A new Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] and a two-part Forsyte Saga hit the Park Theatre stage in 2024

·         Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] returns with a different celebrity taking the role of Inspector each night, VIPs for 2024 include Benedict Cumberbatch, Beverley Knight, Adrian Lester, Brian Cox and Jodie Whittaker

·         The Forsyte Saga will have its stage premiere in a two-part adaptation

·         Vicki McKellar and Olivier award-winning director Guy Masterson present a new thriller exploring the five hours immediately after the death of Marilyn Monroe

·         Further shows include family dramas, a queer rom-com, international artists and emerging artists

X (Twitter): @ParkTheatre | www.parktheatre.co.uk

Park Theatre has announced a plethora of new shows for 2024, including the third instalment of their hugely popular Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] seriesand a two-part adaptation of The Forsyte Saga. Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 3 (27 Mar – 4 May) will see over 45 celebrities take the role of theInspector without ever seeing the script and only hearing their lines via earpiece moments before speaking. The farcical murder mystery set aboard a train has staggering line up comedians, actors and presenters returning to play the Inspector, including Clive Anderson, Gillian Anderson, David Baddiel, Sanjeev Bhaskar,Marcus Brigstocke, Simon Callow, Michelle Collins, Nina Conti, Victoria Coren Mitchell, Les Dennis, Adrian Dunbar, Mark Gatiss, Tamsin Greig, David Haig, Harry Hill, Adam Hills, Ronan Keating, Ross Kemp, Maureen Lipman, Gareth Malone, Jason Manford, Stephen Mangan, Tim McInnerny, David Mitchell, Neil Morrissey, Eddie Nestor, Sue Perkins, Clarke Peters, Daisy Ridley, Rob Rinder, Tony Robinson, Catherine Tate, Sandi Toksvig, Meera Syal, Emma Thompson, Johnny Vegas, Tim Vine and Greg Wise, with new faces this year including Benedict Cumberbatch, Beverley Knight, Adrian Lester, Brian Cox and Jodie Whittaker, with more to be announced. The voice of Ian McKellen will once again feature in the fundraiser, which is presented by Park Theatre at the close of its 10^th anniversary year to combat the rising costs of making live theatre and running the venue during the cost-of-living crisis.

The Forsyte Saga (11 Oct – 7 Dec) has been announced for Autumn 2024 as Park Theatre’s first two-part drama, adapted by Shaun McKenna and Lin Coghlan. Spanning 40 years from the last gasp of the Victorian age to the beginning of the roaring 1920s, this is an epic tale of sex, money and power. Wealthy solicitor Soames Forsyte is a man of property, and his beautiful wife Irene is his most prized possession. When he commissions an architect to build him a house in which to keep her, the cracks in their marriage finally begin to show, until something happens so shocking that it tears the Forsyte family apart. The Forsyte Saga Part 1: Irene and The Forsyte Saga Part 2: Fleur play across alternate nights and run consecutively on matinee days, featuring a cast of nine in a stylish period production.

Further shows in the 2024 programme, following the previously announced Kim’s Convenience (8 Jan – 10 Feb) and Philip Ridley’s Leaves of Glass (16 Jan – 10 Feb), include further family dramas, a queer romantic comedy, a double bill of work by emerging artists, international artists, and a meticulously researched thriller asking what happened in the five hours between Marilyn Monroe’s death and the call to report it to the police.

Hir (15 Feb – 16 Mar, Park200) is by Pulitzer and Tony-nominee Taylor Mac and directed in this new revival by Steven Kunis. Isaac, the prodigal son, has returned from the brutality of war, only to discover his family home transformed by domestic revolution. The patriarchy has fallen, and mother Paige has been liberated from an oppressive marriage. Enlisting Isaac’s newly-out transgender sibling as her ally, Paige is now on a crusade to tear apart the old regimes. Hir is a disarmingly funny, strikingly original comedy exploring a family in transition, forced to build a brave new world out of the pieces of the old.

Playing alongside this in Park90, Edinburgh Fringe hit Cowboys and Lesbians(21 Feb – 9 Mar) is Billie Esplen’s queer romantic comedy which examines the intersection between sexuality and fantasy through the eyes of two closeted teenage girls, highlighting just how much the stories we consume affect the ones we tell about ourselves. Nina and Noa are 17 and wasting their youth on flashcards and fantasies about their teachers. They’ve never been to a party, they’ve never been kissed, and they’re absolutely never going to admit that they fancy each other. That is, until they start writing a Hollywood romance, inventing a fantasy world of lust, betrayal, and sexy cowboys.

Next up in Park90, Hide and Seek(12 – 30 Mar) is a play about bullying, homophobia and the power of social media, exploring how discriminatory voices can deeply impact young minds. Gio, who has never felt accepted by anyone – not by parents, teachers or peers – decides to disappear and hide out in a secluded cave. When his popular classmate Mirko discovers him, Gio enlists him as an accomplice, convincing him to preserve his secret despite the media frenzy over his disappearance. Hide and Seek is by one of Italy’s foremost playwrights, Tobia Rossi, and transfers to Park Theatre from VAULT Festival 2023.

Running at the same time as Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 3 plays in Park200, Park90 sees the return of Make Mine a Double (2 – 13 Apr), a double bill of shows that aims to give theatre makers a lower-cost and lower-risk way of producing new work in the Finsbury Park venue, as well as offering multi-buy tickets to encourage local audiences to see compelling new work. The first will be The Light Houseby Alys Williams, a real-life story of falling in love and staying in love, even when the lights go out and you’re lost in the dark, even when the person you love doesn’t want to be alive. It’s paired with Sun Bear, a one-woman comedy from Sarah Richardson about Katy, an office-worker who is drowning under the pressure of it all. Cold, cutting and out of control, Katy is one team-building lunch away from tearing the whole office apart, personalised mugs and all.

Jez Bond said, “We’re delighted to be bringing the third instalment of Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] to Park Theatre, and so grateful to the astonishing slate of guest performers who are once again donating their time to us. As a venue that receives no regular public subsidy, their ongoing support to fundraisers such as this are vital to keep the venue open as costs climb, and ensure we can keep supporting emerging artists with programmes such as Make Mine a Double, which returns in April, as well as the community outreach we do and our continuing efforts to make performances accessible for all. We are also thrilled to be announcing our first two-part drama series in The Forsyte Saga, and our Spring shows, Hir, Cowboys and Lesbians and Hide and Seek which come to us as a new revival, from Edinburgh Fringe and from VAULT Festival.”

A first glimpse of Park Theatre’s Summer season, A Song of Songs in Park200 (9 May – 15 June) is a musical play from an unprecedented collaboration of international artists, winner of The San Francisco Critics Award for the best new production. A Song of Songs fuses a world music score, Middle Eastern harmonics, dazzling choreography and an inspiring story of passion and awakening. Drawing on influences that span continents and millennia – from ancient feminist eroticism to the sounds of modern European Flamenco, Klezmer and the Middle-East. 

In Park90 is the world premiere of Ostan (16 May – 8 June) by Azhang Pezhman, a drama about Rebin, who has been stuck in the UK immigration system for almost a decade. Rebin has heard it all before. That is until the boss, Shapur, proposes using his struggling hand car wash business as a front for a human trafficking enterprise. Smuggling immigrants into the country in the boots of the carwash client’s cars.

In The Marilyn Conspiracy(19 Jun – 27 Jul, Park200), Vicki McKellar teams up with Olivier Award-winning director Guy Masterson in a meticulously researched thriller about the five hours after the death of Marilyn Monroe. All the facts are revealed, lies exposed, the myths debunked, and the shocking truth of what happened in those missing five hours is laid bare on stage.

Finally, before the Autumn run of The Forsyte Saga, 23.5 Hours(4 Sept – 5 Oct) is a deeply moving exploration of love, trust, truth and lies. Once a beloved high school teacher, Tom Hodges’s world shatters after he is accused of a terrible crime. When he returns from prison, long-buried scars resurface, putting the bonds of marriage and loyalty to the ultimate test.

Park Theatre presents exceptional theatre in the heart of Finsbury Park, boasting two world-class performance spaces: Park200 for predominantly larger scale productions by established talent, and Park90, a flexible studio space, for emerging artists. In ten years, it has enjoyed 12 West End transfers (including Rose starring Maureen Lipman, The Boys in the Band starring Mark Gatiss, Pressure starring David Haig and The Life I Lead starring Miles Jupp), two National Theatre transfers, 14 national tours, six Olivier Award nominations, has won multiple Offie Awards and won a Theatre of the Year award from The Stage.

Listings information

Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP

www.parktheatre.co.uk | 020 7870 6876*

* Telephone booking fee: £3 per transaction. Ticket prices are inclusive of a £1.50 building levy.

Social media

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Park200                                                                       15 Feb – 16 Mar

Hir | Presented by David Adkin and RJG Productions in association with Park Theatre

Written by Taylor Mac | Directed by Steven Kunis

Isaac, the prodigal son, has returned from the brutality of war, only to discover his family home transformed by domestic revolution. 

The patriarchy has fallen, and mother Paige has been liberated from an oppressive marriage. Enlisting Isaac’s newly-out transgender sibling as her ally, Paige is now on a crusade to tear apart the old regimes – But in Taylor Mac’s disarmingly funny, strikingly original comedy, annihilating the past doesn’t always free you from it. 

Named ‘one of the most exciting theatre artists of our time’ by Time Out New York, Pulitzer and Tony-nominee Taylor Mac has exploded the classic dysfunctional family drama and turned it on its head. 

In a revival by critically acclaimed director Steven Kunis, Hir explores a family in transition, forced to build a brave new world out of the pieces of the old. 

Running time 2hrs 20 min including interval

Audio described Friday 1 Mar 7.30pm with touch tour 6.30pm

Mon – Sat 7.30pm, matinees Thu and Sat 3pm I £47.50 – £22.50 (standard), £26.50 – £20 (65+ Mon eve and Thu mat), £17.50 (access), £10 (Park Up 16-26 years Band C throughout the run) I Previews 15 – 17 Feb, £15 – £29.50

Park90                                                                         21 Feb – 9 Mar 

Cowboys and Lesbians | Presented by Spring Lamb in association with Park Theatre         

Written and directed by Billie Esplen
Cast includes: Julia Pilkington, Georgia Vyvyan

Nina and Noa are 17 and wasting their youth on flashcards and fantasies about their teachers. They’ve never been to a party, they’ve never been kissed, and they’re absolutely never going to admit that they fancy each other. That is, until they start writing a Hollywood romance, inventing a fantasy world of lust, betrayal, and sexy cowboys. But, while making fun of all the classic teen romance clichés, they begin to realise that the real love story might have been under their noses the whole time… 

Cowboys and Lesbians is a queer romantic comedy which examines the intersection between sexuality and fantasy through the eyes of two closeted teenage girls, highlighting just how much the stories we consume affect the ones we tell about ourselves. 

Running time 75 mins approx.

Captioned Fri 1 Mar 7.45pm, Relaxed Thu 7 Mar 3.15pm

Mon – Sat 7.45pm, 3.15pm matinees Thu & Sat | £25 – £15 (standard), £9 (access), £10 (Park Up 16-26 years, throughout the run I Previews 21 – 22 Feb (£15)

Park90                                                             12 – 30 Mar

Hide and Seek | Presented by ZAVA Productions in association with Park Theatre   

Written by Tobia Rossi | Translated and directed by Carlotta Brentan

Hide and Seek is a moving and darkly entertaining play that pits two teenage boys against each other in the face of the contagious prejudice of their small Italian town. Gio, who has never felt accepted by anyone – not by parents, teachers or peers – decides to disappear and hide out in a secluded cave. When his popular classmate Mirko discovers him, Gio enlists him as an accomplice, convincing him to preserve his secret despite the media frenzy over his disappearance. The boys embark on an unexpected journey towards self-discovery and acceptance, setting in motion a series of dramatic consequences. 

The play shines a light on bullying, homophobia and the power of social media, exploring how discriminatory voices can deeply impact young minds. It highlights how being yourself is still a risky proposition in our society when it comes to sexual orientation and independent thought. 

Tobia Rossi is one of Italy’s foremost playwrights. Hide and Seek won the 2019 Mario Fratti Award at In Scena! Italian Theater Festival NY. The worldwide premiere of the English translation was presented in May 2022 at The Tank, NYC. This production transfers from VAULT Festival 2023 where it was first performed in front of a British audience. 

Running time 85 mins (approx)

Audio described Fri 22 Mar 7.45pm with touch tour at 6.45pm | Relaxed Mon 25 Mar 7.45pm

Mon – Sat 7.45pm, 3.15pm matinees Thu & Sat | £25 – £15 (standard), £9 (access), £10 (Park Up 16-26 years, throughout the run I Previews 12 – 14 March (£15)

Park200                                                          

Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 3 | A special fundraising run presented by Park Theatre

World Premiere

Written by Jez Bond & Mark Cameron | Directed by Jez Bond

Following the sell-out success of our previous Whodunnit murder mystery spoofs, this next instalment takes us all completely off the rails!  

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend – or are they? As the temperature plummets, tensions rise and the bodies keep on falling. Can our illustrious Inspector keep this journey on track or will this be a bus replacement service for everyone? Murder, mayhem and this time… magnificent magic! 

Every performance of Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 3 features the voice of Ian McKellen with a different celebrity in each performance stepping in as the Inspector without any rehearsal and without ever having seen the script! 

The staggering line up of unsuspecting Inspectors includes Clive Anderson, Gillian Anderson, David Baddiel, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Marcus Brigstocke, Simon Callow, Michelle Collins, Nina Conti, Victoria Coren Mitchell, Brian Cox, Benedict Cumberbatch, Les Dennis, Adrian Dunbar, Mark Gatiss, Tamsin Greig, David Haig, Harry Hill, Adam Hills, Ronan Keating, Ross Kemp, Beverley Knight, Adrian Lester, Maureen Lipman, Gareth Malone, Jason Manford, Stephen Mangan, Tim McInnerny, David Mitchell, Neil Morrissey, Eddie Nestor, Sue Perkins, Clarke Peters, Daisy Ridley, Rob Rinder, Tony Robinson, Meera Syal, Catherine Tate, Emma Thompson, Sandi Toksvig, Johnny Vegas, Tim Vine, Jodie Whittaker and Greg Wise (plus a few more very big names to be announced soon!) – all of whom will have their lines fed to them live onstage via an earpiece as they attempt to crack the case and avoid a train wreck on the journey to justice. We won’t be announcing which date each of our celebrity friends is playing the Inspector – the mystery is who will arrive on the platform at your performance! 

After the show hear from our celebrity in a ‘behind the scenes’ conversation, when it’s your turn to do the interrogation.  

Running time tbc

Audio Described Fri 22 Mar 7.45pm, touch tour 6.45pm

Mon – Sat 7.30pm, matinees Thu and Sat 2.30pm I £99.50 – £57.50 (standard), (access 50% off up to two tickets), Standing room £15 (released at 10am on the day of the performance)

Park90                                                             2 – 13 April

7pm (The Light House) & 8.30pm (Sun Bear)

Make Mine a Double                                                               

A double bill to give emerging artists and companies a chance to present their work in short run with another show

The Light House | Presented by Alys Williams in association with Park Theatre

London Premiere

Written and performed by Alys Williams | Directed by Andrea Heaton

Man overboard! Man overboard! Call control. Blow the whistle.  

Love is a complicated business. It gets even more complicated when the person you love doesn’t want to be alive. Tender, funny and defiantly hopeful, The Light House is a real-life story of falling in love and staying in love, even when the lights go out and you’re lost in the dark. It’s a love letter to life. 

Join the emergency response as we dance in the kitchen, sing in the streets and try to turn the lights back on. It gets lonely, muddling through these days and nights. So why don’t we do it together? 

Running time 60 mins

Sun Bear | Presented by Sarah Richardson in association with Park Theatre

UK Premiere

Written and performed by Sarah Richardson

In Katy’s office everything is perfect. Perfect people, intrinsically entwined, working together as one big happy family. There is only one problem. Her.

 Cold, cutting and out of control, Katy is one team-building lunch away from tearing the whole office apart, personalised mugs and all.

She is sinking. Having cut off all ties to any remaining lifeboat, Katy is drowning. Under the pressure of it all. Under the panic that refuses to give. Under the images of him that she just can’t shake. She is heading straight for rock bottom, with a line of burnt bridges blazing behind her. 

But what sent her on this downward spiral? And is there anyone left that can stop her from the impending crash landing? 

Mixing spoken word and theatre, Sarah Richardson presents the UK premiere of her award-winning, one-woman dark comedy. 

Running time 60 mins

The Light House performance schedule

Mon – Sat 7pm, matinees Thu and Sat 2.30pm

Sun Bear performance schedule

Mon – Sat 8.30pm, matinees Thu and Sat 4pm

Early Bird rate – valid until 23 Feb 2024  Standard: £17.50 | Both Make Mine a Double shows multibuy offer: £12.50 each

Regular pricing – from 24 Feb 2024 Standard: £22.50 | Both Make Mine a Double shows multibuy offer: £17.50 each

Access: £9

Park200                                                           9 May – 15 June

A Song of Songs | Presented by John Gertz in association with Love Sick Development LLC and Park Theatre

European Premiere

Directed by Chris Renshaw | Written and Adapted by Ofra Daniel I Music byOfra Daniel and Lior Ben Hur incollaboration with Ali Paris

From an unprecedented collaboration of international artists comes A Song of Songs, a critically acclaimed musical play, and winner of The San Francisco Critics Award for the best new production. A Song of Songs fuses a world music score, Middle Eastern harmonics, dazzling choreography and an inspiring story of passion and awakening. Drawing on influences that span continents and millennia – from ancient feminist eroticism to the sounds of modern European Flamenco, Klezmer and the Middle-East. 

A Song of Songs tells the story of a young wife (Ofra Daniel) in a loveless marriage who discovers she has an unseen admirer. Intrigued, she enters into a mysterious and fervent love affair, finding herself on a dazzling journey of sexual and personal empowerment. 

A Song of Songs creative team features a multicultural collection of award-winning artists including: the prolific Israeli actress and composer Ofra Daniel and the Tony Award nominated director Christopher Renshaw (We Will Rock You, Zorro, The King and I, Taboo) and composed by Lior Ben-Hur (Sol Tevél) and Ofra Daniel (Behind Closed Doors, Edges, What if?, Kassit – The Musical – San Francisco). 

This new production of A Song of Songs is a true multicultural theatrical event. The 2017 San Francisco premiere had audiences on their feet and was hailed as “extraordinary… lush… full of surprises… Highest Rating! This story seems ordained by gods!” (San Francisco Chronicles).  

Running time 2hrs inc interval

Mon – Sat 7.30pm, matinees Thu and Sat 3pm I £47.50 – £22.50 (standard), £26.50 – £20 (65+ Mon eve and Thu mat), £17.50 (access), £10 (Park Up 16-26 years Band C throughout the run) I Previews 9 – 11 May, £15 – £29.50

Park90                                                                         16 May – 8 Jun

Ostan | Talking Shop Productions in association with Park Theatre

World Premiere

Written by Arzhang Pezhman | Directed by Gaby Dellal

Rebin has been stuck in the UK immigration system for almost a decade, which has given him plenty of time to get into a routine.    

Work.  

Play.  

Apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.  

Repeat. 

Work is the local hand carwash, under the nurturing eye of the manager, Destan, an Iranian-Kurd. The Iranian bit helps because the owner, Shapur, is very proud of his Persian roots. 

Play is online gaming with friend Noah, a truck driver and loyal customer of the carwash. Though maybe not so loyal on the virtual battlefield. 

Indefinite Leave to Remain is Gorkem. New worker, fresh off the boat. A Turkish-Kurd who claims to be the grandson of the Kurdish freedom fighter, Apo Ocalan. 

Rebin, an Iraqi-Kurd with no safe passage home, just sees history repeating itself. While he stays true to his story and stuck in the system, he’s seen half a dozen like Gorkem make their way through the carwash, claiming heroic tales of escape, securing indefinite leave to remain and moving on with their lives.  

Rebin has heard it all before.  

That is until the boss, Shapur, proposes using the struggling business as a front for a human trafficking enterprise. Smuggling immigrants into the country in the boots of the carwash client’s cars.   

Rebin’s routine is about to be shattered. Indefinitely. 

Running time 90 mins (approx.)

Audio Described Wed 22 May 7.45pm, touch tour 6.45pm, Sat 25 May 7.45pm, touch tour 6.45pm

Mon – Sat 7.45pm, 3.15pm matinees Thu & Sat | £25 – £15 standard, £9 (access), £10 (Park Up 16-26 years, throughout the run I Previews 16 – 18 May (£15)

Park200                                                           19 Jun – 27 Jul

The Marilyn Conspiracy | Presented by Guy Masterson – Theatre Tours International Ltd and Park Theatre

London Premiere

Written by Vicki McKellar and Guy Masterson | Directed by Guy Masterson

On Wednesday August 1st 1962, seven people gathered at Marilyn Monroe’s home to celebrate her new $2m two-picture deal with 20th Century Fox. 

At 04:30 the following Sunday 5 August, her apparent suicide was called in to the police and was reported as a drugs overdose. But the truth is far more shocking: She was found unconscious by her housekeeper the night before at 22:35, and subsequently died at 23:40, all after a late visit from a very important guest… 

The same seven people then regathered in her home on Saturday night – and yet her death was only reported nearly 5 hours later. 

What did they talk about? 

In this powerful, new, meticulously researched thriller co-written by Vicki McKellar and Olivier Award-winning West End and Broadway director Guy Masterson, all the facts are revealed, lies exposed, the myths debunked, and the shocking truth of what happened in those missing 5 hours is laid bare on stage.

Running time 2hrs 15 mins including interval (approx.)

Captioned Wed 17 Jul 7.30pm

Mon – Sat 7.30pm, matinees Thu and Sat 3pm I £47.50 – £22.50 (standard), £26.50 – £20 (65+ Mon eve and Thu mat), £17.50 (access), £10 (Park Up 16-26 years Band C throughout the run) I Previews 19 – 21 Jun, £15 – £29.50

Park200                                                           4 Sept – 5 Oct

23.5 Hours | Presented by Blue Touch Paper Productions and OPM Productions in association with Park Theatre

European Premiere

Directed by Katharine Farmer

Once a beloved high school teacher, Tom Hodges’s world shatters after he is accused of a terrible crime. When he returns from prison, long-buried scars resurface, putting the bonds of marriage and loyalty to the ultimate test. In this deeply moving exploration of love, trust, truth and lies, Tom’s family and friends are forced to confront profound questions about themselves and one another.

His wife Leigh never thought she’d be “one of those women”. But she finds herself standing by her man who has never wavered from his claim of innocence. Each new revelation pushes her to re-examine their entire life as she struggles to remain present for their son Nicholas who can’t escape the relentless bullying on social media. 23.5 Hours delves into the harrowing aftermath of a conviction and the far-reaching impacts it imposes on both family and community. This delicately balanced, beautifully nuanced new family drama digs deep beneath the surface of a happy suburban existence to explore the collateral damages of our actions.

Running time 2hrs 15min inc interval

Parents and Babies performance Thursday 3 October 11am

Mon – Sat 7.30pm, matinees Thu and Sat 3pm I £47.50 – £22.50 (standard), £26.50 – £20 (65+ Mon eve and Thu mat), £17.50 (access), £10 (Park Up 16-26 years Band C throughout the run) I Previews 4 – 6 Sept, £15 – £29.50

Park200                                                                                               11 Oct – 7 Dec

The Forsyte Saga: Parts 1 and 2 | Presented by Ashley Cook for Troupe in association with Park Theatre

World Premiere

By John Galsworthy

Adapted by Shaun McKenna and Lin Coghlan | Directed by Josh Roche

‘’Now I know what Soames did, what my father did, I will never be able to not know it.’’   

London, 1886.  Wealthy solicitor Soames Forsyte is a man of property, and his beautiful wife Irene is his most prized possession. When he commissions an architect to build him a house in which to keep her, the cracks in their marriage finally begin to show, until something happens so shocking that it tears the Forsyte family apart. Years later, Soames’ daughter Fleur is haunted by the family secret when history begins to repeat itself…  

John Galsworthy’s classic story The Forsyte Saga (famously adapted for television and recently for BBC Radio 4) is newly dramatized for the stage in two parts by Shaun McKenna and Lin Coghlan, bringing the unheard female voices to the fore for the first time. Spanning 40 years from the last gasp of the Victorian age to the beginning of the roaring 1920s, this is an epic tale of sex, money and power.  

The Forsyte Saga Part 1: Irene and The Forsyte Saga Part 2: Fleur play across alternate nights and run consecutively on matinee days, featuring a cast of nine in a stylish period production.

Running time Part 1: 2hr 20 min including interval | Part 2: 2hrs 20 mins including interval

Captioned performances (Part 1 & 2) Saturday 26 October | Audio described performances (Part 1 & 2) Saturday 2 November

Mon – Sat 7.30pm, matinees Thu and Sat 3pm I £47.50 – £22.50 (standard), £26.50 – £20 (65+ Mon eve and Thu mat), £17.50 (access), £10 (Park Up 16-26 years Band C throughout the run) I Previews 11 – 18 Oct, £15 – £29.50

Book for both parts together and save 10%*. The two parts of The Forsyte Saga are separate and intended to be seen sequentially. However, each part constitutes a complete theatre-going experience on its own.

FOLIO 400 x INVERSE FILMS

SHAKESPEARE’S FIRST FOLIO REIMAGINED FOR FILM

FILM SCREENING & POETRY READING

WITH BRITISH STARS OF STAGE & SCREEN

8^TH NOVEMBER 7PM|ST MARTIN IN THE FIELDS

LONDON|TICKETS|TRAILER

On Wednesday 8^th November, the 400^th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s first folio, St Martin in the Fields London will host an exclusive screening of an original film shorts collection by the BAFTA nominated film maker Jack Jewers that reimagine six of Shakespeare’s most popular speeches and poems for the 21^st century.

Each film short uses Shakespeare’s 400-year-old words as a lens through which to navigate the world in which we live today. The six films are narrated by award winning actors including Tom Baker, Eliza Butterworth, Cerys Matthews, Crystal Clarke and Amber Anderson. 

Themes explored in the film shorts range the war in Ukraine, to social justice protests and the impact of COVID. With uncanny parallels between our lives now, and life in 1623, these poignant film shorts demonstrate that Shakespeare’s words have never been more relevant as we find ourselves moving from pandemic to global conflict. Despite centuries of change our very human experiences of loss, joy, grief and compassion remain the same. Film Shorts Trailer here: https://vimeo.com/833693399

At this very special event on 8^th November, an exclusive film screening of all six film shorts will be accompanied by readings of Shakespeare’s best loved poems performed by professional actors and special guests including Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones, Upstart Crow), Lindsay Duncan (Rome, Mansfield Park, Birdman), Fra Fee (Les Miserables, Cabaret, Hawkeye), Eliza Butterworth (The Last Kingdom, The North Water), Melanie Marshall (Alice in Wonderland, Casualty), Jamie Parker (Becoming Elizabeth, The History Boys), Arthur Hughes (The Innocents, Shardlake) and Allie Esiri (Howard’s End, Sharpe) who will also be signing copies of her poetry collection Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year.

Event & Ticket info here: https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/calendar/folio-400/

Jack Jewers’ innovative approach to film-making for this original shorts collection saw him send a speech from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, along with a portrait of Shakespeare, into space, in the film short “Lovers and Madmen” narrated by Tom Baker (Dr Who).

In the film short “St Crispin’s Day,” Jewers remotely directed Ukrainian civilians in bomb-stricken Kyiv, with the powerful footage providing a striking new interpretation of Shakespeare’s rousing “Band of Brothers” speech from Henry V, performed here by Eliza Butterworth (The Last Kingdom, The North Water).

Written 400 years ago “The Strangers Case” is an intensely moving speech is an impassioned defence of refugees that rings as true today as it did in 1597.  The film short uses real footage of refugees at sea and is voiced by Crystal Clarke (Sanderton, Empire of Light) with a stunning central performance from actor Yasin Morad who came to the UK as a refugee.

In “All the World’s A Stage”, Jewers invited international university students to narrate the famous speech from As You Like It in their first languages, as an exploration of British multiculturalism in the face of ever-changing immigration laws, and as a celebration of the universality of Shakespeare’s words.

For the film short “They That Have Power to Hurt” musician and BBC presenter Cerys Matthews narrates Sonnet 94. Traditionally seen as a love poem, here Jewers uses Shakespeare’s words to explore a rising sense of unrest and the tension between activists and law enforcement all over the world, as well as illustrating the power and complexities of protest movements.

Taken from The Tempest, “Our Revels Now Are Ended” narrated by Amber Anderson (Emma, Peaky Blinders) deals with themes of loneliness and isolation caused by the pandemic – but also the feeling of liberation and celebration that reuniting with loved ones brought when lockdown ended.

Jack Jewers says: “Everything that has been happening to us in the past few years of upheaval – mass disease, concerns about immigration, protest, conflict in Europe, a growing desire to challenge authority and speak truth to power – was also happening in 1623 when the First Folio was published. In 1623 English migrants were going in boats across the sea to build a new life in North America. There was an outbreak of plague. Europe was entrenched in the Thirty Years War. And the ongoing explosion of trade, immigration and diplomacy meant that news of global events would have reached Shakespeare’s ears faster and faster. Just as today the 24-hour news cycle has us feeling our global neighbours are closer than ever, so it must have felt for Shakespeare 400 years ago. Now, as then, society is deeply divided. The parallels are uncanny and Shakespeare’s words are fresher now than ever before in their ability to speak powerfully to our own contemporary lives.”

EVENT INFO

Date: Wednesday 8^th November

Time: 7pm – 8pm

Ticket Price: £8

Website & Tickets: https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/calendar/folio-400/

Location: St Martin in the Fields London

Address: St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 4JJ

Nearest Tube: Charing Cross, Leicester Square

ABOUT THE FILMS

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

Shakespeare text: “Seven Ages of Man” speech from As You Like, Act 2, Scene 7

Narrator: Students at the University of Creative Arts in Surrey 

Watch here: https://vimeo.com/809958427 PW: INVERSE

The opening film is as straightforward a communication of the overarching theme of this series that there could be. Here are young people from all over the world – almost every continent – who have come to the UK to study. All of them reciting the same passage, written over 400 years ago, but in their own language. Because Shakespeare is, was, and always will be, for everyone.

Jack Jewers says: “The way we made this film was such a wonderful reflection of its theme around inclusivity and multiculturism. Essentially, we set up a pop-up studio at a university with a large population of students for whom English was their second language and invited those students to come along and recite this passage. These young people were genuinely passionate about this speech. They knew it. They knew it in English, and in their first language. They wanted to be part of this project. And I think that comes across in the film. Even 400 years on, Shakespeare still has something to say to the young people of today.”

Production notes: Filmed in a studio with international drama students at the University for Creative Arts in the UK. The speech is presented in a lively and ultimately poignant mix of Greek, Bulgarian, Armenian, Yoruba, Chinese, Portuguese and Estonian.

St Crispin’s Day

Shakespeare text: “St Crispin’s Day” speech from Henry V, Act 4 Scene 3

Narrated by Eliza Butterworth

Watch here: https://vimeo.com/810026756 PW: INVERSE

Set to the St. Crispin’s Day speech, and movingly performed by Eliza Butterworth, the film short draws a line between the bravery of the Ukrainian people and Shakespeare’s rousing words of courage from Henry V – the most famous battle cry in all of fiction.

Jack Jewers says: “At first glance it could seem a strange choice to soundtrack images of the devastation in Ukraine with what is essentially a battle cry, King Henry rallying his troops on the eve of war. But what has always struck me about Henry V – and, quite frankly, most other artistic interpretations of great wars – is that it only ever talks about the soldiers. What we don’t get to see are the people left at home. The partners, the children, the older people. And they are, lest we forget, fighting a war of their own.

With this film, that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to show those people, the ones we don’t see celebrated, on their own battleground. One that is so strikingly familiar to us – a petrol station, a coffee shop, a supermarket. Places you and I go every day, now reduced to rubble. The resilience of the Ukrainian people has astonished me. Ultimately, the St Crispin’s Day speech is a battle cry, yes. But there is more than one way of fighting a battle.”

Production Notes: The film employed an innovative production method, with Jack Jewers remotely directing a local journalist, Lydia Huzhva, who filmed the striking images on the ground in Kyiv, in September 2022. Eliza Butterworth was one of the breakout stars of Netflix’s smash hit The Last Kingdom, playing fan favourite Lady Aelswith, and is currently starring in A Town Called Malice on Sky Max.

THE STRANGER’S CASE

Shakespeare text: “The Stranger’s Case” – speech contributed by Shakespeare to an unperformed play

Narrator: Crystal Clarke (Sanditon, Star Wars)

Watch here: https://vimeo.com/843812717 PW: INVERSE

Written 400 years ago for a collaborative play called Sir Thomas More, this intensely moving speech is an impassioned defence of refugees. Voiced by Crystal Clark and with a stunning central performance from Yasin Morad who came to the UK as a refugee, it rings as true today as it did in 1517. 

Jack Jewers says: “I first worked with Refugee Rescue back in 2021 and have been haunted by the footage they shared with me ever since. When I discovered this speech, widely believed to have been written by Shakespeare, I immediately wanted to combine the two. I hope it brings attention to the horrors faced by people who seek safety in the UK, forced to make dangerous crossings as a result of complex and unwieldy refugee policy. Working with Yasin was incredible; after he watched the footage for the first time, he said, quietly: “This is how it was for me.” It was a powerful moment for us all, and I think his performance, along with Crystal’s stunning narration, makes this a very special film.”

Production notes: Yasin Morad, the dancer, is himself a refugee whose own experience mirrors that of the refugees shown in the film. 

They That Have Power to Hurt

Shakespeare’s text: Sonnet 94

Narrated by Cerys Matthews

Watch here: https://vimeo.com/810005450 PW: INVERSE

Voiced with spine-tingling power by Cerys Matthews, this ‘found footage’ short turns a traditional love poem into a critique of violence and police corruption.

Jack Jewers says: “Protest has been an incendiary issue over the past 18 months, with impassioned feelings on both sides. As a filmmaker, I tend to see the world in shades of grey, and so the black-and-white rhetoric around protest both troubles and interests me. The film doesn’t seek to answer these questions but rather to provoke discussion. The footage – which is a mixture of shots taken from protests from around the world, material I set up and shot myself, and ‘found footage’ – doesn’t flinch from acknowledging that protest can be a violent act. As, inevitably, is its policing. My aim here is to call into question that black-and-white thinking inherent in protest – the idea that there is a “bad” side and a “good” side. Whatever you see when you watch it – whether it’s the people fighting for justice against an authoritarian state, or agents of the law attempting to quell violence and chaos – I want to challenge that perspective and ask people if there’s something more to it. Something more nuanced. The last line of this sonnet speaks to that: Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds… at what point does “being on the right side of history” become wrong?

Production notes: The first of two “found footage” films in the series using material compiled from a variety of sources. It combines clips that were specially-filmed with actors; video shot by Jack Jewers at actual protests in London and New York; stock footage; and news footage. Musician and presenter Cerys Matthews narrates Sonnet 94, which is traditionally seen as a love story, but Jack reinterprets here as something darker.

Our Revels Now Are Ended

Shakespeare’s text: “We are such stuff as dreams are made on” speech from The Tempest, Act 4 Scene 1

Narrated by: Amber Anderson

Watch here: https://vimeo.com/810289105 PW: INVERSE

Hauntingly narrated by Amber Anderson, this film paints a chillingly beautiful portrait of the isolation of life during lockdown – and the feeling of liberation when it was over.

Jack Jewers says: “When I look back on the early days of the pandemic, what comes back to me in an awful, horrifying rush is the sense of isolation that we all felt. Not just having to stay in our homes, but also in the images that we saw, whether on TV or when we did leave the house to get shopping, or for our daily walk. People alone. Distanced. Separated. Again and again, solitary figures, not touching. Not touching. It has never occurred to me until then how often we touch – holding hands, hugging hello and goodbye, a supportive hand on a shoulder, a delighted touch of an arm when somebody makes us laugh.

And having all of that gone overnight was… horrific. Losing the comfort it brings, of that silent support and solace that only comes from human touch. It has a power that I think we had all forgotten, and that’s what this film highlights. And ultimately, it celebrates it, too. It celebrates the shift, the moment when things started to open up and we were able to re-emerge and touch each other again. Reveling in reconnection. In the healing power of human touch. And in how it rounds out our lives, from beginning to end. For the short time we’re here, we seek out connection, over and over again. And to have that back again has been truly magical.”

Production notes: The second of the “found footage” episodes, made from a mixture of news footage, stock footage and Jack’s own specially-filmed material, and narrated by Amber Anderson, best known for her roles in Emma (2020) and as Lady Diana Mitford in Peaky Blinders.

Lovers And Madmen

Shakespeare’s text: “More strange than true” speech from A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, Act 5 Scene 1

Narrated by Tom Baker

Watch here: https://vimeo.com/810120197 PW: INVERSE

A young woman enters an art contest by trying to send a portrait of Shakespeare into the air. At first she fails spectacularly, but then succeeds better than she ever could have imagined… This whimsical and charming season-ender is narrated by Tom Baker. Best known for his much-beloved portrayal of Doctor Who from 1974-1981, he is a much-loved national treasure with one of the most recognisable voices in the world.

Jack Jewers says: “This film was the first one I conceived of but by far the most challenging to make. But in a good way. It pushed me to the limits of what I thought would be possible. I had this image in my head: a portrait of Shakespeare — the universal playwright, whose work I truly believe speaks to everyone – backgrounded by space, with earth’s curvature in the background. What more fitting way to celebrate the universality of our human experience, and how it has been captured for 400 years by these wonderful words, than that? Once we had the technology sorted to actually send the portrait into space, the rest of the film’s story became a bit of a reflection of that whole process: the artist, fueled by passion and determination. The frustration of creativity thwarted. The power of perseverance. And the absolute joy of finally seeing your ideas come to fruition. These are themes that speak to everyone. Most importantly to me, this last film is about hope. It’s about not giving up, even in the face of adversity. And after all, isn’t that what we as a world have done for the past few years?”

Production Notes: The ending to the film, in which the portrait of Shakespeare is taken up to space and floats above the planet, was filmed for real, with no special effects. It involved sending a camera up on a weather balloon with a GPS tracker. The space flight was carried out with the help of a team from Sent Into Space, a company of engineers from Sheffield.

ABOUT THE EXTRACTS

The six extracts that the have been reimagined for a 21^st century audience are:

·       “Seven Ages of Man” from As You Like, Act 2, Scene 7

·       “St Crispin’s Day” from Henry V, Act 4 Scene 3

·       “The Stranger’s Case” – speech contributed by Shakespeare to an unperformed play

·       Sonnet 94 (“They That Have Power to Hurt”)

·       “We are such stuff as dreams are made on” from The Tempest, Act 4 Scene

·       “More strange than true” speech from A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, Act 5 Scene

Mind’s first Music On Our Minds gig

with James McVey

Mind, the UK’s leading mental health charity, are delighted to be launching their live music series Music On Our Minds at Hoxton Hall on FRIDAY 10 NOVEMBER 2024 at 8pm (doors open 7pm). 

This debut gig promises to be a unique experience for any live music fan, but especially for fans of The Vamps as we are excited to be presenting James McVey in the beautiful, intimate and historic Hoxton Hall. 

Best known for his chart-topping, arena-filling, multi-Platinum success with The Vamps, James McVey now takes a very different approach as he launches his solo project. His first single, ‘Dancing On The Head Of A Needle’, finds him stepping confidently into introspective folk-pop territory, which was inspired by his love of artists such as Damien Rice.

James has spoken out about his own experience with his mental health and we are so proud to be working with him in our mission to normalise the conversation around this important subject and to inspire more people to speak out and seek help if they need it.

We hope you all enjoy Mind’s first Music On Our Minds gig with the amazing James McVey!

If you want to find out more about Mind, the support we offer and how you can get involved, visit mind.org.uk.

FRIDAY 10^th NOVEMBER

DOORS: 7pm

SHOW: 8pm

Hoxton Hall 130 Hoxton St, London N1 6SH

Box office: 020 7684 0060

www.hoxtonhall.co.uk

Ticket Prices: £27.50 + booking fee

Age restrictions: 16+

SPEND YOUR CHRISTMAS WITH SHEFFIELD THEATRES!

Sheffield Theatres will be filled with festive fun this Christmas with three seasonal shows set to delight audience of all ages.

SPEND YOUR CHRISTMAS WITH SHEFFIELD THEATRES!

Sheffield Theatres will be filled with festive fun this Christmas with three seasonal shows set to delight audience of all ages.

We’re dreaming of a White Christmas in the Crucible with Irving Berlin’s perfect feel-good musical for all the family, running from Saturday 9 December – Saturday 13 January.

Former soldiers turned successful showbiz duo Bob and Phil are on the lookout for a new act. On meeting singing sisters Betty and Judy, they are immediately smitten. When the four wind up performing a gig together at a remote Vermont ski resort, they discover that the hotel is owned by the boys’ old army commander. But the place is on the verge of bankruptcy thanks to an unseasonal lack of snow. Can the talented foursome transform the lodge’s fortunes in time for Christmas? And will the snow start to fall?

Featuring the talent of George Blagden as Bob, Ewen Cummins as Waverley, Sandra Marvin as Martha, Grace Mouat as Betty, Natasha Mould as Judy and Stuart Neal as Phil, plus a fantastic wider cast and ensemble.

Across the square in the Lyceum, there’s feel-good fun and laughs aplenty: 2023’s pantomime is Beauty and the Beast. Starring Blue’s Duncan James, CBeebies‘ Jennie Dale and legendary Dame Damian Williams and running from Friday 8 December – Sunday 7 January.

This fairy-tale extravaganza promises to be full of hilarious comedy, lavish sets, fantastic music, beautiful costumes, magic and mayhem. Once again, the show will be written and directed by Paul Hendy (Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella) and produced by Evolution, the same team behind last year’s fabulous panto, Jack and the Beanstalk.

For little ones, journey to A Town Called Christmas, in the Playhouse from Friday 15 – Saturday 30 December. Clementine dreams of a gingerbread village where chocolate coins are currency, and laughter hangs like baubles in the air! The happiest place on Earth. Or at least it used to be… Together with a cantankerous caretaker and a glitching robot, can you help her save the day, and the town called Christmas? A brand-new show for adventurers aged 3+ and their grown-ups. Brought to the stage by Gala Durham and Wrongsemble.

All Christmas productions are on sale now. Tickets can be booked through the Box Office in person, over the phone on 0114 249 6000 or at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.

Queens Theatre, Hornchurch – until 11th November 2023

Reviewed by Bobbi Fenton

4****

Whitechapel. A dark alley. A late night. A mysterious stranger. And a violent murder. Sound familiar? You’re probably thinking along the right lines. Jack the Ripper, infamous Victorian serial killer, possibly the world’s first serial killer, who tormented London in 1888. But I bet you didn’t think of Mary ‘Polly’ Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, or Mary-Jane Kelly.

When Jules’ (Caitlin Scott) best friend Maz (Hanna Khogali) is murdered in Whitechapel by a mysterious stranger, and her death is described by police as a ‘drunken accident’, Five women, named Polly (Gemma Salter), Annie (Rebecca Wheatley), Liz (Jessica Johnson), Kate (Anne Odeke) and Mary Jane (Hanna Khogali) join her side to fight for justice, not only for Maz, but for the five victims of Jack the Ripper. In this play, we watch as together they fight for their reputations, and for a change in the way we talk about and remember women who are victims of violence. They also fight with tour guide and ‘ripperologist’ Christopher (Charlie Buckland) about the way he portrays the women on his tour.

All too often, Jack the Ripper is described as a ‘legend’, obsessed over by so-called ‘fans’ of the story. The stories of the five victims are twisted and exploited by the people who profit from their stories. In this play the five women tell their stories through well-written and beautifully performed songs. We learn about details that are often forgotten, like Annie’s struggles with alcohol and Liz’s struggles with her family. The songs all share one key message though, that they are all more than their post-mortem photo’s, more than their murders. They are, and were, people. Possibly one of the biggest key messages of this play is how not much has changed since the Jack the Ripper murders. Much like the five victims were all incorrectly labelled as prostitutes simply because they had been sleeping on the streets, Maz is described as drunk when the murder happened. And in both cases, these descriptions are used almost as a justification for their murders, as though they somehow ‘deserved’ it.

The women come together to protest this, demanding that there is a change in how the stories are told, for all women, even sporting signs with slogans that have been used in real life feminist protests, and decide that men should change their behaviour, not women. I really liked the decision to have Hanna Khogali multi-role as Maz as well as Mary Jane, as paired with the connections to three of the original five victims’ funerals, really communicated how similar Maz’s story is to the victims of Jack the Ripper.

Killing Jack is a wonderful play, filled with hilarious one-liners and a lot of raw emotion. I especially liked Kate’s reaction to a cup of tea, made with a tea bag. The play reminded me of Six the Musical, in that both are about a group of women whose stories have been overshadowed throughout history by the less interesting man that links them all together. I, for one, think this is a wonderful way of telling or re-telling stories of women throughout history that have been forgotten or overlooked despite living interesting, important, and relevant lives. In my opinion, there should be a lot more shows like this.

Ghosts co-creator, writer and performer and Wonka actor to appear in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

Tuesday 30 January – Saturday 30 March 2024

Box Office: rsc.org.uk, 01789 331111

Today, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) announces that Mathew Baynton (Ghosts, Wonka) will play Bottom in a new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Directed by Eleanor Rhode, the showwill run in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre between Tuesday 30 January and Saturday 30 March.

Mathew, known for co-creating, writing and starring as Thomas Thorne in Ghosts (BBC) and soon to be seen as Fickelgruber in the film Wonka,will be making his RSC debut next year as one of Shakespeare’s most well-known comic characters. Mathew is also known for his many roles in Horrible Histories and for co-creating, writing and starring in the BBC’s The Wrong Mans.

Following the critical acclaim of King John (2019), Eleanor Rhode returns to the RSC to direct Mathew in his first on-stage production since 2013.

Further casting to be announced.

Mathew Baynton said about the role: “I really couldn’t be more excited to be joining the cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the RSC. I’ve always wanted to be part of a Shakespeare production and I’ve been hoping to return to the stage for quite some time too, so to be able to combine those two ambitions in one of the great ensemble comedies is a (midsummer night’s) dream come true! Eleanor’s vision for the production sounds magical and Bottom is, of course, an absolute treat of a role, so I can’t wait to get started.”

Director, Eleanor Rhode said about the casting: “I’m thrilled to be returning to the RSC to direct A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s a play that made a big impact on me from a young age, and I’m excited to share it with a new generation of theatre-goers. Mathew Baynton is going to be an incredible Bottom – I’ve loved his work for years, and so it’s a real joy to be able to collaborate with him on bringing this magical play to life.” 

On Midsummer’s Night, the real and fairy worlds collide. Four young lovers, faced with the prospect of unhappy marriage or worse, flee the court of Athens and stumble into an enchanted forest. Nearby, a group of amateur actors rehearse a play to celebrate an upcoming royal wedding.

As these mere mortals cross paths with a warring fairy King and Queen, chaos reigns in the natural world. The lines between reality and illusion start to blur and no-one but mischievous Puck knows what is true and what is magic.

The production will feature Design by Lucy Osborne, Illusion Direction and Design by John Bulleid, Lighting by Matt Daw, Music by Will Gregory, Sound by Pete Malkin, Movement by Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster, Video by Nina Dunn and Fights and Intimacy by Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown, with Casting by Matthew Dewsbury CDG.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream will run at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon from 30 January 2024 – 30 March 2024.

Sadler’s Wells, London – until 28th October 2023

(Part of the Dance Umbrella Festival 2023 from 6-31 October 2023)

Reviewed by Phil Brown

4 ****

This exhilarating show performed within the Dance Umbrella Festival is all about Pantsula dance – seen on the Sadler’s Wells stage for the first time – and almost certainly not the last.  

Pantsula originated in the townships of South Africa (specifically Sophiatown in Jo’burg) in the 1950s , and whilst there are similarities with urban dance styles emanating mainly from African American communities in the United States , there is a balletic precision and fluidity to Pantsula moves and shapes that make it easy on the eye and lend itself to spectacular ensemble dancing, reminiscent of natural displays such as murmurations.  Pantsula literally translates into “walk like a duck” but that somewhat undersells the appeal of the dance and the miraculous agility, precision and sheer repertoire of movements involved, as well as the use of props, whistling, vocalising, and body drumming.  The dedication and discipline, not to mention the biomechanics, required to master this joyful and high energy dance form looks daunting, but don’t be surprised to find it as an upcoming fitness craze in years to come.  

The “Via Injabulo” show is performed by 8 incredible dancers (4 men and 4 women – all in street clothes) from the  award winning Via Katlehoing company based in the Katlehong township in the East Rand (east of Johannesburg). Via Katlehong originally came together in 1992 to counter rising crime and violence  in a dangerous township and is steered by Steven Fallen and Buru Mohlabane who spoke powerfully and passionately at the post show discussion.  Kathlehong is now becoming a tourist destination and Buru’s ambition is to “professionalise”: the Pantsula dance form by establishing a Pantsula Academy.

For “Via Injabulo”, Via Katlehong has collaborated with 2 European choreographers to produce 2 excellent pieces of around 30 minutes each.  The collaborator for the opening piece – ‘førm inførms’ – is Portuguese, Marco da Silva Ferreira.  It seems rather slow to start, with a solo dancer morphing from unusual shape to shape with graceful ease and gymnastic elasticity, before eventually, the music and the rest of the ensemble join in to initiate a perfectly coordinated, abstract dance with a bewildering array of footwork and armography, and the feel of a tribal dance.  As if to show off the full scope of Pantsula, It finishes with a burst of sneaker tap and body percussion .  The accompanying music by Jonathan Uliel Saldanha, mixes strident trumpets, polyrhythmic percussion with electronic sound and seems slightly too foreboding for such a fundamentally joyous dance form, but does not distract from the excellent ensemble performance.

During the official interval, and the preparation for the second piece which included an on-stage DJ, Via Katlehong dancers drifted into view with cool boxes as if turning up to an evening community cook out, and to the delight of the crowd who didn’t see the need for an interval drink, took turns in free styling away and egging each other on, including a spot of audience engagement, until the lights dimmed and the second piece – ‘Emaphakathini’ – officially started.  This was choreographed by French-Senegalese, Amala Dionor, with dance music by Awir Leon, and whilst ‘førm inførms’ seemed almost formal, this seemed positively relaxed, but without any sacrifice of the razor sharp precision of Pantsula.  (According to Lungile Mahlangu (one of the 8 dancers), who also spoke  impressively at the after show discussion, ‘Emaphakathini’ was 60% improvised).   

Where ‘førm inførms’ impressed, ’Emaphakathini’ captivated.  It is the joyful, feel-good Pantsula that puts smiles on faces and fulfils Lungile’s aim to make people happy.  This dance resembled an outdoor evening of organic socialising and energetic fun with small groups gathering, dispersing, and flexing in numbers whilst performing some wonderfully synchronised routines.  It was a thrilling display until somewhat tarnished towards the end when a section without music and light, but with smoke, (simulating night?) succeeded in killing both mood and energy.

Overall, Via Injabulo is a magnificent celebration of Pantsula  that will inspire and delight.  it’s a terrific taster of a genuinely exiting new dance form that I hope we will see much more of in London.  The level of accomplishment shown by an incredible team of dancers is extraordinary – congratulations to Thulislie Binda, Lungile Mahlangu, Kgadi Motsoane, Tshepo Mohiabane, Tshepo Nchabeleng, Thembi Ngwenya, Thato Qofela, and Abel Vilakazi.

The Playground Theatre – 28th October 2023

Review by Fiona Leyman

5*****

“People say they just want justice, but they don’t. Not really. What they want is power. They want to play God.”

Every day we entrust our lives to our doctors, never thinking that there is a possibility our trust is in the hands of someone who wishes us harm. We all know the name Dr Harold Shipman. We all know the story, we all know his crimes, but do we know why? Shipman was convicted of claiming the lives of 15 vulnerable woman, and an estimation of over 200 more victims. Shipman’s victims trusted him for one reason only, he was their doctor.

The Playground Theatre is hosting its Pick of Fringe season, showcasing some of 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festivals best productions. A small intimate theatre that allows the audience to be up close to the production.

In the dead of night on the 13th January 2004, Harold Shipman sits in his cell wishing to put the record straight. No one knew why he did what he did, so as he prepares to end his life, he reflects on what lead him down this dark path. With the help of his cassette player, he explains his life and how it was his ‘right’, to control when someone lived or died. Recounting his life from childhood, he helplessly watched whilst his own mother died in pain, with lung cancer. Unable to help her or to ease her pain, Shipman now knew what his purpose in life was meant to be.

The Quality of Mercy was written and performed by Edwin Flay, who remarkably, is one of Shipman’s former patients and a relative to one of those, whom he killed. This in itself shows the astonishing strength Flay has a person, and to be able to perform as the man that killed his own grandmother is admirable. Flay had an exceptional skill of switching between the calm and collective person Shipman portrayed to those around him, to his immense anger he had for those who questioned him. The poignancy of his narrative is heightened by the straightforward listing of each victim on the wall.

We have all seen those “Confession Tapes” documentaries on streaming platforms, that gives you an insight as to why murderers do what they do. Seeing this on a TV screen is nothing compared to seeing it acted out in front of you. Flay managed to make us feel like you were actually there, sitting in Shipman’s cell as he tells you his darkest secrets. Needless to say, this play is intense but it is also outstanding. It is a masterful production that makes me what to see this all over again, but it also conflicts my mind. Did this play make me understand the reason he killed all those people? Did he watch his own mother die in pain and want to spare those of the same fate, or, did this just show what a God Complex he had, thinking it was his right to decide who lived and who died? These questions in themselves worthies ‘The Quality of Mercy’ of receiving 5 stars.

Birmingham Hippodrome – until Saturday 28th October 2023

Reviewed by Nadia Dodd

4****

A group of women, mom, mothers and mamas all spreading the message that you don’t have to be perfect.

The musical was originally conceived by book writer and lyricist, Emily Beecher. She was diagnosed with postnatal depression when her daughter was 10 months old.

Once Emily had started to get the correct treatment, her therapist suggested it would be helpful to write about her experiences. Emily also sought the experiences of other women. To her surprise she found that many others struggle with motherhood too.

The musical you see now is a collection of some of those stories over the past 10 years. This is now not only poignant but damn hilarious too!

Five mothers meet each other every week at playgroup with their little ones at the local community centre. When the local council threatens to close this facility due to the cost of living crisis, and wanting to replace it with planning permission for luxury apartments, the woman are furious, upset and anxious about their escapism being snatched away from them.

Michelle, (Rebecca Bernice Amissah), Bea (Joanna Kirkland), Sophie (Amy Ross), Chantel (Jade Samuels) and Esme (Belinda Wollaston) each tell their own background story throughout the musical which explains to the audience what has led them to that playgroup and exactly what meeting each week means to them. Not only for the children to mix with each other, it’s a reason they leave the house, get out of the normal mundane routine that you can easily find yourself stuck in.

The group have very cleverly and sensitively covered child loss, postpartum depression, racism, loneliness and postpartum psychosis. There were some hilarious references to giving birth and a fantastic rendition of ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Boobs’ !

The vocals of all 5 actresses were so powerful and mesmerizing I just wanted to hear more from them, it was a pity it had to end.

The stories were real, true and honest. Somethings that you wouldn’t always discuss with friends but you could tell that the whole audience were nodding in agreement, especially at the references to giving birth – anyone who has had a natural birth certainly understood the ‘ring of fire’ gag……

I had taken my husband with me, and he thoroughly enjoyed the musical. My only regret is not taking my daughter who is currently 26 weeks pregnant with her first child. I think this musical would have been such an eye opening experience for her – especially to learn that you can’t be perfect at motherhood, don’t beat yourself up about not being perfect and to accept that being good enough is best.

Royal & Derngate Northampton – Thursday 26th October 2023

Reviewed by Amarjeet Singh

5*****

Crimes on Centre Court is not only a Whodunnit, but also a Howdunnit. With a small cast consisting of the astonishing Katriona Brown, Kirsty Cox, Emile Clark and Ben Thornton, this talented troupe converge to play countless characters which bring to life the story of Whombledun Tennis Club, its annual Tennis Tournament and the horrific deaths which mar this most prestigious occasion. A rip-roaring comedy farce set somewhere around the 1930s, not that it matters as the humour is timeless, it’s presented by New Old Friends a touring theatre company, Crimes on Centre Court skilfully sews together a stunningly entertaining story of murder most foul. It begs belief that there are only four actors. The quality quartet performed, sang, moved sets, danced and had us not only trying to work out who the murderer was, but also how they managed all the quick costume changes, not to mention having us in fits of laughter.

The tale begins with the death of Lord Knows, it transpires he is murdered by poisoned strawberries and cream. The suspicion falls upon the colourful members of the tennis club, but numbers steadily decline as the murder suspects are in turn, murdered themselves! Private detectives Perry and Penny Pink are called in by Lord Knows son Hugh, to investigate, and thus ensues a hilarious thriller.

Written and directed by Feargus Woods Dunlop, with movement direction from Sam Archer, set design by Caitlin Abbott and costume design by Connie Watson, Crimes on Centre Court is sensational. Nonstop entertainment, well thought-out humour, ranging from visual gags, alliterative wordplay and the most excitingly exquisite live tennis match you will ever see. Inventive, creative and a barber-shop quartet in the guise of singing hedges to boot, this is a show not to be missed! I got the sense that it attracts an older audience, but the genius of this show is that there is something here for everyone. It’s really quite clever. Murder, mystery, mayhem and even a little romance. Throw in some slapstick, appropriate breaking of the fourth wall, super sets, dodgy accents, literal hair raising and the best elevator/stairs/escalator performance I have ever seen, and you have a truly exceptional piece of entertainment, not to mention you get to solve a murder, what’s not to love? It would be a Crime to miss this.