Ode To Joyce is an enjoyable 75 minute celebration of the wit and wisdom of a self-effacing performer who did much to pave the way for a later generation of women to seize the comic nettle.
‘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.
‘Will give pause for thought’: THE CLOAK OF VISIBILITY – The Space (Online review)
While The Cloak Of Visibility from The Space may not particularly break any new ground thematically or stylistically it is a solid enough piece which plays well and will give pause for thought.
’It was good to see some fresh perspectives’: Am I A Terrible Person? / Doody (Online review)
Following a rather busy week there was only time yesterday to dip a toe into the waters at the Brighton Fringe (see what I did there?). Quite by chance I came across a pair of short solo plays which dealt with the same subject but did so from quite different perspectives; the subject in question being male mental health.
‘Pushing the boundaries of audio work’: LIFTED – Written on the Waves (Online review)
45 North’s second series of Written On The Waves has opened with a trio of short plays under the collective title of Lifted. They are performed by the writers themselves who are all relatively new voices.
‘A diverting enough play to enjoy late at night’: BROKEN LINK – Brighton Fringe (Online review)
Noga Flaishon’s immersively creepy piece Broken Link for Harpy Productions uses Zoom and other modern tech to generally good effect to tell what is, essentially, a good old fashioned ghost story.
‘A very fine production to revive’: TOUCHING THE VOID – Bristol Old Vic (Online review)
Touching The Void is a very fine production to revive and John Chapman is glad to have finally caught up with this thrillingly staged real life story of facing mortality and winning.
‘As much about life as it is death’: A Brief List Of Everyone Who Died – Finborough Theatre (Online review)
Quite apart from its quirky title, A Brief List Of Everyone Who Died, what immediately strikes the viewer is the elegance of the structure of this piece from American writer Jacob Marx Rice.
‘You will be charmed, entertained & moved’: LOVE IN THE LOCKDOWN (Online review)
One of the first to hit the airwaves is Love In The Lockdown by Clare Norburn featuring the music of medieval music ensemble The Telling.
‘Ripe with oddball characters & well-crafted dialogue’: SEVERED HEADS (Online review)
Justin McDevitt’s plays for Severed Heads deal with forms of obsession and angst in which someone loses their head – often literally.
‘Certainly hits the mark’: HERDING CATS – Soho Theatre (Online review)
This is a timely revival of Herding Cats from the Soho Theatre who have pushed back the barriers to find another new way to innovate.
‘Maintains a high standard of celebratory storytelling’: RAPUNZEL – Chickenshed Theatre (Online review)
Prompted by the recent retirement of their artistic director – the visionary Lou Stein – I decided to opt for Chickenshed’s latest to video release Rapunzel which turned out to be one of the first shows that Lou wrote and directed at the venue himself and thus the release of the production neatly bookends his time there.
‘Ordinary people living through extraordinary times’: THE LINE – Public Theater (Online review)
Verbatim testimony from New York health workers in The Line demonstrates the problems faced are universal.
‘Thrilling & chilling’: ROCKY ROAD – Jermyn Street Theatre (Online review)
With some subtle Hitchcock references and more than a hint of Sam Shephard about it, Rocky Road, like its confectionery counterpart, is a sweet moreish treat with some hidden surprises.
‘Perfect fit for an audio production’: FOLK – BBC Lights Up Festival (Online review)
Folk by Nell Leyshon tells the true story of Cecil Sharp, the musicologist and collector of English folk music at the turn of the 20th century who was responsible for kick starting the revival of interest in traditional songs.
‘Teeters on the edge of theatre as we used to know it’: Flavour Text / There’s Something Among Us – Chronic Insanity (Online review)
Two intricately constructed online pieces from Chronic Insanity push at the current boundary definitions of theatre.
‘Entertaining viewing’: SUDDENLY / CELLS (Online review)
Sometimes good things DO come in small packages – a pair of mini musicals, Suddenly and Cells, make a pleasurable watch.
‘They definitely get away with murder!’: A KILLER PARTY – Stream.Theatre (Online review)
A Killer Party is a camp musical comedy murder mystery based around the world of showbiz – what’s not to like?
‘A fun & diverting change’: THE SECRET CONNECTION (Online review)
For The Secret Connection Dr Will Houstoun has taken his act online and threaded together various tricks and illusions to baffle and delight.
‘Ridley plays with our expectations’: TARANTULA – Southwark Playhouse (Online review)
Philip Ridley’s Tarantula is another stunning showcase for a young actor who commands the stage and leaves the viewer exhausted – in a good way.