Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake @ Sadlers Wells

It is challenging to describe the magnitude of this ballet and its lasting influence without veering into what might seem like hyperbole; but the impact cannot be understated. Twisting the story of Swan Lake and forbidden love from its traditional arch, and refocusing it on male homosexual love, it gender bends the majority of the story and casting. Most notably, it is the swans, performed entirely by male dancers, that are pure magic. Unlike female swan choreography, the male dancers are strong and aggressive, in the way swans are — and the choreography mimics this. The sheer strength and endurance to perform the choreography, and with Tchaikovsky’s score performed at a breakneck pace, the story races along in a delightful manner.

The two dancers performing The Prince and The Swan/Stranger were incredible, the agony of their forbidden love palpable to the highest reaches of the Sadlers Wells, and they are supported by an incredible company. There was not a single weak link or weak moment, and the ballet’s language reads as just as modern today as it would have decades ago at its premiere.

Peter Pan @ Harrow Arts

Harrow Arts Centre’s 2024 panto offering is a high-energy “what came next” story of Peter Pan and Captain Hook, leaning on the traditional storyline of the boy who won’t grow up to tell a story of family love, friendship, and second chances. 

The production values are high overall; a cleverly deployed yet simple set, supported by well considered costume design, with foy for Peter to fly (!) and multiple pyrotechnics and confetti cannons at key moments, creating an air of circus-like excitement. The young audience were engaged throughout, and the script cleverly adjusted in time to the weaning attention spans of young audience members, with surprises and interaction at just the right moments. 

The cast were evenly matched, with standout performances from Captain Hook (James Tobias Clifford), Silly Sammy (Emmett Carroll), and Sally Starkers (the hilarious dame, performed by Philip McParland). The chorus were well rehearsed on challenging choreography, and the young cast members rounding out the production were eager and skilled. 

Music Direction and lighting were the only areas that lagged; despite clever muical choices and a talented group, a few song choices didn’t suit the range of actors (Peter Pan in particular) and despite the excitement of the foy, an over-eager fog machine and missed lighting design meant we hardly saw Peter flying. 

WEER - Natalie Palamides @ SOHO Theatre

The sheer delightful chaos of Natalie Palamides show is central to its success. In a time when many shows aim to be polished and perfect, Palamides gives us rough around the edges and spiky. Centered around a couple and their downfall, with flashbacks to their meet cute, and all underscored by late 90’s music, the show has all the storyline makings of a meet-cute based rom-com from the period. However Palamides turns this on its head in many ways, most notably by playing both characters. And not in the way most solo shows do, but rather fully embodied through voice, movement and COSTUME across half of her body. The choreography to achieve this is nothing short of outstanding, and I regularly found myself marvelling at the stamina needed to perform this.

This is not the show for everyone - spiky jabs at late 90’s bro culture and the expectations on young women from a 2024 lens might be a bit much for some, but for me it is this clown-inspired means of taking the old rom-com formula to task while still revelling in its delights that make it exceptional.

This was my first of Natalie’s shows to see live, and it will not be my last.

By Their Fruits @ Theatre 503

This is the story of a young couple, fiery, in love, and intertwined. They have known one another from childhood, grown together, struggled together. Told in the tiny space of Theatre 503, the players and the design transform the space magically. Their bodies intertwine, weaving choreography seamlessly in and out of more natural movement - it is both smooth and staccato, harsh and soft, fast and slow, interchangeably. The heightened poetic language of the text is emphasised by these movement, which take place in a set which is somehow static and transformational at the same time. It is rare to see a production where the pacing is pitch perfect throughout two acts of heigtened text, but this one was. All of this might sound experimental, which it was, but within the constructs of a “well made play”. The form was constantly rebelled against, then fallen into, repeatedly, mirroring the experiences of the characters who rebel against their past, their history, then fall back into old and familiar comfortable patterns. This is all supported by the lighting design and sound design which create a seamless world for this language and play. 

The two performers are captivating, their connnection to one another permeating the space, making the audience feel a part of their story yet voyeurs at the same time. It is difficult to describe the patter, the connection - you believed for every second they had known one another a lifetime, with the deepest intimacy. 

None of this would be possible without a strong guiding directorial eye. Every breath, every moment thought of, planned in the most beautiful detail yet somehow feeling organic and spontaneous. 

My only qualm was with the story itself — the form was so delightfully challenging and intellectual, that the content itself (a simple story of love, family complexity, and unwanted discoveries) was nothing new, nor did it elicit response from me in a new way as an audience member. It was as if the form was so powerful the content took a back seat. This isn’t a complaint, but I would say that the story was the weakest element of the script. The text, however, filled with vivid imagery and biblical references was well constructed and clearly a delight for the creatives to work with. 

Tender @ Bush Theatre

Eleanor Tindall’s latest play, Tender, weaves a story of two people who at first appear to be disconnected, each working through their own trauma, who meet by happenstance, and then are drawn together. As the play progresses, we learn that in fact, they were connected all along. 

The script begins rather poetically, with a story of Ivy’s self destruction as a teen. The poeticism continues, through pulsing walls and choreographed interactions, with some truly delightful moments between the two actors. That said, the script and production don’t quiite click into place and race forward in the way you would like them to — the style of the script jumps around a little too much, and despite the efforts of the very talented cast, it is good, but just never reaches great. Frustratingly, there are glimpses of what could have been for the production - through perhaps another round of dramaturgy. 

Annabel Baldwin stands out in the highly skilled duo, with their ability to embody the text with beautiful subtlety. 

Songs for the Storm to Come - Mikhail Karikis @ HOME Manchester

Entering a long, dark room, there are small TV’s on the floor in a cluster, with hyper-close-up which you can’t quite make out, and in the far corner, a massive projection screen playing a cycle of singing, movement, and conversation. As the cycle progresses, the sound design envelops you, panning left to right, creating a dizzying effect.

The piece is a response to alternative futures, imagining what it could be like in England 25 year into the future should rising sea levels continue. The mixture of pragmatic discussion and reviewing of maps with chant-like singing, and simple, recorded breathing is immensely powerful.

Take care of each other, and the planet. We only get one.

Blood Show @ Battersea Arts Centre

The audience are warned before going in of potential splatter, and offered ponchos. This obviously sets an expectation, which is immediately subverted when we walk into a room where the playing space is pristine and white, the performers wearing clean white outfits, while one performer lounges in a chair, covered in fake blood. As we wait for the show to begin, La Roux’s The Kill plays on loop, and I wonder about how the actor managed to get into the white jumpsuit and not get it covered in blood, which drips from the toe that dangles over the edge of the white chair, onto the white floor. 

The early movements of the performance are set to silence; there is a ghost (which turns to highly comedic effect later on) and two performers, dressed in white. One covered in blood, one face made up like a ghost in a pantomime. The choreographed movements of a fight ensue, the fight becoming more graphic but also more performative in each repeat of the cyclical choreography. The actors vocalise at first, and in later “rounds” are accompanied by music. As they move through the space the pristine white is tarnished, with the mess expanding and getting increasingly absurd as they go on. 

There is an element of duration at play, as we witness nothing explicitly happening, while it is clear that the meaning of the fighting and the ensuing mess is evolving and expanding before our eyes. Without narrative the audience fill the gaps, imbuing meaning to the marks in the floor, the lengths of the pause between fights as the actors prepare again. Were the songs different or the same? Did the cycle of the choreography change intentionally? 

The cycle reaches a pinnacle of absurdity with literal buckets of fake blood dumped on the floor; this is where the production lost me. Earlier moments caused thoughts of our willingness to watch violence on TV and in films so casually, whereas in a live environment it was quite jarring. These final absurd moments while funny, did (for me) take away from the overall feeling of the production. 

Notwithstanding, this was a feat of production; the actors were exceptional in their physical commitment, and the design was clever and inventive, continually surprising the audience with where the blood would come from next. 

Selecting a Ghost @ Stanley Arts Centre

Staged in promenade fashion, Selecting A Ghost uses every possible inch of the Stanley Arts building to tell a brilliantly devised production of the Arthur Conan Doyle story. The audience are positioned as on a tour of the house, so what might be boring exposition is transformed into an adventure to explore the space. A playful urgency is created by the actors as they take us through the space, with the building transforming from room to room. Some audience members get to partake in a ghost chase, and there are light moments of interaction which are respectful of audience boundaries while still making us feel engaged in the action. 

As the production moves into bigger spaces in the building, the lighting and sound are quite inventively used - even the lift is a delight, as we see an actor rising up (to delightful comic effect) as we in the audience walk up the stairs. Lighting is used cleverly to direct our attention and create new spaces at times, without moving the audience. 

The final phase of the production where we meet the ghosts is beautifully conceived, using the text and dubstep to create an almost X-Factor ghost audition for the audience. The choreography is captivating and the use of this bigger space coupled with sound and light is inventive and fun. 

The two lead performers (Edward Bennet and Jade Williams) do a brilliant job taking us on the journey, with a special shout out to the actor who plays the wife along with at least 3 other characters through a fantastic physical transformation. They are supported by 4 dancers who play the ghosts, all of whom were captivating. 

Tracey Emin - I followed you to the end @ White Cube Gallery

Emin’s latest exhibition of new work fills White Cube in Bermondsey with the angst and anguish of a scorned lover; a person who has been wronged through love, who leaves, or is left.

The main corridor is lined with miniature paintings, aggressive and sensual in their composition. The larger spaces house the bigger pieces, which tower over the viewer. Continuing to explore themes we have seen from Emin before - bedrooms, sensuality, sex - and toying with absence, there is an almost snarky edgy quality to some of them, despite the anguish they depict. They feel like a breakup song, replete with searing guitar riffs and mashed keyboards. Most stunning were the scenes where the lover is so faint, painted over in white, that it appears to be only the imprint their body left in the bed, not the lover themself. The memory of their warmth.

There is anger here, which at times bubbles, but then fades. A memory of the anger - as much with oneself for being tricked as with the former lover for the transgression.

L'Addition @ Battersea Arts Centre

L’Addition begins with a foreword; the two actors coming out, lights up, to give us some information. The bit is reminiscent of the preambles ahead of performances, efforts to provide warnings to audiences. While it pokes fun at these things, at the same time it values and respects them, the tension between honouring the audience, challenging them, and respecting them at the forefront. 

We’re asked to forget the preamble, but of course are unable as the “performance” begins. Cyclical and slapstick in nature, it repeats and repeats, weaving around, never quite repeating in the same way and yet clearly the same. On the eve of the US election, it felt haunting to watch people repeating and repeating and never learning from their mistakes. 

What are we doing when we warn our audiences into oblivion? And what are we doing when we see a pattern, even say we want to break it, but are wholly unable? Absurdism feels so relevant in these times. I hear there is Rhinoceros outside…

Bert and Nasi are exceptional performers in their ability to fill the space, hold the tension, without a word. They play off one another beautifully, feeling improvised when of course we know it is wildly well rehearsed. The physical and textual choreography tripping beautifully over one another as if it is by mistake. 

Immersive 1984 @ Hackney Town Hall

Presented in the epic and imposing surroundings of Hackney Town Hall, 1984 attempts to translate the sprawling and intense novel into a production of about an hour. Upon arrival you are provided a number badge and some instructions, then invited into the main hall space where there is a bar, and 2 performers singing country-folk inspired music. From here the production begins, first in the main area, then through additional areas of the space where some information is revealed. There are inklings of participation for the audience when there is some interaction with the performers, and being asked to stand or sit, or move spaces.

However the majority of the production is observed; it is not discovered, the audience are moved around in an orderly fashion. Moments of the story unfold, but often without context or stakes, meaning that it is hard to follow, even for those who know the book well.

The design makes exceptional use of the space, and merges video and live performance to positive effect; the design alone is not enough to create a properly immersive and engaging experience for me, however.

Why A Black Woman Will Never Be Prime Minister @ Camden People's Theatre

Why A Black Woman Will Never Be Prime Minister takes us through 9 months (or 3 trimesters) of a young woman’s quest to break the cycles she comes from. She is child of a single mother who works incessantly to make a better life for her daughter; her daughter who has taken that gift and translated it into acceptance to university and an internship with a candidate for prime minister, alongside a steady relationship. The text intersperses spoken word poetry with direct address monologue and two-handed scenes (with her boss at the internship). The production moves fluidly through these elements, propelling the story forward as we learn that external barriers aren’t the only forces at work against this young woman; indeed she learns she became pregnant just before uni began, so that the trimester cycle of uni and the political campaign dovetail with her own pregnancy.

The two performers do a capable job bringing the characters and world to life, and the director sets a fun stylistic tone upfront; however as the seriousness of the challenges she is facing shift, the tone of the production doesn’t quite shift to the same degree, causing those more serious and touching moments to not work as well as they could. The script was strong in parts but did have some rather expository elements which could be done without. 

Toto Kerblammo! @ Unicorn Theatre

Toto Kerblammo tells the story of a young girl and her dog, as they navigate a challenging personal situation for her. Faced with a major tragedy and her mother taken to mental hospital, Effy has to move in with her aunt and uncle, where she can’t keep her dog Toto. It centres around the idea of listening — specifically that her dog can hear things she can’t to tell how she is felling. 

The story is told through headphones, creating an intimate atmosphere and one where the mechanism of listening becomes heightened. Moving back and forth through time and in and out of reality, the story unravels for us slowly, and in a really touching way, until we realise that another tragedy has occurred for Effy to move forward from. 

All elements of the production come together to perfection, but in particular, a couple elements stand out.  Tim Crouch’s script deals with intense subject matter, and for a young audience, yet doesn’t shy away from it or simplify it. In fact, there are elements introduced throughout the story which make it beautifully complex and difficult. The way the story unravels is careful to release just the right amout of story as it goes, slowly revealing what is happening and the depths of the situation to the audience. By positioning the story of this young girl’s emotional growth around her dog and what the dog can hear, with the overwhelming theme of listening, the audience are able to achieve a psychical distance and objectivity to the story while still being emotionally impacted by it. This is a beautiful story, well told — for audiences of all ages. 

And secondly, the sound design by Helen Skiera is truly exceptional, if relentless. The audio is playful and evocative — it creates closeness, and distance, builds spaces and changes times despite next to no change in the physical space. The layers to the sound design really emphasise the elements of the story and elevate them. The elements of sound design work together to create an intimacy between the audience, actors, and story.

Go see this.

Tituss Burgess - Indecisive Warrior @ Phoenix Arts Club

I love an intimate venue, and there was no better place for the incredible Tituss Burgess to bring his cabaret style show. Supported by an excellent 3 piece band and guest performers, Burgess demonstrated why his vocal talent is sought after, and importantly why he is regularly cast in what many would consider against type roles.

Spanning rock, pop, jazz, musical theatre, and beyond, Tituss is captivating. A magnetic performer, it is hard to take your eyes off him. The structure of the evening provided opportunity for Tituss to engage with the audience both in performance, and without that artifice. While the singing was incredible, what really stuck with me was the informal Q&A that started the second act. Tituss’ vulnerability and honesty in answering questions from the audience was incredible, and really lasting.

I can’t wait to see what he does next - hopefully on the West End if he achieves his goal of moving here.

CONGREGATION - Es Devlin @ St Mary Le Strand

50 individuals. 50 stories of coming to London under duress, forced to leave their homes. 50 portraits.

Es Devlin’s latest installation THE CONGREGATION at St Mary Le Strand showcases humanity in its purest form. Working with UNHCR and a team of co-writers, she met, drew, and interviewed 50 refugees living in London. Some who came decades ago, some only a few months — but regardless of when they came, each carries a story of creating a new home.

As you enter the church, the portraits are arranged like a choir, each drawn person holding an empty box. From here, a story unfolds, showcasing the uniqueness of each story while also drawing a thread of commonality, highlighting the humanity of these individuals, and their connection with the audience. Using mapped projections, music, and spoken word, we are transported. Despite the stories of strife, each individual shares a story of hope. The overall effect is surprisingly uplifting and hopeful.

NOWHERE - Fuel Theatre @ Battersea Arts Centre

Where are we safe? Khalid Abdalla’s solo show leaves nothing untouched in its challenge to the audience. Blending personal history with the politics that overshadow it, Khalid takes us through his family’s history as it relates to revolt, colonialism, and the current imperialist ventures in the West Bank and Palestine.

If it sounds heavy, it is - at times. But at times it is also darkly funny, light, playful, and despite the darkness, filled with hope.

Director Omar Elerian uses a brilliant blend of media to bring us this story - projections of old photographs, video which is and is not live (and it hard to tell when it transitions), and perhaps most movingly, images on a phone. To give the audience a story about contemporary uprisings which are made possible in many ways by the smartphone, which we far away primarily learn about through our phones, is nothing short of genius.

The play moves at a blistering pace and yet feels gentle, thoughtful. The performance, production, and script all come together in the most beautiful way, that the audience are left a little breathless, a little teary, and completely reminded of why we make theatre. This. This is why.

THE BELT - Ambiguous Dance Company @ The Coronet Theatre

The Belt, from Korea’s Ambiguous Dance Company, is a two-part event.

First, Past, is a site specific exploration of identity through repetitive movement, with 6 short performances which take place across different areas of The Coronet theatre. Billed as “immersive” i would argue the label does the work a disservice. Instead it is site-specific, with the movements inspired by the spaces, and vice versa. Throughout this section the audience are moved around the space by guides - this is a bit unceremonious, and moved at an intense pace (so much so that my group lost people more than once). Nonetheless the pieces were thought provoking in their own right.

Second, Future, takes the ideas of durational performance and boredom from contemporary theatre and places them into the context of dance. Situated in the main performance space at the Coronet, and lasting over an hour, the company perform a non-stop piece of choreography to a continuous techno DJ set. This on its own is exciting, however coupled with a movement vocabulary which challenges perfection, it is quite thrilling overall picture. The movement takes classical dance movement and muddies it, making it look like street or club dancing….while still underscored by strong technique and precision (despite looking to the untrained eye completely imprecise). The sheer endurance of the piece is breathtaking.

A delightful evening, which challenged multiple preconceptions.

Twine @ The Yard Theatre

Selina Thompson’s newest play, Twine, explores adoption, and the search of an adopted child to understand their history. Set in a magical between place, Sycamore has been split into three parts to represent her at different points in her life. Seed is her at 5 days old (when she was adopted), Sapling is her as a teen, and Bark is adult her, hardened to the realities of life.

The premise is intriguing, and there are moments where it is truly exciting, however as a whole piece there are moments that just don’t work. The first act worked better than the second, using music to engage and weave the story, although it ran a bit long and flagged toward the end of the act. The second act felt a bit disjointed from the first until the very final moments.

The music and performances were all strong, supporting a strong idea, but the script just didn’t quite have the pop it could have.

Mnemonic - Complicité @ National Theatre London

Remounted 25 years later, Complicité’s Mnemonic continues to resonate. While the dramatic conventions of the piece have been replicated and copied by countless artists and in numerous productions since, they still feel fresh here; indeed, it was notable that in some ways, theatrical innovation has (in the main) stalled since, continually replicating flexible spaces, overlapping scenes, projection and live video interaction.

It was fascinating to see McBurney (and the company’s) trademark movements and choices in this early work, although this could be rework.

Having not seen the original, only read about it, it is difficult to say just how much has been adapted and refreshed versus the original. Obviously references are altered, particularly at the opening of the play, referring to the performers in this production, and even to the caché of the original and the company.

All of that said, the opening moments — blindfolded, opening the audience’s emotional relationship to memory are so simple and powerful that they will never stop working theatrically.

ECHO (Every Cold-Hearted Oxygen) @ Royal Court for LIFT Festival

Where does performance happen? What does it mean to be present in a space? Nassim Soleimanpour’s latest play, ECHO, digs at these questions. Using the convention of an actor who hasn’t read the script before performing live which Soleimanpour used with great success on White Rabbit, Yellow Rabbit, this play pushes that technique further. Not only is the actor contending with a script they haven’t seen, but with technology, projection, and more. This play asks big questions; about who we are, what ties us to a place or a memory, and importantly about what it means to move away from home and family, living as an immigrant in another culture divorced from your own but unable to separate yourself.

I won’t say more as to not steal the surprise — but suffice it to say that the images and questions this play ask have been looming over me since seeing it. That’s not easy.