by Laura Kressly
Val is a concerned, elderly citizen of her community. She believes that if everyone followed the rules on refuse disposal and the agreed schedule for mealtimes, every thing would be peaceful and orderly. She also believes that recent arrivals like Tracy, displaced by natural disasters, aren’t her problem.
by Amy Toledano
Despite the incredibly hot conditions at The Hope Theatre during the heatwave, the cast of Bury The Hatchet manage to create a highly energised and engaging piece recounting and investigating the story of supposed axe murderer Lizzie Borden.
by an anonymous guest critic
Pigspurt’s Daughter is a kalaediscopic, one-woman show in which Daisy Campbell takes the audience on a journey through the life of her father, the theatre legend Ken Campbell. Campbell, for those too young to know of his work, was an eccentric and brilliant theatre impresario, actor, writer, director and producer.
by guest critic Amy Toledano
Jennifer Marsden’s Knights of the Rose is new musical with a score that belts out so many familiar power ballads that it’s often hard to keep track of the actual storyline. With a cast that handle these numbers effortlessly and a book that often felt like it been written for the sole purpose of allowing the actors to show off their vocal skills, Knights of the Rose entertains but not for the reasons intended.
Paul (Chris Polick) is a London property developer. He’s a smooth talker and wears impeccably cut, expensive looking suits. He goes to exclusive chillouts where he takes pills and fucks men he doesn’t know. He’s waiting for the clinic to phone.
Wendy’s (Sarah Malin) an art therapist for a few different charities. She’s a liberal activist, and works with homeless people when budgets allow. She and her boyfriend Dave have just split up so moved out and has no where to go. With luggage in tow and work in the morning, she’s reached the end of the line.
by guest critic Gregory Forrest
I really wanted to love this.
A new musical about gay men under Mussolini (politically, if not physically) sounds so exciting. Silvio Berlusconi’s claim that ‘Mussolini never killed people, just sent them to holiday camps’ brushes off the dark reality of imprisonment, violence, and unrecorded deaths. Yet by clearing out the closet, government officials gave gay men in particular the freedom to live openly and form tentative relationships in their Mediterranean exile. It was a queerly liberating sea breeze.
by an anonymous guest critic
An evening of spectacular performances depict the true story of New York’s first jazz club, Cafe Society, run by immigrants and allowed black and white audiences to integrate. The club’s audiences watched the most talented performers of their time, including Billie Holiday, who gave her first performance of harrowingly beautiful lynching song ‘Strange Fruit’ there.
