“A is happy”

Charles Court Opera is back at the King’s Head Theatre. As a fan of their pioneering productions I was delighted to hear the news. I recall seeing Charles Court Opera’s remarkable and memorable interpretations of Gilbert and Sullivan’s (G & S) musical concoctions: Patience in 2014, Trial By Jury and The Zoo in 2015. Now they grace the bright pub’s stage again with another G & S opera – that ran at the Savoy Theatre for 672 performances and became the second longest musical theatrical work up until 1885. That work is none other than The Mikado – a hilarious satire of British institutions seen through the glasses of a Japanophile, which Gilbert became after attending an exhibition on Japanese artifacts in Knightsbridge.

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Let’s talk about homelessness and housing in the UK

“Don’t take for granted the roof over your head” is one of the take-home messages from Cardboard Citizens’ production of Cathy, by the artistic director of Cardboard Citizens, Adrian Jackson, and writer, Ali Taylor. Last Wednesday, between leaving my Southwark office and arriving for the press night of Cathy at the Soho Theatre, I saw at least five people living rough on the streets of London. They were either asking for spare change or sleeping on top of cardboard boxes. According to the charity, Shelter, they estimate 307,000 people are homeless or living in inadequate housing (based on studies published in November 2017).

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Fly back in time on the back of a kite with chimney sweeps dancing on the rooftops of London. Follow a curious bear, with a particular fondness for honey, on his adventures with a little piglet. Then, swing from tree to tree with apes and giant orangutans singing the words “I wanna be like you.” These childhood images are none other than the great works of Disney’s Mary Poppins (1964), Winnie-the-Pooh (1966) and The Jungle Book (1967). What makes these works truly magical are the musical scores and lyrics its creators, Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman (aka the “Sherman Brothers“), bestowed upon them.

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(There are spoilers in this review.)

Who enjoys a spoonful of sugar and a healthy dose of bitchiness any day of the week? Okay, don’t raise your hands up, all at once. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there with cut-throat egotists and competitive divas willing to dispose of the bodies of their enemies (and frenemies) to get the number one spot.

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Step out of your comfort zone

A few common ethoses used for challenging oneself are: Try something new, get out of your comfort zone or experience something different. This is precisely what I did when I was invited to the press night of Barn Theatre’s new inaugural production of Marsha Norman’s musical The Secret Garden. I have never been to the Cotswolds or Cirencester before. It is very rare indeed for me to see a theatre production outside of the city. (It’s bad, I know.)

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John Savournin, artistic director of Charles Court Opera (CCO) and professional opera singer, met me at Rosemary Branch Theatre in the middle of rehearsals (on a chilly Saturday) to discuss CCO’s new and fresh production of The Mikado, which opens this week at the King’s Head Theatre. John talked to me about Gilbert & Sullivan’s inspiration behind the comic work and his optimistic outlook of the opera landscape for Off-West End companies and productions.

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It would be unfair to review Lipstick: A fairy tale in Modern Iran, after all, it is a scratch performance based on the experiences of Sarah Chew and her visit to Tehran during the Green Uprising in 2009. At the Omnibus Theatre, people got to see a theatrical work in its development stages. With script in hand, Laura Dos Santos read Sarah Chew’s words and reenacted a heavy and serious topic, which was up for discussion later on in the evening. Mark, bravely performed by Nathan Kiley, added cabaret and drag aesthetic to the episodic work. Together they ruled over my attention for the evening, and I was genuinely locked in and engaged.

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Dublin-born actor Rory Keenan has entertained audiences on TV, film and theatre, from the BBC’s War & Peace, Peaky Blinders and Donmar Warehouse’s Saint Joan to the National Theatre’s production of Liola. Currently performing the role of James (Jamie) Tyrone Jr. in Richard Eyre’s revived production of Eugene O’Neill’s Tony award-winning play, Long Day’s Journey into Night, alongside Jeremy Irons and Lesley Manville, Rory tells me what it is like to perform the inebriate and enigmatic role of Jamie – son of a dysfunctional family. He also tells me how he manages to remember all his lines and his fondness for south London and sport — all kinds of sport!

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Back in 2009 AMC’s Breaking Bad was entirely brand new. A decade later, it is internationally known as the TV series which has set the bar for all box-sets and television series, giving competing TV series a run for their money. (It first aired on the FX channel in the UK, but is now freely available for all Netflix customers.) According to Wikipedia, the entire series (that’s six series in total) has won 110 awards and been nominated 262 times.

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Piggy: do you recognise the name? He is one of the main characters in William Golding’s widely-known allegorical novel Lord of the Flies, published in 1954. Beginning shows this week at Greenwich Theatre is Lazarus Theatre’s adapted production of Nigel Williams’ interpretation of the novel: a thrilling and atmospheric production. I went to the preview night on Wednesday and was thoroughly blown away. Continue reading