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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Reading Time: 2 minutesI’m usually not one for horror shows, always hiding behind my hands or a cushion. But "2:22 A Ghost Story" was so gripping that I couldn’t take my eyes off it! Danny Robins' writing is spot on, creating a mix of unease and curiosity that kept me hooked.
Reading Time: 2 minutesCapital Theatres played host this week to what could be the closest thing we can get in 2024 to a live performance from folk music legends, Simon and Garfunkel.
Reading Time: 2 minutes"Some Enchanted Evening," performed by The English Musical Theatre Orchestra, was a delightful homage to classic musical theatre, featuring a full 26-piece orchestra playing the original arrangements of beloved songs.
Reading Time: 2 minutesWritten by Martha Watson Allpress, and directed by Emily Aboud, Lady Dealer is a trip inside the head of Charlie (Alexa Davies), an entrepreneur in the line of drug dealing, operating out of a council estate in Peckham. We follow Charlie through the course of a day where life gets on top of her as she processes a recent break up, and deals with a power cut and phones with no battery - in which she muses on her life and the people she brushes shoulders with day to day.