‘Has anyone ever told the truth?’ asks Liwaa Yazji in her weighty political drama Goats, translated for the Royal Court by Katharine Halls. And if it’s truth we’re after this play is as chaotic as it is vital, but Hamish Pirie’s direction seems to flounder and distract from the content of the piece.
Courtesy of Johan Persson.
Gaudy Parisian flowers in Moulin Rouge-esque sumptuous costumes, a shy little mouse sleepily playing a contrabass during a tea party with a loony hatter and a charming all-in-white magician – with a pompom on his bottom – who has a rabbit-daughter called Fluffy. It sounds crazy and makes no sense, but that’s the way it should be – we are in Wonderland, after all!
Courtesy of Pamela Raith.
Vincent Dance Theatre Present Shut Down. We can all agree that 2017 (and pretty much every other year in existence) has been particularly difficult and controversial for men, and it is this theme of masculine identity that Vincent Dance Theatre dissects with the premiere of Shut Down, their first ever all male production, at The Place.
Courtesy of Vincent Dance Theatre.
A swashbuckling tale of piracy, hidden treasure and adventure; Treasure Island is a real family show from start to finish. Gem Hawkins (Jim Hawkins in the original story) takes us on an exciting adventure to find hidden treasure after a stranger turns up at her family’s inn. Discovering the map that this mysterious stranger keeps safe, Gem runs from her home and joins the Hispanola’s crew and sails the seven seas finding herself among blood thirsty pirates.
Courtesy of Andrew Billington.
The topic of race is a complex one, one that will have society talking, discussing and debating for centuries to come. Conversations have become increasingly overt, due in part to shifting attitudes. Lynette Linton’s #Hashtag Lightie is a landmark production, it brings to light what it means to be mixed race within the UK.
Courtesy of the Arcola Theatre.
As two independent blogger collectives, both New Ottawa Critics and ourselves are inspired by what theatrically is happening beyond our borders. Each month, we will correspond with all the latest happenings in our cities. This is an opportunity to learn, be inspired, communicate and collaborate! This month, the New Ottawa Critics talk to us about initiatives currently being set up to help diversify the arts.
It is often said that some of the best things in life improve with age, and at Polari Literary Salon’s Tenth Birthday Party, we are informed that 10 years is a long time in gay years, making Polari precisely 40 years old!
Courtesy of the Southbank Centre.
Many of us find ourselves working to pay off the looming student debt accumulated from our studies. The concept of the ‘dream job’, seemingly impossible. A job you’ve spent years training for, hard to grasp due to the ever growing competitive job market. Cue Jeremy Tiang’s Fulfillment, a meditation on the rite of passage of life after studies.
Courtesy of Yellow Earth Theatre.
Bad Roads is not really a play. Rather, it is a sequence of scenes sewn together into one fragmentary meditation on the brutalities of war. The text’s background is the Donbass region of Ukraine, following the 2014 revolutionary movement that ousted President Yanukovych; its foreground, the effect of war on the female subject, in all its complex, brutalising, all-consuming force.
Courtesy of Helen Murray.
Yellow Earth are a theatre company renowned for their championing of diverse voices from the East Asian community. In their 22nd year, they continue to blaze the trail, broadening the range of characters represented on stage. Having worked with original Yellow Earth founding member Kumiko Mendl to develop her piece, ‘Zen’, Joyce Lee discusses how she’s crafted the show, the importance of speaking out about mental health and whether there are enough strong female protagonists represented on stage…
