13th Jun2023

Brokeback Mountain (Theatre)

by timbaros
Brokeback Mountain. Mike Faist (Jack) and Lucas Hedges (Ennis). Credit - Manuel Harlan 1It was first a book, then an award winning out movie with two Hollywood mega stars, and now it comes to the stage. A story of two men who meet on a mountain called Brokeback.

Annie Proulx wrote the book, Ang Lee directed Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger in the film, and now two Hollywood stars – Mike Faust (West Side Story) and Lucas Hedges (Oscar nominated for Manchester by the Sea) – are in this stage version that is faithful to both the book and movie, plus it’s set to music. 

It’s a moving and well fine production. 

Jack Twist (Faust) and Ennis Del Mar (Hedges) are cowboys out together on Brokeback Mountain in 1963 to do sheep herding, yet both men, alone on the mountain, have a quick tryst in a tent (as you do), but both declare it didn’t mean anything. But there is more than just lust between them, it’s deeper. They continue to meet up on the mountain and, through marriages, children, divorce – years and years – they still have a bond between them. But unfortunately, because of the days they were living in, they were never able to live as a couple. And then eventually it’s too late.

An older Ennis hovers around the stage looking back at what could’ve been, regrets that linger in the room the entire show. A live band beautifully captures music relevant to the theme and it’s time. And while the romance and show feels rushed (it’s a short 90 minutes), both leads are just superb and perfectly cast, with Faust the exuberant Jack and Hedges the laid back and sullen Ennis. The beautiful setting – campground one minute to a bedroom and then a kitchen – are perfectly captured while Soho Place is the perfect venue for this show. Don’t miss it, it’s playing until August 24th. 
 
 
Photo by Manuel Harlan
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25th Feb2023

Lehman Trilogy (Theatre)

by timbaros

The-Lehman-TrilogyOpening to rave reviews at The National Theatre in 2018, The Lehman Trilogy is back, now at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in Covent Garden. It brilliantly tells the story of the rise and mighty fall of the investment bank that once was Lehman Brothers. Three actors grace the stage, brilliantly playing the three Lehman brothers who started up the business, as well as other characters instrumental in the history story of Lehman the company, including the sins and grandsons. Nigel Lindsay is absolutely brilliant as Henry Lehman, who left his home country of Bavaria to start a new life in America, winding up in the Deep South on 1851 in Montgomery, Alabama and opening up a general store. Emanuel arrives next into America, (played by a very good Hadley Fraser). The third brother, Mayer, arrives next (Michael Balogun).

Henry and his brothers start buying and reselling raw cotton, but the unforeseen death of Henry and the start of the U.S. civil war don’t stop the remaining brothers to open up an office in downtown NYC. A decade later the company becomes a bank, and diving into other industries as well, eventually morphing into an investment bank. With the determination, drive, and confidence, and name, the sons and grandsons morph the company into one of the most valued and respected companies in the U.S. But what goes up must come down, and Lehman Bros. was heavily entangled in subprime mortgages that caused its demise in September 2008.

The Lehman Trilogy, at three hours and twenty minutes (with two intervals), never once flags, thanks in part to the the sharp script (by Stefano Massini, and adapted by Ben Power) and smooth direction (the great Sam Mendes). An excellent set (as described above) is mesmerising, and the backdrop changes with the mood of the show, buts it’s success is ultimately down to the actors who command the stage – it’s quite an achievement to memorise all that dialogue. It’s a story that could be deemed an American Tragedy, and it’s more than likely to happen again in our lifetime.

 

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15th Feb2023

Cirque Berserk! (Theatre)

by timbaros

Globe-of-Death-by-the-Lucius-Troupe-Photographer-Piet-Hein-Out-T0031612574451-wwwCircusphotographerCom-e1485783246469Britain’s biggest and boldest theatre-circus spectacular Cirque Berserk!, is now at  Riverside Studios in Hammersmith London for five weeks from 9th February to 11th March, 2023.

 
It’s a show that is full of suspense, razzle, dazzle, comedy, thrills and chills by a cast that seems to be dozens. Cirque Beserk! combines all of this and more in a show that is guaranteed to entertain you, whether you are a child or a grandparent – it’s a must for every and all family members.
Following sold-out seasons in the West End and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Cirque Berserk! celebrates its tenth anniversary with this five-week season at the Riverside Studios.

Presented by Zippos, Britain’s biggest and boldest theatre-circus spectacular showcases the finest in traditional circus thrills and skills, bringing this treasured form of live entertainment bang up-to-date in a jaw-dropping show created especially for the stage. Combining contemporary cirque-style artistry with adrenaline-fuelled stunt action, this astoundingly talented international troupe includes over thirty fearless acrobats, aerialists, and daredevil stuntmen whose act is truly breathless!

With up to 3 shows daily, Cirque Berserk! is the perfect evening out for you and your friends or daytime shows perfect for the young ones! The children at the press show we attended were in awe of what they were watching on stage, and their parents too!

One of the highlights of the show is the act that is ‘Globe of Death;’ (photo below). They are three motorcyclists who defy gravity and risk life and limb traversing the inside of a spherical steel cage at increased speeds of up to 80 miles per hour. It’s heart stopping!

They are joined by a magnificent company of over 30 jugglers, acrobats, aerialists, dancers and daredevil stuntmen from all corners of the globe, including, The Mongal Hoard – a multi-talented troupe from Mongolia plus, and brilliant physical-comedy star (and Brazilian capoeira champion!), 3ft 6in (107cm) Paulo Dos Santos!

This is what you’ll get so see:
Globe-of-Death-by-the-Lucius-Troupe-Photographer-Piet-Hein-Out-T0031612574451-wwwCircusphotographerCom-e1485783246469.jpeg
The Lucius Team – Photo ©Piet Hein-Out
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Jackie Armstrong © Piet Hein-Out 
 
 
Cirque-Berserk-Tuvshin-Troupe-hand-voltige-03-_-Photographer-Piet-Hein-Out-CircusphotographerCom.jpeg
Mongolian Troupe © Piet Hein-Out 
CIRQUE-BERSERK-Timbuktu-Tumblers-02-Photographer-Piet-Hein-Out-wwwcircusphotographercom.jpeg
Timbuktu Tumblers © Piet Hein-Out 
 
 
CIRQUE-BERSERK-Paulo-dos-Santos-05-Photographer-Piet-Hein-Out-wwwcircusphotographercom.jpeg
Paulo dos Santos © Piet Hein-Out 
 
 
Many other acts are in this show in which the The Sun newspaper declares ‘‘Great for kids and even better for adults!’
 
 

Cirque Berserk!   

Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, London

9th February to 11th March 2023

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11th Feb2023

Dirty Dancing (Theatre)

by timbaros
Kira Malou, Michael O'Reilly & the ensemble of Dirty Dancing (c) Mark SeniorThere’s a lot of dancing in ‘Dirty Dancing,’ and it’s a bit dirty – but will you have the time of your life? 

Returning back to the London stage (now playing at the Dominion Theatre), ‘Dirty Dancing’ will be one for the jukebox musical lovers (out of towners and tourists) but not for the die hard theatre goers.

It’s the late 1960’s and ‘Baby’ (Kira Malou) and her family are vacationing in the Catskills (upper New York State resort). They partake in all the activities the resort has to offer, including dancing, and Baby takes up a dancing with Johnny Castle (Michael O’Reilly) as she really, really fancies him. And as many of you have seen the film with Patrick Swayze and Jenifer Grey you all know how it plays out. 
But in this theatre production, Malou looks way to young to play Baby, and O’Reilly is too chiselled (and too stiff) to play Johnny (he has an obligatory underwear scene that’s actually a bit cringe worthy). They both can dance their hearts out (as do the rest of the cast – especially Charlotte Gooch as Penny – she’s the best of the lot, as are the vocals provided by the house band called Kellerman’s Band). But it’s a short run (in London until April 29th, 2023 before heading off on tour again). The music is singalong and the set and sound are adequate for the huge stage. So let the hordes think they’ve had the time of their lives, after dropping upwards of on average of about £50 per ticket.
Photo by Mark Senior
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22nd Jan2023

Allegiance (Theatre)

by timbaros

Allegiance 9 Masashi Fujimoto George Takei Aynrand Ferrer Photo Danny KaanLegendary actor, and Star Trek veteran George Takei, stars in a new show that is fascinating, moving and brilliant.

‘Allegiance’, now playing at London’s Charing Cross Theatre, is basically the story of Takei’s life. At the age of five, in 1941, Takei and his family were sent to an internment camp right after Japan bombed Pearl Harbour; they lost everything, and were held for years. Takei says it has been his mission to tell his story, and ‘Allegiance’ is his story, and while he didn’t write it, the show is his. 

A story set to music, with a book by Marc Acito, Jay Kuo, and Lorenzo Thione, and music and lyrics by Kuo, ‘Allegiance’ consists of a cast of 16, mostly Japanese actors, and with a fantastic Telly Leung as Sammy, a young man on the cusp of adulthood. Aynrand Ferrer is great as Sammy’s sister Kei. Along with their dad Tatsuo (Masashi Fujimoto) and grandpa Sam (Takei), their lives are disrupted, and uprooted when America gets involved in WWII after Japan bombed Pearl Harbour. They get moved into the camp where life will never be the same. Sammy is desperate to enroll as a soldier to prove that he is loyal to America, yet still feels his father resents him because his mother died giving birth to him. But their lives are changed forever, especially as Sammy falls for nurse Hannah and Kei falls for a man at the camp. 

Without it giving too much away, ‘Allegiance’ is cleverly bookended by the main character (Takei) and how his life became what it is and what it was. It’s a magnificent journey for the audience, all the songs resonate and relate to the story, and all the actors are excellent. Thanks George for bringing this to London, and I highly recommend everyone who reads this to go see it. 

‘Allegiance’ is playing until April 8, 2023

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01st Aug2022

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – Theatre

by timbaros
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Gillian Lynne Theatre

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Gillian Lynne Theatre

The true mark of a good show is when you tell yourself “I will come back to watch this again.” Well, this is how I felt minutes after the standing ovation at the end of ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ on press night.

There is so much going on on The Gillian Lynne stage theatre that my eyes (and brain) could not capture it all, especially the scene at the end of Act 1 (which will blow you away), hence the need to experience it again to take in what I might have missed the first time around.

‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ is the classic fairytale from C.S. Lewis that was the first and best known of the seven novels in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia.’ In this show, the Pevensie family (Ammar Duffus as Peter, Delainey Hayles as Lucy, Shaka Kalokoh as Edmund and Robyn Sinclair as Susan) are evacuated from London in 1940 to escape the Blitz and are sent to live in a large house in the English countryside, a house with one very dark secret – a wardrobe that is the doorway to the magical and mysterious world that is Narnia. Lucy is the first to discover this new world, full of characters including Mr. Beaver, Fox Trot, the Red Squirrel, Blue Badger, The Lion (a puppet handled by three puppeteers), Aslan the noble king of Narnia and The White Witch (Samantha Womack). Soon enough the rest of the Pevensie family enter this world, as will you, and are swept away to a land that is fantastical, mysterious, dark, a bit scary, and unforgettable. 

‘The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe’ is a breathtaking show put together by a team of very talented people including the Director Michael Fentiman, set and costume designer Tom Paris, the lighting and sound team, and choreography by Shannelle Tali Fergus, with puppetry direction and design by Toby Olie and Max Humphries. A credible cast also helps to bring this story alive.
‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ is an enchanting show. I recommend you to step through the wardrobe into this magical, enchanted world too.
 
Voted the nation’s favourite novel and engrossing readers for over 70 years, this spectacular stage adaptation returns to London for a limited run, and will end on January 8th, 2023.
 
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01st Aug2022

101 Dalmatians – Theatre

by timbaros

101 Dalmatians. Photo Mark Senior‘101 Dalmatians,’ now playing at the outdoor Regent’s Park theatre, is a family fun feel good show. It’s cleverly done, and is played in a venue that is perfect for this time of year.

‘101 Dalmatians’ is one of the most enduring and well loved stories known for generations, having previously been both an animated and live action film, many books and an animated television series. Now it’s on the stage, with music and lyrics by Douglas Hodge, Book by Johnny McKnight, in a stage adaptation by Zinnie Harris with superb puppetry (of the dogs) led by Toby Olie that makes this show endearing from start to finish. 

Couple Dominic (Eric Stroud) and Danielle (Karen Fishwick) have two very large Dalmatians. But when the female gives birth out pops, yes, you guessed it, 101 Dalmatians. But it’s the cruel Cruella De Vil (Karen Fleetwood) who wants the fur from the puppies to make a coat for herself for the prestigous black & white ball she has been invited to. Cruella sends her minions to steal the puppies and puts them in an electrified cage, while the adult Dalmatians, and Dominic and Danielle, pine and search for them and, well, you probably know how this story winds up.

Like ‘Life of Pi,’ where the animals appear to come to life via the work of the puppeteers, it’s the same in ‘101 Dalmatians’ as the dogs scamper around the stage with the help of their human helpers. The staging is absolutely brilliant, and the music is as catchy as one would expect (‘Dogtra’ is a fun number involving all the dogs and other assorted animals).
And as day turns into night, and the air gets a bit chilly, the show will give you a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. And with Regents Park Theatre celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, you owe it to yourself, and your young ones, a night out with the puppies of ‘101 Dalmatians.’

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31st Jul2022

Beauty and the Beast – Theatre

by timbaros

Cogsworth (Nigel Richards), Mrs Potts (Sam Bailey) and Lumiere (Gavin Lee)-1One of the most well-loved Disney musicals is back in London, and it’s just as fantastic as ever.

‘Beauty and the Beast,’ now playing at The Palladium Theatre in Central London, invites you to be their guest in this beautiful re-telling of a tale that is as old as time. Step into this fairy tale where music, romance and fantasy blend to enchant you in a story that we all know.
Belle (Courtney Stapleton), who lives in a small house with her father Maurice (Martin Ball), is a beautiful young woman who is being wooed by Gaston (Tom Senior), handsome and wanted by all girls of the village, but also not very nice and very egotistical. When Maurice goes missing Belle searches for him and finds him in a huge castle in the dark deep words where he is being held hostage by a prince who was transformed into a Beast (Shaw Taylor). The servants in the castle are household objects, and there is a rose that is slowly losing its petals and once all the petals fall off the Beast and the household objects will remain as they are – with no hope to be turned back into normal human bodies. The only way to stop the petals from falling off is if the Beast falls in love, and he does so with Belle. And while Belle tells the Beast she will take her fathers place as a hostage, slowly slowly slowly the Beast learns how to be a gentlemen and slowly slowly slowly Belles starts falling for him. In the meantime, Gaston finds out about Belle being held hostage in a castle and heads there with some of the townspeople to kill the Beast and bring back Belle back home to safety.
It’s a beautifully told story and everything is just about perfect in the show, especially the household objects (played by Emma Caffrey, Nigel Richards, Gavin Lee, Samantha Bingley and Sam Bailey). ‘Beauty and the Beast is romantic fantasy and to be enjoyed by everyone, no matter how old or how cynical. it’s a love story that has stood against the test of time.
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31st Jul2022

The Car Man – Theatre

by timbaros

rah_64346431150-1I’m glad to have finally seen ‘The Car Man’ as it is a sight to see!

‘The Car Man’ is sexy, sultry and very dramatic. The show literally ropes you in in the first five minutes where we get to see about a dozen men take their clothes off to shower – and from then the show kicks off!

The first production of Mathew Bourne’s dance sensation was back in 2000 at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth and then transferred to London’s Old Vic. And it has come and gone, most recently at Sadlers Wells in 2015. It’s now back on one of the famous stages in London – Royal Albert Hall – and it’s not to be missed! 

Blending in romance, violence, skin – lots of skin – the show is a nod to the dark and erotic film noirs of the 1950’s and 1960’s with lots of dancing, and lots (over 30) of performers, in a show that’s a take on ‘Carmen.’

We are in a diner in an Italian American city called Harmony in the 1960’s. A stranger arrives into town who takes a job as a mechanic hence the title of the show. His arrival affects everyone in town, where the rest of the story is beautifully told through dance and via a well-tuned orchestra led by Brett Morris in a show that also has touches of ‘West Side Story.’ There is dancing everywhere on stage – it’s hard to take it all in – but the dancers manage it all beautifully, all they way through to the compelling climax. 

Music is composed by Terry Davies in a show brought to us by the comparable Sir Matthew Bourne. 

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15th Jan2022

Rex in the City – in Cabaret (Theatre)

by timbaros

IMG_3787
An evening to remember is how some of the attendees described the one man show ‘Rex in the City – in Cabaret.’

Rex Melville’s show was engaging, slightly witty, sung from the heart and soul, and was his own tribute to musical theatre. Melville’s glowing performance included singing, making jokes, trips down memory lane, anecdotes about famous singers (Bob Dylan and Ethel Merman among others) and only one story about the ‘L’ word. Where was Rex when the first lockdown took place? Well, he cleverly segued this anecdote into the song ‘I Love Paris.’
At the fantastic venue ‘Museum of Comedy’ the 80-minute show won over all the attendees, and while the venue was quite chilly, Rex did a good job of warming up the attendees cockles, and hearts. Accompanied by pianist David Harrod and bass player Jonny Gee, highlights of his repertoire included ‘Make you feel my Love (Dylan), which Melville sung in French, ‘Fly me to the Moon’ (Bart Howard), crowd favorite ‘Anything Goes’ (Cole Porter), and after two rapturous encores, he ended the evening with ‘Tonight’ (Leonard Bernstein, words by Stephen Sondheim) from West Side Story.
Several audience members had nothing but praise for Meiville. Said one:  ‘A very enjoyable set of standards and show tunes from Cole Porter, Bernstein to Bob Dylan and others, accompanied by piano and bass, and supported by many friends in the audience,’ while another said ‘A lovely night’ and that ‘it was just the kind of touching, personal and life enhancing performance that we need right now.’
All of us who were there that night can’t wait for Melville to perform again.
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28th Dec2021

The Life of Pi (Theatre)

by timbaros

LIFE OF PI BY Martel,          Novelist-Yann Martel, Playwright-Lolita Chakrabarti, Director -Max Webster, Set and Costume Designer - Tim Hatley, Puppetry and Movement Director - Finn Caldwell, Puppet Designers - Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell, Video Designer - Andrzej Goulding, Lighting Designer -Tim Lutkin, Sound Designer -Carolyn Downing, Composer - Andrew T. Mackay, Dramaturg-Jack Bradley, Wyndham’s Theatre,London, UK, Credit: Johan Persson/

I expected the new West End show ‘Life of Pi’ to be mesmerising but it was much, much more.

The ‘Life of Pi’ is a masterpiece of theatre. It’s stupendifying and brilliant on every level. From the amazing sets, to the fantastic story, to the great acting – it’s a show that will not only take your breathe away but will also enthrall and entertain you.

Based on the 2001 book ‘Life of Pi’ by Canadian Yann Martel (and turned into a 2012 movie directed by Ang Lee, winning 4 Academy Awards), the story revolves around 16 year old Pi (Piscine) – played by Hiran Abeysekera, an Indian boy who is the only survivor of a shipwreck and who survives on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal Tiger (named by Pi as Richard Parker).

But the brilliant narrative of the show flips back and forth from when Pi is in a Mexican hospital being overseen by two Canadian psychiatric investigators in 1979 and the telling of how he got there, to how Pi and his family had a zoo and acquired said Bengal tiger, and how they packed it all up to go to Canada on said ship. But things don’t go as expected. After the shipwreck that kills his whole entire family there are only five survivors; Pi, Richard Parker, a hyena, a zebra and an orangutang.  But are these actual animals or a figment of Pi’s imagination? What did he really experience, and see, while he was stranded on the lifeboat? And what caused the ship to sink? This is what the investigators want to find out.

‘Life of Pi’ is an epic adaptation of the book and movie. The sets change almost constantly, from the hospital room to the zoo, to a busy street market, and to the life raft that Pi is stuck on. And the animals are cleverly held and manipulated by human handlers – you almost don’t notice the humans because the animals seem so real. But it’s Abeysekera who spellbinds us with his performance. Literally leapfrogging from bed to the boat to the zoo and everywhere in between, Abeysekera gives an epic performance in a show, that while only runs for just over two hours, is one that will stick with you for a long time to come. 

‘The Life of Pi’ is one of the most amazing shows to hit the West End in years, it is simply fantastic and Abeysekera is superb.

Now playing at the Wyndham Theatre until February 27th, 2022.

https://www.lifeofpionstage.com

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28th Dec2021

The Choir of Man (Theatre)

by timbaros

ckvapxwrv006it5o3ezlq9h8b-choirofman-1150x720-artonly-new-safearea.5.0.1138.720.two-thirdsThe small show that wowed audiences over the summer at Wonderground in Barons Court is now a big show wowing audiences in London’s  West End! 

The Choir of Man is simply a show where the cast of men men sing. But it’s actually a lot more than that. It’s set in a pub, with an actual bar on stage that serves beer (get there early to get yours – on the house). It’s a show where we get to meet each and every cast member, thanks to the excellent narration by Ben Norris. They start the show with‘Welcome to the Jungle,’ and continue with songs by Adele, Sia and Paul Simon (’50 Ways to Leave Your Lover’). And there’s more. Some lucky audience members get to be brought up on stage (with a mask of course) to be serenaded to.  But it’s also like a night out at the pub with your friends, not just the people you came with but with the cast as well. And by the end of the show (90 minutes) you’ll feel like you made a dozen new friends and had a great night down at the pub –  but it was in a theatre. You’ll feel all warm and fuzzy inside as you leave the Arts Theatre. The Choir of Man is highly recommended (I’ve seen it twice) – and don’t forget – get there early for your free pint!
The cast is: Matt Beveridge, Tom Brandon, George Bray, Miles Anthony Daley, Daniel Hartnett, Alistair, Higgins, Freddie Huddleston, Richard Lock, Mark Loveday, and Tyler Orphe-Baker, among others on various nights.
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28th Dec2021

Six (Theatre)

by timbaros

SIX The Musical 1 Pamela Raith PhotographyThese queens have had a rough couple years (and centuries), but they are now back and better than ever to reign over the West End!

These queens are ‘Six’ – the six wives of Henry the VIII – and are back together again on stage at the Vaudeville theatre. ‘Six’ has had so many starts and stops, all of course due to the pandemic. Originally an Edinburgh fringe show, written by youngsters Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow, it originally started at the Edinburgh festival and then eventually made its way to London’s Arts Theatre in 2019, then on to Broadway in March 2020 where it was shuttered a couple hours before it’s opening night! What bad luck!

But nothing stops these queens – not even a pandemic! And in this simply-written musical, the queens battle it out to see which one is the best! The queens all get to belt out a number, singing about their short term marriage to Henry, and their heartbreak. These Queens – Jarneia Richard-Nioel as Catherine of Aragon, Bryony Duncan as Anne Boyelyn, Natalie Paris as Jane Seymour, Cherelle Jay as Anna of Cleves, Zara McIntosh as Katherine Howard and Danielle Steers as Catherine Parr are all fabulous!  Duncan is especially funny , in a joke that doesn’t get old, about her beheading! Each queen has their own time to shine and sing – with Zara McIntosh hands down the best song snd singer – in a show that’s a bit like the X- Factor for dead ex-queens! It’s 80 minutes of great musical numbers and laugh out loud jokes. Kudos to Moss and Marlow for this show. Lets hope Henry doesn’t get to them! 

The Queens are alive again, long live the Queens!

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28th Dec2021

Night, Mother (Theatre)

by timbaros
2. Stockard Channing and Rebecca Night. Photography by Marc Brenner.A play about suicide is not the most uplifting experience, but when it is performed by two very strong actresses it is compelling and breathless.

Stockard Channing and Rebecca Night are both brilliant, and tormented, as mother (Thelma) and daughter (Jessie) in ’Night, Mother now playing at the Hampstead Theatre.

Jessie, you see, is ready to commit suicide. She’s depressed, unhappy, divorced, estranged from her son, and still hasn’t come to grips with the death of her father. She had moved in with her mother after her divorce to gather her thoughts, and to try to get her life back in some kind of order – but it didn’t. Thelma tries to talk Jessie out of committing suicide – that she has a lot to live for, and that if she kills herself she’s killing her too. This 80 minute conversation all takes place in a dated 1970’s house while Jessie continues to give her mom  exact instructions as to what to do after her suicide, but Thelma is just not accepting what’s about to happen – and neither are we.

This drama is all set in the confines of the cozy Hampstead theatre, where the audience appears to be eavesdropping on a very intimate, and unbelievable, conversation between mother and daughter. And both Channing and Night nail their roles. Legend Channing, who was last on a London stage in 2018 (in Apologia) is as strong as ever, in a performance that will win her awards. Stage actress Night is just as good. With subtle and gentle direction by Roxana Silbert, all working with a devastating script by Marsha Norman (‘Night, Mother was also a 1986 film starring Sissy Spacek and Anne Bancroft), ‘Night, Mother will still shock you even though you know how it ends. 
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