Tag Archives: theartsdesk

Man of La Mancha, London Coliseum

Posted on May 1, 2019 by mkmswain

English National Opera continues its run of semi-staged musicals, in commercial collaboration with Grade Linnit, with a revival of this vintage oddity. Mind, commercial might be a stretch, as Dale Wasserman, Joe Darion and Mitch Leigh’s 1965 work – it quickly transpires … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged coliseum, danielle de niese, don quixote, english national opera, eno, frasier, kelsey grammer, london, man of la mancha, musical, nicholas lyndhurst, peter polycarpou, review, spain, theartsdesk, theatre, west end | Leave a comment

Ain’t Misbehavin’, Southwark Playhouse

Posted on April 25, 2019 by mkmswain

The joint is jumpin’ at Southwark Playhouse, now hosting an irresistible Fats Waller-inspired, Manhattan-set musical revue (a co-production with Colchester’s Mercury Theatre, where it opened last month). Though originating in the Seventies, this sizzling show benefits from a fresh infusion of talent, with actor … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Journalism, Theatre | Tagged 1920s, 1930s, aint misbehavin, cabaret, dance, dancing, fats waller, harlem renaissance, jazz, london, manhattan, musical, new york, oti mabuse, review, revue, singing, songs, southwark playhouse, strictly, strictly come dancing, swing, theartsdesk, theatre | Leave a comment

Sweet Charity, Donmar Warehouse

Posted on April 18, 2019 by mkmswain

For her swansong, departing Donmar Artistic Director Josie Rourke goes Swinging Sixties in this stylish but flawed revival of the Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields and Neil Simon musical. From the numerous Andy Warhol homages to Charity’s silver minidress and the cigarette haze, it’s a period … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Journalism, Theatre | Tagged andy warhol, anne-marie duff, arthur darvill, big spender, bob fosse, cy coleman, dancing, debbie kurup, donmar warehouse, gwen verdon, josie rourke, lizzy connolly, london, musical, neil simon, review, singing, sixties, sweet charity, theartsdesk, theatre, wayne mcgregor | Leave a comment

Betrayal, Harold Pinter Theatre

Posted on March 14, 2019 by mkmswain

The grand finale to Jamie Lloyd’s remarkable Pinter at the Pinter season is this starry production of one of the writer’s greatest – and certainly most personal – works, inspired by his extramarital affair with Joan Bakewell. The 1978 play is famous for … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged adultery, affair, betrayal, charlie cox, harold pinter theatre, jamie lloyd, london, love, marriage, pinter, review, theartsdesk, theatre, tom hiddleston, west end, zawe ashton | Leave a comment

Follies, National Theatre

Posted on February 23, 2019 by mkmswain

This is a golden age of London Sondheim revivals, with Marianne Elliott’s thrilling Company still playing in the West End, and Dominic Cooke’s Follies getting a hugely welcome second run at the National – both testament to a director’s transformative vision. A few key cast changes add extra … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged alexander hanson, book tickets, dominic cooke, follies, janie dee, joanna riding, london, musical, national theatre, review, sondheim, theartsdesk, theatre, tracie bennett | Leave a comment

The American Clock, Old Vic

Posted on February 14, 2019 by mkmswain

This year’s unofficial Arthur Miller season – following The Price and ahead of All My Sons at the Old Vic and Death of a Salesman at the Young Vic – now turns to his 1980 work, The American Clock, inspired in part by Miller’s own memories of … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged america, arthur miller, capitalism, clarke peters, communism, golda rosheuvel, great depression, london, music, old vic, play, rachel chavkin, review, the american clock, theartsdesk, theatre, wall street crash | Leave a comment

Violet, Charing Cross Theatre

Posted on January 21, 2019 by mkmswain

Following Caroline, or Change and Fun Home, the UK is blessed with another work from American composer Jeanine Tesori – this the British premiere of her 1997 musical Violet, which had a Sutton Foster-starring Broadway production in 2014. If not as refined as that exquisite duo, it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged america, charing cross theatre, jeanine tesori, kaisa hammarlund, london, musical, review, sixties, theartsdesk, theatre, violet, west end | Leave a comment

Aspects of Love, Southwark Playhouse

Posted on January 11, 2019 by mkmswain

“Love Changes Everything”, as immortalised by Michael Ball, is the most enduring feature of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black and Charles Hart’s 1989 musical – a moderate West End success, and a Broadway flop. Jonathan O’Boyle’s production, seen last year at Manchester’s Hope … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged andrew lloyd webber, aspects of love, hope mill, jonathan o'boyle, london, love, love changes everything, madalena alberto, manchester, michael ball, musical, paris, review, revival, romance, southwark playhouse, theartsdesk, theatre | Leave a comment

Fiddler on the Roof, Menier Chocolate Factory

Posted on December 6, 2018 by mkmswain

There’s a welcome alternative to panto hijinks in this gem of a Trevor Nunn musical revival – more attuned to the biting hardships of winter, and to the elegiac aspect of change, than to festive jollies. Which is not to say that there … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Journalism, Theatre | Tagged andy nyman, dancing, daughter, faith, family, father, fiddler on the roof, if i were a rich man, immigrant, jew, jewish, judaism, judy kuhn, london, love, marriage, menier chocolate factory, musical, religion, review, revolution, russia, singing, theartsdesk, theatre, tradition, trevor nunn, tsar | Leave a comment

Hadestown, National Theatre

Posted on November 14, 2018 by mkmswain

The road to full musical theatre production has been a long one for Hadestown. It began back in 2006, with Anaïs Mitchell’s song cycle – a folk/jazz take on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth – toured around Vermont in a school bus, then … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged amber gray, anais mitchell, André De Shields, broadway, concept album, donald trump, eva nobledaza, folk, hades, hadestown, hell, hermes, jazz, musical, myth, national theatre, new orleans, opera, orpheus and eurydice, patrick page, persephone, rachel chavkin, reeve carney, review, the fates, theartsdesk, underworld | Leave a comment

Tag Archives: theartsdesk

Man of La Mancha, London Coliseum

Ain’t Misbehavin’, Southwark Playhouse

Sweet Charity, Donmar Warehouse

Betrayal, Harold Pinter Theatre

Follies, National Theatre

The American Clock, Old Vic

Violet, Charing Cross Theatre

Aspects of Love, Southwark Playhouse

Fiddler on the Roof, Menier Chocolate Factory

Hadestown, National Theatre

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