As for the musical numbers, they come when least expected, but when they do, they are are poignant and offer a brief time for reflection amidst the anecdotes, dancing and comedy.
Mates blogger: Michael Davis
Michael Davis is one of over 45 theatre bloggers who are part of the MyTheatreMates collective. This page features Michael's posts on MyTheatreMates. Take a look at our full list of theatre bloggers and our aggregated feed of all our Mates' posts. We’re always looking for new theatre bloggers. Could that be you? Learn about how to join us.
Michael Davis is a former actor and director. He’s passionate about fringe theatre and publicising shows that don’t necessarily receive mainstream attention. He’s previously reviewed for Female Arts and The Play’s the Thing and now runs his own site, Breaking the Fourth Wall. Michael is interested and knowledgeable about all aspects of the arts. He tweets @Michael30517721.
The latest from Michael on MyTheatreMates
The House of Bernarda Alba – Cervantes Theatre ★★★★
The play subliminally hints at the insuperable attraction between men and women, that no conditioning can overcome. The non-verbal lure of the masculine ‘other’ calls to the women.
INSIDE PUSSY RIOT – Saatchi Gallery
Even though officially the oppressive Soviet regime ended at the end of 1992, under Vladimir Putin’s leadership the practises of the KGB era still endure and in terms of the sorts of civil rights enjoyed in the West, little has changed from the Soviet years.
PHOENIX RISING – Smithfield Meat Market ★★★★
Phoenix Rising isn’t your average play. Written by Andrew Day and directed by Maggie Norris, it takes place in an underground car park beneath Smithfield meat market and uses the whole area to tell its story.
THE BLACK EYE CLUB – Bread & Roses Theatre
Marking their third anniversary, the Bread & Roses Theatre in Clapham is currently running a poignant play that takes a familiar issue and turns it on its head. Written by Phil Charles and directed Tessa Hart, The Black Eye Club focuses on a women’s refuge and the course of events over one night.
NO PLACE LIKE HOPE – Old Red Lion Theatre ★★★★
Given a non-custodial sentence, 17-year-old Becca (Holly Donovan) has to spend to her community service cleaning in a hospice. Initially getting off on the wrong foot, Becca ends up striking up a friendship with the reclusive Anna (Clare Corbett) who is receiving end-of-life care.
PICASSO – Playground Theatre ★★★
Marking the inaugural show at the Playground Theatre in west London, Picasso by Terry d’Alfonso takes place in the Afterlife, where the artist is met by three of the many women in his life.
FLYCATCHER – Hope Theatre ★★★★
Absurdist: Like a Lynchian movie, Gregg Masuak’s Flycatcher doesn’t spoonfeed answers, but it gives its audience plenty to think about.
I.E.D. – Theatre N16
Captain Agnes Bennett (Safron Beck) is very efficient at her job. As a Army Notification Officer, it is her duty to personally meet with relatives whose family have died while in active service of the Armed Forces.
OTHELLO – West End (NYT)
Asides from the contemporary setting, the one thing that sets the NYT production apart from others is the sheer energy that all the performers exhibit. While allusions to West Side Story may sound widely incongruous, when one bears in mind the extensive use of choreography for fighting between two factions in this Shakespearean adaptation, it’s not such a strange comparison.
THREE MOTHERS – Waterloo East Theatre ★★★★
Interweaving three monologues that take place in different countries and years, there is a thread that unites the respective experiences – not unlike The Hours or Fluff Productions’ World Enough And Time.
SUBMIT? and US (DOUBLE BILL) – Matthew’s Yard
Hailing originally from Australia, Ladies Stories Productions has recently showcased a double bill of plays at Matthew’s Yard in Croydon. Written by Laura and Amy Toledano and directed by Georgia Harris, Submit? and Us offer two very different experiences about young women and the choices they make.
INSIGNIFICANCE – Arcola Theatre ★★★★
st as playwright James Graham has made a name with plays based on recent real events with a political dimension, similarly, a recurring theme within Terry Johnson’s oeuvre is the untold story of famous people
BETWEEN A MAN & A WOMAN – Etcetera Theatre
Without a doubt, Scott James’ Between A Man And A Woman is an ambitious play. Addressing domestic abuse head on, the play spends as much time with the friends and family as the couple in question.
SKIN TIGHT – Hope Theatre ★★★★★
Based on Dennis Glover’s poem The Magpies, Gary Henderson’s Skin Tight has its own lyrical quality, with certain lines and references alluding to larger ideas and themes. Set in New Zealand’s South Island during the Global Depression of the early 1930s, we meet Tom and Elizabeth who live on a farm.
THE CASTLE – The Space ★★★★
In Howard Barker’s play The Castle, like after the Second World War, a group of men return from the Crusades to find their home ‘unrecognisible’. Unfettered by formal hierarchies, a matriarchal commune has organically sprung up, bringing sweeping changes.