Reading Time: 2 minutesNothing would work as well as it does if not for Anastasia Osei-Kuffour’s layered script and confident direction. The poetic segments in particular, reflecting on desire, self-image, idealisation, and insecurities about fate, race and love, are the highlights of the narrative: the words of the writer so perfectly composed that you can’t help but wish to memorise every syllable.
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhilst we, as a society, have made great strides in the understanding of the neurodivergent experience, there is certainly a lot more to learn. Daniel Toney’s one-man show about growing up – and indeed, living as – an autistic man promises to be a ‘blunt conversation about being autistic’. As the audience files in, Toney is already in the space, sitting alone at a table for two.
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.
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe concert at Liverpool’s Philharmonic opens with a rendition of Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade, a lively and almost playful piece of around ten minutes, which is performed with vivacious enthusiasm by the orchestra. This gives way to the eponymous piece of the night’s event: Mieczysław Weinberg’s Cello Concerto in C minor op.43, in which visiting musician Sheku Kanneh-Mason takes centre stage as lead cello. As both the orchestra and Kanneh-Mason launch into the strident introductory motif that will become the piece’s throughline, the first and most obvious issue with this performance becomes apparent.
Reading Time: 2 minutesBefore Tchaikovsky’s famous and beautifully strong composition immersed us into the world of the magical Swan Lake, we were introduced to Shevelle Dynott, who would act as narrator throughout, giving the audience little pockets of wisdom about what was unfolding on stage in a timely and child friendly manner.
Reading Time: 2 minutesDescribed as Taylor Swift meets Monty Python, I went into this production thinking it would be right up my street and it really was a delightful evening of fun and laughter. The four plays were silly and humorous but with poignant moments, all of which captured the realities of being a woman in the modern world. The cosy Baron’s Court Theatre gave rise to minimal scenery, but each minimal setting was effectively used, and the use of props in some of the plays was excellent, I never realised a tampon could be so funny!
Reading Time: 2 minutesPinot Princess written by Lorraine Mullaney and directed by Deidre Daly depicted the character of Mary, an actor running a show called, the Pinot Princess, attempting to handle her acting life, love life and her detached relationship with her mother all at once.
Reading Time: 2 minutesEntering Arcola Theatre’s downstairs studio, Nick Cohen greets us as we make our way to our seats. He is asks us what we are nominated for, what category our potential win might be in, commenting on how strong our fictional competition might be. This interaction catches some audience members off guard in a humorously awkward exchange and generally creates an amusing atmosphere to start the evening off with. Based on these interactions, it might be presumed that the play itself will be framed as a night at the Oscars. Once the show ‘officially’ begins, however, our position as Oscar nominees is never again referenced or clarified. It is the first of a few confusing aspirations that the show had to offer.
Reading Time: 3 minutesGilbert and Sullivan are two of the best ever writers of comic operas and have created a legacy of timeless plays, from the humour, political satire, or charming melodies, they remain a favourite of theatres all over the UK. EUSOG have carried the proverbial torch incredibly well, producing a show that does capture the spirit of a show that’s been charming audiences since 1882.
Reading Time: 2 minutes“Cluedo 2 – The Next Chapter” unfolds against the elaborate backdrop of the iconic Cluedo board, bringing to life the classic game in an inventive way I didn’t expect. As the characters move around the board, I was really captivated by the ingenuity of the set design and how seamlessly it translated the game to the theatre. The show is very good at staying true to the board game giving it a nostalgic feel I just loved. Each set was unique and had purpose, there were a lot of moving parts from room to room and the cast made each change seamless.