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Tag Archives: satire
A Very Expensive Poison, Old Vic
How theatre should, or should not, be addressing Brexit is a constant topic of conversation. But while Lucy Prebble’s phenomenal new work – a combination of horror, espionage thriller, love story and satire, with dazzlingly theatrical framing – doesn’t centre … Continue reading
Posted in Journalism, Theatre
Tagged a very expensive poison, alexander litvinenko, book tickets, brexit, broadwayworld, comedy, fake news, government, london, lucy prebble, murder, old vic, play, poison, police, politics, putin, reece shearsmith, review, salisbury, satire, succession, theatre, trump
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Shipwreck, Almeida Theatre
“Isn’t that the problem with political theater, too much directness?” queries one of Anne Washburn’s characters in her new play – which, in meta fashion, and over a leisurely three hours, not only addresses Trump head on, but also painstakingly … Continue reading
Posted in Journalism, Theatre
Tagged almeida theatre, anne washburn, book tickets, broadwayworld, donald trump, drama, james comey, play, politics, president trump, review, rupert goold, satire, shipwreck, tara fitzgerald, theatre, trump
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Heathers The Musical, Theatre Royal Haymarket
This London premiere of Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe’s 2010 musical (based on Daniel Waters’ oh-so-Eighties cult classic movie, starring Christian Slater and Winona Ryder) had a development period at The Other Palace – no critics allowed – before cruising into the West End … Continue reading
Posted in Journalism, Theatre
Tagged 80s, adaptation, america, andy fickman, carrie hope fletcher, christian slater, heathers, heathers the musical, high school, how very, jamie muscato, movie, musical, ohio, review, romance, satire, shooting, teenager, the other palace, theartsdesk, theatre, theatre royal haymarket, west end, winona ryder
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Spamilton, Menier Chocolate Factory
Gerard Alessandrini is not throwing away his shot. The creator of satirical revue Forbidden Broadway realised that the unprecedented success of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical warranted a standalone show, and thus Spamilton was born. A 2016 Off-Broadway hit, the affectionate spoof now follows Hamilton over the pond. Read my … Continue reading
Richard Madden and Lily James’s Romeo and Juliet leads May’s Top 10 new London shows
From buzzy Shakespeare productions and satirical opera to Sideways and dance at the Old Vic. Read my full BroadwayWorld article here
Posted in Journalism, Theatre
Tagged A Midsummer Night's Dream, a view from islington north, arts theatre, best, blue/orange, book tickets, brecht, broadwayworld, caryl churchill, cinderella, David Hare, derek jacobi, drew mconie, emma rice, garrick theatre, george bernard shaw, globe, hampstead theatre, jekyll and hyde, kenneth branagh, lawrence after arabia, lily james, london, mark ravenhill, max stafford-clark, may, michael morpurgo, national theatre, new, old vic, open air theatre, orange tree theatre, paul miller, regents park, rex pickett, richard madden, robert louis stevenson, romeo and juliet, rory kinnear, rufus norris, running wild, satire, shakespeare, sideways, st james theatre, stage, the philanderer, the threepenny opera, theatre, top 10, west end, young vic
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Xanadu, Southwark Playhouse
It trashed Olivia Newton-John’s film career, halted the movie-musical revival, and was so critically reviled it led to the creation of the Razzies. How, then, could the stage version of hubristic 1980 flop Xanadu become a 2007 Broadway hit? The answer, … Continue reading
Posted in Dance, Journalism, Theatre
Tagged 1980s, 80s, america, ancient greece, andrew lloyd webber, andrews sisters, art, artist, australian, broadway, california, calliope, camp, christmas, clio, comedy, dancing, disco, drama, eighties, elo, evil woman, festive, film, gene kelly, greek, jazz, jeff lynne, leg warmers, london, mount olympus, movie, muse, musical, Nathan M Wright, olivia newton-john, pastiche, physical, play, pop, review, rock, roller skate, rolling skating, satire, singing, skating, southwark playhouse, swing, tap, the arts desk, theartsdesk, theatre, thriller, venice beach, vogue, xanadu, zeus
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An Open Book: Bruce McCall
Polo played in surplus First World War tanks; zeppelin shooting as a gentlemanly leisure pursuit; mighty vessel RMS Tyrannic, proud host of the Grand Ballroom Chariot Race and so safe “that she carries no insurance”. These are just some of … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Journalism
Tagged america, artist, author, biography, book, bruce mccall, canadian, caribbean, comic book, cover, dickens, fiction, history, illustrator, John Malcolm Brinnin, John Masefield, magazine, nabokov, national lampoon, new yorker, nonfiction, Ogden Nash, patrick leigh fermor, poem, poet, poetry, read, reading, retrofuturism, satire, saturday night live, saul bellow, shouts and murmurs, writer, zany afternoons
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Skewering of tabloid excess packs an urgent topicality
Morris Honeyspoon is a monster. In editorial conference, he halts objections with a blast of his air horn, and when a puppyish staffer challenges his blanket anti-immigration policy, Roman helmet-clutching Morris takes sadistic pleasure in ritually humiliating him. It’s not … Continue reading
Posted in Journalism, Theatre
Tagged arcola theatre, celebrity, clarion, comedy, daily express, daily mail, drama, editor, election, fleet street, headline, immigration, london, malcolm tucker, Mark Jagasia, news, newspaper, paper, play, political, politics, review, satire, sharia law, tabloid, theatre
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Clarion, Arcola Theatre
“Fury Over Sharia Law For Toddlers!” No, not a prime example of spoof headline generator Daily Mail-o-matic, but the latest piece of fantastical scaremongering from the Clarion, a 125-year-old (semi-)fictional rag that’s upped sales by splashing on immigration every day … Continue reading
Posted in Journalism, Theatre
Tagged arcola theatre, clare higgins, clarion, columnist, daily express, daily mail, drama, election, evening standard, extremist, family values, fleet street, front page, glamour model, great britain, greg hicks, guardian, headline, immigration, london, Mark Jagasia, media, news, newspaper, paper, play, politics, review, richard bean, satire, sharia law, showbiz, tabloid, the arts desk, theartsdesk, theatre, ukip
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Dead Sheep, Park Theatre
While seven-way debate rages, broadcaster and debuting playwright Jonathan Maitland takes us back 25 years to a radically different political landscape: a time of regents, and of regicide. It’s 1990 – Thatcher the leader claiming divine right to rule, Geoffrey … Continue reading
Posted in Journalism, Theatre
Tagged 1980s, alan clark, bertie carvel, budget, cabinet, comedy, conservative, debate, denis healey, drama, economy, eighties, election, elspeth howe, europe, eurosceptic, feminism, foreign secretary, geoffrey howe, house of commons, iron lady, john major, jonathan maitland, lady macbeth, leader, london, loyalty, macbeth, margaret thatcher, marriage, matilda, minister, north london, park theatre, parliament, paxman, play, politician, politics, prime minister, puppet, resignation, review, satire, sketch, spitting image, steve nallon, thatcher, the arts desk, theartsdesk, theatre, tory, trunchbull
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