MARIANKA SWAIN ~ WRITE HERE, WRITE NOW

The Welkin, National Theatre

Posted on January 23, 2020 by mkmswain

How can we know more about a comet in outer space than we do a woman’s body? So queries Lucy Kirkwood’s superb new history play – a feminist courtroom drama that’s equal parts Twelve Angry Men, The Crucible and The Vagina Monologues, plus a dash of searing, up-to-the-minute political and social commentary.

Read my full BroadwayWorld review here

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged book tickets, brexit, broadwayworld, feminist, gender, history, london, lucy kirkwood, maxine peake, national theatre, play, review, the welkin, theatre, trump, women | Leave a comment

BWW Interview: Joe Iconis

Posted on January 21, 2020 by mkmswain

The creator of Be More Chill discusses bringing the hit musical to London.

Read my full BroadwayWorld interview here

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged be more chill, book tickets, broadway, broadwayworld, cheap tickets, chicago, comedy, composer, fans, film, interview, joe iconis, london, movie, musical, sci fi, teenager, ticket deal, west end | Leave a comment

Rags: The Musical, Park Theatre

Posted on January 20, 2020 by mkmswain

“Take our country back!” is the rallying cry of the self-identified “real” Americans gathered to protest the arrival of immigrants. It could be a contemporary Trump rally – or, indeed, the nastier side of current British political discourse – but in fact this scene is from a 1986 musical, set in 1910, from an all-star creative team: book by Joseph Stein (Fiddler on the Roof), score by Charles Strouse (Annie) and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked). Despite that pedigree, it bombed on Broadway, but this opportune revival, transferred from Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre, gains potency by demonstrating that prejudice has no time limits.

Read my full theartsdesk review here

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged america, brexit, fiddler on the roof, immigrant, jewish, london, musical, new york, park theatre, rags, review, stephen schwartz, theartsdesk, theatre, trump | Leave a comment

Les Miserables, Sondheim Theatre

Posted on January 17, 2020 by mkmswain

Much of the conversation around the incoming of the revamped Les Misérables production to the West End has revolved around the revolve – or lack thereof. But this slicker touring version (first seen in 2009, for the 25th anniversary) is a beautiful fit for Cameron Mackintosh’s marvellously refurbished Sondheim Theatre, and the show’s indelible score and stirring human drama are, if anything, showcased more strongly than ever.

Read my full BroadwayWorld review here

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged bradley jaden, broadwayworld, carrie hope fletcher, jon robyns, les mis, les miserables, les miz, london, musical, review, sondheim theatre, west end | Leave a comment

‘I’m fighting for gay rights through same-sex ballroom dancing’

Posted on January 7, 2020 by mkmswain

The 2020 New Year Honours list included a landmark entry: the first honour for services to same-sex ballroom dancing. Pioneering dancer, DJ, event organiser and campaigner Jacky Logan now has a Medal of the Order of the British Empire – though she’s quick to dedicate it to “the whole community”.

Read my full The i Paper interview here

Posted in Dance, Journalism, TV | Tagged ballroom, class, competition, dance, dancing, dancing on ice, equal rights, fitsteps, gay, gay games, giovanni pernice, h, ian watkins, jacky logan, johannes radebe, latin, learn to dance, lesbian, lgbtqi, matt evers, new years honours list, pink jukebox, rivoli ballroom, same sex ballroom, same sex dancing, steps, strictly, strictly come dancing | Leave a comment

The best dance shows of 2020

Posted on January 3, 2020 by mkmswain

My 2020 preview of dance – from a new version of the Frankenstein myth to a hip-hop theatre take on Sting.

Read my full The i Paper article here

Posted in Dance, Journalism, Theatre | Tagged 2020, akram khan, Alessandra Ferri, ballet, barbican, birmingham royal ballet, book tickets, carlos acosta, cathy marston, cello, contemporary dance, creature, Curated by Carlos, dance, dancing, drew mconie, english national ballet, frankenstein, hip hop, jacqueline du pre, kate prince, merlin, message in a bottle, New Work for Goldberg Variations, northern ballet, Pam Tanowitz, royal ballet, royal opera house, sadlers wells, show, sting, theatre | Leave a comment

BWW Interview: Sam Tutty

Posted on January 3, 2020 by mkmswain

The actor discusses tackling the lead role in hit musical Dear Evan Hansen.

Read my full BroadwayWorld interview here

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged book tickets, broadwayworld, cheap tickets, dear evan hansen, interview, london, musical, pasek and paul, sam tutty, social media, teenager, ticket deal, todaytix, visit london, waving through a window, west end | Leave a comment

Alexander Hamilton

Posted on December 29, 2019 by mkmswain

Visiting the great man’s native Nevis is a must for fans of the hit musical.

Read my full Visitor magazine article here

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged alexander hamilton, america, birthplace, broadway, caribbean, charlestown, exhibition, founding father, hamilton, hamilton house, hip hop, history, hurricane, lin-manuel miranda, magazine, museum, musical, nevis, puerto rico, slavery, st kitts, tourist, travel, visit, visitor, west end | Leave a comment

25 Theatre Ticket Deals in our Boxing Day Sale

Posted on December 28, 2019 by mkmswain

We’re feeling the Christmas cheer, so we wanted to bring you some amazing deals for London’s top shows. All of these productions start at just £20 in our Unbeatable Boxing Day Sale. Great shows at great prices: It’s your ticket to the best of London theatre.

Read my full TodayTix article here

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged boxing day, cheap tickets, christmas, january, musical, new year, play, sale, theatre, ticket deal, todaytix, waitress, west end | Leave a comment

Endgame leads January’s Top 10 new London shows

Posted on December 28, 2019 by mkmswain

From a starry Beckett revival to Tom Stoppard and magical mishaps.

Read my full BroadwayWorld article here

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged 2020, alan cumming, ambassadors theatre, antony sher, apartheid, best, book tickets, boulevard theatre, broadwayworld, cheap tickets, circus, comedy, cormac mccarthy, daniel radcliffe, endgame, faustus, gary beadle, harold pinter theatre, harry potter, jane horrocks, january, jasper britton, kunene and the king, leopoldstadt, lexicon, london, lucy kirkwood, lucy prebble, lyric hammersmith, magic goes wrong, maxine peake, mischief theatre, musical, national theatre, new, nofit state circus, old vic, orange tree theatre, penn and teller, play, roundhouse, show, south africa, that damned woman, the sugar syndrome, the sunset limited, the welkin, theatre, ticket deal, toby jones, todaytix, tom stoppard, top 10, uncle vanya, vaudeville theatre, west end, wyndhams theatre | Leave a comment

MARIANKA SWAIN ~ WRITE HERE, WRITE NOW

The Welkin, National Theatre

BWW Interview: Joe Iconis

Rags: The Musical, Park Theatre

Les Miserables, Sondheim Theatre

‘I’m fighting for gay rights through same-sex ballroom dancing’

The best dance shows of 2020

Alexander Hamilton

25 Theatre Ticket Deals in our Boxing Day Sale

Endgame leads January’s Top 10 new London shows

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