Shakespeare productions still appeal to directors, not only for the strength of their writing, but also, despite their age, the ability they have to be constantly re-imagined in new ways. King Lear seems to have a particular fascination for directors looking to place their stamp on the production. Over the years we’ve reviewed all male…
There’s the well-known saying that you know you’re getting older when the policemen start looking younger, but in Simon Egerton’s solo show Fag Ends and Families it’s when the bar owners don’t look old enough to drink that triggers a sense of encroaching age. Egerton says the piece isn’t ‘exactly’ autobiographical but even so it…
‘May we cram, within this wooden O….’ For the Latitude Festival, Theatre Delicatessen take the wooden reference to the extreme – taking to the Henham woods for an open air performance, split across two days. It gives the production an air of a military camp, as soldiers mingle among the audience, lines suddenly being delivered…
What do you call a gathering of nuns? A convent, a habit, a wimple? Whatever the terminology, staff at Norwich’s Theatre Royal are praying for a sea of black and white to take over the venue on Wednesday, as an attempt is made to smash the current world record for the most people dressed as…
Good and evil. In a dark prison cell the boundaries are blurred. Not for young Lizzy Malkin though. Tortured and charged with being a witch, she finds herself imprisoned with the source of her torment, Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins. Both face a crisis of faith. Malkin can’t believe that a God would allow her innocent…
In her recent blog post Lorannah proposed an idea for the Inaugural Interval Awards. The idea is inspired. Come December we all frantically try to recall the multitude of productions seen over the previous twelve months and come up with our definitive ‘best of’ lists. There’s a problem though – as Lorannah says “By the…
There has been something of a virtual explosion over the last 24 hours to a post by Matt Trueman on the Guardian blog regarding the subject of previews and bloggers. As perhaps was the intention it has provoked fierce response with strong views being aired on both sides of the debate. I have thought long…
Well that’s another theatrical year done and dusted – 149 shows seen in 41 different venues during 2010. Shows ranging from classics to new work in progress, venues ranging from the Albert Hall and the open air through to a cold war aircraft hanger. 2010 has been an interesting year theatrically. While the spectre of…
A few years ago I received my first ‘hate mail’ following a newspaper review where I suggested that a play may have needed more rehearsal times. A fellow audience member disagreed strongly with my verdict, as they are entitled to, and was quite vocal in telling me what she thought of me. Now that things…