“It could be worse” observes Baby, one of the pair of Irish sisters who open and close Margaret Perry’s richly enjoyable new play Paradise Now! at the Bush Theatre, as she contemplates their less-than-ideal lives; that statement applies equally to the existences of the other four women whose frustrations, tragedies and eccentricities inform this delightful, unruly tragicomedy.
‘One of the more original plays of 2022’: PARADISE NOW! – Bush Theatre
How many plays pass the Bechdel Test? Originally featured in a comic strip, and popularised in film criticism, it simply states that to pass this test your story has to have: 1) at least two women in it; 2) who talk to each other; 3) about something other than a man. Well, one of the brilliant things about Irish writer Margaret Perry’s new dark comedy, Paradise Now! is that it passes this test with an A Plus grade.
‘Challenging preconceptions’: DARLING / A PASSION PLAY – Written On The Waves (Online review)
45 North’s audio play series Written On The Waves kicked off Season 2 with a trilogy Lifted a couple of weeks ago. This has swiftly been followed by a second play from one of the same writers and as it was reasonably brief I also thought I would go back to one of the pieces from Season 1 that I had yet to get round to reviewing.
‘Possesses an up-to-the-minute urgency’: LIVING NEWSPAPER #3 – Royal Court Theatre (Online review)
The third edition of Royal Court’s Living Newspaper moves online only, with some seriously fierce political writing this time around.
‘The characters are bubbling with emotion’: Hannah Bristow stars in A Passion Play as part of the Written on the Waves project
Emma Clarendon chatted to the actress Hannah Bristow about starring in A Passion Play as part of 45North and Ellie Keel Productions’ Written on the Waves project.
NEWS: Sharon D. Clarke & Katherine Parkinson are among the cast for new audio project Written on the Waves
Sharon D. Clarke and Katherine Parkinson are among the cast for new audio project Written on the Waves presented by 45North and Ellie Keel Productions.
‘Delivered with an unrelenting energy’: COLLAPSIBLE – Bush Theatre
Breffni Holahan delivers Margaret Perry’s script for Collapsible with an unrelenting energy that starts high and reaches stratospheric levels.
‘Smart & completely absorbing’: COLLAPSIBLE – Bush Theatre ★★★★
Collapsible is a one woman monologue by Margaret Perry exploring anxiety and mental health in the face of a modern and overwhelming world.
NEWS: Lynette Linton’s inaugural Bush Theatre season includes six UK debuts
Lynette Linton has announced her inaugural season as Artistic Director of the Bush Theatre. The 2019-2020 season includes UK debut plays from six playwrights alongside a new production of celebrated poet and playwright Jackie Kay’s first play Chiaroscuro directed by Linton.