Brave Badger Theatre presents a compelling verbatim play by Harriet Madeley about retribution, rehabilitation and forgiveness, based on interviews with the perpetrators and victims of violent life-changing crime, one involving a murder case.
To mark the centenary of the Russian Revolution; a revolution ousting out the overruling class, the Arcola Theatre have curated a season of productions creating revolutions in their own right. Celebrated British Nigerian playwright Oladipo Agboluaje presents Greatness Ogholi, an aspiring party leader looking to shatter the illusion of what Nigerian politics might be deemed as being, and instead places a human face on it. New Nigerians is a case of battling to retain as much as oneself as possible without caving into the demands of others looking impose their own ideals in a coalition.
Courtesy of Alex Brenner.
A crisp and stylish stage forms the backdrop of Simon Godwin’s production of Twelfth Night. The modernity though a little unexpected is not surprising, considering the National Theatre’s recent stage designs (Hedda Gabler, Us/Them), minimalist yet effective for the most part.
Courtesy of The National Theatre.
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.
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.
Dance is one of my favourite things to watch. Having been a dancer and now a dance teacher, I fully appreciate the art form and how powerful it can be. I had no idea what to expect from this show and I am in absolute awe the entire time. It is such a surprise to be watching a dance work focusing around same sex relationships. The piece follows the lives of three couples; a lesbian couple, a heterosexual partnership and the love triangle of three men.
Photo courtesy of 201 Dance Company.