the LSSO’s Conductor in Residence for this year did a fantastic job of commanding the orchestra. With incredibly complex rhythms, the intense connection was evident between the orchestra and the conductor producing just the right dramatic effect. The booming brass and range of percussion made this a brilliant opener to the performance.
Reading Time: 2 minutesI Should Be So Lucky is a musical which centres around a young bride named Ella, jilted at the altar, who decides not to waste her honeymoon but instead takes her family and friends to the lovers’ paradise in Turkey. The plot was ridiculous, and became increasingly so as the show went on, but the show was undeniably packed with energy, glitter and fun.
Reading Time: 2 minutesA soundwalk is a guided walk exploring the intersection between location and sound. In this case, landmarks around Charing Cross are paired with orchestral music and lyrics. Starting at St. Martin in the Fields, A City Full of Stories takes participants around the hustle and bustle of London’s West End, and shows how quickly this can transition into serenity when you know the perfect side street to duck into. The resulting half hour provides a nice walk alongside a pleasing musical accompaniment.
Reading Time: 6 minutesWritten and performed by the star of BBC1’s All Together Now, Paulus The Cabaret Geek, with accompanist Michael Roulston and directed Sarah-Louise Young, Looking For Me Friend: The Music of Victoria Wood is a funny and touching musical tribute to a much-loved and sorely missed national treasure.
Reading Time: 2 minutesHits and Pieces #5 (Spice Girls), brought to life by the Matchstick Theatre Company, delivers a joyous and inventive concept where writers craft compelling narratives inspired by beloved songs. In its fifth edition, the spotlight shone brightly on the iconic Wannabe track by the Spice Girls, igniting a jubilant celebration of music and nostalgia.
Reading Time: 3 minutesThese are just some of the questions posited by writer Rona Munro in James V: Katherine, the fifth in an award winning series of plays. The play, based on a true event, speculates on a private conversation between King James and Katherine during her 1534 trial for heresy, with Rona adding a queer love story allowing us to explore interweaving themes of queer love, faith, and the political climate of Scotland at the time. A lot to explore perhaps, but Rona skilfully strides between the topics in a captivating, tense and beautiful drama that toys with your emotions.
Reading Time: 3 minutesA new musical with music and lyrics by Testament and book by Zodwa Nyoni, Chisholm for President! tells the story of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to be elected to Congress in 1968, and to run for nomination of President of the United States in 1972.
Reading Time: 2 minutesSpectacular, borderline, both at the same time. That's Not My Name is a provoking play engaging the audience’s senses from the beginning. The performance quite smartly plays between the edges of energy on stage, flashy colours and simplistic scenography. In fact, the minimalistic scenery plays along very nicely with the flamboyance of the musical performances in the play. A combination of ambivalences that kept captivating the audience’s attention throughout the play.