I’ve loved the story of The Little Mermaid ever since I was a little girl, and it’s still one of my favourites today. I was so excited to see Northern Ballet’s new adaptation of the original classic by Hans Christian Anderson.
I’ve loved the story of The Little Mermaid ever since I was a little girl, and it’s still one of my favourites today. I was so excited to see Northern Ballet’s new adaptation of the original classic by Hans Christian Anderson.
You know Christmas is just around the corner when you see the beautiful illuminations in Central London being draped above the hustle and bustle. Onlookers stop and stare as these jaw dropping creations signify the end of yet another year. To celebrate Christmas season, we’ve teamed up with ICEBAR London and Theatre Tokens to giveaway a drinks experience for 2 and vouchers.
The first rule of news: you do not become the news. This is easier said than done, as UBS TV Anchorman Howard Beale proves, when he announces his planned suicide on his evening news slot to many a bewildered audience. In a moment of madness that should have ruined his career, it actually propels Beale to stardom, making him the most watched broadcaster on the TV circuit.
This is a timely play, but not a timeless one. It is dated, and overlong, and some dialogue is too clever by half and therefore anachronistic onstage. But it’s also timely: its revival is another commemorative nod to the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, and, somewhat more sinisterly, it explores the uncomfortable dynamics of sexual power between queer schoolboys of differing ages.
Celebrating its 12th year, Darbar Festival marks two firsts, number one, taking residence at Sadler’s Wells and number two, its inclusion of dance. Renowned for championing India’s incredibly rich classical music culture, the festival offers a programme of India’s finest musicians and dancers.
A crisp autumn frost is settling on the forecourt leading to the Barbican Centre. With it’s extensive brutalist architecture, the building itself is a much needed fort against the onslaught of winter. Tucked away in the Barbican Kitchen I am sat with actor Amber James, who in three weeks will be taking to the Barbican stage as Charmian in the RCS’s Antony and Cleopatra. Fresh from a run as Anna in Marlowe’s Dido, Queen of Carthage she’s looking forward to a few weeks of rest before she takes to the stage again. It feels perfect to be meeting Amber at the Barbican, just a stone’s throw away from Guildhall, the training ground that has helped propel her in the illustrious career that is falling at her feet.
When Israeli director Yael Ronen began rehearsals for her first production at the Kammerspiele in July 2016, there was no play yet, only a title. The first three weeks were spent on research and discussion, mainly about relationships today and the influence of technological developments on the future of sex: dating apps, body implants and cybersex. But when David S. went on a killing spree at a shopping centre in Munich on 22 July 2016, people thought Munich had become the first German target of a major terrorist attack. Presumably, there was more than one perpetrator targeting sites all over the city. This information proved to be wrong, yet rumours and speculation spread fear and panic through the channels of the social media. After this incident, the theme of the production changed dramatically – this presumed terrorist attack became the “point of no return” in Yael Ronen’s production.
Superposition: The net response caused by two or more stimuli is the sum of responses that would have been caused by each stimulus individually. The Superposition principle attributed to the scientific field of physics depends on a linear system producing a straightforward outcome. Drawing on this strand of science, Chanje Kunda takes on the role of scientist; dissecting and analysing life events that have contributed to her current status.
Corrupt business propositions and anarchic violence are shrouded under the brim of the gangster hat. In the ruling dictatorship of Arturo Ui, Brecht’s Hitler parody is a gangster spectacle, but this production lacks the bite they so often chew over.
“When there is a wall behind you and a knife in front, the enemy wants you to take the knife. But you do not take the knife in your body – you take it in your hand”. Purva Naresh’s emotive and explosive adaptation of this true story is one that captures the essence of feminism at its roots, and encapsulates the political power of theatre. A story that is both empowering and heart breaking, upsetting but enlightening – Pink Sari Revolution tells the tale of 400,000 women fighting for freedom in Uttar Pradesh, and their fearless leader Sampat Pal. (Syreeta Kumar).