At the end of the evening the great diva, director and muse informs us that we too must sing. In a packed house, on the far side of a pandemic, which made us fear one another’s very breath, we join the posse of old-timers and ingenu(e)s.
‘The chance to play a randy vicar in a farce is not to be sniffed at’: Matthew Cottle on Habeas Corpus
Matthew Cottle is currently starring in Patrick Marber’s revival of Alan Bennett’s classic farce Habeas Corpus, now running at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory until 26 February 2022.
‘It’s naughty & not always nice’: HABEAS CORPUS – Menier Chocolate Factory ★★★★
Joe Orton had been dead six years when Alan Bennett’s 1973 Habeas Corpus made its West End debut in a production starring Sir Alec Guinness.
‘This revival can’t help but resemble a middling 1970s sitcom’: HABEAS CORPUS – Menier Chocolate Factory
Alan Bennett’s Habeas Corpus gets a belated revival at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Stuck in the past, should it have been left in the past too?
‘For Alan Bennett fans such as myself, it is a real treat’: HABEAS CORPUS – Menier Chocolate Factory ★★★★
In 1973 when Habeas Corpus was first staged, it reflected attitudes and behaviour indicative of its time.
REVIEW ROUND-UP: Indecent at the Menier Chocolate Factory
We round up the reviews for the European premiere of Paula Vogel’s play now playing at the Menier Chocolate Factory.
‘You will leave thirsty for the life you have’: Actress Molly Osborne chats everything INDECENT at the Menier
We chatted to Molly about starring in the European premiere of Paula Vogel’s play Indecent at the Menier Chocolate Factory.
‘Seething with life & feeling’: INDECENT – Menier Chocolate Factory ★★★★★
Rather than return cautiously with a safe old feelgood favourite the Menier’s artistic director David Babani has taken – deep breath – a new American-Jewish Broadway play about a 1923 scandal about a lesbian play in Yiddish from 1907, and its 1940s aftermath in a doomed attic in the Lodz ghetto
‘Unmissable, breathtaking piece of theatre’: INDECENT – Menier Chocolate Factory ★★★★★
This may be a sweeping statement, but if you’re not profoundly affected by Indecent, Paula Vogel’s provocatively titled powder keg of a play, as staged here in Rebecca Taichman’s Tony Award-winning production, then can you really call yourself a theatrelover?
From Cinderella to the Court: Mark Shenton reflects on another eventful week in the theatre calendar
The week began with Andrew Lloyd Webber being mentioned by Boris Johnson, as he extended the lockdown from the originally hoped-for ‘Freedom Day’ of 21 June to 19 July, at which point theatres may be able to reopen without social distancing in place;
Mark Shenton kicks off his new ShenTens podcast with a top ten favourite musicals
I’ve launched a brand-new weekly podcast, called ShenTen, in which I will countdown my personal top tens in different theatrical categories.
NEWS: Menier Chocolate Factory announces its spring season for 2020
The Menier Chocolate Factory has announced the forthcoming two productions – the European premiere of Paula Vogel’s Tony Award-winning play Indecent, directed by Rebecca Taichman; and Alan Bennett’s Habeas Corpus directed by Patrick Marber, who returns to the Menier following his hit production of Tom Stoppard’s Travesties.
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…
Theatre review of the 2019 & what to see in 2020
With a new year fast approaching, it is an interesting time to reflect on small changes across the theatre landscape in 2019 that will continue to shape how UK theatre will look as it moves into a new decade.
Love London Love Culture’s Favourite Shows of 2019
Emma Clarendon selects her favourite theatre productions of the year…
Best of the Blogs: Cyrano de Bergerac, A Taste Of Honey, The Boy Friend & More
In our continuing series, our editor Lisa Martland picks out some of her Top Picks from the last week of theatre including Love London Love Culture’s delight at watching Jamie Lloyd’s razor sharp West End production of Cyrano de Bergerac.
‘Sparkling production’: THE BOY FRIEND – Menier Chocolate Factory ★★★★
Just walking into the theatre and seeing Paul Anderson’s vibrantly coloured set for The Boy Friend chases away the winter blues and transports you to 1920s Riviera in this sparkling production.
‘Maintains its crisp choreography’: THE BOY FRIEND – Menier Chocolate Factory ★★★★
The Boy Friend is an ideal show to lighten these dark winter days, providing a healthy dose of escapism and pure joyousness for all.
‘A colourful & escapist retreat’: THE BOY FRIEND – Menier Chocolate Factory ★★★
At the end of a year in which female-forward and feminist theatre has made so much progress, The Boy Friend looks regressive as well as nostalgic. On the other hand, it is a colourful and escapist retreat from the winter, and we could all do with a night off from angst.
‘A surefire hit if ever there was one’: THE BOY FRIEND – Menier Chocolate Factory
As light as a madeleine and as frivolous as a macaron, Sandy Wilson’s The Boy Friend proves a festive treat at the Menier Chocolate Factory.