Rose Lewenstein’s new play, premiering at the Arcola, is a well-achieved reflection on the importance of legacy, of our memories and stories that are passed through generations until one day “nobody can remember” them anymore.
Rose Lewenstein’s new play, premiering at the Arcola, is a well-achieved reflection on the importance of legacy, of our memories and stories that are passed through generations until one day “nobody can remember” them anymore.
There is a school of thought that says laughter developes as a reaction to tension and tragedy, that we need to laugh to deal with suffering. If that is true, shouldn‘t some of the Sub-Saharan human tragedies be fountains of laughter? At least that is the philosophy behind Leftovers, the new show dealing with refugee‘s in Kenya and the surronding area.
Thieves do have a certain romantic allure, do they not? Especially those pesky pickpockets that smoothly operate in a an urban enviroment, going in and out without notice. That is, when they are not practicing their craft on you or those you care about. That conflict is the crux of Man Of Steal, a show in which James Freedman details his lifelong obsession with the craft of pick-pocketing and thieving.
He is in his own words an honest thief, who uses his skills to help others and raise awarness of the many dangers around. He does so by dazzling us with his skills, with brilliant sleight of hand and misdirection. It would be a shame to spoil the tricks that he does with the audience, not to mention the actor makes us promise at the end of show not to.
There is a bit of menace underneath everything. We are exposed to all sorts of dangers, and Freedman does a great job of detailing the fresh ways thieves are coming up with to grab our information and money, he does it with a dry wit and just enough personal anecdotes to pull us in. He is talking about serious things in the real world but at no point does it feel like a school lecture, which the subject does lend itself to.
The problem with writing about a show like this, almost anything will be spoiling the magic of it. Freedman is at his best when interacting with audience members he brings on stage, showing a gifted eye for people that will make good sports on stage, and then playing for all they are worth.
Cover your pin, be careful and don‘t be a mark. A simple and neccesary message that sounds far to dry for the fun that this show is. You will be dazzled, a bit crept out and subtly impressed. James Freedman is a tresure of knowledge and skill, but lets be grateful that he is on our side of the law. 4/5
Review written by Ingimar Sverrisson.
Man of Steal is currently showing at the Trafalgar Studios until Saturday 4th July. For more information on the production, visit here…
Circus Geeks is what they call themselves – three jugglers who combine their skills to create an entertaining yet innovative show. What is juggling? In a very matter-of-fact way it is throwing objects in the air and catching them. However when you put it like that it sounds quite bizarre that someone would want to dedicate their lives to perfecting such a skill, spending hours and hours throwing and catching and dropping and catching.
What is theatre? I’m sure the answer is different for everyone. Whether it’s therapeutic, a means of entertainment, escapism, or a tool to addressing social and political ills, a hobby, a passion… we’ve all had an experience of theatre in some form or other. Edinburgh International Festival is set to liven up the historic city of Edinburgh with an array of performances and exhibitions from some of the world’s exciting creative talents. What better way to learn about the inspirations and motivations of performers and creatives than to listen to their thoughts via Festival Portraits. Introducing Founder and Artistic Director of Théâtre de Complicité, Simon McBurney, OBE…
It’s bedtime and a little girl is getting ready for sleep. Her mum starts to tell her a bedtime story but work worries and deadlines take her away. This is a story of adventure, where a young girl rescues her mum with the help of her imaginary friend, Three, journeying to the unknown and various magical destinations.
Beautifully presented for The Place Dance Studio stage, Company Non Nova devises, enchants and engages in a wonderfully magical production of L’après-midi d‘un Foehn – Version 1. This production denotes an essence of the fantastical, alluding to a set of carrier bags, one very intense creator and several static ‘blowing’ fans.
Hetain Patel takes to the Lilian Baylis stage, in a show about identity in an age of super heroes. For an hour he jumps from character to character, doing scene‘s from various movies, as varied as Enter the Dragon, Beverly Hills Cop and The Italian Job.
Flying high from receiving rave reviews for Company 2’s latest work, Scotch and Soda at this year’s Adelaide Festival, Co-founder and circus performer Chelsea McGuffin continues to push the boundaries with a combination of toe tapping jazz numbers and spellbinding tricks at this year’s London Wonderground Festival. Ahead of Scotch and Soda’s UK debut, Theatrefullstop were able to speak to Chelsea about leaving the world of ballet to train as a circus performer, Company 2’s inspirations for the show and whether glowing reviews add pressure to the performers.
Company 2’s latest creation, Scotch and Soda will be headlining this year’s London Wonderground festival. How are you feeling ahead of the show?
I am really excited to be returning to London Wonderground with Scotch & Soda. We performed Cantina at the festival a number of years ago and it was a highlight season for me in my career. Scotch & Soda is an original and exhilarating project for us. We have new cast members, new music and we feel ready to hit the London stage. I am so excited to come back.
Reimagined for the New Wimbledon Studio Theatre stage, Ross McGregor directs ensemble Arrows and Traps Theatre Company in a decadent 1920s inspired production of Taming of the Shrew. Eluded to mainly through costume, elegant beaded dresses and head dresses, Arrows and Traps depict an era of grandeur and fast paced wit.