The idea of re-performing Lungs while the actors safely socially distance got me thinking about other plays which have been performed over the past year or two that could be similarly revived.
‘A vivid kaleidoscope of culture & thinking’: BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES – National Theatre ★★★★★ (Online review)
You can’t beat the experience of sitting in a theatre watching a live performance, but one of the lockdown-positives is a chance to watch stuff I sadly missed and Barber Shop Chronicles is one of those.
10 plays that, in hindsight, feel strangely appropriate for lockdown during a pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic and lockdown has thrown a whole new light on certain plays, the ones about isolation, loneliness and surreal landscapes.
The best play I’ve seen for each of the past 10 years (aka the agony-to-choose list)
Not to let a decade of theatre bloggery go by without marking the occasion, to kick things off, I’ve compiled a list of my favourite play for each year I’ve been blogging. It has been fun revisiting my best-of lists but absolute agony narrowing each list down to just one.
‘You genuinely feel part of a shared experience’: THE TEMPEST – Creation Theatre (Online review)
‘We’ the audience help with sound effects or stand-in for mysterious creatures or provide props but if you don’t want to get involved it is easy to ‘sit out’ and just watch. The interaction is fun.
‘Proper stagecraft can be achieved even within the confines of a small screen’: Interview with Creation Theatre’s Lucy Askew
Creation Theatre this month invited audiences to watch an interactive, virtual version of Shakespeare’s The Tempest – from the safety of their sofa.
‘Truly beautiful, stunning & mesmerising to watch’: BALLETBOYZ: DELUXE – Sadler’s Wells (Online Review) ★★★★
Last year I was introduced to the BalletBoyz and their show Them/Us moved me to tears. I was looking forward to their new show Deluxe which, fortunately, was filmed before theatres closed and is available to watch online.
‘Mixes sharp wit & clever satire with utter silliness & slapstick’: UPSTART CROW – West End ★★★★★
It doesn’t matter if you’ve never seen Ben Elton’s TV comedy series Upstart Crow (I hadn’t) as the stage play is a stand-alone piece
‘It is Cumming’s performance which you are drawn to’: ENDGAME – Old Vic ★★★★
It is stuffed dogs, ladders and individual performances in Endgame which stay with me rather than anything more philosophical about the human condition.
‘Meaty, emotional & funny play’: ALBION – Almeida Theatre ★★★★
Albion is a meaty, emotional and funny play with a superb Victoria Hamilton drawing out the complexity of Audrey, even if you don’t feel sorry for her.
‘Drama is somewhat lacking’: THE SUNSET LIMITED – Boulevard Theatre ★★★
Cormac McCarthy isn’t known for cheery topics as anyone who has sat through (or read) The Road will testify and his play The Sunset Limited is no exception.
‘Funny, haunting, moving & strangely uplifting’: YOU STUPID DARKNESS! – Southwark Playhouse ★★★★
Given everything that is going on in the world politically and environmentally You Stupid Darkness! feels like it has captured the mood, the battle to stay cheerful and hopeful when everything feels like it is falling apart.
Andrew Finnigan, Lydia Larson, Andy Rush and Jenni Maitland in You Stupid Darkne…
‘Emotionally vivid’: Lullabies for the Lost – Old Red Lion Theatre
Lullabies For the Lost is one of two plays by Rosalind Blessed about mental health that are being performed in rep at the Old Red Lion.
‘The atmosphere was one of unalloyed fun’: LEXICON – Roundhouse ★★★★
While I’ve seen circus shows with more thrilling moments, the air of carefree fun and mischief in Lexicon made me laugh out loud and put a smile on my face.
‘Enjoyable & gripping production’: THE DUCHESS OF MALFI – Almeida Theatre ★★★★
A magnetic stage presence, Lydia Wilson is a strong woman in The Duchess Of Malfi, clever, kind, stoic and justifiably angry. It makes her an all the more tragic figure.
10 plays from the past 10 years that stand out
Here is a snapshot of my favourite theatre from the past 10 years, the plays that stand out most in my memory, the ones I talk about if people ask.
‘Thought-provoking, challenging, gripping & entertaining’: A KIND OF PEOPLE – Royal Court Theatre ★★★★★
While A Kind of People generates a lot of laughter it is nonetheless an uncompromising reflection of modern British society that sometimes makes for uncomfortable viewing.
‘Fun & clever dark comedy’: TEENAGE DICK – Donmar Warehouse ★★★★★
Teenage Dick is one of those play titles you have to be careful mentioning or googling, a bit like Cock at the Royal Court – but it is wholly appropriate for Mike Lew’s play.
‘The beauty and rawness of it pull you in’: CYRANO DE BERGERAC – West End ★★★★★
The beauty and rawness of Cyrano de Bergerac pull you in and envelopes you and the performances combined with the tragedy of the story haunted me for days.
‘I loved the cheekiness of its approach’: LAND WITHOUT DREAMS – Gate Theatre ★★★
Land Without Dreams at the Gate Theatre is a surreal, existential meta ‘drama’ created by Danish company Fix & Foxy.