REVIEW: Multiple Casualty Incident
Reading Time: 2 minutesIn Sami Ibrahim’s new play, directed by Olivier award-winning director Jaz Woodcock-Stewart, three Westerners prepare to provide humanitarian aid in an active warzone.
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REVIEW: So That You May Go Beyond The Sea
Reading Time: 2 minutesA few minutes before the play, we are passive spectators of what we believe is going to be a traditional narrative, about Joey Jepps and Gabriele Uboldi, the two lead actors that we witness in the poster advertising the show.
REVIEW: 42 Balloons
Reading Time: 2 minutesIt is time to lift off with Jack Godfrey’s new musical, 42 Balloons. Steeped in reality, this modern musical promises to be a hit. This production stands out as one of the best new musicals to grace our stages in years, earning every bit of the excitement surrounding it.
REVIEW: The Poet’s Revival
Reading Time: 2 minutesThis night at the Royal Albert Hall is presented by one of their associate artists, TEDx winner and award-winning poet LionHeart (Rhael Cape), who also holds the place of first poet in residence at the Saatchi Gallery.
REVIEW: ROOTS: (Overseas) & Is Any Body Home?
Reading Time: 2 minutesWency Lam’s ROOTS presented two unusual pieces which pushed the envelope on abstractism. Combining athleticism, artistry, and storytelling, ROOTS explores themes of identity and displacement in stories of migration and colonialism. While both works in this double bill, (Overseas) and Is Any Body Home? are interesting works of physical theater, it is difficult to connect them to their stated subject matter. Overall ROOTS features two fascinating studies of movement and expression that, unfortunately, seem to have lost the plot.
REVIEW: Laughing Boy
Reading Time: 2 minutesLaughing Boy opens by announcing the eponymous Connor’s untimely death, drowning unnoticed in the bath following an epileptic seizure under the care of NHS Southern Health. Having dropped that bombshell, the show paints a portrait of Connor before his demise, and chronicles his family’s crusade for justice against those who failed to protect him. Simmering with a mother’s righteous indignation, Laughing Boy feels important and real in a way that makes its uneven pacing easy to forgive.
REVIEW: Life of Pi
Reading Time: 2 minutesLife of Pi is the epic tale of seventeen-year old Pi, recounting his experience of finding himself on a small boat in the middle of the ocean as the sole survivor of a shipwreck. It’s a classic story known to many people as the book or film, and may in theory not seem the most suited to the stage, but in reality that couldn’t have been further from the truth. This show is an incredible adaptation, and has been designed so brilliantly with no illusion too difficult; the audience were captivated from start to finish.
REVIEW: Pippin – 50th Anniversary Concert
Reading Time: 4 minutesPippin is a hit musical that originally opened on broadway on 23rd October 1972. A show within a show, the story follows a cast of circus performers who are trying to find the perfect ending for their production of “Pippin”. Their story of Pippin follows the life of a young prince who ventures into the world on a personal quest for passion and adventure, whist also seeking the true meaning life, searching for his place in the world. This eclectic group of circus performers are desperate to entertain and bring the true magic to us all in our red velvet seats. With this multifaceted approach, the fourth wall is regularly broken as we are often spoken to directly by the Leading Player (Alex Newell) and are also playing the audience for their musical within the musical. Alex Newell, in her role as the Leading Player, was phenomenal. From her powerhouse vocals to her impeccable comedic timing, this woman held the audience in the palm of her hand. She brought so much comedy and fun to the entire evening with regular whimsical quips to the audience and her forceful nature towards the cast, especially poor Catherine.
REVIEW: Expatriated
Reading Time: 2 minutesExpatriated is a uniquely candid portrayal of what it is to move abroad. It highlights how experiences vary based on where you move to, your country of origin, or even your race. It looks at how different people are treated when they are viewed as an immigrant rather than an expat.
REVIEW: Futuristic Folktales
Reading Time: 2 minutesFuturistic Folktales was an exploration of human reproduction through the idea of the ‘first womb’ and discussed themes pertaining to identity, life and death and reproductive rights.