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Charing Cross Theatre – until 29 July 2023

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

3***

After a staged concert at The Other Palace last year, the inspirational true story of cyclist Gino Bartali premieres at Charing Cross Theatre.

Gino Bartali may not be a familiar name to many, but his fame in Italy as a champion cyclist and two-time winner of the Tour de France made him a household name. The truth about his wartime exploits, which he never revealed, only raise his star higher. Under Mussolini’s rule, the crackdown against partisans and targeting of the Nazi Reich’s list of undesirables led to curfews and travel bans. Unknown to the Blackshirts, Bartali, his accountant Giorgio “Nico” Nissim and Cardinal Elia Dalla Costa were working together against the cruelty of the regime. Taking advantage of his success and celebrity, Bartali was allowed to cycle around Italy on training rides as he acted as a poster boy for Mussolini. Hidden in his bicycle frame were forged documents for the hundreds of Jewish people (mostly children) in hiding around Tuscany, enabling them to be smuggled out of Italy. It’s a story that makes your heart swell, and needs to be shared, even though Bartali and Nico were content with the private knowledge that they had done good.

One of the problems with Victoria Buchholz and Todd Buchholz’s book is the reverence they obviously have for these heroic men. In trying to include as much background and information as possible, many relationships and motivations get muddled and lost. Within the first few minutes, Bartali’s younger brother has died, he’s been threatened by the local gangsters and won the Tour de France. After this rush of action, the rest of the first act moves at a sometimes glacial pace towards Bartali’s decision to join the cardinal and Nico in their work. The second act is more evenly paced, with various antics as the trio try to bribe officials, and tense moments of jeopardy as their mission is threatened. The rush to set up Bartali’s childhood friend Mario (the imposing Fed Zanni, doing his utmost with this underwritten character) as a pragmatist willing to deal with an enemy to protect those he loves signposts, albeit unsubtly, his future under Mussolini – but throwing in a love triangle between Mario, Bartali and Adriana (Bartali’s future wife) completely muddies the build up and Mario is suddenly a petulant, if lethal, jilted lover. Perhaps much of the backstory could be better included in conversations between the characters (most of these facts are already repeated over and over again in confrontations).

This is obviously a labour of love for the Buchholz’s, but some fresh eyes could sharpen the structure of the book to create a more engaging and thrilling, less movie-of-the-week atmosphere. The decision to use Italian accents is a little strange, as some of the scenes sometimes stray into ‘Allo ‘Allo territory. The accents are also unnecessary as PJ McEvoy’s beautiful set and video design indicate the location and time of various scenes. The intentional comedy in the show mostly comes from Daniel Robinson’s Nico, whose chemistry and timing with Josh St.Clair as Bartali is wonderful. Unfortunately, there is less chemistry between St.Clair and Amy Di Bartolomeo as Adriana. This is down to the writing, not the incredible performers who have voices to die for and do their utmost to create a believable bond onstage despite the lack of arc in their scripted relationship. The cast are all outstanding, elevating the material and nailing some gorgeous harmonies. Although Victoria Buchholz’s clunky lyrics would benefit from some polish, her music is enjoyable, with some fine choruses proving memorable. Orchestrator Jen Green and musical director Dave Rose ensure maximum impact with the cast’s wondrous harmonies and stellar performances. Josh St.Clair is an energetic and charismatic lead, managing to belt and emote while riding his bike, and Niall Sheehy’s calm presence as Cardinal Dalla Costa belies his soaring voice as he sings one of the best (and most obviously Les Mis inspired) numbers “800 souls”. Ruairidh McDonald almost steals the show as Felix, a musician forced into becoming a Blackshirt.

With performances like this, Glory Ride is well worth a look. There is much to admire in this well-meaning production, and I am sure that future productions will build and improve to present a more coherent and satisfying show, but Glory Ride is not yet worthy of the yellow jersey.

Wimbledon Studio – until 29^th April 2023

Reviewed by Carly Burlinge

3.5 ***

Wimbledon Studio presents the play, Love Talk, written and directed by Emma Gueye. It takes us through the story of Adam (Will Charlton) and Lauren (Megan Cooper). A couple that both want to make a difference in life by helping others. A connection that they both discover when they meet for the first time at Adams promotion  party, held at his home. His position being a project manager for a charity, a company owned by Lauren’s father, which he soon finds out. They both set eyes on each other when Adam discovers Lauren sitting alone in his garden enjoying some alone time. A conversation soon sparks up and they find themselves discussing the stars as well as what they want to achieve in life. His passion is apparent regarding his job and she also wants to return to studying in order to fulfil her dream and become a lawyer.

A relationship soon begins and the play takes us through the highs and the lows of their relationship across the span of ten years.

Their partnership seems to be going at a good pace; where innocent squabbles are fixed quickly, with genuine love and care. Until more difficult issues and concerns begin to arise, only making arguments harder to resolve, whilst a whirlwind of emotional experiences such as death, losing precious people in their lives.

Add to the mix the reappearance of a successful ex boyfriend Ethan (Chris Austin) throwing their relationship into turmoil. Where trust is lost and they find themselves no longer the couple they once used to be. Will they remember the strength of their relationship and the love they once held, or will things become too much and tear them apart?

I liked this production because I felt that there was something that everyone who’s ever been in a relationship can relate to.

The set was simple but effective and offered some loud and emotional tracks that fit the show and worked extremely well with what was being achieved.

The actors portrayed the feelings of the character’s in a believable way whilst also having a strong connection on stage they offered a honest and emotional journey for all to see.

A great realistic production that I enjoyed.

Rose Theatre – until 13th May 2023

Reviewed by Ben Jolly

4****

Choices. Strong, bold choices. Whether they pay off or not, I’m always so thrilled when a creative team has committed to a vision and executes it with passion and valour. Adjoa Andoh’s production of Richard III is a beautiful patchwork of choices, some questionable, some genius but patched together to create a daring and engaging piece of theatre.

The most significant change in the dynamic of the play was the decision to retell this story from a different angle (or ‘Swinging the Lense’ – Andoh’s aptly named production company). Andoh has chosen to tell the tale of a man’s soul crying out, and how in this story it is “not housed in a differently-abled body, it is housed in a black body” as Andoh describes. This completely alters our previous perceptions of Richard III, both man and play and thus takes us on an entirely new journey.

Richard is the classic example of the villainous protagonist (an increasingly popular trend) and when done well, we are uncomfortably on his side, feeling inner turmoil as we both root for and loathe the man we are spending 3 hours with; so, it is of paramount importance that we the audience have a connection, feel strongly toward him. This is where I believe Andoh’s performance of Richard excels the most; with humour and range, she commands the stage with Olympian energy and strength, drawing us in murder by murder.

Adding music and movement to the work both elevates and distracts from the material, moreso the latter unfortunately, Richard’s important first speech (and first scene of the play, unusual for Shakespeare to have the leading character also open the play) to the audience is completely absorbed in the wash of sights and sounds.

A wonderful cast overall, Liz Kettle played Queen Margaret with indomitable spirit and Joseph Kloska’s performance of Buckingham was a delight from beginning to end, finding magic in every moment of the play and the chemistry with Andoh was almost tangible.

Choices, as I say, bold choices were made for this production, west country dialects, Lion King inspired set design with a dash of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and a cameo appearance from a puppet, all while performing the play Richard III? Why not? Maybe a co-director would have helped Andoh to piece the patchwork together more neatly, and perhaps some of the staging could have been more fluid and dynamic but the initial drive of the piece powers through despite these distractions. Richard and now Andoh’s story has been told with unapologetic courage and strength.

Forum Theatre, Malvern – 27th April 2023

Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau

5*****

I was fortunate enough to catch the incredible Carducci String Quartet last time they visited Malvern so was really looking forward to seeing them again, especially given a most interesting programme.

Emma Johnson (Clarinet and host of tonight’s soirée) regaled us with some fascinating background to tonight’s pieces, which was very welcome! Her playing throughout was sublime with an astounding effortlessness (does she breath through her ears? I asked myself). I certainly came away with a newfound appreciation of the clarinet.

First up was the Ferguson Octet Op. 4 written in 1933, a work I was unfamiliar with but will certainly seek out again. This piece had a bit of everything, from the first movement’s romantic, lush melodies through some frenetic sections and some melancholy too (as you would perhaps expect from a piece written between the wars). Phil Gibbon on Bassoon puffing his cheeks at the end testified to how much effort the work involved to play.

After the ensemble forces of the first piece, Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet was more like a concerto with a well defined solo instrument and supporting “string orchestra“; indeed this piece is quite similar in some respects to his clarinet concerto. One of the earliest works written for this combination of instruments (in 1789), it’s a beautiful work. Long florid runs on the clarinet and gorgeous melodies passed between all players with perfect symmetry… One of Mozart’s strengths was getting genuine passion into the more formal Classical era, with one foot in the Romantic era. The second movement was heartbreakingly beautiful, with playing at times that was so quiet it was barely there – not easy to do whilst maintaining such gorgeous tone!

It was fascinating to see the musicians perform close up, literally leaning into each other, making eye contact and positively dancing in their seats. This was especially evident in Emma Denton’s force of nature Cello playing and Matt Denton’s Violin cadenza in the final piece (which left all with appreciative smiles). The Carducci’s second violin (Michelle Fleming) and Viola (Eoin Schmidt-Martin) were equally magnificent. The Beatles were described as “the four headed monster” – meant as a compliment re how how tight a unit they were – the same can be said of the Carducci Quartet. They are a joy to behold, their personalities shining through, always enhancing the experience for the audience.

Beethoven’s Septet Op. 20, written just 10 years after Mozart’s work, is a meatier affair. One can see why this was one of the composers most popular works during his lifetime. Stephen Stirling on the French Horn had a pivotal role in the last movement and the Double Bass (played by Chris West) added the necessary weight that Beethoven demands. All musicians blended perfectly to produce well balanced, thrilling readings of the pieces. Faultless playing throughout!

A fantastic programme of sumptuous music, expertly presented by top class musicians and thoroughly enjoyed by an adoring audience. Malvern Concert Club gives us another evening of sheer perfection. Bravo to all the concerned and see you at the next concert in the series.

Wakefield Theatre Royal – until 29 April 2022

Reviewed by Alison Beaumont

5*****

Ghost the Musical by Diva Productions is based on the award winning 1990’s movie. It is full of romance, comedy, drama, excitement and sadness. For those of you who don’t know Ghost is about 2 young lovers Molly and Sam who live in a New York City Apartment. One night on their way home Sam is mugged and murdered. Sam is trapped as a ghost between this world and the next. He learns that Molly is in great danger and with the help of psychic Oda Mae Brown Sam tries to help protect Molly.

Molly was played by Beth Rosamond in this particular performance, and she was absolutely amazing, I was blown away by her performance, her vocals were faultless, she is one very talented lady. I particularly liked it when she sang With You, which portrayed great emotion, you could feel the sadness with her. Michael Markey played the part of Sam effortlessly and you could clearly feel the connection between Sam and Molly.

Aimee Good (Oda Mae Brown) was funny and a great performer, you started to get the feel-good vibe during the scene in the Psychic Parlour. Meghan Riley who played Oda Mae Brown’s sister and was also part of the ensemble sang really well. All the dancers were very good, the tap routine was a great addition to the musical. The choreography was effective throughout.

The set was very cleverly done, the use of the projector in the scenes was great and really added to making the musical visually appealing. The train scenes were absolutely amazing. Everything about this show is brilliant and you really have to see this to appreciate the performance and experience some great visual effects

Kiln Theatre – until 27th May 2023

Reviewed by Ben Jolly

3***

The Golden Age of Hollywood… how retro. But, did it make the grade?

Retrograde, a play by Ryan Calais Cameron (whose work can also be seen at the Apollo Theatre, currently home to For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy) opened last night at the lovely Kiln Theatre.

In real time, this pressure cooker play sees its action take place in a high-rise office building, home to US network broadcaster giant NBC in a time of segregation, witch hunts and whisky in your Corn Flakes.

Before the show begins, we are given the opportunity to absorb the beautiful vintage office set, designed by Frankie Bradshaw with light jazz providing a soundtrack as we find our seats, it luls us into a false sense of security, thus making the arguments, back stabbing and chaos in store for us all the more jarring when the time comes.

Sydney is a rising star in New York and when presented with the opportunity of a lifetime in Hollywood, eagerly agrees and comes to meet the network’s “superlawyer” to sign the contract. But there’s a catch, and Sydney now has to ask himself what he is willing to sacrifice and who he has to step over in order to get what he wants from this world. Is it all worth it?

The play is set during a time when Sydney Portier’s career was just about to take off into the global star that he became. Cameron’s characterisation allows us to see a bright eyed, somewhat naive and youthful side of this great actor. The dialogue touches upon Portier’s real life refusal to play stereotypical roles and this shows us early on that this is a man of integrity, an actor who is committed to the craft but prioritises his values above all (refreshing isn’t it).

At the top of the show, we’re introduced to the other two of this three-man band. Mr Parks played by Daniel Lapaine as the corporate lawyer hellbent on securing the star (as long as he plays by his rules) and producer Bobby, sensitively played by Ian Bonar.

Cameron’s characters come across a little flat and two dimensional overall. Ivanno Jeremiah plays a charming and committed Sydney; there are times that his performance becomes presentational during the longer scenes, however, it doesn’t take us out of the moment too much. Daniel Lapaine tackles the shark with tenacity and interestingly you never quite know which side this character is on and what he is really fighting for. Are these signs of a poorly written character or a great lawyer? The jury is still out on that one.

Retrograde takes a while to get going, it’s only about two thirds of our way into this 90-minute drama that stakes start to rise and the intense emotions onstage have us sitting up straight in our chairs. To its credit, when this time comes, we are fully present and engaged, but it took too long to get there.

Important to note is the direction by Amit Sharma, their talent has been injected throughout every moment in the play and I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic staging of the material.

An entertaining and thought provoking 90 minutes at the theatre; I came away wondering if Cameron has used the setting of 1950s “Golden Age of Hollywood” as a mirror showing how the society we live in today has not changed or evolved. Or is it a warning not to allow it to retrograde given the current state of the world and ever rising racial issues? Pause for thought indeed!

Waterloo East Theatre – until 18 June 2023

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Joe Dipietro’s modern take on Schnitzler’s La Ronde portrays a series of encounters between ten men exploring attitudes to sexuality and relationships in an extraordinary 90 minutes of sex, laughs and surprising tenderness.

The structure of the play, with one character from a scene moving on to a fresh interaction with the next character, can sometimes make for clunky scene changes, but director Steven Kunis utilises Cara Evans’ ingenious split screen-like set brilliantly to keep the audience on their toes. The slickness of Alex Lewer’s lighting and Charlie Smith’s sound elevate the production even further. A series of panels across the stage change from opaque to transparent, revealing new locations or characters. Kunis cleverly uses this device to introduce future characters saying seemingly random lines from their upcoming scenes, as a couple have sex in the main scene, adding layers of tenderness, sadness or humour.

The characters are mainly stereotypes – a escort, a homophobic soldier in denial about his sexuality, a teacher, a college boy (whose insistence that he’s bi elicits wonderful reactions from the older men he hooks up with), a married couple who have “an agreement”, a porn star, a playwright, a closeted actor and a TV personality. The joy of Dipietro’s writing is that he uses these stereotypes to shine a light on the life of these gay men. Smart script changes bring the scenarios into the 2020s, and the play tackles homophobia, monogamy, sex work, porn through the eyes of the different characters with a lightness of touch that never becomes overwrought. The differing attitudes and situations between the generations is best portrayed in the final scene with Charlie Condou’s older TV personality, in a marriage of convenience but living for years with his “assistant” reacts with heart-breaking hope and kindness as Alex Britt’s escort talks about his plans to find a place and settle down with his boyfriend.

The cast of four are on fire. Condou is brilliantly nuanced playing the less showy roles of two older men, while Derek Mitchell is satisfyingly OTT as the flamboyant playwright – making the audience roar with laughter. Stanton Plummer-Cambridge excels playing characters hiding their true selves and Alex Britt is a delight portraying the younger men whose confident and naive world view contrasts hugely with the older characters and their experiences.

There is a lot of sex, but Lee Crowley’s intimacy direction and the inspired staging ensure that this is no peep show – the underlying message of searching for connections shines through in the hands of this talented cast. This new production of F**king Men is a triumph – hilarious and deeply moving, a must-see show.

Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until Saturday 29th April 2023

Reviewed by Steph Lott

5*****

The standing ovation from last night’s audience at Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical should tell you all you need to know about the quality of this production, which is a joyful, feel-good story of friendship, community and music. There are 17 sea shanties for you to enjoy, excellently performed by an extremely talented cast and supported by a versatile and clever band, who weave in and out of the action, always on stage with the action. This musical contains a heady mix of emotions and the cast truly take the audience there. There is amusement and bemusement, joy and despair, tragedy and, ultimately, triumph. Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical is a fantastic mix.

For those who don’t know the story and haven’t seen the film, it’s about a group of fishermen who are close friends, who sing sea shanties together and have done for many years. One day, whilst minding their own business singing on the beach in Port Isaac, Cornwall, they are spotted by jaded music executive Danny (played very nicely by Jason Langley). You’ll have to buy a ticket if you want to find out more about this charming real-life story of unlikely success. This stage adaptation of the 2019 film, written by Amanda Whittington and directed by James Grieve, is a fictionalised version of that story.

Lucy Osborne’s set is superb. The fishing boat, the lifeboat, the scenes by the sea in Port Isaac. The bus to London and the antics in Soho – the audience are skilfully and smoothly transported to all these locations by her ingenious set.

I also really enjoyed Matt Cole’s choreography. There is so much vivid movement on stage, with fabulous dancing including whirling and foot stomping! and yet there are times of stillness too. The direction, from James Grieve, is excellent. He brings the story, the characters and the location of Port Isaac, to life right from the outset.

The singing is exceptional throughout, with the whole ensemble often on stage at the same time – making it hard to pick out individual cast members for recognition. However, for me it’s the songs performed by Danny’s love-interest Alwyn, played by Parisa Shahmir, that make the biggest impact. All her songs were sublime, but when she sang of the need to “keep hauling”, despite the very real possibility of heartbreak and loss, you could hear a pin drop in the theatre. However, this is not to detract from the beauty of all the voices joined together in song, which is at the heart of this show.

This production of “Fisherman’s Friends” is what musical theatre should be all about. Cracking actors and musicians performing a charming and compelling story on a fabulous theatrical set. The shanties they sing are powerful and pure, connecting us back through time with nautical history. To hear them is a simple delight. Entertainment at its best. If you’re a fan of sea shanties specifically or folk music more broadly, you’re in for a treat with this show.

WESSEX GROVE AND UNDERBELLY

IN ASSOCIATION WITH SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY, WASHINGTON, D.C.

PRESENT

RALPH FIENNES AND INDIRA VARMA

IN

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S

MACBETH
DIRECTED BY SIMON GODWIN

PLAYING IN

LIVERPOOL, EDINBURGH,

LONDON AND WASHINGTON, D.C.

FROM NOVEMBER 2023

SIGN UP NOW AT MacbethTheShow.com

Wessex Grove and Underbelly, in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington, D.C. are delighted to announce that Tony and BAFTA Award-winning Ralph Fiennes will star as Macbeth and Olivier Award-winning Indira Varma will star as Lady Macbeth in an intimate new production of William Shakespeare’s MACBETH which will open in Liverpool this November.

Directed by Simon Godwin with set design by Frankie Bradshaw and an adaptation by Emily Burns, this new production will break free from the confines of traditional theatres and instead be staged in four site-specific warehouses in four iconic cities.

MACBETH will play seasons in Liverpool (24 November – 16 December 2023), Edinburgh (13 – 27 January 2024), London (11 February – 23 March 2024) and Washington, D.C. (2 – 28 April 2024).

Tickets for the UK dates will go on sale in June. Tickets for The Washington, D.C. season are on sale now as part of a six-play subscription to Shakespeare Theatre Company’s 23/24 Season.

For priority booking access and further information please sign up at MacbethTheShow.com.

Facebook|Twitter|Instagram @macbeth_theshow

Further creative team and full casting to be announced soon.

Ralph Fiennes said today “Ever since we collaborated on Man and Superman I’ve longed to work with Indira Varma and Simon Godwin again. Simon brought us together then and he’s reuniting us for Macbeth. Simon’s visionary process is exceptionally collaborative. This will be my third time working with him – I’m truly excited. Macbeth is a play that always carries relevance but with wars in Ukraine and Sudan – and murderous authoritarian regimes very present in the world the play seems particularly current. But Shakespeare’s examination of the MINDS of his protagonists – the intimate nature of this – is what gives the play its brilliant and terrifying focus.”

Indira Varma said today “I’m thrilled to be heading back in to the rehearsal room with Ralph Fiennes and Simon Godwin exploring Macbeth and Lady M’s fraught relationship and the play’s themes of ambition and corruption which still feel chillingly poignant in our modern world.”

Director Simon Godwin said today “I’m thrilled to be reuniting with Ralph and Indira after our acclaimed Man and Superman at the NT. Macbeth is a remarkable portrait of a marriage and a terrifying account of the drift towards tyranny. The experience will be heightened by playing in different spaces across different cities before ending our journey – during a US election year – in America’s capital. I’m thrilled to be embarking on an international journey driven by Shakespeare’s capacity to urgently reflect our shared and volatile present.” 

Producers Wessex Grove and Underbelly said today “We feel very honoured and excited to be working with Ralph, Indira, Simon and Frankie on such a bold artistic vision for one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. Both Wessex Grove and Underbelly’s producing ethos is very much to push the boundaries of what a theatrical experience can be and who that experience is for. This production of Macbeth will inhabit stunning warehouses in four great cities, bringing the audience even closer to Shakespeare’s work, and in doing so we hope encouraging a whole new audience to discover the brilliance of live theatre.”

William Shakespeare wrote Venus and Adonis during the Plague epidemic of 1593 when London’s theatres were forced to close. He was 28 years old and his career as a playwright had barely got off the ground. Venus and Adonis was his first work to be published and was an instant bestseller, its huge popularity due in no small part to its erotic passages and vivid narrative.

MarMaxTheatricals LTD present

William Shakespeare’s
Venus and Adonis

created and performed by
Christopher Hunter

director David Salt

Riverside Studios, London

Tuesday 9 May – Sunday 21 May

In 1592 Shakespeare’s career as a dramatist had barely got off ground when a severe outbreak of the plague forced London’s theatres to close. He turned his hand to poetry and the result was Venus and Adonis, an epic poem that became his first published work and the best seller of its day!

Its commercial success was due in no small part to its more erotic passages which describe how, over a period of 24 hours, the sexually experienced Venus tries to seduce a young, virginal boy.

Is Venus and Adonis a soft-focus centrefold in the playbook of Elizabethan erotica? Or is it a portrait of sexual power, love, lust and its catastrophic consequences?

As we emerge from another period where London’s theatres were all shut for an extended period due to a global medical emergency, Christopher Hunter’s brilliant one-man dramatisation takes us on a journey through Shakespeare’s vibrant language and into the poem’s pulsating dark heart.

Christopher Hunter said: “I read the poem and fell in love with its incredibly vivid language and pounding narrative.  It is seldom performed, but the performer in me found Venus and Adonis extremely exciting – it was clearly the work of a dramatist and it had theatre at its core – so I set out to explore the possibility of turning the poem into a one-man play.

“As I worked on the piece, researching it and exploring its themes, a darker and more sinister narrative started emerging from the soft-focus of Elizabethan erotica – and this narrative told the story of a young boy who, walking out of his front door one morning, is sexually assaulted and never returns home. This is the story that I want to tell. The more I understood the dark heart of the poem, the more I altered my approach. The deeper I worked, the more shocking the narrative became.

“Venus and Adonis will entertain, shock, thrill, provoke, challenge and surprise you. Just as working on the poem did me.”

Produced by MarMaxTheatricals LTD.

Christopher Hunter (Actor/Writer)

Christopher Hunter began as an actor playing Malcolm in David Halliwell’s ‘Little Malcolm and his Struggle Against the Eunuchs’, directed by John Caird. From there he joined the National Theatre Company as it prepared to open its new home on the South Bank. He appeared in the first new play produced there – Howard Brenton’s ‘Weapons of Happiness’, directed by David Hare, and assisted in the creation of the National Theatre Youth Theatre, before leaving to perform leading roles with the RSC.

Subsequent years combined film work (including the lead In Nothing To Lose, the award winning Maestro, Nic Roeg’s Aria, Merchant-Ivory’s Maurice, Christopher Columbus) with leading roles in theatre (including Edinburgh Traverse, Sheffield Crucible, Oxford Playhouse, NT and the RSC). He joined Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington in the English Shakespeare Company’s multi-award winning Wars of the Roses world and UK tour, taking in the Far East, the USA and Europe – while opening Tokyo’s Globe Theatre on the way.  Also for the ESC he directed Harold Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre, which later went on to play in Berlin and London’s Young Vic. TV includes Sherlock, Mr Selfridge, Dracula, Chalk, East Enders and Silent Witness. Christopher appeared in the West End in Peter Whelan’s award-winning play The Herbal Bed directed by Michael Attenborough. He founded The Noontide Sun, producing and starring in Patrick Süskind’s one-man play The Double Bass in London to great critical acclaim.

Christopher’s adaptation and performance of Shakespeare’s Venus and Adonis was first seen at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017 where it thrilled audiences and critics alike. Recently, he wrote and directed States of Mind for Extant (London) working with severely visually impaired performers. Christopher regularly works with students in leading UK drama schools directing final year productions and black box projects (contemporary & classical genres). He has led workshops on Venus and Adonis,performing Shakespeare and verse speaking.

MarMaxTheatricals LTD – Producer

MarMaxTheatricals LTD is the UK arm of MarMaxMedia LLC, based in the US. The partners Alexander ‘Sandy’ Marshall and Mitchell Maxwell collectively have 100 years of experience in the production of theatre, film, and television. Their productions include: ‘Network’ starring the Tony Award-winning Bryan Cranston, Martin McDonough’s ‘Hangmen’ (Tony nomination), ‘American Buffalo’ starring Laurence Fishburne, Sam Rockwell, Darren Criss (Tony nomination), ‘Funny Girl’, ‘The Old Man & The Pool’ starring Mike Birbiglia, Adrienne Kennedy’s ‘Ohio State Murders’ starring six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald and, currently, ‘Pictures from Home’ starring Nathan Lane, Zoë Wanamaker and Danny Burstein. Additionally, Drama Desk Award-Winners Martha Clarke’s ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’,  Scott McPherson’s ‘Marvin’s Room’, the ground-breaking hip-hop performance piece, ‘Jam on The Groove’, the Broadway revival of the classic musical comedy, ‘Damn Yankees’, starring Bebe Neuwirth and Victor Garber, where they later brought the legendary Jerry Lewis to Broadway (in his Broadway debut) to replace Mr. Garber. Following a triumphant run on Broadway, the production starring Mr. Lewis toured the US for two years and later played the Adelphi Theatre in London, garnering three Olivier nominations. ‘Blues in the Night’ nominated for the Olivier for Best Musical, as well as the Tony award in the same category. Their productions have been nominated for multiple Tony, Olivier, Drama Desk, and Outer Critic Awards and have won such honours in every iteration. In 2000, they recieved the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the play, ‘Dinner with Friends’, During lockdown, they presented the first Brodway style podcast of the acclaimed novel ‘Little Did I Know,’ with music by three-time Tony winner, Doug Bestermen and lyrics by Grammy, Oscar, and Emmy winner, Dean Pitchford, where it soared to number 3 on Apple and remained in the top 40 for over 6 consecutive months.

LISTINGS INFO

MarMaxTheatricals LTD
present

Venus and Adonis

created and performed by
Christopher Hunter

director
David Saltss

Riverside Studios
101 Queen Caroline Street
Hammersmith
London
W6 9BN

Tuesday 9 May – Sunday 21 May

Monday -Saturday at 7.30pm
Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30pm

Tickets:
General Admission £15.00, concessions £10
(plus £1.50 per ticket booking fee)

Age recommendation
16+

Box office
9am-9pm

020 8237 1010

https://riversidestudios.co.uk/

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