Month November 2024

REVIEW: 1984

Reading Time: 2 minutesThe first thing you might notice about this production of 1984 at Liverpool Playhouse is their excellent use of projection and set design to transport you into Winston Smith’s world and transform the theatre space from anything from backdrops or middle-ground scenery (achieved through clever use of a semi-transparent screen on stage) to video and computer screens. Before the show proper even begins the screen on stage displays an enormous eye, the camera roving the audience - we too are already under a state of surveillance.

REVIEW: The Glorious French Revolution (or: why sometimes it takes a guillotine to get anything done) 

Reading Time: 3 minutesFrom the moment we set foot in the auditorium of the New Diorama Theatre, it’s clear what kind of a show we are going to get. Hazel Low has the stage strewn with props and accessories–a thick gym mat, plastic balls, a smattering of wigs–as well as signs to hang around the neck to label each character as “King” or “Aristocrat” or “Peasant”. To lean on my GCSE Drama knowledge, it’s Brechtian (get me), designed to distance us and remind us we are watching a show, to keep us interested and engaged by the fourth-wall breaking drama so we truly think about its message. For this show, it’s the perfect choice.

In Conversation with Justin Butcher

Reading Time: 8 minutesDirector Justin Butcher discusses his upcoming Chekhov/Fo comedy double bill, "The Bear & Other Comic Tales" and "One Was Nude & One Wore Tails," at the Voila! Festival. The production blends influences from various European cultures, aiming to spark audience engagement through humor, while addressing themes of displacement, cultural exchange, and social critique.