Author: carlamcpherson

Sniff written and performed by Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson and Felix Grainger, is a phenomenally dark roller coaster ride of a two hander, exploring a plethora of issues facing young men in society today.

When strangers Liam and Alex meet in the toilet of the Old Swan on a Friday night, what is about to ensue, no body could have predicted. Alex: an ‘advert man’, working in the city. He has it all: the job, the money and a soon-to-be financé – his whole reason for coming to the pub was to propose. All goes askew when he meets Liam. 

Liam: he feels like he has missed the boat of life. He never went to Uni and has stayed in his home town being witness to all his best friends as they move up in the world around him, whilst his has remained in the exact same place, with no sense of direction. He’s in the bathroom doing coke.

Sniff is a remarkably well written two hander, which explores how a relationship can form over the course of an evening and stakes can raise when boredom is at the core of your life, and nothing is as it seems.

The writing is dynamic, fast paced and witty, and takes the audience on a windy journey, with a very unexpected twist at the end. The humorous one liners are a very welcome escape from the darkness that ends the piece. 

The set is simple: a couple of posters, a mirror, a toilet and a toilet door. The rest the actors bring to life, as they shift into a range of characters in flashback sequences where we meet people from Alex and Liam’s life that exist outwith the bathroom. The performances are entrancing and the connection between the two actors is phenomenal to watch, as they size each other up, find things in common and sing “more than a woman” in perfect synchronicity. 

This piece feels very relatable. In an age where we are spending more time disconnected from each other, and are increasingly turning to other means to feel fulfilled: drugs, drink, betting… the list goes on, this piece shines a much needed light on the darkness that is seeping into young adults navigating their lives in this day in age. This is a must see. Catch Sniff at The Hope Theatre all next week, before it’s too late!

Slàinte! Theatre is a Scottish and Irish Theatre Company based in London with the aim to champion Scottish and Irish creatives, giving them a platform to be seen and heard. Their newest contribution to London’s theatrical landscape is Shepherd’s Warning by Kari Hall. 

Set in a dystopian-esc Edinburgh, Shepherd’s Warning follows the story of three siblings, whose lives were torn apart after they entered the failing care system when their mother was deemed unfit to look after them, due to neglect caused by drug addiction. The play opens at their real mother’s funeral where siblings, Cass (Kari Hall) and David (Ross Barbour) are reunited for the first time in years. Cass is about to go off to Uni and David is making ends meet dealing drugs. We soon find out that there is a third sibling, Beth (Elle O’Hara), whom they manage to track down at the company she works at. This makes for an interesting interaction, as the audience have already met Fraser (Hamish Somers) (Bethany’s husband) as he buys from David, unbeknown to his wife. Bethany and Fraser have it all – the nice house, the good job – however Bethany’s past coming back to haunt her all at once puts a major strain on their relationship. The play goes through the triumphs and tribulations of adult sibling relationships, all whilst being unable to escape an unavoidable truth going on around them – the planet is getting hotter, the Maldives have disappeared, and the planet isn’t showing any sign of stopping and reversing the damage. 

The play takes a shift, when environmentally aware Cass ends up accepting a job at Fraser and Bethany’s company (an oil company) thinking she can make a change from the inside, whilst David has turned to Social Media to voice his anger at the climate crisis to the masses. Tensions come to a boiling point, when Cass finds out Fraser has been lying to her about the project they’ve been working on, and Arthur’s seat – a long extinct volcano – erupts causing death and destruction in Scotland. But of course, the oil company had plans in place, and Frazer tries to convince Bethany and their newborn to come with him on a flight to escape. Classically, the rich and powerful have an opportunity of a new life, leaving behind those less fortunate to suffer. Bethany decides to stay with her siblings, and Frazer escapes to freedom with their newborn baby. 

Shepherd’s Warning covers a lot of heavy themes, all with an excellent Scottish wit and humour. The play has a very complex and winding plot line, ensuring the audience never knows what is going to happen next. The dialogue is well written, fast paced and drops in just enough humour to keep the audience locked in. 

The performances across the board were very strong. Kari Hall’s, Cassie, was feisty, fiery and impassioned, and they had a real presence and tenacity to their performance. Ross Barbour delivered a fantastically raw performance, and brought superb comic timing with his portrayal of David. 

Overall, Shepherd’s Warning is a very engaging piece of work. It covers a lot of mammoth topics and themes, and as much as that makes for an interesting watch, I would consider sifting through, and seeing if there are any plot-lines that could be simplified, in order to let certain moments breathe for a bit longer. With strong performances all round, I would recommend this show. It has an important message at its core, and manages to encapsulate so many.

Upon entering Theatre Peckham, on a cold and brisk December evening, the warmth exuding this building and the community it champions and supports, was beautifully evident. It was opening night, and mince pies and mulled wine were being enjoyed by friends of Theatre Peckham; past, present and future. 

The Christmas Show for 2023 is Rapunzel Hair We Go Again – an updated version of the classic Grimms Fairy Tale – in this interpretation, the audience were transported to present day Peckham, where most of the action unfolded in the local hairdressers. 

The message of this show was crucially important, and it was lovely to see a Pantomime-esc performance with such a prominent political standing. Rapunzel aimed to challenge beauty standards and celebrate female empowerment. The team worked with hair stylist, Shamara Roper, who ran a series of wig making workshops at the theatre, and these wigs can be seen throughout the show… and they are very impressive indeed! 

This festive tale tracks back through Rapunzel’s life, after she was stolen by an evil stepmother, who noticed the magical powers bestowed upon her hair. Once she had Rapunzel in her grasp, she never let her leave the flat, convincing young Rapunzel that she could never step outside, as her weak immune system could mean that anything outside that could potentially infect her could lead to fatal consequences. And thus… Rapunzel spent her days locked away in their Peckham home. 

The professional cast are supported by a beautifully enthusiastic, sassy and energetic ensemble of young people from Theatre Peckham’s Academy. They stole the show with their infectious energy and their evident love for performing was a joy to behold. 

Jade Leanne Banjamin, who plays Cassie – the evil stepmother – gave a committed performance, and had an impressive singing voice, but maybe seemed a little unsupportive of the younger cast. 

Kellah-M Spring and Scarlet Gabriel, playing best friends Maddy and Rapunzel respectively, fell short of the mark, and despite some good singing from both performers, there was a real lack of dynamic between them, and their performances seemed somewhat under energised. 

The set was a colourful cacophony of pink hues, and the lighting design was very impressive, supplying all the glitz and glam that one desires at a pantomime. 

Overall, Rapunzel at Theatre Peckham, is a committed celebration of individuality, Christmas and community. There was plenty of gumption and joy on display from the youth ensemble, and this, mixed with the important message, made this performance a highly enjoyable evening. I hope that as the show grows over the run up to Christmas that the cast get more comfortable with the material, and Rapunzel will fall into its flow and leave audiences flicking their hair to the beat of their own drum.