Ultimately, Iphigenia at the Hope Theatre is a fascinating piece which has lots of ideas about how women are treated, and where their choices lie, but it stops just short of being as emotionally engaging as it should be.
‘The writing is smooth & sprinkled with beautiful lines’: MOMENT OF GRACE – Hope Theatre
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.
’An engaging premise’: 100 PAINTINGS – The Hope Theatre
What do you do when the artistic muse has deserted you? Or when it has never really arrived?
‘The audience is swept up in a whirlwind of emotional twists & a macabre turn’: A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL – Hope Theatre ★★★★
A group of college friends organise a reunion dinner. So far, so normal. One is busy cooking in the kitchen, three – including the ‘outsider’ Georgia, recently engaged to Chris – are chatting in the dining room, the other is late, not replying to text messages from girlfriend Anna or answering his phone.
‘A heartfelt piece of drama with a magical realism frost’: FRIDGE – Hope Theatre
Emma Zadow’s new play, Fridge, is a three-hander set in 21st century rural Norfolk as two sisters and a schoolfriend reunite seven years after a catastrophic event.
‘Beautifully performed, lit & scored’: 21 ROUND FOR CHRISTMAS – Hope Theatre
Clare Bloomer is Tracy, fifty years old and stuck in her kitchen making Christmas dinner for her extended family (all 21 of them).
‘A clever piece of work’: DARLING – Hope Theatre
Pete is lonely. His dad is sick, his mother dead, his job boring. His only love is his cello, until he connects to Angie through a lonelyhearts ad.
PHOTOS: First look at the world premiere of ‘mercy & mail fraud’ drama Darling
Kathy Rucker’s DARLING, inspired by a true story about an American “catfishing” scam, receives its world premiere tonight at London’s Hope Theatre. Check out our first-look gallery of production photos.
‘A very tightly thought-out, physical production’: SKIN TIGHT – Hope Theatre ★★★★
I’m always amazed at the level of creativity that goes into putting on a show in a small and intimate space – particularly when it is quite physical. This is certainly one of the incredible achievements of this revival of Skin Tight.
NEWS: Cast & creatives announced for the world premiere of Kathy Rucker’s Darling
Full cast and creatives have now been announced for the world premiere of Kathy Rucker’s DARLING, which gets its world premiere at London’s Hope Theatre in a limited season from 9 to 27 November 2021.
NEWS: Catfish romance Darling, inspired by a true story, premieres at Hope Theatre, 9-27 Nov
Could you spot a “catfish”? DARLING, an American tale of love, mercy and mail fraud by award-winning US playwright Kathy Rucker, gets its world premiere next month at north London’s Hope Theatre.
‘I was hooked from start to finish’: THE GOOD DAD (A LOVE STORY) – Hope Theatre ★★★★½
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.
‘You can really feel the adrenalin rush & noise of the terraces’: FEVER PITCH – Hope Theatre ★★★★
A love of football – ideally the red side of north London – would definitely help to enjoy this play, but the universal themes of obsession, alienation and comradeship mean there’s plenty in Fever Pitch at the Hope Theatre for anyone to enjoy,
NEWS: Nimax Theatres, the Criterion Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre & more receive awards in the Culture Recovery Fund second round
Nimax Theatres, the Criterion Theatre, Young Vic and Chichester Festival Theatre are among the 2,700 organisations being offered nearly £400 million in grants and loans as part of the CultureRecovery Fund’s second tranche of funding.
‘We want to come back bigger & better & stronger than ever: What a first year for Hope Theatre’s AD Kennedy Bloomer
Welcome back to the Fringe Focus series of interviews with artistic directors around London. Recently I caught up with Kennedy Bloomer, who has been running the Hope Theatre (above the Hope & Anchor pub in Islington) since January 2020.
NEWS: Original sin gets a dark retelling in The Fall at Hope Theatre
What would happen if John Milton’s Paradise Lost got a dark, horror-infused make over? The answer comes to The Hope Theatre, in Thomas Arensen’s The Fall, later this month. Book your tickets now!
NEWS: Winners of the 10th anniversary Offies 2020 Awards are announced
Winners of the Offies 2020 Awards, held at Battersea Arts Centre, have been announced. It was the tenth anniversary year of the awards presented by Off West End.
‘Keeps you hooked from start to finish’: TELL IT SLANT – Hope Theatre
‘tell it slant’ at the Hope Theatre is a funny and engaging dark comedy that keeps you hooked from start to finish.
‘An intriguing start to Bloomer’s tenure’: I WOKE UP FEELING ELECTRIC – Hope Theatre
Jack Robson’s I Woke Up Feeling Electric asks some morally and technologically challenging questions at the Hope Theatre.
Ought To Be Clowns’ 10 favourite shows of 2019
Ought To Be Clowns barely saw 250 shows this year, quiet by his standards. And as is the way of these things, here’s a rundown of some of the productions that moved me most…