After the phenomenal success of Matilda, it seemed only natural to give this even more famous Roald Dahl’s story a theatrical refresh from the version written by schoolteacher Richard George nearly fifty years ago. This adaptation brought together Scottish playwright David Greig with the songwriting team behind Hairspray, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The audience enters to… Continue reading Charlie And The Chocolate Factory – The Musical
Month: June 2023
Ballet Nights at Canary Wharf
Jamiel Devernay-Laurence presents Ballet Nights 2023, a new season at Lanterns Studio Theatre, Canary Wharf, London. Programme 001 is 29–30 September, Programme 002 on 27–28 October and Programme 003 on 24–25 November. Ballet Nights 2023 is an expansion of Devernay-Laurence’s original one-nighter in 2021 and takes place over six nights. The programme will include Steven McRae (Royal Ballet), Melissa… Continue reading Ballet Nights at Canary Wharf
The Wizard of Oz
This adaptation of the classic Warner Brothers film premièred here in 2011 and is now back in a production from Curve directed by Nikolai Foster that has a few changes from the Leicester cast. It includes most of the songs from the movie plus a few more by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice that… Continue reading The Wizard of Oz
Struggles in a bookshop
The Tremors by Nikki Mailer plays at 53two in Manchester July 18–22. Set in a bookshop, under threat of demolition, in occupied East Jerusalem it’s about an unequal relationship between two women and explores the magic of books, erasure of history and the Palestinian struggle against occupation.
Rockstar
Olly Medlicott is one of those brave (others might use a different adjective) theatre-makers who has written, directed and produced their own work. His musical Rockstar, which has a short run this week at London’s King’s Head Theatre as part of its MP Pride Lab season, shows great potential, but to meaningfully develop will need… Continue reading Rockstar
10 years of NYDC dance film
Sadler’s Wells has released a film on Digital Stage celebrating the first 10 years of National Youth Dance Company and announced choreographer Oona Doherty as Guest Artistic Director for 2023/24. Featuring interviews with every Guest Artistic Directors including Wayne McGregor, Alessandra Seutin, Akram Khan and Jasmin Vardimon, the documentary, directed by Ben Williams, follows the current cohort of… Continue reading 10 years of NYDC dance film
Edinburgh Fringe dance
Woodhill – Summerhall, 2–28 August Taking first-hand experiences of three families whose loved ones took their own lives at HMP Woodhill, verbatim theatre company LUNG (Trojan Horse, Who Cares, E15) examines the state of UK prisons. Woodhill is a dance theatre piece that uses verbatim text from the family members read by actors over choreography to question the negligence… Continue reading Edinburgh Fringe dance
In Dreams
In 2023, it’s probably fair to say that Roy Orbison does not enjoy the same level of fame as some of his rock ‘n’ roll contemporaries, the most obvious being Elvis Presley. Nevertheless, his melancholy lyrics and impassioned vocals have become an indelible part of popular culture. After all, how many singer-songwriters can claim to… Continue reading In Dreams
Jeyasingh’s Counterpoint in the fountains
Counterpoint, Shobana Jeyasingh’s outdoor dance work for 22 dancers, returns to the fountains at Somerset House with eight performances 19–20 August. Jeyasingh created Counterpoint specially for the 55 fountains of the Somerset House courtyard in 2010. The ten-minute dance work now returns as part of Somerset House’s Summer in the Courtyard and Westminster City Council’s Inside Out festival, bringing walking tours,… Continue reading Jeyasingh’s Counterpoint in the fountains
Seven and a Half Years
Music, we’re told, has charms to soothe a savage breast. However, in terms of mental health, the healing power of music is debatable. Research has shown it can lessen the impact of depression and anxiety, yet musicians are three times more likely to experience anxiety or depression than the general public, and 73% of independent… Continue reading Seven and a Half Years