Tuesday, 7 August 2018
Silk Road (How To Buy Drugs Online), Trafalgar Studios | Review
Silk Road
Trafalgar Studios
Reviewed on Tuesday 7th August 2018 by Shaun Dicks
★★★★
Technology. Drugs. The Silk Road. We find ourselves in an age where reliance is at an all-time high. What do we rely on? Things to change the reality of our situation. Technology, where we can hide who we really are behind a cyber persona that we create. Drugs, to take us to an altered reality so that our actual reality is suspended. Silk Road follows a young man, one that believes that there is more to be learnt than what you are told. A young man that starts as a drug user but becomes a dealer. He discovers the Silk Road and learns more than he bargains for, taking him through a line of events that shows you a world you wouldn’t believe unless you saw.
The show is led by Josh Barrow who plays Bruce, who is chaotic, immature but charmingly endearing. He has a beautiful love for his Nan (as we all do) and is a lad who just wants to belong and feel love. Barrow is an interesting performer, as he presented a nice balance of light and shade in his role.
Barrow stumbled a few times throughout the show, I would attribute that to nerves of a young performer. But the multi-rolling that he does is impeccable. The timing of jokes in various characters were great and gave quite a few hearty belly laughs. But he also counterbalanced the humour with moments of severe seriousness when required. What really impressed were the moments of tenderness. These were very endearing moments, humanising Bruce, making him the young lad that he was.
With addressing such a volatile subject like drugs, the storytelling was bashful, unapologetic and frank. Alex Oates does a terrific job in delivering a compact, effective and stellar one hour script. The through line tells a complete, complex and interesting story, culminating in an ending that is foreshadowed but has an interesting surprise for the audience.
Silk Road isn’t the best one person show I’ve ever seen, but it isn’t the worst. It’s an interesting take on a taboo subject, presented in very real circumstances. It brings up a conversation worth having and certainly feeds your curiosity. It’s well constructed and equally well presented. The show is a little different, which is a good thing. We all need something different occasionally. Follow the Silk Road to an altered reality so you don’t have to face yours for an hour.
Silk Road runs at Trafalgar Studios until
photo credit: Nick Rutter
Saturday, 4 August 2018
Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain Part Four, Apollo Theatre | Review
Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain Part Four
Apollo Theatre
Reviewed on Friday 3rd August 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
As we exited the the Apollo theatre after spending 70 minutes with historical figures from Britain's history, a young boy exclaimed "That was soooooo exciting!", and he was correct! As with the hit television show and series of exceptionally successful books, Horrible Histories manages to turn historical lessons into hilarious, memorable events which have you howling and learning in equal measure.
Written and directed by Neal Foster, Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain Part Four takes us through some of the most well-known and random events in British history with the typical Horrible Histories style of slapstick comedy, humourous songs and a little dose of audience participation.
A man of many talents, Neal is also the manager of the Birmingham Stage Company and one half of the duo who bring this show to life. Joined by Anthony Spargo (Roger) the two bring spades of energy and enough facial expressions to last a lifetime. Bouncing off of each other and looking as though they're genuinely having a great time on stage, the pair are perfect at entertaining without being ridiculous.
Barmy Britain is what you expect it to be... but better! There's really nothing you can complain about. It provides everything you could wish for, brings a genuine smile to your face and is children's theatre of the highest degree. It's also wonderful how affordable the show is for families, with tickets from £13 and merchandise ranging between £1-£6 it's a perfect summer treat.
Whilst my mum and I are definitely not the target audience for this show, we certainly enjoyed it the same amount as the children who filled the theatre. Not only does the humour of the show have you invested but the gasps and laughter from enthralled children can't help but bring a smile to your face. Barmy Britain is definitely fun for all ages and is the ideal way to spend a summer afternoon- plus you'll learn some facts about our country which you may never have heard before!
Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain Part Four runs at the Apollo Theatre until September 1st.
photo credit: Mark Douet
Friday, 3 August 2018
Broken Wings, Theatre Royal Haymarket | Review
Broken Wings
Theatre Royal Haymarket
Reviewed on Thursday 2nd August 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★
Broken Wings, the new musical based on Kahlil Gibran's bestselling poetic novel has taken over the Theatre Royal Haymarket for a limited run. It provides a swooping romance, combines Middle Eastern melodies with musical theatre influences and showcases some of the finest voices in the West End.
After a stunning orchestral prologue, the audience are thrown into the life of writer, Kahlil Gibran and his fated romance with kind hearted and beautiful Selma Karamy. The story is touching, if fairly cliched. We know from the start that the couple aren't going to have a happy ending but we still feel the emotion as they are consistently dragged apart from one another as Selma, a woman with very few rights, is destined to marry the bishop's nephew.
Personally, Joe Davison's orchestration is the star of the show. The beautifully flowing, virtuosic music evokes feelings of hot summer nights and all-encompassing romance and brings the emotion to life.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel that the lyrics had the same effect; over-dramatic phrases and simile's used on mass feel cheesy and somewhat simplistic. Instead of highlighting something which may not have been clear to the audience, they simply highlight the clear thoughts and emotions so didn't add to the intensity of the story. Of course, they are based on the original poetry the transition has not been fully successful.
The cast performing the songs however are outstanding both acting wise and vocally. As our narrator and older Khalil, Nadim Naaman is suitably brooding, whilst his younger counterpart, Rob Houchen shows a stunning transition from childish glee and positivity to a heartbroken man. Nikita Johal is vulnerable but strong as Selma and provides some moments of vocal brilliance, especially in act 2. Another stand out is Soophia Foroughi as Mother; Soophia brings a rich, emotion filled vocal to the show and leads the rousing closing number with skill and power. Nadeem Crowe also gives a humourous and memorable performance as Khalil's best friend, Karim Bawwab.
There's definitely an audience for Broken Wings and I certainly believe that after some lyrical changes it could have a much longer life in the West End. For stellar performances and outstanding orchestrations, get yourself along to the Theatre Royal Haymarket... if you can get a ticket!
photo credit: Marc Brenner
Broken Wings, the new musical based on Kahlil Gibran's bestselling poetic novel has taken over the Theatre Royal Haymarket for a limited run. It provides a swooping romance, combines Middle Eastern melodies with musical theatre influences and showcases some of the finest voices in the West End.
After a stunning orchestral prologue, the audience are thrown into the life of writer, Kahlil Gibran and his fated romance with kind hearted and beautiful Selma Karamy. The story is touching, if fairly cliched. We know from the start that the couple aren't going to have a happy ending but we still feel the emotion as they are consistently dragged apart from one another as Selma, a woman with very few rights, is destined to marry the bishop's nephew.
Personally, Joe Davison's orchestration is the star of the show. The beautifully flowing, virtuosic music evokes feelings of hot summer nights and all-encompassing romance and brings the emotion to life.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel that the lyrics had the same effect; over-dramatic phrases and simile's used on mass feel cheesy and somewhat simplistic. Instead of highlighting something which may not have been clear to the audience, they simply highlight the clear thoughts and emotions so didn't add to the intensity of the story. Of course, they are based on the original poetry the transition has not been fully successful.
The cast performing the songs however are outstanding both acting wise and vocally. As our narrator and older Khalil, Nadim Naaman is suitably brooding, whilst his younger counterpart, Rob Houchen shows a stunning transition from childish glee and positivity to a heartbroken man. Nikita Johal is vulnerable but strong as Selma and provides some moments of vocal brilliance, especially in act 2. Another stand out is Soophia Foroughi as Mother; Soophia brings a rich, emotion filled vocal to the show and leads the rousing closing number with skill and power. Nadeem Crowe also gives a humourous and memorable performance as Khalil's best friend, Karim Bawwab.
There's definitely an audience for Broken Wings and I certainly believe that after some lyrical changes it could have a much longer life in the West End. For stellar performances and outstanding orchestrations, get yourself along to the Theatre Royal Haymarket... if you can get a ticket!
photo credit: Marc Brenner
Evita (UK Tour), Grand Opera House, Belfast | Review
Evita (UK Tour)
Grand Opera House, Belfast
Reviewed on Wednesday 1st August 2018 by Damien Murray
★★★★
When the idea of a musical based on the life of Eva Peron was first suggested back in the 1970s, many people were dubious about its chances of success… fast forward to today and it has become a modern classic with major theatres like Belfast’s Grand Opera House playing host to an extended run of Bill Kenwright’s 40th Anniversary Touring production of the show.
As last week marked the 66th anniversary of her untimely death from cancer at the age of 33, the show has not only been a success, but has already outlived the real Evita by quite a few years.
A sung-through musical story of her short life, the show takes us from her humble beginnings through to a life of wealth and power, dubbed as the ‘spiritual chief of the nation’ by the Argentine people.
From its dramatic opening with Eva’s funeral juxtaposed with Che’s angry and cynically mocking song, Oh What A Circus, and going full circle through her eventful life back to her lying in state, this must be one of Bill Kenwright’s best ever productions.
Jointly directed by Kenwright and Bob Tomson, this excellent touring revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice’s relatively early musical about the former Argentine dictator’s wife – which, like Jesus Christ Superstar, originated as a concept album – may be slightly scaled down from the original… but, you would never realise it.
For this was a classy staging boasting basic, practical, but opulent, settings in a well-dressed and extremely well-lit production, which also included some child performers for added realism.
Strong tango rhythms encouraged fiery and passionate performances, especially in choreographed ensemble pieces like Buenos Aires as the hard-working ensemble brought the ideas of Choreographer, Bill Deamer – ranging from passion-filled tango to militaristic movement – to life.
Thanks to Musical Director, Tim Whiting, and his 10-piece orchestra, Webber’s sung-through format threw up many memorable musical highlights, including: great vocal clarity from young Cristina Hoey as the teenage Mistress in Another Suitcase In Another Hall; and from Oscar Balmaseda as the nightclub tango singer, Magaldi, during On This Night Of A Thousand Stars, while the rousing chorus of A New Argentina also stood out, as did the young girl’s beautiful singing of Santa Evita; Che’s expressive interpretation of High Flying Adored and the ailing Eva’s heartfelt and moving rendition of You Must Love Me.
Mike Sterling provided a commanding Peron, while Glenn Carter really impressed in the demanding role of the ever-present Che, the self-styled narrator of the story.
Carter’s diction, clarity and, at times, almost patter-style of delivery were vital to this show, as – being sung-through – those new to the story or with any hearing difficulty needed such clarity to put everything in context, especially during songs like Oh What A Circus and High Flying Adored.
In addition to her beautiful singing voice (particularly in the show-stopper, Don’t Cry For Me Argentina), The Voice finalist and musical theatre songstress, Lucy O’Byrne, turned in a very confident performance as the ambitious backstreet actress whose ascendancy was unstoppable, because she was so loved and adored by so many that she almost rose to the dizzy heights of sainthood.
My only small criticism was that, as Eva Peron was enigmatic, manipulative and charismatic; I would have liked to have seen a little more charisma throughout, as it did take a little longer than usual to warm to the character of Eva.
This may have been because O’Byrne was more operatic in style than some others I have come across in this role, although her display of humanity during You Must Love Me at a time of critical physical weakness was heart-breaking and probably the best and most moving ever, as was the touching death scene.
All dressed and decorated in a rich tapestry of sumptuous sets, authentic costumes and wigs, and attractive, mood-inspiring lighting, this production was a visual treat with some beautiful theatrical pictures at the end of most songs.
Forty years after its West-End premiere, this fast-moving production is a high standard revival of a passionate and powerful piece of musical theatre.
Evita runs at the Grand Opera House, Belfast until 11th August before continuing it's tour.
photo credit: Keith Pattison
Sacrifice, Soho Theatre | Review
Sacrifice
Soho Theatre
Reviewed on Thursday 2nd August 2018 by Shaun Dicks
★★★★
Millennials, calling all Millennials. Take your faces out of the illumination of your phone (after reading this review) and pay attention. This is all Sacrifice asks of you. The run is limited. The length is short. But the message is powerful. Sacrifice brings to the spotlight the crisis that we as a generation face. Extortionate house prices, lack of opportunity outside university, gentrified communities and increasing debt. Using archetypal characters, you are given a cross-section of the those that make up society and presented to you is a story of a group of young millennials trying to get by while chasing their dreams in a city that is ruthless and stone cold.
Despite all the severe topics that are brought to the fore here, Sacrifice is an incredibly witty and humorous play. The jokes are well planned in the script and executed perfectly by the ensemble cast. One liners come thick and fast, the next one easily as funny as the last. The presentation of the script is outstanding as the performers are snappy and make words buzz with energy as the exchanges go on. Overall, the work the whole cast put in pays off, as their performances shine through.
What really got to me as I as watching this piece was how unrelenting this show is when it comes to the truth. This show, I believe is the beginning of opening up conversations about the crisis we face today. A crisis that gets white washed in the media. This brings the problems to our very front door. Sacrifice is a ruthless dissection of human psychology and the nature of millennials. This show urges us to challenge what we’re told and fight for more than the scraps that are being handed out. When it boils down to it, the show is about the ever-growing class and wealth divide in this country.
So please, I beg you, get off your phone, run down to the Soho Theatre, watch Sacrifice while you can. Don’t do what you do in elections and referendums; stop ignoring and start acting. Watch this show, try to tell me you don’t see and hear some familiarities. This here is art imitating life.
Sacrifice runs at the Soho Theatre until 4th August
photo credit: Mark Douet
Thursday, 2 August 2018
War Horse (UK Tour), New Victoria Theatre | Review
War Horse (UK Tour)
New Victoria Theatre
Reviewed on Wednesday 1st August 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
Since its premiere at the National Theatre in 2007, War Horse has been enthralling audiences around the world and after seeing it, it's clear why. The play follows the deeply moving story of the relationship between a young boy, Albert Narracott, played brilliantly by Thomas Dennis, and his adored horse, Joey.
Whilst this story begins as an unflinching quest for a boy to find his horse after it has been taken as part of the World War One front, it quickly becomes a story of how horses were sacrificed on mass at the battle lines. For the men of the army, the horses lives symbolise their own and its especially affecting to see how the men measure their lives by their horses.
The reality of war is brought to life with dramatic simplicity, with sound effects and bright lights hitting us with an intensity that transports us to the battlefield. This production is alarmingly powerful and honest.
Also brought to life are the friendships of life and war. Particularly moving is a scene where the two opposing sides make peace as the unite to free Joey from barbed wire in the midst of war. The friendship between Emilie (Joëlle Brabban) and Friedrich Müller (Peter Becker) is equally touching, especially as we see the way the war really effects Müller and takes it's toll on his mental health.
The stars of the show however, have to be the impeccable puppet and Handspring Puppet Company who bring them to life. The puppets become real and it's hard to believe there are puppeteers controlling them, even when they are in full view on stage. The breathing, galloping and entire personalities come to life and we are immersed in this stunning production.
Everything about War Horse screams National Theatre and this tour does a stellar job of making us feel as though we are in the Olivier Theatre. Although vastly complex, the whole show comes off looking and feeling simplistic and effortless. Whilst moving and poignant, this production all in all is beautiful. Providing a reminder of the sacrifices those before us have made and highlighting the futility of war, this is a must see for people of all ages.
War Horse runs at the New Victoria Theatre until August 18th before continuing its tour.
photo credit: Brinkhoff and Mögenburg
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