Emma Clarendon chatted to Siana Bangura about her and Christina Nicole about their new podcast Behind the Curtains.
‘Seeing the piece from several angles is liberating’: UNFAMILIAR AT HOME – ArtsDepot (Online review)
Unfamiliar is a sensitive piece of work which explores a facet of queerness and masculinity we do not often see.
‘Joseph Potter is more than a match for this quick-fire writing’: THE POLTERGEIST – Southwark Playhouse (Online review)
Philip Ridley’s play The Poltergeist made an intimate transition to the screen and will be unmissable as soon as live performances can be scheduled.
‘There’s a Lorca-esque quality to the proceedings’: CAPERUCITA – The Actors Centre (Online review)
While the play addresses the hopes and fears of those seeking to escape destitution (and achieve a better life), much like the fairy tale it mimics, Caperucita through its choreography and poetic use of language evokes a Lorca-esque quality to the proceedings.
‘A richly resonant set of stories’: THE BARREN AUTHOR – Spiteful Puppet (Online review)
The character of Baron Munchausen has a long and illustrious history (he first appeared in 1785) but is probably best known in this country via Terry Gilliam’s 1988 film. Some of the spirit of that adaptation is to be found in Spiteful Puppet’s six part audio drama The Barren Author.
‘Pulled me in & out from what was unfolding on screen’: THE HUNGER ARTIST – CVIV Arts (Online review)
An “absurdist adaptation of Kafka” by CVIV Arts, The Hunger Artist opens with three people brightly lit on a stage with wooden flooring. A chalk board detailing “warder” and “day” suggests some form of prison.
‘A richly rewarding experience’: FALLING STARS – Union Theatre (Online review)
Written and conceived by Peter Polycarpou, Falling Stars is a charming and fascinating exploration of composers, collaborators and publishers of the 1920s.
‘Powerful, funny & thoroughly engaging’: NAKED – Cockpit Theatre (Online review)
NAKED is a powerful, funny and thoroughly engaging piece of physical theatre. It is the first show from performers Luke Vincent and Paige-Marie Baker-Carroll of the NAKEDpresents queer collective.
‘A tour de force performance in a brilliant monologue’: THE POLTERGEIST – Southwark Playhouse (Online review)
A tour de force performance (mark Joseph Potter as one to watch) in a brilliant monologue on an empty stage, you will not want to miss Philip Ridley’s The Poltergeist.
’An unalloyed pleasure’: MARRY ME A LITTLE – Barn Theatre, Cirencester (Online review)
Rob Houchen and Celinde Schoenmaker star in a beautifully sung, beautifully filmed digital version of Sondheim’s revue Marry Me A Little for the Barn Theatre.
‘There is love up here on the screen & it shows’: UTE LEMPER – RENDEZVOUS WITH MARLENE (Online review)
More of a dramatic piece than a concert, Ute Lemper (once described as “the new Marlene”) brings back the memory of the progressive woman, “Hollywood icon, chanteuse, soldier”, through song and speech. This is Ute Lemper – Rendezvous With Marlene.
‘Powerful & engaging piece of work’: PHOENIX – English Touring Theatre ★★★★
Mike Bartlett’s new monologue Phoenix effectively explores how people in power abuse the rules set in place for everyone – except seemingly for those in positions of trust.
‘There’s quite the digital treasure trove in store’: HOARD: REDISCOVERED – New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme (Online review)
Theatrical archaeology meets real archaeology in Hoard – Rediscovered as the New Vic Theatre revisits their Staffordshire Hoard Festival for the streaming age.
‘It felt like we were all creating something very special together’: A fond farewell to The Show Must Go Online series
I may be woefully behind on my show write-ups, but I couldn’t not mark The Show Must Go Online coming to an end – at least until further notice.
‘Both humorous & moving’: MISFITS – Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch (Online theatre)
Misfits, from the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, comprises four excellent fractured monologues, written by Kenny Emson, Sadie Hasler, Guleraana Mir and Anne Odeke, which focus on Essex,
‘A feast for the eyes & ears’: USER NOT FOUND – Dante Or Die (Online review)
Dante Or Die’s User Not Found is a stimulating and thoughtful piece which pushes the boundaries of what theatre is and can be.
‘A triumph of ingenuity & responsiveness’: 15 HEROINES – Jermyn Street Theatre (Online theatre)
15 Heroines is an impressive and energised reworking of Greek myth that leaves the audience keen to find out more about each of these women and their remarkable lives.
Being a woman in Greek Mythology isn’t easy and for the most part they sit on the sidelines, forgotten sideshows to what are predominantly male narratives of war, conquest and feats of daring. Where women do feature, they are mere prizes to be won,…
‘A lot of thought is given to the online audience experience’: MISFITS – Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch (Online theatre)
When the writing is tight, fresh and more character driven, Misfits is very much worth a watch.
’It’s best just to throw yourself into the role’: AGENT VENTURE (Online review)
If you’re missing socialising but want something a bit more structured than a straightforward video call, then you will find immersive adventure game Agent Venture a real tonic.
‘Brings actions into sharp relief’: RIGHT LEFT WITH HEELS – STIGMAcollective (Online review)
This 50-minute film of STIGMAcollective’s right left with heels, returning for a second year to the Voilà Europe Festival at The Cockpit, remains a piece of power and intellect on the screen.