Posts with the label southwark playhouse
Showing posts with label southwark playhouse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label southwark playhouse. Show all posts

Friday 11 February 2022

Instructions For a Teenage Armageddon, Southwark Playhouse | Review


Instructions For a Teenage Armageddon
Southwark Playhouse
Reviewed on Thursday 10th February 2022
★★★★

Currently playing in The Little at the Southwark Playhouse, Instructions For a Teenage Armageddon is a solo show performed expertly by Rosie Day who also wrote the script (and the book on which it's based). With direction by Georgie Staight, it's an incredibly well written and performed social satire which broaches and discusses some incredibly emotional topics. 

At 75 minutes long it's quite impressive how much Day is able to fit into this painful coming-of-age story and it really is an intense rollercoaster. The show is a series of monologues from a witty, introspective teenager who is trying to cope with the death of her sister as well as teen betrayal, manipulation, isolation and trauma. What is a very deeply dark show is made lighter by looking at it all through the main characters eyes as she frames each section with gaining a new scout badge.

The entire show uses quick, clever prose and black humour which consistently walks the line of being too much, but always adds to the story and characterisation of the leading lady. What's particularly striking about the show is that you're seeing real trauma of a child brought to life; and aside from the more intense topics broached, many aspects are, unfortunately, hugely relatable for girls and women everywhere. The idea of altering who you are to fit in to societal norms and hiding pain behind humour is something many people grow up doing, and the pressures on girls to look and act a certain way never seems to change no matter how many developments are made. At the end of the day Instructions For a Teenage Armageddon acts as a fable or a cautionary tale on why we need to support one another and have open and honest conversations about mental health amongst other things.

Instructions For a Teenage Armageddon is incredibly engaging throughout, with Rosie Day bringing every story to life brilliantly and giving an outstanding performance. The use of projections also adds another element and make it feel more well rounded. Isabella Pappas' on screen performance is particularly memorable. This is an extremely timely, intense show that is expertly performed.

photo credit: Mark Senior

Instructions For a Teenage Armageddon, Southwark Playhouse | Review

Friday 11 February 2022

Thursday 5 March 2020

The Last Five Years, Southwark Playhouse | Review


The Last Five Years
Southwark Playhouse
Reviewed on Wednesday 4th March 2020 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★★

Originally premiering in Chicago in 2001 and then transferring to off-Broadway, Jason Robert Brown's song cycle musical was last seen in London in 2016 at the St James theatre. Chronicling a couple's passionate but ultimately doomed relationship, it is a brilliant exploration of life and cleverly plays with time; having one partner starting at the end of their story and the other at the start. They only overlap during their proposal and marriage mid way through.

This Southwark Playhouse production is a completely transfixing showcase of a spectacular musical. Jonathan O'Boyle's production is wonderfully staged and feels completely fresh in it's approach to the score and story. 

Lee Newby's set provides a fantastic canvas for the emotional drama to evolve, with small props effectively emphasising moments but always leaving the focus on the characters and their story. At times these props do feel a little too literal but they are so briefly used that it's barely an issue. There's always a sense of momentum in this piece thanks to the varying styles of Jason Robert Brown's music which keep the pace up. Additionally in this production, there is the use of a revolve which physically adds drive as it often seems to move clockwise for Jamie's plot and anti-clockwise for Cathy's- a very clever touch.

Jamie Platt's lighting is an especially enjoyable element of this musical, with contrast and darkness being used extremely well. A particularly effective moment is when the sun rises and the space is gradually transformed from a blue tinge to a warm orange.


Oli Higginson brings a great sense of journey to the up and coming writer, Jamie. Genuinely loving Cathy at the start, his self-absorbed personality and wandering eye soon become his, and the relationship's downfall. There's often an argument as to who was really in the wrong in this pairing and of course, both are to blame, but in the end Jamie really is a jerk and Oli does a great job of showing it. The contrast between the whimsy and elation in The Schmuel Song and the downright aggression in If I Didn't Believe in You, is highly effective. Higginson's accent does falter at times and occasionally the theatrical facade is broken, but overall his performance is joyous and enraging to watch.

As Cathy, Molly Lynch is just radiant. Rewinding from the bitter breakup to the jubilant start, Molly is consistently magnificent to watch. Vocally her performance is as clear as glass and beautifully controlled in her strong mix, but it's her acting which really brings her character to life. A mixture of nuanced and grand moments showcase the skills Molly possesses, and completely wrap you up in her journey. 

Plus, both actors bring their musician skills to the table, deftly swapping places at the piano. Their incompatibility is even highlighted as they aggressively accompany one another and often give particular attention to the discordant parts of the music, or the melodies which are repeated throughout but are continually out of sync with each other.

With humourous sequences (Jamie on facetime during A Summer in Ohio) and devastating moments of relationship failure, this really is a roller coaster gem of a piece. Brown's music gives so much to work with and the team on this production have really done an excellent job. The two leads are esteemed in their performances as they give a masterclass in acting through song that will break you and build you at once.

The Last Five Years plays at the Southwark Playhouse until 28th March

photo credit: Pamela Raith

The Last Five Years, Southwark Playhouse | Review

Thursday 5 March 2020

Saturday 2 November 2019

Shook, Southwark Playhouse | Review


Shook
Southwark Playhouse
Reviewed on Friday 1st November 2019 by Shaun Dicks
★★★★★

Now in it’s tenth year, the Papatango writing prize is back. Last year’s winner, The Funeral Director, was a rousing success and ended up going on a national tour. After a record 1,406 entries for this year’s prize, the winner is Shook by Samuel Bailey. One of the prizes, a month’s run at the famous Southwark Playhouse.

We found ourselves in prison to follow the stories of Jonjo (Josef Davies), Cain (Josh Finan) and Riyad (Ivan Oyik), three inmates who all have young children and are taking a childcare class run by Grace (Andrea Hall). Throughout we stay in the classroom where we learn all about the three men, find out why they’re in there, see who they are as people and watch them train to be fathers. But as Cain points out, ‘You can’t teach anyone to be a parent.’

There are many things that make this show great. One of them is the humour. The jokes within this script from Bailey are a laugh riot. ‘What does MBE mean? Massive bellend.’ and ‘Have you grown up in a cupboard?’ are particular highlights delivered by the outrageously loud mouthed but hilarious Cain.


But what makes the humour so brilliant is the sucker punches that are handed out by Bailey later. They are brutally honest and cutting, like when they are talking about their children and Cain proclaims that ‘They’ll be in here too soon.’ and when Jonjo finally opens up about his dad leaving his family and Cain replies ‘Fair enough, your old man fucked off. That’s normal.’.

However, all get to shine in their different ways. Riyad is intelligent and full of confidence and he is looking to get his Maths GCSE. His confidence is on full display when he says, ‘I’m going to make Equilateral Triangles my bitch.’ Jonjo is new to the prison and is a very shy man. He takes his time to open up to the others and as he does, you warm up to him. As soon as you do, he hits you with the sucker punch of how he got to where he is. And Grace is a wonderful anchor for the entire show, giving the other characters someone to bounce off throughout.

What really stands out in this show is the cohesion between the performers. There is an outstanding rapport between all four actors. The bounce back of dialogue between all is seamless and brilliant. A testament to director George Turvey, who clearly worked his performers hard to get that level of cohesion.

Papatango and the Southwark Playhouse have met and superseded all expectations. The whole package is simply superb, from the writing to the performances. This. Play. Is. Phenomenal. It affects you and that is the sign of excellent theatre. Shook will take you and you will not return the same.

Shook runs at the Southwark Playhouse until 23rd November 2019

photo credit: The Other Richard

Shook, Southwark Playhouse | Review

Saturday 2 November 2019

Wednesday 12 June 2019

Afterglow, Southwark Playhouse | Review


Afterglow
Southwark Playhouse
Reviewed on Tuesday 11th June 2019 by Shaun Dicks
★★★★


“There are no fairy tales about polyamory.”

Afterglow is ‘The little play that could’. After its impressive off Broadway run of 14 months and 467 performances, it has made its way across the pond to the Southwark Playhouse, a theatre synonymous with fantastic shows.

In this story we follow three men, the married couple of Josh and Alex, played by Sean Hart and Danny Mahoney, and the complication to Josh and Alex’s marriage, Darius who is played by Jesse Fox. The story follows these three men as the ins and outs and potential complications of polyamory play out. It explores the ideas of commitment, love and the malleability of relationships.

The script written by S. Asher Gelman is a good one, the dialogue is clean, interesting and has brilliant jokes but also has some very honest and real lines in there. The monologues of Darius are just fantastic, and Jesse Fox does well with them; delivering some hard truths excellently. Danny Mahoney as Alex does a good job being the anchor of the show, giving his co-stars a chance to be a bit freer on stage.

The star of the show though is Sean Hart as Josh. Josh is a well fleshed out character, that has obviously been thought through and is fully realised. Hart’s character work makes his co-stars characters look a little non-descript at points.




The direction from Tom O’Brien is ok, the one thing that hampers this show is the scene transitions, they are just so long, it sucks the energy out of the show. The transitions are so long, you could go out, get a drink and get back before the next scene starts. 

David Howe's lighting is great, doing well to elevate the piece higher by being creative in his design. The set design by Libby Todd is fine, but their design is half the problem with the very long scene transitions.

Afterglow isn’t your typical fairy tale but in this pride season, it does give a fair, true and honest representation of polyamory and the gay community as a whole; giving life to a story that needs to be told. It’s a show that does have flaws but that’s almost part of its charm.

It’s a highly recommended piece of viewing for all. Gay, Straight, Bisexual, Asexual, Pansexual. Cisgendered, Non-Binary, Transgender, Gender Queer. It is ultimately a show about people and how the heart wants what the heart wants.

photo credit: Darren Bell

Afterglow, Southwark Playhouse | Review

Wednesday 12 June 2019

Thursday 25 April 2019

Ain't Misbehavin', Southwark Playhouse | Review


Ain't Misbehavin'
Southwark Playhouse
Reviewed on Wednesday 24th April 2019 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★★

Tyrone Huntley makes his directorial debut with this vivacious production that hasn't been seen in London for almost 25 years. With Oti Mabuse's choreography, the show is a whirlwind of energy which excites and entertains throughout.

Originally conceived by Richard Maltby Jr the show is billed as The Fats Waller Musical. It's more of a cabaret revue than a musical but, thanks to Huntley's direction, the performers have their own characteristics which thread throughout the show and create a fantastic cohesion. Songwriter and pianist, Fats Waller had a hugely successful career which combined jazz, slapstick comedy and gin. However, this show isn't about the man himself, but the music he created.

The powerhouse cast bring spades of energy and vocal prowess with every number. Renée Lamb is sassy and animated, Carly Mercedes Dyer is sweetly comedic, Landi Oshinowo brings spades of soul, Wayne Robinson is smooth and sharp and Adrian Hansel is sleek throughout. Alongside the strong five-piece band, the team give contagious performances.

The set and costume design by takis is glitzy and exuberant, with sparkles and swing embodied on every inch. The Southwark Playhouse is transformed to have an almost speakeasy feel as we are whisked away to a world of jazz and gin.

The 100 minute show is a sexy and sassy celebration of Fats Waller's music, with choreography and vocals to impress everyone. The cast do an outstanding job of selling all of the thirty musical numbers and providing both emotional and hugely comedic moments.

Ain't Misbehavin' runs at the Southwark Playhouse until June 1st 2019

photo credit: Pamela Raith

Ain't Misbehavin', Southwark Playhouse | Review

Thursday 25 April 2019

Tuesday 27 November 2018

Seussical, Southwark Playhouse | Review


Seussical
Southwark Playhouse
Reviewed on Tuesday 27th November 2018 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★★

Seussical is a colourful whirlwind of a musical which takes the works of  Dr. Suess and winds them into a magical, heartfelt story of acceptance and love. We follow JoJo, a Who with a larger than life imagination who, along with the rest of the Whos, live on a tiny speck of dust which is found by Horton the elephant. Horton vows to protest this speck with all his might which leads to a story of ups and downs and a whole host of characters.

Aesthetically this is a beautiful production. The pops of colour both in the set (Justin Williams and Jonny Rust) and the costumes (Rachel Cartlidge) really emphasise the story book feel and bring this wacky world to life in an over the top but never tacky, way. The costumes cleverly differentiate the characters without becoming cliched or predictable.

Marc Pickering leads the cast sublimely as the Cat in the Hat. Absolutely commanding every inch of the stage he touches and demanding the audiences attention with every brow raise and smirk; he is utterly hysterical and clearly born to be seen. Amy Perry is sincere and relatable as Gertrude, Anna Barnes is suitably energetic as JoJo and Adam Dawson and Daisy Steere are outstanding as Mr and Mrs Mayor and they totter around the stage with humourous aplomb. 


Scott Paige is endearing and vocally faultless as the lovable Horton and it's great to see him helming a show after standing out in Eugenius and The Addams Family. Paige brings a heart and warmth to this story that makes it the perfect show for a cold winter evening. The entire cast are enthusiastic and full of life from the get go; with tasteful audience interaction, energetic, sharp and fitting choreography (Chris Whittaker) and a boatload of originality, they make the production sleek and engaging.

Captivating and innovative, Seussical is a musical for all the family that is sure to delight and enthral from start to finish. Presenting an over the top look at some crucial and relevant social issues, it's a show for everyone, that is extremely well thought out and will leave you feeling warm inside, with a smile so wide.

Seussical runs at the Southwark Playhouse until 29th December 2018

photo credit: Adam Trigg

Seussical, Southwark Playhouse | Review

Tuesday 27 November 2018

Saturday 3 November 2018

The Funeral Director, Southwark Playhouse | Review


The Funeral Director 
Southwark Playhouse
Reviewed on Friday 2nd November 2018 by Shaun Dicks
★★★★★

“We all need to be brave, otherwise nothing will change.” 

The illustrious Papatango writing prize is now in its excellent ninth year. It’s brought to light some wonderful pieces of work like Tomcat by James Rushbrook and Trestle by Stewart Pringle. This year it is The Funeral Director by Iman Qureshi

Here we follow the story of Ayesha, a Muslim funeral director who gets a client that forces her to confront a secret she wasn’t ready to face, one she was ready to take to the grave. Here we confront Gender, Religion and Sexuality. Hotbeds of discussion and dissection. Here we need to be brave together. 

Iman Qureshi's script is pitch perfect. The dialogue is slick, tight and meaningful. There is a wonderful balance of humour, poignancy and seriousness. The humour is a highlight, as it is all culturally relevant and well thought out. The direction by Hannah Hauer-King is perfection. Also, the set, lighting and sound design by Amy Jane Cook, Jack Weir and Max Pappenheim is flawless and compliments one another. 


The best part of the show though is the people that bring it to life. Every actor, Aryana Ramkhalawon (Ayesha), Maanuv Thiara (Zeyd), Tom Morley (Tom) and Jessica Clark (Janey) present such well thought out and multi-dimensional characters. They each play their part in a very affecting story. But the star of the show is Clark as Janey. Clark is an absolute force. Her freedom on stage is refreshing. Her comedic timing is just brilliant, but her skill shown when having to present tender moments is astounding. 

The crowning glory of this show is the story. It’s poignant, affecting and necessary. The crossing of gender, religion and sexuality is a very hot topic in modern times. When tackling them it is hard to pitch it right. The Funeral Director pitches it perfectly. There are a few scenes that just hit you. They strike you with a message and emotion. They are worth the ticket price alone. Everything else is just a bonus. 

The Funeral Director runs at the Southwark Playhouse until 24th November 2018

photo credit: The Other Richard

The Funeral Director, Southwark Playhouse | Review

Saturday 3 November 2018

Thursday 13 September 2018

Wasted, Southwark Playhouse | Review


Wasted
Southwark Playhouse 
Reviewed on Wednesday 12th 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★

With a cast of just four, Wasted tells the story of the Brontë siblings and their journeys to success, and questions (to an extent) what makes a legacy and how fulfilment is achieved. Whilst there are some catchy songs and the cast do a good job conveying the struggles of 18th century women, Wasted is drawn out and somewhat uninformative.

The entire show has a tonne of potential and with tweaks could certainly be a coherent, enjoyable show. However, in it’s current state it feels somewhat self indulgent and the basic story (the girls struggle, eventually get published but feel they have Wasted their lives) is stretched unnecessarily to fill almost three hours. 

The cast are helmed by West End superstar, Natasha Barnes who has made a triumphant return to the stage after giving birth to a beautiful baby earlier this year. Working with Christopher Ash's demanding score, Natasha leads the show with faultless vocals and outstanding commitment to the level-headed, dreamer Charlotte Brontë.


As her brother who aims to be famous, Matthew Jacobs Morgan is suitably humourous but troubled. As her sisters, Emily and Anne, Siobhan Athwal and Molly Lynch give strong performances although at times it is hard to understand what is being said. This may be due to mics but does mean that it takes real attention to keep up with the story. 

Another issue is the amount of repetition. The first act especially feels like we hear the same thing over and over again; after the first 10 minutes it was clear the girls “need to work” but we were told several more times which instead of reinforcing something important, felt unnecessary and added to the length of the show dramatically. 

Wasted could easily have been performed as two separate shows. Both act one and act two have good starting and finishing points which would make for solid 90 minute straight-through shows but together just felt too much.

Despite it's flaws, it is wonderful to see such an experimental, new, British musical and the cast do an outstanding job of bringing a mischievous, fresh view of the Brontës.

Wasted runs at the Southwark Playhouse until 6th October

photo credit: Helen Maybanks

Wasted, Southwark Playhouse | Review

Thursday 13 September 2018

Saturday 8 September 2018

Unexpected Joy, Southwark Playhouse | Review


Unexpected Joy 

Southwark Playhouse 
Reviewed on Friday 7th September 2018 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★★

Unexpected Joy, more like an unexpected delight of a show. The latest of Aria Entertainment’s shows to hit London, Unexpected Joy follows three generations as a grandmother, mother and daughter come together after not seeing each other for a long time. There are secrets, past tensions and varying viewpoints which have the potential to break the family apart. This is a heartfelt show that just like real life, features moments of humour, sadness, joy, angst and above all, love. 

The show opens with Joy (Janet Fullerlove) welcoming us to her concert which is celebrating the life and music of her late husband, Jump. From the onset we see that Joy is a larger than life character who has always been a free spirit and is the opposite of her daughter.

Jodie Jacobs gives a moving performance as Rachel/Rainbow, the mother who is struggling to balance her beliefs with change and is losing her relationship with her daughter. Jacobs shows her internal struggle with a perfect subtlety and moments of pure vocal perfection. 


In her professional debut, Kelly Sweeney gives a mesmerising performance as the youngest family member, Tamara, who longs to break free of the constraints her mother has so carefully put on her in an attempt to not expose her to too much. Kelly brings an innocence and energy to Tamara that you can't help being drawn to and her impeccable vocals are to die for.

As Lou, Melanie Marshall brings humour and truth in equal measure and gives a fantastically vibrant performance. As the only person not in the family by blood, it's interesting to see how Lou becomes the mediator and is able to more easily see each side of the story. 

Bill Russell and Janet Hood's musical is a wonderfully nuanced show which brings light to a number of ever relevant issues without being overwhelmingly preachy. Amy Anders Corcoran's direction means that issues with race, social acceptability, and attitudes towards change are approached and discussed in a natural way. The fact that there is not a solid resolution at the end of the show just makes it that bit more truthful.


Unexpected Joy not only shows us the importance of family but also the importance of music to heal; with a number of catchy songs and tight and beautiful harmonies, it really showcases how music can transport us. 

The message throughout, that we should always take each others view points into consideration, even if we don't agree with them is needed now as ever. There will always be some common ground between people, you just have to be willing to look for it.

Unexpected Joy is a beautiful piece of theatre which allows us to see viewpoints of everyone and understand that although families argue, at the end of the day, everything they do for one another is for love. A female led production with wonderful songs, a heartfelt message and a whole lot of love, there's no reason not to see Unexpected Joy.

Unexpected Joy runs at the Southwark Playhouse until 29th September

photo credit: Pamela Raith

Unexpected Joy, Southwark Playhouse | Review

Saturday 8 September 2018

Wednesday 8 August 2018

Bring It On, Southwark Playhouse | Review


Bring It On 
Southwark Playhouse 
Reviewed on Tuesday 7th August 2018 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★★

If like me, you're constantly in a state of missing In The Heights then the British Theatre Academy's production of Bring It On is just the energetic, humourous, heart-felt fix you need. Based on the 2000 hit film, Bring It On follows follows cheer-royalty Campbell who's  future is looking bright. She's just been named cheer captain for her senior year and is hoping to lead her team to National's glory. However, a sudden redistricting means she has to transfer to neighbouring Jackson High School where everything she knows is turned upside down...

With music by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda it's no surprise that the score is incredibly catchy and fast-paced; hip-hop influences are seamlessly intwined with classic musical theatre tunes. Whilst the plot line is nothing new it is suitably modern and has the overarching messages of teamwork and empowerment which are always welcome.

Once Campbell is thrown into her new school world, things really get going. Former cheer mascot Bridget finds a new lease of life and an acceptance that she's never previously experienced, whilst, Campbell begins to realise that social conformity isn't all it's cracked up to be.


The young, vibrant cast do an outstanding job of bringing the school halls and cheer routines to life. Robyn McIntyre is wonderfully emotive and vocally stellar as the front-woman who drives the story onwards. Alongside her, Kristine Kruse provides not only comic relief, but great vocals and brings the message of unity to life. Isabella Pappas is brilliantly and brutally expressive as the token mean girl Skylar, also providing some shining vocal moments. 

Other standouts include Clark James, Mary Celeste and Haroun Al-Jeddal who all draw the eye throughout and add a mountain of energy to an already highly spirited production. 


Ewan Jones' choreography is sharp and works well in the small space of the Southwark Playhouse, providing enough movement to keep both the audience and the cast always on their toes and with enough cheer movements to keep the theme without it becoming tacky. Tom Paris' set alongside Ben Jacobs' lighting add even more fun and brightness to the show. 

Of course this isn't a groundbreaking story but performed in such a vigourous and dynamic way, you can't help but love it. The entire cast give phenomenal performances and Bring It On is the high-kicking, fun-for-all show to put a smile on your face and a pep in your step.

Bring It On runs at the Southwark Playhouse until September 1st.

photo credit: Eliza Wilmot

Bring It On, Southwark Playhouse | Review

Wednesday 8 August 2018

Wednesday 30 May 2018

The Rink, Southwark Playhouse | Review


The Rink
Southwark Playhouse 
Reviewed on Tuesday 29th May 2018 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★★★

The Rink at the Southwark Playhouse is theatrical brilliance, made even greater by a spectacular cast, including Caroline O'Connor who understudied Diane Langton as Angel in the 1988 London production of the show. With a book by Terrence McNally and music and lyrics by Kander and Ebb, the show focusses on Anna, the owner of a roller skating rink on a fading seaside boardwalk, who has decided to sell it and move on. This goes smoothly until her prodigal daughter, Angel, returns on a mission to reconnect with her past. Through a series of beautiful songs and flashbacks, the pair try to deal with their past resentments and move on with their lives.

Adam Lenson's production is subtlety and sparkle perfectly combined, with the complexity and fragility of the mother-daughter relationship the firm focus. The small Southwark Playhouse is masterly transformed into the cast off roller-rink with Bec Chippendale's minimalistic set providing a back drop which will work equally as well on a bigger stage when this show hopefully takes it's place in the West End.


As well as the story, the cast are the core of this show. The leads are meaty roles so it's great that we have two brilliantly talented women heading the show. The extensive ovation after Caroline O'Connor's first solo, Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, proved that she is the embodiment of star power. Caroline is raw, ugly, homourous and emotive, all combined to create a masterclass in musical theatre and a performance which leaves you wanting more and more. With equal measures of ferocity and warmth, it's Caroline who steals this show and makes it as special as it is.

Despite a few brief moments of vocal/accent faults, Gemma Sutton gives a stellar performance as daughter Angel and matches O'Connor in oomph and vigour. The pair are extremely well cast; pulling off the mother daughter relationship extremely realistically whilst supplying laugh out loud joy, as well as tear in your eye sentimentality.


Fabian Aloise's choreography is again simplistic perfection. Tap dancing on roller skates- what more could you want? The tight cast do an exceptional job of using the space without making it feel cramped. Each member is outstanding but mention must go to Stewart Clarke as Dino who suitably transitions from loved up to angry at the world; Ben Redfern who is sweet as Lenny but shines in What Happened To The Old Days? and Jason Winter who dances with such power and precision that you can't help but be drawn to him.

For a technically brilliant show with performances that will leave you wanting to return to the Coloured Lights again and again, go see The Rink. This is musical theatre at it's best- lets just hope that the rink keeps rolling in London.

The Rink runs at the Southwark Playhouse until 23rd June

photo credit: Darren Bell

The Rink, Southwark Playhouse | Review

Wednesday 30 May 2018

Friday 25 May 2018

Confidence, Southwark Playhouse | Review


Confidence
Southwark Playhouse 
Reviewed on Friday 25th May 2018 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★

The Southwark Playhouse is a hub for amazing theatre and has been the home to some of my favourite, fresh, exciting, talent-filled productions. Unfortunately, the first UK revival of Judy Upton's 1998 play Confidence is not one of these shows. There is nostalgia and some positives but overall the play feels shaky and underdeveloped. 

The plot of Confidence is pretty random. There's a dead hamster, ice cream, flakes and fake dolphins. Ella is on a mission to make money and move to LA where she can mingle with celebrities and live a dream life. For the moment she is stuck with her friend Dean on the pier of a seaside town. From here we see the characters strive for love and money.

Overall the piece feels slow, simmering but never reaching the boil. What could have been explosive moments are dimmed down and any real drama happens too fast for it to have an impact.


The standout performances of the show come from Will Pattle and Rhys Yates who could genuinely be brothers. The two humourously bounce off one another as they vie for money and Ella's love.  Will is particularly impressive, especially towards the end - a great professional debut. Anna Crichlow is funny and random as cafe worker, Ruby. Her quirky role provides some comic relief whilst also hinting at a more painful side.

As the commanding, Machiavellian girl who oozes sex appeal and fire, Tanya Burr falls flat. It’s certainly admirable that she is taking steps to make the jump into theatre but taking on a lead role, in an intimate space, with very little to work with has not led to the greatest debut. The character of Ella is someone who is able to wrap people (specifically men) around her finger and make them believe she can offer them everything. Whilst there were brief moments of fluidity and power, ultimately Tanya’s newness and one-dimensional acting is sub-standard and it's hard to believe Ella's power over people. 

From a number of sold out performances, it’s evident that Tanya’s fans are booking to see the show and whilst it’s great that this could potentially be introducing new audiences to theatre, this show is far from suitable for her younger viewers. Of course that is not Tanya’s fault at all and this is clearly a step towards her maturing her career, but just a warning to anyone going with younger children that whilst this is a 90s throwback show, the emphasis is on much deeper, less child-friendly themes.


The set design by Amelia Jane Hankin is suitably 90s filled, with the carpet and retro kiosk designs alongside little features such as a walkman adding to the atmosphere. 

Something about Confidence just doesn't click. Given more time and a bit of a rework it could be a layered, interesting show but in it's current state there is a unity and flow missing. Hopefully the energy and verve will come and those seeing future performances will experience a solid (if random) story, alongside some wonderful 90s nostalgia.

Confidence runs at the Southwark Playhouse until June 16th

photo credit: Helen Murray

Confidence, Southwark Playhouse | Review

Friday 25 May 2018

In Conversation With... Anna Crichlow | Confidence | Southwark Playhouse



Confidence opens tonight (May 25th) at the Southwark Playhouse. It features a small cast, some of whom are making their theatrical debuts. Anna Crichlow, who has previously appeared in Pride and Prejudice for Regents Park Open Air and Common at the National Theatre, plays Ruby, who works at the cafe on the pier in the show. Anna took the time to talk to us about Confidence, the 90s and what the audience can expect from the show...




Can you explain a little about Confidence and how your character Ruby fits into it?
Confidence follows four young people who live in a seaside town in the 90s. The world is shaken up by the introduction of Ella, played by Tanya Burr, who’s dreaming and scheming attitude gets some of them into a pickle. Ruby runs the cafe on the promenade and has a more down to earth approach. She’s sweet and seems less ambitious than the other characters but she is a grafter. 


The show has a small cast and is playing at the intimate Southwark Playhouse, you must all have had to grow close quickly. What was the initial meeting and rehearsal process like for you?
It was lovely and really chill. We all met initially trying on loads of hilarious 90s clothes on in a vintage shop so I think that definitely broke the ice. It being some of the cast’s first theatre job made it even more exciting because everyone was so ready to get stuck in. The rehearsal space was always really open and Rob made us all feel comfortable to play with each other and the piece. 


You get to live out your 90s dreams in this show, what's your favourite song from the 90s?
That’s a really hard question, there are so many bangers from the 90s. I think right now it’s Jade-Don’t Walk Away. 


Ruby works in the cafe over summer, have you had any random summer jobs?
Don’t know how random it is but I used to works as an usher at Regents Park Open Air Theatre over summer. It was lush and I got to go back to act there three years later. 


Why should people come and see Confidence? What will audiences be saying as they leave the theatre?
Confidence is an explosion of 90s fun but it also explores what it means to work and all the different ways people, especially young people, achieve their dreams. 

I think they’ll leave thinking “I didn’t see that coming” and hopefully having laughed.


If you had a magic wand which show would you do next?
Gosh that’d be nice but genuinely I want to do the next show that is meant for me. If I had to say it would be amazing to get stuck into some Shakespeare. 


What's your best piece of advice for aspiring performers?
Don’t give up and be your most authentic self. 

Thank you so much Anna for taking the time to do this interview. Confidence runs at The Southwark Playhouse until 16th June.

Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell

photo credit: Clare Park and Helen Murray

In Conversation With... Anna Crichlow | Confidence | Southwark Playhouse

Thursday 5 April 2018

The Country Wife, Southwark Playhouse | Review


The Country Wife
Southwark Playhouse
Reviewed on Thursday 5th April 2018 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★

Set in 1920s London, a time when scandal, drugs and debauchery were rife, The Country Wife tells the story of Harry Horner who poses as a eunuch in order to sleep with men's wives without suspicion. He meets Margery the, innocent, young country wife of Pinchwife, when she visits London. Pinchwife desperate to keep her chained to him soon loses her to the fun of the bright young things society as her eyes are opened to the ways of the town people and she beings a search to find what makes her happy instead of her loveless marriage. Alithea, Pinchwifes’ sister, is due to marry Sparkish (for social and financial convenience) but when she meets Frank Harcourt who pursues her and offers her the possibility of a happy relationship we see her struggle against what is 'right' and what she wants.

At the time of it's first productions, Wycherley's 1675 comedy was notorious and although it's not as shocking and 'socially-unacceptable' to watch a play about sexual misconduct now, it's amazing how resonant the themes are. With desires, the role of women and more being cleverly brought to life by Morphic Graffiti (designer Stewart Charlesworth and director Luke Fredericks).

Events take place in a number of different locations such as the bedrooms, The Savoy and elegant drawing rooms. The transitions between these are outstanding. Sharp 20s Charleston steps are accompanied by Postmodern Jukebox-esque renditions of songs including Stacy's Mom and Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun as the characters smoothly move the set pieces and props into place. This is a delightful and seamless way to transition as well as to show some of the raucous parties that aren't shown in the actual show itself and also helps keep the action moving.


Something great about this production is that misogyny is avoided by having the women be very self aware of themselves- they know their worth and are willing to do what they want to  have somewhat fulfilled lives. In fact, the women are the people who drive the show.

Whilst the play is roaringly funny for the most part, there are times when the switch from humour to seriousness feel too sudden and scenes happen at lightning speed so it's hard to keep up with what's going on.

The cast are very strong, with Siubhan Harrison as the subtle but biting Alithea, Nancy Sullivan as the hilarious, lively Margery and Joshua Hill as the drugged up wingman are stand-outs. 

The Country Wife is a little long and felt arduous to watch at times, especially in the first half, but the conversation between the 1920s and modernity and the clever use of humour and staging make it a fun night out at the theatre.

The Country Wife runs at Southwark Playhouse until 21 April

photo credit: Darren Bell

The Country Wife, Southwark Playhouse | Review

Thursday 5 April 2018