REVIEW: Jewels
Reading Time: 3 minutesIn Jewels, writer and performer Tanwen Stokes brings a fresh, fun, and lovingly irreverent story of mediaeval womanhood onto the stage.
Category ★★★★½
REVIEW: Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
Reading Time: 2 minutesBeyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow is a mesmerising fusion of art and technology, transporting visitors into the vibrant world of Vincent Van Gogh. This exhibition is divided into two main sections, each offering a unique perspective on Van Gogh’s masterpieces and his tumultuous life.
REVIEW: The Children’s Inquiry
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe child care system in the UK is in crisis – a 2022 report called for urgent funding increases of £2.6bn, which are still yet to materialise – and it scarcely got a mention amidst the cacophony of failing public services in the 2024 election campaign. The Children’s Inquiry seeks to redress this balance, combining a historical tour of the UK care system with deeply personal, powerful accounts of the modern looked-after-child experience. A bang-up-to-date soundtrack and clever direction unite to produce a musical that is truly a spectacle to behold.
REVIEW: The Silent Planet
Reading Time: 2 minutesOrchestrator Ian Gardiner (along with musicians Will Pound and Delia Stevens) has done a fantastic job of rearranging the works so that, whilst different in many aspects, not least instrumentation, these pieces still evoke the feelings of the original. Though it does stray quite far from Holst’s original compositions in a lot of places this is not necessarily a bad thing either. It allows for a new life to be injected into the pieces through alterations in style, speed and even the arrangement of certain movements. Venus, for example, is now a lilting tune reminiscent of Latin Jazz; Jupiter is faster and seems something close to an Irish reel, or bluegrass; Mercury is filled with birdsong.
REVIEW: Troilus and Cressida & Romeo and Juliet
Reading Time: 2 minutesBounding in from all angles, the characters seem to breathe life into the open air space, creating massive energy with bold costuming and a semi-acapella soundscape of shouts and cheers as Troilus and Cressida begins.
REVIEW: Opera Makers
Reading Time: 2 minutesOpera Makers features a collection of works from MA students at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, performed by singers and repetiteurs in their first year on the Guildhall Opera course. Scenes from Puccini Operas are also showcased.
REVIEW: Moby Dick
Reading Time: 3 minutesSimple8 is an award-winning theatre company based in London, whose main aim is to tackle theatre in bold, physical and innovative ways. It was an absolute honour to witness such a standout piece of art that incorporated both storytelling and a dynamic ensemble aspect.
REVIEW: Aoife O’Donovan with Guildhall Session Orchestra
Reading Time: 2 minutesEntering the Barbican Hall, unsure of what to expect, I was soon captivated by the incredible experience that is Aoife O'Donovan’s performance. The GRAMMY Award-winning American singer-songwriter made her entrance on the stage discreetly, almost shy and overwhelmed by the moment. Jokingly, she remarked that she knew the tickets were sold out but didn't imagine there would be so many of us. She then performed three of her older songs, charming the audience with her beautiful voice, before diving into the tracks from her newest album, All My Friends. As she made her Barbican debut, accompanied by the Guildhall Session Orchestra, the Music Centre London Session Choir, and conductor Eric Jacobsen.
REVIEW: Songs for Slutty Girls
Reading Time: 2 minutesKailey Marshall’s creation of Songs for Slutty Girls is a hilariously clever portrayal of the complexities of sex and relationships for young women in their twenties. The plot follows four characters playing different body parts of one woman- Head (Dominique Roberts), Heart (Emily Ooi), Gut (Xenoa Campbell-Ledgister) and Hips (Charlotte Jaconelli). The musical starts with them celebrating New Year's Eve and follows the character’s journey throughout the year, paying close attention to her new relationships' success and failures.
REVIEW: Yerbagüena (Bright Dark)
Reading Time: 2 minutesConceived and choreographed by renowned flamenco dancer Eva Yerbabuena, with musical direction and guitar by Paco Jarana, dancer Christian Lozano, percussionist Daniel Suarez, and a singing ensemble (Segundo Falcon, Antonio "El Turry," Miguel Ortega, and Manuel de Gines), Yerbagüena (Bright Dark) is a flamenco piece that is simultaneously traditional and experimental, skillful and powerful, sensual and mind-blowing.