Reading Time: 2 minutesHits and Pieces #5 (Spice Girls), brought to life by the Matchstick Theatre Company, delivers a joyous and inventive concept where writers craft compelling narratives inspired by beloved songs. In its fifth edition, the spotlight shone brightly on the iconic Wannabe track by the Spice Girls, igniting a jubilant celebration of music and nostalgia.
Reading Time: 3 minutesThese are just some of the questions posited by writer Rona Munro in James V: Katherine, the fifth in an award winning series of plays. The play, based on a true event, speculates on a private conversation between King James and Katherine during her 1534 trial for heresy, with Rona adding a queer love story allowing us to explore interweaving themes of queer love, faith, and the political climate of Scotland at the time. A lot to explore perhaps, but Rona skilfully strides between the topics in a captivating, tense and beautiful drama that toys with your emotions.
Reading Time: 3 minutesA new musical with music and lyrics by Testament and book by Zodwa Nyoni, Chisholm for President! tells the story of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to be elected to Congress in 1968, and to run for nomination of President of the United States in 1972.
Reading Time: 2 minutesIt is such a privilege to enjoy a double bill by Pegasus Opera Company with double surprises: two pieces of underrepresented operas by modern composers telling stories of normal people instead of kings, queens, and nobles, performed by musicians from underrepresented racial backgrounds.
Reading Time: 2 minutesKaroline Palacios Jørgensen’s debut play opened to an almost full theatre. Exploring the lives of three women spanning 3 generations, we see their struggles with identity and values.
Reading Time: 2 minutesA satisfying celebration of creative aging, this mixed bill performance cherishes artistry in its purest form. Sadler’s Wells’ Elixir Festival kicked off with a fine collection of works in Wednesday’s Mixed Bill. Featuring a collaborative piece by…
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Power (Of) The Fragile, performed at Sadler’s Well, created and performed by Mohamed Toukabri, performed alongside Mimouna (Latifa) Khamessi, intimately welcomes us into the world of sorrow, longing and dreaming: a story of a mother and son reuniting once again after years apart.
Reading Time: 2 minutesCelebrating its remarkable 70-year legacy, The Mousetrap stands as the world's longest-running play, having captivated audiences with its timeless blend of classic comedy and suspense.
Reading Time: 3 minutesAdapted and directed by Graham Eatough from David Keenan's cult novel, This is Memorial Device is a one-man show that ingeniously incorporates four additional cast members through on-screen performances projected upstage. The protagonist Ross Raymond, portrayed by Paul Higgins, energetically and vividly investigates the fictional history of the 1980s post-punk scene in Airdrie. He is aided digitally by characters Andrea Anderson, Miriam McCluskie, David Kilpatrick, and Monica Lawson, whose lives were profoundly affected by the punk rock band 'Memorial Device'. Also, Martin Quinn, as the band's lead guitarist, Big Patty, makes his flamboyant presence felt through a cassette tape interview conducted by Ross Raymond.
Reading Time: 2 minutesWritten and performed by Sarah Richardson, Sun Bear is a one-woman show that subverts expectations from the very onset. Katy works in the office of an undisclosed company. What Katy does there or what the company is involved in is irrelevant. Katy is struggling with something. Initially, we do not know what. We know that she is angry. Angry at everyone around her. We know she is fighting something. We know she needs to remind herself to breathe, to blink, to swallow, repeatedly. We know that whatever it is she is struggling with, it has isolated her. She is brazenly alone – at work, at home, on stage.