Fat Jewels – REVIEW

Fat Jewels

The Hope Theatre, London

 

Seen July 6th, 2018

Reviewed by Jade Prince

★★★★

In the heart of a South Yorkshire council estate lies a lonely and dangerous newly evolving, manipulative friendship. Two repressed characters fighting their own demons. One night they start therapy. Therapy to help Pat (Hugh Train) as he is helplessly overcome by dark, violent thoughts. This therapy conveniently masks Danny’s (Robert Walters) own issues. This controlling piece will demand your attention.

The whole concept was great and it evoked many emotions. I started sympathising with the characters and then this feeling changed to disgust with something one of them said. This turned to laughter and then I found myself on the fence not knowing which side to take but in the end I was rooting for Pat whilst also feeling really sorry for Danny.

This is a very captivating show. I really enjoyed it. It was a rollercoaster but a very stable rollercoaster of emotions and intensity. It was spot on! I do love a dark comedy and some of the one liners were fab. A couple of the life analogies very nearly resulted in belly laughter! I did hope it would be funnier but I feel that was partly on the audience. There were not a lot of us there. When that happens, people get very worried about starting the laughter for fear of being the only person laughing. I’d love to see this with a full house. I image it’ll be a completely different show!

Robert Walter’s performance had me on the edge of my seat. From the onset, you could see the sexual predator in him. His glare towards Pat in those first scenes conveyed so many different aspects of his personality. My psychology brain was making an appearance and I could see the fatherly love towards Pat but also the sexual attraction and the controlling desire.

Hats off to Robert Walters and Hugh Train for delivering that performance. I saw it on a very quiet night with very few people in the audience but they kept the energy level consistent throughout and delivered an entrancing performance Both needing someone regardless of how they created the friendship.

For 70 minutes you are surrounded by the undeniable sense of loneliness and smell of battered sausage and chips. It is slightly overwhelming! You will be craving greasy sausage and chips on the way home.

I urge you to see this piece. Beautifully crafted with such a wonderful script. There is a lot more to be seen with this play. I would be really intrigued to to see other piece from the writer, Joseph Skelton.

Fat Jewels is at The Hope Theatre until July 21st. This isn’t one to miss. Tickets are £15 (£12 concession). More information and tickets can be found here.

Knights of the Rose – REVIEW

Knights of the Rose

The Arts Theatre, London

 

Seen July 5th, 2018

Reviewed by Jade Prince

★★★

I was really rooting for this show to be much more. Having seen this talented cast perform on numerous occasions and sounds epic each time, I had high hopes. Unfortunately, the music and vocals couldn’t carry the show alone.

Knights of the Rose is meant to be an epic Shakespearean tale of love, betrayal and sacrifice but a lot of this seemed under developed. The rock score was what made the show unique and exciting with music from Bon Jovi, Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler to name a few.

I do want to take a moment to appreciate the cast. Wow! These guys were great! Their voices were incredible! Pretty much every number sounded brilliant!

This biggest let down for me was the fact the show didn’t know what it was. It was right in the middle of being a serious Shakespearean play and a cliche rock playlist put to a story. The songs were used very literally throughout the show and several had the audience laughing within the first bar. A reaction along the line of “Oh my God, are they really using this song!”. I mean, with the literal use, the songs worked very well.

I felt that a lot fo the characters were under developed. One moment the princesses were madly in love, the next, not interested. And then through a drastic change in circumstance, about to marry a man you had know idea they were interested in!

The staging was rather nice. Two levels and sections which moved in order to show the scene changes from the castle, to the bar, to the battle field. One scene that really sticks in my mind was the battle scene in act 2 with the horses. I want to say it was the number “The War To Win”. This was a pretty spectacular scene! The horse head puppets were beautiful and the use of the mesh screen down stage was stunning. You really felt like you were in the heart of the battle with the pouring rain.

I have to say the writing really made you root for certain characters. At one point you wanted the so call ‘villain’ to be killed by the man he betrayed and just when you think it could happen, your hopes were crushed! It was nice to see that aspect wasn’t predictable.

I really need to take a moment to point out a flaw which I couldn’t stop noticing. The shoes. Oh, the shoes. The male shoes were fine but the female shoes were a no, no. They were modern high street shoes. It was as if they were going to get off stage, rip their historical dresses off and hit the town! They were definitely not in-keeping with the time period.

I think if it was developed more into a lighthearted Shakespeare rock musical it could enjoy great success. Or maybe it is there already? It is just needing some way to convey this to the audience.

Overall, this was an enjoyable show. I would recommend it but don’t go in there expecting anything flash. The music and vocal performance was really what made the show for me.

Knights of the Rose is playing at The Arts Theatre until Sunday 26th August.

Information on the show and tickets can be found at: http://knightsoftherose.co.uk

Also don’t forget to follow Knights of the Rose of twitter.

If you are still intrigued, we got to still down briefly with Katie Birtill and Rebekah Lowings at the press call. Check out the short interview here.

Francesco De Carlo: Comfort zone – REVIEW

Francesco De Carlo: Comfort Zone

Soho theatre, London 

 

Seen May 19th, 2018

Reviewed by Jade Prince 

★★★★

With a title like ‘comfort zone’ I was expecting to be thrown out of my own comfort zone however I was pleasantly surprised I wasn’t.

Instead, you learn about Francesco’s own experience in leaving his own comfort zone, Italy, his home country. He brought to the stage his move from Italy to Britain and the challenges/cultural differences he faced along the way but now he is facing his biggest challenge yet…Brexit.

Francesco started the show off by focusing on Brexit and his take on the situation. I have to say, his theory on why Brexit is happening was hilarious! But, yet, simple enough. He came into the country. He hadn’t been here long and then BOOM, England are going. I mean, I didn’t question it too much. Francesco even admitted himself that he has a track record of causing government upheaval. Ha!

It was a really enjoyable show. The audience, including myself, loved it and we were all howling with laughter.

Something I really did notice was that there was no awkwardness at the start of the show. I’ve seen a few comedians now and it is so typical for the audience to be reserved at the start. Gauging the other audience members, the performer and what a safe reaction level would be. However, in this scenarios, Francesco walked out and you knew exactly what you were going to get.

I wouldn’t say that his material was out of this world and 100% original but his delivery was what made it. He focused an awful lot on the stereotypes associated with Italians and the British which was perfectly fine. Once again, a lot of those points you were very much expecting but there were a few in there that caught everyone off guard. But it was so brutally honest.

Overall, I really enjoyed the night. It was easy laughter in response to light hearted humour. There was nothing too offensive or too outrageous thrown into the mix. I would definitely love to revisit Francesco on his next tour!

Follow Francesco on twitter!

He’s also got himself all fancy with a website and everything! It’s one with a mailing list. Just saying. For you to keep up to date with upcoming shows if you fancied it!

Editor’s note: I’m so sorry with that very last section. I’ve been watching far too much RuPaul’s Drag Race. I have no shame! 

Great British Mysteries? – REVIEW

Great British Mysteries?

Soho theatre, London 

 

Seen May 18th, 2018

Reviewed by Jade Prince 

★★★★ (so close to 5!)

Where do I start with this one.

The best place is probably stating that I loved it!

I went in and the only thing I knew about the show was that it was a mockumentary. Now that could go either way.

The first 10 minutes, I found myself in the uncomfortable unknown. Olive Bacon (Rose Robinson) and Dr. Teddy Tyrell (Will Close) were setting the scene leaving the whole audience in limbo. A lot wanted to laugh at these early jokes but were still plucking up the courage. This probably wasn’t helped by the intimate venue (but this was actually the ideal setting)

It really didn’t take that long before Olive and Teddy had the audience in the palm of their hand. I have to admit, I can be a very tough nut to crack when it comes to shows like this and for me to sit there front row crying with laughter is a rarity!

I loved the whole set up with this being the final episode of their televised series, looking back at all the highlights which were voted for by fans. You get to see the pair’s less than serious approach to uncovering the truths about the greatest British mysteries known to man.

The chemistry between Rose and Will is really what kept the show going. They were able to bounce off each other so effortlessly. Their comedic timing was on point. This is something, as a performer you either have it or you don’t. If the script wasn’t funny enough the sudden corpsing  on stage really had the audience howling. But like true professional they were able to pick right up where they left off.

Joseph Hancock directed the show and although it was very basic and clearly on a budget, the use of the screen and the projector worked really well. It really helped break the scenes up and gave Rose and Will a bit of a breather. As an audience member I do find it nice to be able to draw my attention to something else and then go back to the laughter. It was all done in such a way that you didn’t miss anything.

Nothing about this show is serious which is why it was such a delight to watch. Harmless, silly comedy. Something I haven’t seen for a while. It is clear to see why it had a sold out run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2017.

If you claim to need evidence to believe this show is good before you purchase tickets, I have one thing to say….”evidence?!…..Shmevidence!”

Just get your tickets and know you’ll be guaranteed a great night.

Great British Mysteries is currently touring a select number of venues in its preview stage. More information on the venues and dates can be found on their twitter page.

Sarah Kendall: One-Seventeen (UK tour) – REVIEW

Sarah Kendall – One-Seventeen 

Soho theatre, London 

 

Seen May 16th, 2018

Reviewed by Jade Prince 

★★★★

Sarah Kendall spent a few nights of her UK tour down in the basement of Soho theatre, the perfect venue for a comedy act. The tour, one-seventeen, takes you on a turbulent retelling of Sarah’s life from the early years up to the present day. It tackles everything; the brilliant highs, some painful lows and everything called life in between. Luck, being a key theme, is able to connect everything at various points during the show. 

I have to say this wasn’t the best comedy act I have seen but it most certainly wasn’t the worst. It was a nice, acceptable middle level. 

I warmed to her straight away when she called the audience c*nts in under a minute of being on stage. It definitely got the laughs! A real ice breaker. I did appreciate how the word flowed so freely from her mouth. One thing I cannot stand is when comedians scripts that word in as an attempt to get more laughs and it does normally fails miserably. For Sarah, it just slipped out as if she was having a conversation with some friends. 

I have to hand it to her for the originality in her jokes. It was real life. Not necessarily real life that everyone could relate to. A few of these stories kind of left me feeling slightly awkward. Not that they were inappropriate just not relatable. I started getting that vibe from other audience members too. It was a rollercoaster of a show. Some highs which were so funny but then there were other parts where I didn’t know whether to laugh or not. It just seemed weird having such serious matters in a comedy show especially presented in that way. The subject matters were obviously life stories, I just felt they went on a little too long and started to bring a bit of a downer on the show. This feeling, however, was immediately removed when Sarah whipped out the next joke! 

Something I like about a good comedy show is when the comedian is able to link all the stories together and Sarah certainly did this. I loved the referencing of previous things she spoke about and doubling up the jokes. 

Despite the rollercoaster of funny to serious, it had such a great pace. There was never a point where I was urging it to end. Sarah is definitely a great story teller and had the audience in the palm of her hand. Something in comedians which is few and far between specially with the serious matters. 

There was another point which made me feel a bit ‘meh’ and that was the ending of the show. It had a rather abrupt ending which left you wanting more. I think it would have been great to see Sarah leave the stage on a real high with the audience roaring with laughter like they did during so much of the show. 

Overall, it was a very enjoyable show. One I would recommend. I’d be interested in seeing her again when she comes to my home town later in the tour.

Sarah is currently touring the UK with One-Seventeen. Click here for more information on her upcoming dates and tickets. 

Also be sure to follow Sarah on twitter for the latest updates in her travels. 

Olivier Awards 2018 Nominations and Predictions

It’s been a week since the Olivier Award nominees were announced and I am very behind on the whole theatre scene due to health issues however I am now on the mend and have decided to do a little write-up on the nominations. This is probably the very first year that I have agreed with the selection. Other years I have completely disagreed. While I still believe the range of shows and talent acknowledged is limited, this year seems to have taken the talent factor into account as a pose to the popularity factor. SOLT, you are improving!

— Those in bold are the ones I want to win. Those bold AND underlined are my predictions for the actual winner of the category. If there is only one in bold and underlined it is because that is what I want to win and also predict to win. I won’t be making comments on all of the predictions I make. Also, final note, I shall be linking some of my reviews through out this post so be sure to check them out! —

Lets crack on!

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Best New Musical

An American in Paris, Dominion Theatre

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Apollo Theatre

Girl From the north Country, The Old Vic and Noel Coward Theatre

Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre

Young Frankenstein, Garrick Theatre

I really want Hamilton to win but then again I am a Hamilton whore so that’s that! The only one that I really can’t see winning is Young Frankenstein. I really didn’t like that show. Not my humour at all and An American in Paris was very mediocre. I can see Everybody’s Talking About Jamie smashing it simply because it is 100% relevant at the moment. That’s not me saying that something shouldn’t win because it’s not relevant. If it’s making an impact on society, it’s great!

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Best New Play

The Ferryman, Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

Ink, Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre

Network, National Theatre – Lyttelton

Oslo, Harold Pinter Theatre

This category is difficult to predict. The small handful of shows that I never got around to see! Ha! And they all seemed to be received very well.

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Best Director

Dominic Cooke, FOLLIES, National Theatre – Olivier

Marianne Elliott, ANGEL IN AMERICA, National Theatre – Lyttelton

Rupert Goold, INK, Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre

Thomas Kail, HAMILTON, Victoria Palace Theatre

Sam Mendes, THE FERRYMAN, Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

HAM-IL-TON!!!! You’re going to start seeing a pattern here! It was just stunning!

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Best Actress

Laura Donnelly, THE FERRYMAN, Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

Lesley Manville, LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, Wyndham’s Theatre

Audra McDonald, LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR & GRILL, Wyndham’s Theatre

Imelda Staunton, WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, Harold Pinter Theatre

How can you put two queens together?! I didn’t have the chance to see Laura or Lesley but both Audra and Imelda were outstanding! Two very different performances but both still touched me and left an impact.

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Best Actor

Paddy Considine, THE FERRYMAN, Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

Bryan Cranston, NETWORK, National Theatre – Lyttelton

Andrew Garfield, ANGELS IN AMERICA, National Theatre – Lyttelton

Andrew Scott, HAMLET, Almeida Theatre

Once again, this is another category I can’t really comment on so I’ve made my prediction based on what I’ve heard.

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Outstanding Achievement in Opera

Paul Brown for his set and costume designs for IOLANTHE, London Coliseum

Joyce Didonato and Daniela Barcellona for their performance in SEMIRAMIDE, Royal Opera House

Roderick Williams for his performance in the Royal Opera’s THE RETURN OF ULYSSES, The Roundhouse

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Best New Opera

La Boheme, Trafalgar Studios 2 

The Exterminating Angel, Royal Opera House

Semiramide, Royal Opera House

I got to see La Boheme and I was blown away! I’ve linked my review just incase you have the urge to read it but it was such a beautiful modernised version of such a well-known classic.

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Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Brid Brennan, THE FERRYMAN, Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

Denise Gough, ANGLES IN AMERICA, National Theatre – Lyttelton

Deaebhla Molloy, THE FERRYMAN, Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

Imogen Poots, WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, Harold Pinter Theatre

I have a feeling ‘Angels in America’ is going to dominate the play categories.

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Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Bertie Carvel, INK, Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre

John Hodgkinson, THE FERRYMAN, Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

James McArdle, ANGLES IN AMERICA, National Theatre – Lyttelton

Peter Polycarpou, OSLO, Harold Pinter Theatre

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Best Set Design

Bunny Christie, INK, Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre

Bob Crowley and 59 Productions, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, Dominion Theatre

Rob Howell, THE FERRYMAN, Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

Vicki Mortimer, FOLLIES, National Theatre – Olivier 

The set of Follies was stunning. Definitely the type of set design that I love!

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Best Costume Design

Hugh Darrant, DICK WHITTINGTON, London Palladium

Roger Kirk, 42ND STREET, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Vicki Mortier, FOLLIES, National Theatre – Olivier

Paul Tazewell, HAMILTON, Victoria Palace Theatre

These fours shows were great with there own costumes but for me personally, there can only be one winner.

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Best Sound Design

Tom Gibbons, HAMELT, Almeida Theatre

Gareth Owen, BAT OUT OF HELL THE MUSICAL, London Coliseum

Eric Sleichim, NETWORK, National Theatre – Lyttelton

Nevin Steiner, HAMILTON, Victoria Palace Theatre 

Another close call but as soon as you hear ‘dun, du-du-du-dun, dun, dun’ you have to hand over that award.

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Best Lighting Design

Howell Binkley, HAMILTON, Victoria Palace Theatre

Paule Constable, ANGLES IN AMERICA, National Theatre – Lyttelton

Paule Constable, FOLLIES, National Theatre – Olivier

Jan Versweyveld, NETWORK, National Theatre – Lyttelton

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Outstanding Achievement in Affiliated Theatre

The B*easts, Bush Theatre

Killology, Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

The Red Lion, Trafalgar Studios 2

The Revlon Girl, Park Theatre

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Best New Comedy

Dry Powder, Hampstead Theatre

Labour of Love, Noel Coward Theatre

Mischief Movie Night, Arts Theatre

The Miser, Garrick Theatre

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Best Revival

Angels in America, National Theatre – Lyttelton

Hamlet, Almeida Theatre

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Harold Pinter Theatre 

Witness For the Prosecution, London County Hall

I went to see ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ on a whim. I found a cheap seat and everyone was raving about it and was horrified to find out it was 3 hours long. At that point I didn’t like plays and had only seen a handful. But, woah! To say I enjoyed it was an understatement. Those three hours flew by. I was captivated.

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Best Actress in a Musical

Janie Dee, FOLLIES, National Theatre – Olivier

Shirley Henderson, GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY, The Old Vic and Noel Coward Theatre

Imelda Staunton, FOLLIES, National Theatre – Olivier 

Josie Walker, EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE, Apollo Theatre

For me the winner has to be Shirley Henderson. Everything about her performance in ‘Girl from the North Country’ was flawless. Such a difficult role. All the ladies did very well in this category though.

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Best Actor in a Musical

Ciaran Hinds, GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY, The Old Vic and Noel Coward Theatre

John McCrea, EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE, Apollo Theatre

Giles Terera, HAMILTON, Victoria Palace Theatre

Jamael Westman, HAMILTON, Victoria Palace Theatre

I have a strong feeling John McCrea will win this one. I don’t necessarily agree with this if it happens. His performance wasn’t out of this world. Considering Jamael is new to the scene he has done so well! I was a little dubious seeing someone fresh out of drama school would be taking the lead in Hamilton but I was pleasantly surprised!

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Best Musical Revival

42nd Street, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Follies, National Theatre – Olivier 

On The Town, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

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Best Theatre Choreographer

Andy Blankenbuehler, HAMILTON, Victoria Palace Theatre 

Bill Deamer, FOLLIES, National Theatre – Olivier

Kate Prince, EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE, Apollo Theatre

Randy Skinner, 42ND STREET, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Christopher Wheeldon, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, Dominion Theatre

Hamilton is gonna win this one! But the choreography in both ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ and ‘42nd Street’ was beautiful. Completely different styles which complimented the shows perfectly and evoked different emotions.

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Best Entertainment & Family

David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny, Garrick Theatre

Derren Brown: Underground, Playhouse Theatre 

Dick Whittington, London Palladium

Five Guys Named Moe, Marble Arch Theatre

How did I miss/forget about this category?! Derren Brown is an outstanding show man! And, come on, it was at Playhouse. My baby! But I do think Gangsta Granny will win simply by popularity with entire families however I didn’t hear much about it when it was playing at Garrick Theatre. Maybe it will be the dark horse.

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Outstanding Achievement in Dance

Rocio Molina for pushing the boundary of flamenco in FALLEN FROM HEAVEN (CAIDA DEL CIELO) for Dance Umbrella, Barbican Theatre

Francesce Velicu for her performance in English National Ballet’s Production of Pina Bausch’s LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS, Sadler’s Wells

Zenaida Yanowsky for her performance in Liam Scarlett’s SYMPHONIC DANCES for the Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House

I actually have no predictions for this partly because I am so unfamiliar with the pieces also I fell that dance is very subjective.

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Best New Dance Production

Flight Pattern, Crystal Pite for the Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House

Goat, Ben Duke for Rumbert Dance Company, Sadler’s Wells

Grand Finale, Hofesh Shechter, Salder’s Wells

Tree of Codes, Wayne McGregor and the Paris Opera Ballet, Sadler’s Wells

Once again, I actually have no predictions for this partly because I am so unfamiliar with the pieces also I fell that dance is very subjective.

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Outstanding Achievement in Music

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, music and orchestrations by Dan Gillespie Sells, his debut as a musical theatre composer and orchestrator, Apollo Theatre

Follies, the orchestra, under the Music Supervision of Nicholas Skillbeck and Music Director Nigel Lilley, National Theatre – Olivier

Girl From the north Country, music & lyrics by Bob Dylan, original orchestrations & arrangements by Simon Hale, The Old Vic and Noel Coward Theatre

Hamilton, composer-lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda, Victoria Palace Theatre

LIN. LIN. LIN. KING!

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Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Shelia Atim, GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY, The Old Vic and Noel Coward Theatre

Tracie Bennett, FOLLIES, National Theatre – Olivier

Rachel John, HAMILTON, Victoria Palace Theatre 

Lesley Josph, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, Garrick Theatre

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Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Michael Jibson, HAMILTON, Victoria Palace Theatre

Ross Noble, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, Garrick Theatre

Jason Pennycooke, HAMILTON, Victoria Palace Theatre

Cleve September, HAMILTON, Victoria Palace Theatre 

Not even a second thought, Cleve all the way! So proud of that guy and how far he has come over the past couple of years!!!! The others are great in this category but it HAS to be Cleve!

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Now lets wait and see how completely wrong I am! All the best to everyone nominated. You should all be proud of the achievement of getting this far!

Treading Water – REVIEW

Treading Water

Vaults Festival, London

 

Seen on March 4th 2018

Reviewed by Jade Prince

★★★★★

Screw it! I’m going all out and giving this one five stars. A beautifully touching piece of theatre with great humour.

The simple life of two lifeguards. Sue and Carol follow the same routine day in and day out. Their job to watch the world go by, the same view everyday. Including one gentleman who appears each morning like clock work. In a job where nothing very interesting happens, can Sue and Carol change that?

This was honestly such a cute play. I very rarely whip the world ‘cute’ out in my reviews but this deserves it 110%. It was so relatable on so many leaves and I really didn’t believe that awkwardness could look so cute! We have all definitely been in that situation where we have no idea how to approach someone you’re interested in. Should we do it Carol’s way of throwing it straight out there or Sue’s way of taking your time and trying to really understand that person? I fell in love with the three characters straight away which is such a huge achievement for a short play. Within less than an hour I wanted to hug all three of them.

The start of the play seemed very slow. A lot of observing the characters and their little, quirky behaviours. I really did like this aspect especially as I went in not knowing very much about the show. It had me feeling a little on edge and wondering what was going to happen but then I fell into the ‘comfort zone’. The kind of zone you’d associate with routine and structure. It was a beautiful feeling being at the same pace as the characters.

I absolutely adored Carol. We all have a friend like her. So blunt and providing such a wonderfully honest observation on life. This really pulled at my heart strings a little but it was so well balanced with humorous lines.

I have to admit that I was a little confused on the ages of the characters. Carol seemed to be in a very stale marriage (something that I would link with a middle-aged woman) while Sue seems very young and naive. Yet, at the same time then seemed to be very much the same age. It wasn’t anything that troubled me loads. I just distinctly remember having that question come to mind half way through the show.

It was just such a lovely, calm play highlighting so many subtle things in everyday life. No huge drastic plot changes or controversial topics but it worked so, so well whilst keeping an engaging speed. I just felt so refreshed as I left.

I predict big things for this show and I cannot wait to see it again.

Be sure to follow SubtlePaws on twitter for the latest updates on ‘Treading Water’ and their other shows: https://twitter.com/SubtlePaws?lang=en

Also follow ‘Treading Water’ writer, Kathryn Gardner: https://twitter.com/KathrynEGardner?lang=en

Carl Barron – Drinking with a Fork – REVIEW

Carl Barron – Drinking with a Fork

Hammersmith Apollo, London

 

Seen on March 3rd, 2018

Reviewed by Jade Prince

★★★★

“It’s gonna be a top night”

I was a little dubious at first when I got the email reading “AUSTRALIAN’S BIGGEST SELLING COMEDIAN TO PLAY AT HAMMERSMITH APOLLO”. That is one hell of a big claim and I was praying Carl Barron would live up to expectations. About 15 minutes into the show I started questioning myself as to why I even had doubts in the first place!

From Longreach in Queensland, Carl most certainly has a unique stance in the comedy world. A refreshing approach to the term stand-up. He had spent many years tiling roofs before branching into the comedy circle which has propelled him higher than any of those roof s could have. A man of many talents. A roofer who can play the guitar and who was raised by fuckwitts but didn’t turn into too much of a fuckwitt himself!

I personally enjoyed the show. An hour and a half of pure laughs. The Aussies definitely came out in force and I had that odd feeling of being the only British person there! It was at this point it dawned on me, ‘OMG! What if I don’t understand any of the context?’ Another doubt which was unwarranted! There were only a few moments where the accent made things difficult to understand as Carl got more passionate about a joke. And a few of the sayings appeared to have different meanings. It took about ten mentions of the line ‘she had the shits’ to understand that in Australia it actually means to be annoyed with someone. Over here in the UK we tend to use that line to convey someone has diarreha! A little different!

My only real criticism would be that one or two of the jokes were dragged out a little longer than needed. At these points I did start to lose interest but this was reeled straight back in when the topic changed.

Hands down I can say he is the only non-offensive comedian I have seen. A lot fo comedians these days rely on controversial topics and stereotypes to win them laughs however Carl did not need any of this. His use of relatable and honest material made the whole of Hammersmith Apollo howl with laughter! I’d say that he is suitable for the whole family. It must be noted that he does swear during his shows but he actually highlighted this potential issue himself and then justified his reason for that so perfectly.

For me, it’s a great sign when the audience are quoting the show on the way home! “It wasn’t the first 15, it was those last 2” in my case referring to the sharing box of chicken nuggets demolished on the train home!

It’s a shame he only had one London date but be sure to keep an eye out for future UK dates on the website I shall link below. It really was a great night! He’s back doing shows in Australia and New Zealand for a little while now but be sure to snap up those tickets when he’s back on British soil. The Aussies will definitely put up a fight for tickets but give them a beer and they should be grand!

His website with the list of upcoming gigs: http://www.carlbarron.com

Dead and Breathing – REVIEW

Dead and Breathing

The Albany Theatre, London

 

Seen on February 21st, 2018

Reviewed by Jade Prince

★★★★★

I loved every single moment of this show! And that is incredibly rare for me to say!

I was lucky enough to have been invited along to the UK premiere of ‘Dead and Breathing’ at the Albany.  This dark comedy introduces you to Carolyn who is dying of cancer and wants nothing more in the world than to die. An affluent lady is now in the care of her nurse as she has no one left to turn to. The harsh years have spoiled Carolyn’s nice nature but one confrontation between her Christian nurse, Veronika, could be just the thing needed to change all of that.

Lizan Mitchell (Carolyn) was out of this world. Her performance was breath taking. So believable, emotional and raw! It was so beautiful to experience in such an intimate venue. The only person I have seen of that level is Imelda Staunton. She continuously topped her previous scenes.

The show its self was initially a little slow to start with but once the momentum was there it was very enjoyable. I was a little apprehensive at first as to how this show would work what with the topic and given synopsis being very dark. Although the comedy throughout was great! It was so naturally incorporated into the script.

The reveal Veronika made 15 minutes towards the end of the show was completely unexpected (I won’t reveal what it was) and just when you thought the story was over it took another drastic turn and brought it straight back to life, ironically!

Inspired by the show, its the first show with so much life that I have seen in a long time. To start off with I found the story a little dated. That was until Veronika’s reveal and then the whole dynamics were flipped. There was so much relevance which is still seen within todays society and the different generations.

Chisa Hutchinson writing was so engaging. At no point during the show did I feel my attention slipping away. It was gripping. Even one scene with no dialogue for the whole duration of a bed being stripped and made, I was on the edge of my seat watching each character like a hawk. It was great at seeing more of their characters

Side note on Chisa Hutchinson: I personally adore anyone who, on their website, has the tab entitled “awards & shit”

This is one of those shows I shall be raving about for a while! Definitely find the time in your busy schedules to se this one. After all, it is its UK premiere and I predict that it will be the biggest thing everyone will be talking about next year!

The show runs from now until March 3rd and for more information of this show which  you need to see ASAP, just head over to https://www.thealbany.org.uk/event_detail/2203/Theatre/Dead-and-Breathing

Theatre Maker Launch at the Cockpit Theatre

Sunday 18th February, 2018

For those not familiar with the Cockpit theatre, it is a fabulous little venue in Marylebone. It is a chameleon of a building. Used for rehearsal spaces, a main theatre auditorium with 420 seats and a bar where they host a number of different events. Whether that is presenting shows, hosting events, training days, industry events, the Cockpit is an incredibly welcoming space which cherishes new creators and their works.

They have been working on a brand new hub focusing on those making theatre. This hub will consist of classes, courses, workshops, talks and drop in session in order to aid people with new skills and to share and develop their own ideas. Various workshops will take place as well as the weekly drop in session scheduled for every Wednesday at 6pm in the bar.

In this blog I shall be giving a run down of the launch day, what went well, what I didn’t like so much and then I shall be delving into what is on offer and what taster sessions I took part in. These will be in more detail explaining exactly what we did and what you can expect to see followed by MORE information of the available course along with prices, date and time frames.

From the moment I stepped foot into the theatre I was greeted with a fabulous friendly welcome which you can always expect from the Cockpit staff. You’re always made to feel welcome there and I truly believe that this would be the best place in London to take evening classes/courses/share ideas with other creatives.

When we arrived we were given the agenda detailing everything that would be happening over the next 4/5 hours. There was also the breakdown of the taster sessions happening through the day with 3 lots of 40 minute session with 10 minute breaks.

The agenda for the morning:

(I’ve circled the taster session I attended)

The numbers were very disappointing considering how any people had booked on. All of those people who were no shows really missed out on some great sessions.

The first session of the day was ‘From Theatre Maker to Film Maker’ led by Steve North. This was great and provided a brand new experience. Steve has had a very colourful career initially starting off in acting and has now moved into theatre making. His most recent achievement was co-writing the short film ‘Through the K-Hole’ and directed the hard winning ‘Cregan’.

His actual course is a lot longer however we had a great insight. He stripped it right back and we started looking at our own memories and how they are personal. We did a simple exercise of writing down three different memories: one from last year, one from last week and one personal memory from any point in our lives. We then paired up and had to tell the other person our memory. It was then open for them to retell that memory to us and then in the group when we all came together, stood in the dark. It was a very strange experience because these memories that had once been our own where now someone else’s. It was such a strange feeling listen to your own memory from a different person. I found myself sympathising and nodding my head as if I was sympathising with the person even though it was what I had dealt with. We did this a few time but it was a great way to see how we connect to personal stories and the benefit of focusing on a personal experience when starting to write the concept and script for a short film.

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The second taster session of the day was with Sarah Fraser and focused on making theatre from scratch. Obviously this is a very broad topic and her course will delve in deeper to the whole process but it was great what we did in the session.

A little background on Sarah – she has helped create the theatre company ‘Hoax’. In 2012 she graduated from the Central School of Speech and Drama with her MA in Classical Acting. From there she has worked in immersive theatre and has had a real focus on physical theatre, using voice on the body to create brand new work.

It was basically a whole game session to break the ice and make everyone feel comfortable around each other which is obviously key when working in a team which need to be very close and on the same wave-length. The improvisation game was fabulous. We were simply handed a scarf and told to run wild with one rule: the scarf could not at any point be used as a scarf. It was great to see people improvising and for others in the group to so willingly join in with ideas. Everyone was on board 110%. Sarah’s energy and passion was infectious and I strongly believe that people on this course will benefit immensely.

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The third and final taster session I took part in wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. If you have read my previous blogs and review you will have noticed that I like to go into things ‘blind’. Without knowing the story/previous reviews/or reading much on the theatre website so I did not read into each of the different taster sessions. I simply turned up on the day and selected whatever sounded interesting to me. This was the ‘making theatre using visual and physical techniques’ session led by Miriam King.

For some reason I was expecting it to be very heavily focused on props and scenery and other ways of presenting the story on stage. I was very wrong. Miriam specialises in physical movement and how that tells the story. The exercise we did was very beneficial in understanding how to ground ourselves and move into a neutral state. This would be perfect for actors when transforming into drastically different characters from their normal selves however I did struggle to connect and enjoy it. I know that sounds really harsh but it just wasn’t something I enjoy. Miriam is very experienced and really puts the whole of herself into her teachings.

Before I knew it the taster sessions where over and it was time to watch the performance of ‘The Silent Stream’ which was written and performed by Jonathan Brown.

This was definitely not my type of theatre. I started drifting into my theatre reviewer state (not that I was there to review the performance). We saw this performance as Jonathan Brown runs the ‘Making theatre as a solo performer’ course which will be running as part of Theatre Maker. Having read up on the one man show since I have seen it, I do believe that there is greatness behind it. Especially as its has sequels entitled “Betsy: Wisdom of a Brighton Whore” (a one woman show) and “The Well” (ensemble piece). I would be intrigued to see these pieces now. I found the performance of ‘The Silent Stream’ to be very slow. It seemed to be a little all over the place and was very hard to follow. I personally feel that it would work better as an ensemble piece. This might help it flow better especially when two or more characters are presented at once on stage. What I saw definitely had potential though.

Anyway, this isn’t a review on that show, its a write up on the whole ‘Theatre Maker’ launch day experience! I really enjoyed it from the start. I have to admit ‘the Silent Stream’ was the only let down. It didn’t advertise the course in the best way and I think a lot of people were lacking enthusiasm by that point. From the taster sessions I have seen, I really do have high hopes for what the Cockpit have planned.

Below I shall include all the information you will need about the different courses, prices, time frames, and dates as well as links to the cockpit so you can keep up to date with all of their latest information and for the possibility to attend any future taster sessions.

The classes which will be offered area:

• Making Theatre as the Entrepreneurial Artist (£100, 4 weeks, Monday March 5th-26th, 10:30am-1:30pm)
• Making Theatre Using Visual & Physical Techniques (£160, 6 weeks, Wednesday March 7th-April 11th, 7pm-10pm)
• Making Theatre from Scratch (£130, 6 weeks, Tuesday March 20th-April 24th, 11:30am-1:30pm)
• Making Theatre as a Solo Performer (£310, 5 weeks, Thursday April 5th-May 3rd, 6:30pm-10pm)
• Making Theatre with Storytelling (£80, 3 weeks, Wednesday April 18th-May 2nd, 6:30pm-9:30pm)
• From Theatre Maker to Film Maker (£180, 2 days, Saturday April 21st-Sunday April 22nd, 10:30am-6pm)
• Making Theatre Using Commedia Dell’Arte (£160, 6 weeks, Wednesday May 9th-June 13th, 7pm-10pm)
• Making Theatre with Improvisation (£160, 6 weeks, Thursday May 10th-June 14th, 7pm-10pm)

For more information on Theatre Maker at the Cockpit: http://thecockpit.org.uk/Theatremaker

Follow the Cockpit on twitter for all of the latest information: https://twitter.com/cockpittheatre

Thank you or reading this far! Here is a little reward – If you book onto a course before 6pm Monday 26th February, 2018 you can take full advantage of the one-off launch day code ‘INVOLVED18’ to get 15% off! You’re welcome!

Life is too short. Take the chance and make captivating theatre!

Getting the better seats without breaking the bank

The west end can be a wonderful and memorable night out however it can all add up becoming very expensive. A large amount of this cost will be the theatre tickets themselves. Many people do spend a lot of money on theatre seats and obviously that is how the west end thrives and continues. It is a business! However I believe everyone should be able to enjoy the theatre so this particular blog post will aim to arm you with the correct websites, apps and information for when you need to save the pennies but still want to see the arts.

I’m about to reveal my deepest secrets so pay attention!

Over my years of going to the theatre on a student budget I have become an awful lot savvier and very rarely spend over £40 on one seat unless it is something incredibly special. One of my main go-to apps is TodayTix. They do brilliant deals and never sell restricted seats. They have a fabulous selection of seats pretty much all of the time to suit every budget. Another great thing they do is daily lotteries for a few select shows and ‘rush’ tickets which range from £15-£25 in price.

Let’s start with the lotteries. Every day the lotteries are live from midnight. Currently the shows include Dreamgirls, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Young Frankenstein and Kinky Boots. Matinee lotteries close around 10:30am and lotteries for the evening shows close at 3:30pm. You enter for that day’s show and are notified 2 to 4 hours before the performance. This option is only great if you live in London or within an hour on the train but it is still a good way to get nice, affordable seats, normally front row!

The ‘rush’ tickets are a little different but still provide great seats at affordable prices. This ticket option gives you more notice as they become available to buy through the app at certain times of the day (typically 10am or 10:30am, depending on the show). It is a first come first serve system and seats vary depending on what is available on the day. There is a large variety of shows though which currently include: Mary Stuart, Girl From The North Country, The Birthday Party, 42nd Street, The Ferryman, Royal Shakespeare Company, Motown and The Woman in White.

Another great one in my arsenal of ticket sites is ATG. A bog standard site which is very helpful! The seat plans are fairly accurate and occasionally you find the odd last minute seat reduced in price. Also they have their theatre cards where payment for a years membership means that you get ticket discounts, early sales and much more. There are two types of theatre cards which both look great depending on your budget.

Day seats are also another great last minute option. They do take a fair bit of planning if you are determined to see a show that day! Only certain shows offer day seats and again this is down to availability. Some shows have a designated number which they have available everyday whereas other shows vary theirs depending on how well that show has sold for that day. From my experience, I recommend getting to the box office around 8:30am on a normal show day. If it is a special performance such as a cast change the hard core fans will get there super early, some will even camp out over night to get their hand on a ticket! Day seats are never guaranteed. There have been many a time where the person in front of me has got the last one and I’ve had to go back to the drawing board. A lot of these options mentioned in this blog are great for last minute deals so they always become by back-up plan if day seating isn’t a success. To see whether a certain show offers day seats just head to their official website and it will provide all of the details you need.

A website I use before I make any ticket transactions is SeatPlan. This is a fabulous website especially if you are not familiar with the theatre or seating plan. SeatPlan offers an interactive seat map for the majority of the big theatres in the west end and a handful nationwide. They rely on their members to upload seat reviews and many of them include photos of the view of the stage from that particular seat. These are completely honest reviews which are monitored. So far it has never failed me. They also provide an incentive for their members to review seats with credit which can add up to theatre tokens. Another great way to save money! Currently, you will receive 40p for each photo you upload once your review has been approved. You can start doing this now if you haven’t already! Just head to their website and sign up for free. They also offer great ticket deals through their website so that is also worth checking out.

The website Get Into London Theatre only comes around once a year and is always a good one to know about. I have to be completely honest and say their 2018 selection of shows wasn’t too great this year and I only purchased tickets for one show when normally I go crazy! Each December the website goes live with deals for a range of different shows with tickets for £10, £20, £30 and £40 (great for all budgets) The location of the seats are also normally really good and it tells you just how much you saved. Normally the £69 tickets are the ones reduced to £40, £49-£39 reduced to £30 and so on. Previous years I have been able to get ticket to big shows such as Phantom of the Opera in row D in the stalls for £40. Like I said before, this year wasn’t great but hopefully come December the 2019 selection will be a lot better.

That is about it when it comes to the best sites to use when looking for theatre tickets. I always recommend you stick to the main websites such at ATG, Love Theatre and  TodayTix as you won’t have to pay any commissions fees. Many of the other tickets sites sell legit tickets that comply with the ‘STAR’ standards however they do add an additional fee for using their service. Just be aware of that. Always look around on different websites as the prices will change dependant on the website.

I really hope this has helped you gain a further understanding on how to still see theatre on a limited budget. All of this works for me which is why I was able to see over 70 shows in 2017!

Disclaimer – things mentioned in this blog aren’t always guaranteed and are subject to change at the various company’s discretion. As of the time this blog was published, 16th January 2018, all show information was correct.

DENIM: World Tour – REVIEW

DENIM: World Tour

Soho Theatre, London

 

Seen on January 11th, 2017

Reviewed by Jade Prince

★★★★★

WOW! WOW! WOW!

Denim are fabulous! End of. They sure know how to put on a show to the crowd, whether that is a crowd of thousands and thousands of people in Wembley….or to 140 in the intimate Soho Theatre.

I thoroughly enjoy their show! I wasn’t too sure on what to expect due to the light-humoured nature of everything I had seen online about them however they did not disappoint this theatre nerd. They put on a full production. I was over the moon to see an actual written piece with all the performance numbers so cleverly added in. These ladies have pure talent! They have nailed their craft to a ‘T’.

It wasn’t anything cheesy or what I would have associated with other drag acts. Their world tour has wit through out. It was intelligent wit too. None of this ‘it’s really crude so lets throw it in!’. Everything had its place and it was a lovely balance of jokes. Props to the person/people who wrote their script. There were many a thing during the show which caught me off guard and revealed my ‘ugly’ laugh! I adore that in a show when I am completely unable to predict what comes next. Everything was so fresh!

Let’s move onto their singing abilities…because DAMN!…they can sing! Forget all of that ‘lip sync’ for your life. This was a whole new level. Each of these ladies could sing with a rather impressive range. As I expected, they sounded beautiful as a group but I was not expecting; firstly, them to have solo songs and secondly, for those songs to be just as strong. As a group they know exactly where their individual voices fit in and their harmonies were breathtaking. Some of the voices were rather comical and completely different to the dainty ladies they were on stage but that just made it 10x better!

It is truly one of those shows that you need to experience. I shall be raving about it from this day on!

In the back of my mind, it’s just screaming “THIS REVIEW DOES NOT. DO. DENIM. JUSTICE!!!” This is more just me word vomiting because I am not over this and will be getting tickets for another night!

This is a real feel good show and YOU NEED TO GET A TCIKET!!!!! If you are looking to have a laugh, see pure talent on stage and five people passionate about what they do, this is the show for you. They only have 8 more performances at Soho Theatre from now until February 3rd and the atmosphere from last night tells me it is going to be a hard ticket to come by. And with tickets ranging from £8 to £24 it would be rude not to go!

Tickets and more information on their performance dates can be found here: https://sohotheatre.com/shows/denim-world-tour

Also, there is something very special in the works currently so if you loved this review and you love Denim be sure to keep an eye out for something on this page being posted soon….(that’s your cue to like, follow, share, etc. Ha!)…

Garrett Millerick: The Devil’s Advocate – REVIEW

Garrett Millerick: The Devil’s Advocate

2northdown, London

 

Seen November 30th, 2017

Reviewed by Jade Prince

★★★★

**Just like everything else in my life at this present moment, this review is slightly delayed!**

What if you slowly became the person you least wanted to be? But what if that person just so happened to be Jeremy Clarkson? Hmm.. Moving away from the hustle and bustle of London could also mean moving further away from that self. This became true for Garrett as he moved to drab Essex. ‘OMG?! Shu’ up!’ (<– I’m sorry but I really had to satisfy that urge!) The conversations of life slowly turned to football, DIY, fines and rubbish removal. After it’s popular run at Edinburgh Fringe 2017, Garrett retells this rather disturbing and eye opening story a little closer to home.

This was a very enjoyable comedy piece highlighting some of the honest truths within today’s world. Whether that is the complete culture change within the space of 50 miles, advertisement rammed down your throat or those strange ‘camps’ we call university. All aspects were hilarious and very much relatable!

Garrett is a comedian who is naturally funny. He doesn’t need any gimmicks or crude jokes to make the audience laugh. He is a true performer! From the moment he stepped on stage he demanded our attention AND held it for the duration of the show. I loved the diversity in his delivery on stage. It was really nice to see the energy. My own experience of comedians (rather limited) consists of them walking around the stage talking at you. Then occasionally getting more passionate/energetic but then ultimately reverting back to their norm. This was not the case with Garrett. He could be talking to the audience as you would in a regular conversation and then in the next moment he would be yelling and really getting into it, not just for the sake of it though. It would be about something that really angers him. In all honesty the show was kinda like watching therapy on stage. There were jokes made towards this element, too!

I also loved the fact his material was original. It is up to date. Everything he spoke about was so easy to picture happening in reality which made it even funnier. Drunk guy just landed in Australia being informed his card has experienced fraudulent activity but he’s the one doing that “fraudulent” activity and now has no access to no money or food because the woman thousands of miles away in a call center is enjoying his pain! To funny!

Brutally honest. But we all agree with it.

This review does not do the man justice. He is definitely one you need to see to fully appreciate. But here’s a little taster: https://www.comedy.co.uk/live/features/garrett_millerick_terrible_flights_story/

For more information on his next upcoming shows be sure to follow him on twitter: @fergaltweet

He also runs The Schadenfreude Cabaret so check that one out too where you can see a range of sketches, stand up and character comedy!