On occasion, I feel the need for the cultural equivalent of a deep tissue sports massage, to iron out all those knotty prejudices and uncomfortably comfortable pre-conceptions acquired from too much staying at home in my chintzy echo chamber. Cue my fresh-faced arrival at a disgustingly fashionable venue, all set to see something with the words ‘experimental’, ‘daring’, and ‘not for the faint-hearted’, in its billing.
Courtesy of Wardrobe Theatre.
Robot: a machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, especially one programmable by a computer. We often attribute the term to an object that is metallic, moves rigidly and is powered by digital technology. That in part is correct however Blanca Li Dance Company manage to tap into the zeitgeist and grasp onto the fact that a transformation, whether we notice it is happening. In the word’s of company director Blanca Li “Our memory is becoming artificial, our footprints tend to be electronic, our identity is partly digital”.
A Haunting, features as part of The Vaults Festival lineup and looks at the anonymous world of internet friends. Mark (Roly Botha) is fifteen and spends a lot of time online.
Courtesy of The Vaults Festival.
Raymond Briggs’ Novel The Bear has long held a place in the canon of popular children’s books, and in the hearts of adults and children alike. From the author of the iconic work The Snowman, the story tells of the tale of a young girl called Tilly who awakes one night to find an enormous polar bear in her room. It is a heart-warming story of friendship and family, love and letting go, and this theatrical production captures the magic of the remarkable original with a wonder all its own.
Courtesy of Paul Blakemore
Cycling has to be one of the most physically taxing sports to part take in. A sport up until recently deemed as being a humble discipline was unbelievably tarnished by the revelations of the most outrageous and elaborate scandal to have taken place in sport. Tom Barnes and Alexander Gatehouse also known as 2Magpies Theatre Company celebrate a golden moment in cycling history prior to the recent scandal as they zone in on the legendary rivalry between Lance Armstrong and Marco Pantani during the Tour De France on 13th July 2000.
This year marks 100 years since the Russian Revolution; a movement dismantling Tsarist rule and instead replacing it with a parliament. This was the birth of the Soviet Union. To mark this fact, the Arcola Theatre are staging a season of works which are all in their own way rebelling against an oppressive factor. Russia’s most esteemed playwright, Anton Chekhov is celebrated for his symbolic work, The Cherry Orchard. A piece presenting the battle between outdated aristocratic ways and the burgeosie’s rise to money- Chekhov perfectly encapsulated Russia’s historical transformation.
In this week’s podcast, Theatrefullstop are joined by Instinct Theatre’s Lily Driver and Felicity Huxley-Miners who’ll be talking about their latest show Tea and Good Intentions. There will be music courtesy of Fisayo Kunwari and Francesca Mepham’s Should will be performed and a piece written by myself called Electronic Heart; performed by Nigel Munson.
Tiata Fahodzi are renowned for highlighting stories from the African Diaspora and have challenged stereotypes for two decades. The company’s 3rd Artistic Director, Natalie Ibu continues this tradition by collaborating with the UK’s best Black British talent to take a snapshot of Britain today. Award winning actor and writer, Arinzé Kene returns to writing for the stage, having written critically acclaimed God’s Property for Talawa Theatre four years ago. Arinzé speaks to Theatrefullstop about Good Dog, a piece tackling many issues through the eyes of a young boy in contemporary Britain.
Fences is probably the most successful play of August Wilson‘s celebrated “Pittsburgh Cycle“. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1983, premiering on Broadway in 1987 with James Earl Jones as Troy Maxson. Wilson completed a screenplay before his death with Paramount holding the rights but Wilson insisted on an African-American director so the project was shelved for a number of years. Denzel Washington, who had directed two films before, was glad to oblige and is now bringing Fences to the big screen.
