In many ways it is refreshing that Ben Elton hasn't changed his act at all over the last 44 years. Go back to any YouTube clip of his 1980s stand-up and you'll hear the same rhythm, vocal tics, and emphasis as he does today. Even his politics haven't shifted (much) with identical rants about feckless politicians and the dangers of bigotry. What's lost is the sense of topicality. Hey! Don't we…
Continue reading →
Experimental and unconventional theatre is rare in the prime spots of the West End. There's a sea of jukebox musicals, film adaptations, standard Shakespeare, and Worthy Plays. Theatreland runs on bums-on-seats - doesn't matter what the critics say as long and punters keep paying outrageous prices for cramped stalls in dilapidated venues. Elektra is uncompromising. It is the sort of play the…
Continue reading →
This is three excellent plays in one. First, a ghost story. Second, a tribute act. Thirdly, a meditation on the nature of comedy. In many ways, it is the complement to Inside Number 9 playing next door. Cooper, Morecambe, and Monkhouse were dead to begin with. Perhaps you grew up watching them live at the Palladium, or on grainy VHS tapes, or in microbursts on TikTok. But they got their last…
Continue reading →
I went into this as a cynic and came out a grinning maniac. Look, it is basically "Stomp" but for kids. It's a join-in pantomime where four babbling fools play with junk in a recycling centre to make music. Oh, sure, you could analyse it as being a blend of Commedia dell'arte and modern dance, but it is closer to Minions. All cartoon violence, generic-Euro-mumble speech, and tunes that they'll…
Continue reading →
This is spoiler-free review. In one episode of Inside Number Nine, two old comedians are bickering. In a moment of understated savagery one says to the other "That's a cheap laugh, Len." Len replies with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, "Oh, come on. A laugh's a laugh however you earn it." That sets up the central tension for the West-End-Spectacular version of the show - Stage/Fright. What…
Continue reading →
When Flaubert wrote Madame Bovary in 1857, I'm not sure if he imagined a cast of four playing every character, bouncing around the stage, performing magic, and reacting to non-diagetic sound. I cannot overemphasise how silly this production is! It is a joyful explosion of madcap mayhem, with dozens of costume changes per minute, and a healthy disregard for the fourth wall. I'm unfamiliar with…
Continue reading →
Would you like to spend two hours with David Tennant whispering in your ears? You'd be a fool to say no! The stage is bare, the costumes are monochrome, Pepper's Ghost serves as a backdrop, the audience wears headphones. Is this style over substance? Almost. So let's talk about the schtick. Every actor is wearing a microphone which allows their merest whisper to be picked up. An impressive…
Continue reading →
Greetings Comrades! Are you ready to begin your assessment? This immersive reworking of Orwell's 1984 holds so much promise, but the production is so sparse that it ends up feeling a little underwhelming. In theory, everything about this should work. It is set in Hackney Town Hall, an impressive venue for a play about the dangers of bureaucracy. On entering, we were each given an ID badge -…
Continue reading →
What is the city but the people? What indeed? David Oyelowo is a powerhouse. His Coriolanus is a shitheel teetering somewhere between Trump and Mugabe. He isn't a noble character with a fatal flaw; his flaws are his character. The citizens celebrate him, turn on him, fear him. It isn't about power corrupting, it's about venal people abusing power structures. There are persistent theories about …
Continue reading →
After seeing one Doctor Who on stage, it was time for another! I was lucky enough to get preview tickets for Jodie Whittaker in "The Duchess [of Malfi]". The Duchess is… dark. No, darker than than you're imagining. I've seen plays with content warnings. This is the first I've seen where they cover both sides of a sheet of paper. Content and Sensory Warnings - Contains Spoilers The theatre p…
Continue reading →
Oooh! This is an interesting play. It is dense, wordy, and tense. It isn't a play with a frenetic pace or a huge emotional roller-coaster. It is a series of subtle arguments and twisted relationships which slowly (very slowly) reveal themselves to the audience. It is actorly - with winding speeches and hefty subtext. The leisurely pace belies the deep and dark subject matter. Although only 80 …
Continue reading →