View Post

‘Captivating writing & strong acting’: THE MESSIAH COMPLEX – VAULT Festival

In Uncategorised by laurakresslyLeave a Comment

A blend of Orwell’s 1984 and the American Horror Story TV series, The Messiah Complex is a dystopian thriller that explores the extremes of conflicting belief systems. It takes place in a society where religion is banned and treated as a mental illness, and those who oppose scientific dogma are prosecuted without scruples. Sethian, a prophet who grapples with inner conflict, is held captive in a complex where a scientist – someone really between a nurse and a political propagandist – attempts to correct his behaviour.

View Post

‘A great foundation to an unconventional story’: PROJECT ATOM BOI – Vault Festival

In Festivals, London theatre, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays, Reviews by laurakresslyLeave a Comment

Project Atom Boi follows the story of Yuanzi (Xiaonan Wang), a doomer who, pressured by a self-indulgent Filmmaker (Francesca Marcolina), starts re-exploring the memories of her childhood in China. Yuanzi grew up in Factory 404, a Cold War ghost town in the Gansu province that was built in the fifties with the sole purpose of hosting a nuclear weapon. As Yuanzi travels back in time, we also meet her childhood best friend Erdan and her grandfather (both played by Kelvin Chan).

View Post

‘Delivered with engaging energy’: BROWN BOYS SWIM – Soho Theatre

In London theatre, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays, Reviews by Laura KresslyLeave a Comment

Most impactful in Brown Boys Swim at Soho Theatre is the unexpected ending where the actual stakes are revealed, after have been largely masked by the frivolity of the premise. There’s some brief foreshadowing, but this is glossed over by the boys’ vivacity and focus on impressing their peers so it’s easy to miss.

View Post

‘Deeply human & beautifully performed’: AGE IS A FEELING – Soho Theatre

In London theatre, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays, Reviews by Laura KresslyLeave a Comment

Hayley McGee’s monologue Age Is A Feeling at the Soho Theatre, narrating an unnamed person’s life, from age 25 through the years after the they die, hones in on key episodes that irrevocably define them and their future, as well as drawing attention to death’s inevitability. As sombre as this piece is, it also adeptly encapsulates moments of joy. As a whole, it’s deeply human and beautifully performed.

View Post

‘A smart adaptation that works well in surprising ways’: THE CHERRY ORCHARD – The Yard

In London theatre, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays, Reviews by Laura KresslyLeave a Comment

The Yard, London – until 22 October 2022 Through his most recent play An Adventure, writer Vinay Patel proved he can masterfully sustain family dramas grappling with big themes. By sticking close to Chekhov’s original story, this adaptation of The Cherry Orchard set in the distant future does similar. A spaceship replaces the estate, but the strict social stratification with …

View Post

‘Let’s hope industry leaders listen’: CASTE-ING – Edinburgh Festival Fringe

In Edinburgh Festival, Festivals, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays, Regional theatre, Reviews, Scotland by Laura KresslyLeave a Comment

Nouveau Riche, creators of the hit show Queens of Sheba that confronts systemically ingrained misogynoir, now focuses on the experience of being a Black woman actor in Caste-ing. Using music, beatboxing and spoken word to expose the micro-aggressions and racism that shape their working lives, the show is a rallying cry for change within theatre and film.

View Post

‘Difficult to keep track’: MAN OF 100 FACES – Edinburgh Festival Fringe

In Comedy, London theatre, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays, Reviews by Laura KresslyLeave a Comment

by Laura Kressly The disaffected son of a clergyman, Sir Paul Dukes, ran away to Russia to work as a musician. While there, the Russian Revolution started and British intelligence recruited him to work as a secret agent. He was to smuggle prominent people and useful materials across the border to Finland, and otherwise do […]

View Post

‘The comedy & cultural references are spot-on’: BAD TEACHER – Edinburgh Festival Fringe

In Edinburgh Festival, Festivals, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays, Regional theatre, Reviews, Scotland by Laura KresslyLeave a Comment

Bad Teacher is a new production from Queen of Cups, a young female-led and London-based theatre company. This one-woman play follows young teacher Evie and her particularly bad day at school, from coming in with a hangover to a hectic parent evening.

View Post

‘The writing is smooth & sprinkled with beautiful lines’: MOMENT OF GRACE – Hope Theatre

In London theatre, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays, Reviews by Laura KresslyLeave a Comment

Moment of Grace by Bren Gosling narrates Princess Diana’s visit to Britain’s first HIV/AIDS unit at the end of the eighties. It’s a personal and moving show that addresses people’s misconceptions that kept AIDS a taboo, driven by anger and fear. The show is produced by Backstory Ensemble Productions in association with The National HIV Story Trust (NHST), a charity set up to ensure the history of the 80’s and 90’s HIV/AIDS pandemic is not forgotten.

View Post

‘Celebrates those who get us through the worst of times’: NO PARTICULAR ORDER – Theatre503

In London theatre, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays, Reviews by Laura KresslyLeave a Comment

Children’s TV performer Fred Rogers once said: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping’.” Though horrific events drive Joel Tan’s eon-spanning play No Particular Order celebrates those who get us through the worst of times.

View Post

‘This is one of the best comedies running in the West End’: RELATIVELY SPEAKING — Jermyn Street Theatre

In Comedy, London theatre, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays, Reviews by Laura KresslyLeave a Comment

This is the first show in the Jermyn Street Theatre’s Encounters season, and they have certainly started it off on a high note. This is a production of one of Alan Ayckbourn’s first plays from 1965, a comedy and farce set around the misunderstandings between two couples.

View Post

‘I was hooked from start to finish’: THE GOOD DAD (A LOVE STORY) – Hope Theatre ★★★★½

In London theatre, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays, Reviews by Stephanie RessortLeave a Comment

Written by Gail Louw, the good dad (a love story) is a compelling piece about the devastating impact sexual abuse and incest has on 3 different women. It is a masterclass in shifting perspectives that add new nuance and intrigue to what would otherwise be a horribly bleak story. Donna was sexually abused and raped from childhood by her Dad. Her twin sister Carol surely must have suspected something, why didn’t she say anything? Or did she? And her mother, well lets just say she sees Donna as the other woman. As time goes by, and Donna can see her Dad falling back into recognisable patterns, it is up to her to do something about it. Except that isn’t where we start, we start at the end and look back, with the story told from the rubble of these 3 women’s lives.