Equus is an intriguing play, part psychological thriller, part mirror to the human condition and this is an almost thoroughbred production.
‘There isn’t time to get bored’: THE ILLUSIONISTS – West End ★★★★
The Illusionists are back in London for the summer season with their mix of illusion, thrilling feats, humour and family fun.
‘Fiercely intelligent & keenly observed’: Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner – Royal Court Theatre ★★★★★
London’s theatre scene is awash with productions which offer a ‘fresh’ take on classics but Jasmine Lee-Jones’ play Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner demonstrates exactly what really ‘fresh’ theatre is – and should be.
‘Gets off to a punchy start’: DARK SUBLIME – Trafalgar Studios ★★★
Dark Sublime is a long play and while it contains some really good material it would benefit from being trimmed back to make it slicker and more focused.
‘Touching moments & humour too’: SUMMER ROLLS – Park Theatre
Actress and writer Tuyen Do’s first full length play Summer Rolls brings a story about a British Vietnamese family to a UK stage for the first time.
‘The play has been so beautifully brought to life by a genius team’: Actor & writer Tuyen Do has her first play staged at the Park Theatre
Tuyen Do is no stranger to the London stage having appeared most recently in The Great Wave at the National Theatre and Pah-Na at the Royal Court, but next week she’ll be sitting in the audience watching her first full length play Summer Rolls performed at the Park Theatre.
‘An exposing & painful play’: STRANGE FRUIT – Bush Theatre
Strange Fruit is an exposing and painful play but it feels like it distracts itself from its otherwise powerful key theme.
‘The eccentric inventiveness is thoroughly entertaining’: THE FUTURE – Battersea Arts Centre
The eccentric inventiveness of what Little Bulb has done is thoroughly entertaining.
Little Bulb Theatre: The Future, Battersea Arts Centre 2019. Photo: Adam Trigg
I loved Little Bulb Theatre’s last production Orpheus so much I saw it twice, so I was really excited to see their new work The Future.
It projects us into the world of three scientists who, with the help of a compere/conductor/presenter (Clare Beresford), explore super intelligence – AI – and the impact it will have on humanity.
This being Little Bulb their take is executed with quirkiness, music and song.
The scientists wear tinfoil on their heads and have an idiosyncratic way of talking that manages to be nerdy, dry and humorous all at the same time. Shamira Turner is particularly brilliant in her style of delivery.
Living with super intelligence
AI is represented by a box on a stand – the genie contained – and the play (and it’s rock-inflected songs) explore the good and bad of living with super intelligence.
Scenarios and presentations are played out by the scientists in their own quirky style of fun and you find yourself laughing at them just as much as with.
Little Bulb Theatre: The Future, Battersea Arts Centre 2019. Photo: Adam Trigg
Sometimes points are embellished with songs which, hand on heart, I didn’t like much. It’s a personal thing, I find it hard to engage with narrative delivered in this way and musical theatre does have a tendency to make me cringe. Sorry.
It did temper my enjoyment, but there was a lot I did like, the eccentric inventiveness of what Little Bulb has done is thoroughly entertaining.
Artificial intelligence is a meaty topic and not one that is going to be properly explored and challenged in 60 minutes but The Future touches on some interesting aspects of the debate, creating a platform for further discussion.
Little Bulb Theatre: The Future, Battersea Arts Centre 2019. Photo: Adam Trigg
All the characters in the play are based on real scientists with some dramatic license and we are left with a selection of their written works,which inspired the piece, to peruse.
See The Future at Battersea Arts Centre until June 29th.
It’s 60 minutes without an interval and it gets ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for inventiveness and fun but ⭐️⭐️ for the songs.
You might also like to read:
My review of Little Bulb’s Orpheus
Fringe review: Woke, Battersea Arts Centre, a powerful look at American civil rights activism now and in the 70s.
From the archives: Remembering the travellator in the Young Vic’s production of Joseph K with Rory Kinnear.
And more about Little Bulb Theatre.
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‘The writing is vivid & alive’: WOKE – Battersea Arts Centre ★★★★
Apphia Campbell gives a powerful and engaging performance in Woke at Battersea Arts Centre and the play’s message about how much hasn’t changed is firmly nailed to the mast.
‘A delicious modern twist to the play’: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM – Bridge Theatre ★★★★
Don’t leave it to the last minute to get into the auditorium for the Bridge Theatre immersive, promenade production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream because there is stuff going on before the play officially starts.
‘It isn’t just nostalgia’: EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION – Trafalgar Studios ★★★★
Riotous in tone, occasionally chaotic but with an inventive playfulness Education, Education, Education successfully captures the optimism of the time but it isn’t just nostalgia.
‘Breathtaking in its beauty’: BalletBoyz’s Them/Us – West End ★★★★★
From fluid, floaty, tender, strong, angular and jovial to grace, strength and seamless instinctive precision, that’s BalletBoyz’s Them/Us at the Vaudeville Theatre.
‘An intricate & quietly revealing play’: COUNTRY MUSIC – Omnibus Theatre ★★★★
There is much to be gleaned from the subtlety of Country Music but it requires work and attention to seek it out.
‘Funny & dark but occasionally underpowered’: THE STARRY MESSENGER – West End ★★★
In The Starry Messenger writer Kenneth Lonergan has gifted Mark with a dry humour delivered by Matthew Broderick in such a deliciously understated way you can’t but admire his comic timing.
No re-admittance vs permitting latecomers – a story of missing the plot
It’s not a joke waiting for a punchline, rather it’s something I’ve been puzzling over ever since I had my view and enjoyment of a play disturbed not once but twice by latecomers.
‘Interesting & strangely intimate experience’: ANNA – National Theatre ★★★★
Anna at the National Theatre is a taut thriller and an interesting and different play watching experience.
‘A gripping story told really well’: SMALL ISLAND – National Theatre ★★★★★
Small Island is an epic story straddling Jamaica and England before, during and after World War II and exploring colonialism, racism, love and identity.
‘Celebratory, humorous & witty but doesn’t sugar coat’: F*KY YOU & PAY ME – Bunker Theatre ★★★★
Written and performed by Joana Nastari, F*ck You and Pay Me is described as a love letter to sex workers, it dispels some of the myths, is celebratory, humorous and witty but doesn’t sugar coat.
‘Sometimes funny & witty, occasionally tense’: CLASS – Bush Theatre
Class at the Bush Theatre layers marital tensions with social class tensions and the pressures of being a teacher and learning.
‘Epic battle of gods anchored in contemporary culture’: THE HALF GOD OF RAINFALL – Kiln Theatre ★★★★
In the same way that the Marvel Universe mixes superpowers with mortal flaws, the scope of The Half God of Rainfall stretches to another galaxy but all the time remains profoundly human.