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 […]
‘Utterly soul-nourishing’: For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy – Royal Court Theatre
Frank Ocean fills the air, and audience members tap their feet and nod their heads in time. I jokingly ask my mum if she recognises the song as I recall how I wailed and begged about 10 years ago for her to download his album onto her iPod.
‘A unique blend of spoken word, choral work & music’: QUEENS OF SHEBA – Soho Theatre
This is a triumphant return of Queens of Sheba after a successful run at Soho Theatre in 2021 and Edinburgh Fringe in 2018. Expertly directed, these ladies burst onto the stage with such energy and so many vibes it’s infectious and everyone in the audience feels it.
‘Richly layered with big ideas about good & evil’: THE GLOW – Royal Court Theatre
Though a master of testing the theatrical limits of space and time, the first half of Alistair McDowall’s latest play unfolds like a straightforward Gothic thriller.
‘An intelligent & enjoyable example of contemporary political theatre’: THE 4th COUNTRY – Park Theatre
History is a prison. Often, you can’t escape. It imprints its mark on people, environments and language. And nowhere is this more true that in Northern Ireland.
‘The performers ring true throughout’: FAIR PLAY – Bush Theatre
Sophie has been running competitively since she was nine. Now on the threshold of adulthood, she’s training hard with an unwavering focused on major international competitions.
‘Growing up in north London as a Black, gay man’: Behind the scenes of Passion Fruit at The Glory
Despite the best of intentions, working with friends doesn’t always turn out well. It can lead to crossed boundaries, arguments, and environments that make others uncomfortable.
‘Just a bit too educational to be truly pleasurable’: CHANGING DESTINY – Young Vic Theatre
The Young Vic’s main stage reopens with Booker Prize winner Ben Okri’s short play Changing Destiny, directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah
‘Positively electrifying stuff’: LITTLE WARS (Online review)
There’s plenty to enjoy in Little Wars’ jokes, and then, later on, the final harrowing monologues about the genocide are both powerful and deeply moving.
‘Hare allows much more of his own personality to emerge’: BEAT THE DEVIL – Bridge Theatre
The first short play is Beat the Devil in which David Hare stakes first claim to what will surely be a new genre or at least a familiar theme in the coming months – the Covid monologue.
‘Beautifully conveys its emotional & political charge’: SCROUNGER – Finborough Theatre (Online review)
The bright colours of the performance underline the surrealism of Scrounger’s quest for justice, and Athena Stevens, the first actor in a wheelchair nominated for an Offie, performs her story brilliantly.
‘The camera captures Benedict Wong’s perfectly nuanced performance’: THE ARREST OF AI WEIWEI – Hampstead Theatre (Online review)
Howard Brenton’s docu-drama about the harassment of the Chinese artist is imbued with fresh urgency and relevance.
PHOTOS: Behind the scenes of A Deed Without a Name, Polish writer Witkiewicz’s most political play
A Deed Without A Name, the most political play by interwar Polish playwright Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, gets a rare outing at London’s Theatro Technis this week. How have the international cast been getting on in rehearsals?
NEWS: Witkiewicz’s Polish political thriller A Deed Without a Name gets rare staging at Theatro Technis
A Deed Without A Name, written by the late Polish avant-garde artist and writer Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, receives a rare outing at London’s Theatro Technis for a limited season of nine performances only from 21 February to 2 March 2020.
Text of the Day: Mephisto [A Rhapsody]
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
‘The whole experiment has a lovely lightness of touch’: EITHER – Hampstead Theatre
Ruby Thomas’ experimental debut play Either is an intriguing questioning of gender identity that retains an air of politeness.
Text of the Day: Two Ladies
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
A Roundabout rundown: Six Paines Plough shows at Edfringe
The Paines Plough Roundabout is the most reliable, new writing venues at the fringe. With a collection of work that represents the width and breadth of the UK both geographically and thematically, this year’s offerings are universally strong.
FEATURED SHOW: An Honourable Man at the White Bear Theatre, ★★★★ are in for ‘a political play with a difference’
An Honourable Man, the debut play from Westminster insider Michael McManus, is undoubtedly “a political play with a difference”, declares Terry Eastham in his four-star praise for the premiere production at the White Bear Theatre. What have other critics – including Mates Libby Purves (Theatre Cat), Anne Cox (Stage Review) and Emma Clarendon (Love London Love Culture) – been saying? We’ve rounded up some of our favourite review highlights below. Time to get booking!
PHOTOS: First look at An Honourable Man en route to Downing Street
After a try-out in June, the Popular People’s Movement has returned to the White Bear Theatre en route to Westminster (or perhaps the West End?) care of An Honourable Man, a frighteningly timely new political drama written by Parliamentary insider Michael McManus. Check out our first-look production photos gallery – and then get booking!