Reading Time: 3 minutesAn interesting setting and relatable characters, regrettably hamstrung by over-busy production Blood On Your Hands is a new production from Patch Plays, exploring the impact of protesting vegan activists from the perspective of the meat industry’s “forgotten…
Reading Time: 2 minutesChuckle-worthy but set sail into some choppy waters Being my first experience of opera, and perhaps not being the target audience, the recent HMS Pinafore production in Oxford left me with mixed feelings. The cast were clearly…
Reading Time: 4 minutesA talented cast, a good premise, but requiring a deeper dive into the recovery from addiction Before you ask, no, this show is not about Amy Winehouse, or what happens to Premier League footballers when they twist…
Reading Time: 2 minutesFounded in 2001, Gecko are an internationally acclaimed physical theatre company, led by artistic director Amit Lahav. Kin was commissioned by the National Theatre, supported by Home Manchester, Lighthouse Poole and London International Mime Festival, and is loosely based on the story of Lahav’s own grandmother, Leah, who fled persecution in Yemen in 1932.
Reading Time: 2 minutesAn excellent introduction to opera with commendable vocal performances The staging of Ellen Kent’s production of Bizet’s Carmen, framed against a backdrop of Roman columns, failed to impress due to its unimaginative approach, lacking originality, creativity, and…
Reading Time: 2 minutesThis gothic production captures the cruelty of this lesser known work by Shakespeare When I talked to a group of drama students at the Tower Theatre last night, it appeared that very few of them had ever…
Reading Time: 2 minutesRelatable and familiar; goofy best-friend handshakes, turns at speed dating, and winning confrontations with the ex-girlfriend Traversing the world of modern dating is a treacherous landscape; familiar to many, cringe inducing for more. One Year Itch covers one…
Reading Time: 2 minutesAshfaq has the ability to charm, and in my experience as a comedy goer, this is half the battle Urooj Ashfaq tells us at the start of her show that in India she is considered an edgy…
Reading Time: 2 minutesWritten by Vikki Stone and directed by Douglas Rintoul, the show modernises the traditional story of Dick Whittington travelling to London to seek his fortune with added rock/pop musical numbers.
Luke Thornton flourished as the titular character, giving curiosity, charm, and warmth to the role. Max Kinder was equally bawdy, exuberant and grating as Sarah the Dame, Alice’s bawdy mother. Elizabeth Rowe was sweet and kind as Alice, as well as headstrong and steady. However, Steve Simmonds was a standout as the villainous King Rat, playing the role with mischievous glee. His rendition of "Gangsta’s Paradise" was an absolute side-splitting triumph. Myles Miller effortlessly shone as Dick's feline companion. He had great physical comedy skills and made the most of the pantomime's slapstick humour.
Reading Time: 3 minutesOne intriguing subject for exploration is the 1995 Panorama interview where Diana exposed the royal family, conducted by Martin Bashir.