Victoria’s Knickers @ Soho Theatre

Continuing the National Youth Theatre REP Company’s season at Soho Theatre, Victoria’s Knickers is an ensemble piece based on the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign, and the legend of Edward Jones – a teenager who broke into Buckingham palace repeatedly between 1837-1840. Written by NYT alumnus Josh Azouz, the play is witty, hilarious and terrifically performed by the talented young cast.

Victoria (Alice Vilanculo) is about to be crowned queen and marry her cousin Albert (Oseloka Obi). But when a young man called Ed (Jamie Ankrah) breaks into the palace and she catches him sitting on her throne, his wit and boldness charms her. Victoria soon begins an affair with Ed, even making plans to move to Blackpool. When Ed is caught on the palace grounds he is imprisoned, and it’s up to Victoria to save her love.

Photo: Helen Murray

Ankrah’s performance is a bit rough around the edges but his energy is outstanding. As soon as he appears on stage the whole auditorium is rooting for him. He takes time to make cheeky glances at the audience, making him great to watch as this lovable character. Opposite him, in the title role, the fiery Vilanculo is full of sass, a stunning voice, and brilliant comic timing – she is an absolute joy to watch. As a group, the cast is completely in sync with one another and their rendition of Blackstreet’s No Diggity is a particular highlight. Led by Obi’s impressive vocals the whole team gets involved and has fun with it, prompting cheering and roars of laughter from the audience.

Azouz has taken the infamous story of The Boy Jones and filled in the blanks with outrageous and fantastic ideas. Using slang to really root the story in London, and with a mixture of original music and well-known hip-hop, Victoria’s Knickers is a boisterous piece performed by a lively cast.

Victoria’s Knickers is at Soho Theatre until 10th November.

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Hamilton (Lewis) @ King’s Head Theatre

With everyone being obsessed with Lin Manuel Miranda’s extremely successful Hamilton: An American Musical, parodies were inevitable. When it was announced that Hamilton would be appearing in the West End, someone on Twitter was perplexed as to why a musical about Lewis Hamilton was being made. Taking this idea and running with it, Fiona English and David Eaton have created a new musical based on the Formula 1 driver. Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe, Hamilton (Lewis) is an awfully amazing hour of ridiculous songs, funny gags and some stunning vocals.

Photo: The Other Richard

Born and raised in Stevenage, Lewis Hamilton (Letitia Hector) has always dreamed of driving fast cars. With McLaren boss Ron Dennis (Jamie Barwood) mentoring him, he gets the title of F1 champion. But with rival Fernando Alonso’s (Louis Mackrodt) backing from sponsors, will Hamilton be able to maintain his place at the top? And when Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger (Liberty Buckland) takes a fancy to him, Hamilton sees his opportunity to be the man he has always wanted to be, and rise up.

As you would expect from a successful musical parody, it’s completely over the top, with playful lyrics, a wink to the audience, and a cast who look like they’re genuinely having a great time on stage. Breaking the fourth wall throughout heightens the shared experience of this show, and it’s obvious the audience loves being in on the joke. There is a chuckle whenever a Hamilton song reference is made, which, as expected, is constantly.

Photo: The Other Richard

Hector’s Hamilton is strong and likable, with great comic timing and charisma. It’s during her duets with Buckland that both performers thrive, their voices blending perfectly together, showcasing Eaton’s satisfying music and lyrics. Watch out for Buckland’s number with the rest of The Pussycat Dolls – performed hilariously by Barwood and Mackrodt –  you will not be able to look away.

If you are a die-hard fan of Lewis Hamilton you will likely find the show offensive, but that’s ok because you’re not really the target audience. If you are a fan of Hamilton, whether or not you have seen it or just obsessively listen to the soundtrack, you will love this show. It’s silly, fun, hammy, and over within the hour – what’s not to like?

Hamilton (Lewis) is at the King’s Head Theatre until 22nd September.

Seven Husbands for Hürmüz @ Arcola Theatre

Part of the theatre’s Creative/Disruption 18 season, Arcola Ala Turka’s newest show Seven Husbands for Hürmüz is an energetic staging of Sadık Şendil’s classic play. Naz Yeni’s direction brings this farce to life with energy, and even though at times the action becomes muddled and overwhelming, the overall experience is fun and quite enjoyable.

Set at the end of the 19th Century in Istanbul, at a time when it was not unusual for men to have more than one wife, Hürmüz has managed to wed a total of six men, each unaware of one another’s existence. Her situation is pretty comfortable, and she is able to take advantage of their salaries, and the fact that many live outside of the city. But when Hürmüz falls madly in love with a doctor, her web of lies begins to untangle, triggering a series of fantastically ridiculous events.

The start of the play isn’t very promising as it kicks off with a confusing play-within-a-play concept which is never revisited at the end. Some characters are mentioned but never appear again, and many of the performers rush through their lines, not waiting long enough for jokes to land. But once the actual story of Hürmüz gets going, the performers are in their element, and the cast of around 30 brings to life this show with great energy. With such a large cast, the small studio space at the Arcola Theatre feels claustrophobic at times, particularly when everyone is on stage at once. That being said, I do understand that in this style of Turkish theatre, the lively musical numbers work better with the whole team on stage – even though it can be overwhelming.

Within the ensemble, Ada Burke stands out in the title role with her great comic timing and an instantly likeable quality. She’s extremely dynamic on stage, whether she’s wooing a foolish husband or pretending to be a conservative, elderly uncle, she vivaciously brings to life Şendil’s bawdy language. The exaggerated Turkish male stereotypes are also hilarious to see, and it’s interesting to watch how Hürmüz manipulates each of them using their characteristics. Personal highlights include Özgür Boz’s perfectly timed slapstick moments as the Cotton Fluffer, and Şükrü Demir as the simple-minded Memo.

With the music playing a big part in the piece, it is a shame that at times the singing feels awkward to watch. Although almost every scene is concluded with a song, there seems to be a disconnect between the musicians on stage and the actors. Song cues were missed, sometimes notes were off-key, and there was even a point where an actor side-eyed the musicians, making these mistakes very obvious. The most disappointing of all was the bağlama (stringed musical instrument) that remained centre stage throughout the play – it was only played twice and it would have been great to hear more.

The moments of confusion at the beginning of the show and the frustrating musical direction can be forgiven though, purely because of the amount of fun the company are having on stage, which is infectious. For that reason, Arcola Ala Turka’s staging of Seven Husbands for Hürmüz is an enjoyable show,that has hilarious moments of comedy, and displays some genuinely good acting.

 

Zigger Zagger @ Wilton’s Music Hall

Written by Peter Terson, Zigger Zagger was the first piece of new writing commissioned by the National Youth Theatre. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the play is being staged at Wilton’s Music Hall, directed by Juliet Knight. With a cast of 50, the play about football hooliganism is loud and full of energy from its young performers. But at times this energy comes crashing down, and the change in pace makes it hard to keep the audience’s attention.

Harry Philton (Josh Barrow) is doing badly at school, and things at home aren’t much better. His mum (Ciara Wright) is constantly spending time with a different “uncle” every night, while his sister (Georgina Daniels) and her husband Les (Ebe Bamgboye) have settled down to a life of routine and television. Unsure of what to do, Harry turns to his friend Zigger Zagger, the leader of the football fans, who promotes sex, drink, and violence. In the end, though, it’s up to Harry to choose: a wholesome life in a menial job, conforming to society? Or football hooliganism and uncertainty?

Photo: Nobby Clark

The most exciting part of this show is the way the company works together as an ensemble. They bring to life Terson’s text with stunning energy, and their collective chanting and singing are pure power. In particular, it’s the classroom, football and fight scenes that draw attention to their abilities as great performers. They are a force that takes over the stage, drawing you in, and you can’t help but smile. People around me were even chanting along with them.

It’s during the more intimate scenes, when only a handful of characters appear on stage, that the energy disappears. Barrow is unlikable as Harry, so instantly it becomes hard to sympathise with him. This makes the scenes with lengthier dialogue difficult to engage with, especially during the second half of the play. That isn’t to say there aren’t some very good moments in the piece and equally great performances.

Photo: Nobby Clark

Saffron Pooley’s singing is something to watch out for, as she makes a still moment purvey beautiful emotional with her voice. Teddy Robson as Zigger Zagger also gives a strong performance, with his cheeky chap antics. Even though his character is flawed, Robson manages to make him human and you can’t help wanting to see more. Equally, Patrick Bayele is memorable as the Magistrate, standing out with his articulate performance in this small role. One final mention has to go to Adam Smart, who, as the Youth Careers Advisor, is absolutely hilarious. His brilliant comedic timing is effortless, and even though he is on stage for a brief moment, he makes an impression.

Staging Zigger Zagger is obviously the best way to celebrate the play’s 50th anniversary. The young ensemble works extremely well together, and are amazing collectively on stage. While a number of scenes fall flat, there are some brilliant individual performances.

 

Miss Nightingale @ The Vaults

Set in 1942 London, Miss Nightingale is a saucy musical that chronicles a cabaret singer’s rise to fame, to the backdrop of the Blitz. Full of spectacular numbers and excellent performances, the show is hilarious and ridiculously fun, while also detailing quite a touching storyline.

In the middle of war-torn London, Sir Frank (Nicholas Coutu-Langmead), the wealthy owner of a cabaret club is looking for a new act to be a regular on his stage. Enter Maggie (Tamar Broadbent) – a nurse with a great voice and stage presence, and George (Conor O’Kane), a Jewish composer. Together the trio set out to bring entertainment to the London nightlife. But when Frank and George fall in love, Maggie’s ex Tom (Niall Kerrigan) does all he can to exploit the couple’s secret at a time when society forces them to hide it.

Photo: Robert Workman

Matthew Bugg has created an excellent piece of musical theatre. The moving love story and World War Two setting add emotion to the piece, which is balanced by the upbeat songs full of raunchy innuendos, creating an uplifting atmosphere. The ensemble work well together on stage, and as the whole cast is made up of actor-musicians, their talent is endless. Broadbent is a delight as the title character, perfectly performing each bawdy number with energy and spot-on comic timing. Coutu-Langmead and O’Kane capture Frank and George’s love completely, presenting their relationship with affection. Frank’s conflicting emotions are pushed to the surface by Coutu-Langmead’s passionate performance, while O’Kane presentation of George’s witty language is charming.

Photo: Robert Workman

Aside from the performances, the show itself feels more like an experience as The Vaults are completely transformed into a 1940s cabaret space. Designer Carla Goodman’s attention to detail is immaculate, with vintage trinkets and objects laid out even before you enter the auditorium. This theme continues onto the stage, where the cleverly thought-out costumes and props enrich each song.

Miss Nightingale is a funny and well-written musical that brings to life the 1940s cabaret scene, expertly performed by a terrific cast. The whole show is just superb.

Miss Nightingale is at The Vaults until 20th May.

2 Become 1 @ King’s Head Theatre

Kerri Thomason and Natasha Granger’s 2 Become 1 is an upbeat musical exploring female friendship and the evolution of dating, set to a 90s soundtrack. Bursting with nostalgia and girl power, the play perfectly captures the pop-culture of the era, and the talented cast present some truly hilarious renditions of these classic songs.

Jess (Granger) has just been dumped by her boyfriend, and to stop her from wallowing in self-pity, her friends decide to take her on a night out. From speed dating, to using Cosmo tips to impress men, to singing in the ladies loos, the girls do their best to cheer up Jess’ broken heart. But in the end, after a quick stop at the chippy, Jess realises she doesn’t need a man when she is surrounded by girl power.

Photo: Liam Prior

The chemistry of the cast is exquisite on stage and it genuinely feels like these women have been friends for a long time. Granger captures the distressed dumpee’s character perfectly, and her physical comedy is brilliant. The stand-out performer of the piece is Jessica Brady, who plays the obsessive and fickle-hearted Amanda. Her powerful voice is the perfect fit for Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas is You,’ and along with the audience participation, this is the highlight of the piece.

Photo: Liam Prior

While presenting a female-centric view through their characters, Thomason and Granger split the action with real-life recordings of men and their opinions on dating. Contrasting the 90s action with the contemporary recordings highlights just how much dating has changed in such a short period of time, especially with the internet. We see the character Molly (played by Thomason) muse about this at the end of their girls night out, commenting on just how ridiculous it would be to form opinions of people based just on the way they look.

Thomason and Granger have created a short and energetic piece, full of laughs and great throwbacks. Though their is an overarching theme about modern-day dating practices and how unorthodox they are when compared to 20 years ago, this is a very light-hearted show. With just the right amount of cheesiness, 2 Become 1 is a delight, and a great alternative Christmas treat.

2 Become 1 is at the King’s Head Theatre until 7th January.

Macbeth @ ZOO, Edinburgh Fringe

Fortitude Dance Theatre are a Nottingham-based company made up of students currently studying at various drama schools around the UK. Their debut show Macbeth is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s place set in the Acid House scene of 1989 Manchester. While the idea of this setting is a welcome approach to the text, especially by a young group of performers, the execution isn’t solid enough for a strong performance.

After encountering three witches, Macbeth and his friend Banquo are spooked by their prophecy. When their first prediction comes true, Macbeth calls his wife to let her know what he has witnessed. In order to make sure what the witches foretold comes true, that Macbeth shall “be King hereafter,” the couple concoct a plan to kill their leader Duncan and fulfil the prophecy. Blood begets blood, until Macbeth meets a deadly end.

The company are skilled with their movements and the dancing in the performance is the most promising element of it, but there isn’t enough of it in the show. This “physical theatre” adaptation doesn’t get physical until Duncan’s murder scene a third of the way in, which is a disappointment. The performers also need to work on the delivery of their lines, as most couldn’t fully grasp which words to emphasise, often spitting the speeches out quickly. While the Acid House elements are present in the costume design and music of the show, more could have been done to incorporate the psychedelic nature of the genre. This would have worked especially well with the witches, and would have emphasised their supernatural nature. Overall, Fortitude Dance Theatre’s Macbeth lacks the understanding and energy to be an effective adaptation.

Macbeth @ C, Edinburgh Fringe

It is always a challenge to find a new approach to any Shakespeare play, and when the Fringe boasts of over 10 productions and adaptations of Macbeth, it can be hard to stick out from the crowd. But when a group of 17-21 year olds from Hackney get together, they’re able to bring a breath of fresh air to Shakespeare’s play.Set in the cutthroat world of the British music industry, TWIST Theatre Company’s Macbeth is an exciting and energetic musical adaptation that does not disappoint.

Duncan King (Kieran Smith), founder of the music label King Records, has worked his way up from a poor London Estate, to owning a successful business in the British Music Industry. Duncan has helped talented young people from his estate also achieve success, like friends Macbeth (Andre Fyffe) and Banquo (Ryan Yengo). When the Witches, a group of three rejected female artists, make predictions about Macbeth and Banquo’s futures, the two brush the young women off. However, as Macbeth’s first prophecy is fulfilled, he becomes determined to do all he can to make sure he gets to the top of King Records as predicted by the Witches. Encouraged by his partner-in-crime Lady M (Malika Cholwe), Macbeth decides to do all he can to achieve this goal, even if that includes murdering those close to him.

Chowle is the stand-out performer as Lady M. Her beautifully smooth voice exerts power on stage, easily influencing Macbeth’s choices. Similarly the Witches, performed by Dominique Florent-Lee, Shadale Grant and Kali Mcloughlin are outstanding. The hiphop, R&B and Grime influenced music allows the company to play around with Shakespeare’s text, rhythmically weaving it into modern-day London. In particular, the use of Afrobeats during the Witches’ potion scene is very enjoyable to watch, especially as the dancing seemingly intensifies their supernatural power. Like Fyffe and Yengo’s skillful rapping, the Witches use music as a way to strengthen their bond, unity and power.

TWIST Theatre Company’s Macbeth cleverly infuses poetry with music, dance and comedy to create a fresh new adaptation. While highlighting the dog-eat-dog world of the music industry, the company showcases their immense talent and very visible love for performance, producing a great musical. To top it all off, the show ends with a step dance, so what’s not to like?

Macbeth is at C (+1) until 20th August.

Sex Workers’ Opera @ The Pleasance

Created by sex workers, their friends and their families, Sex Workers’ Opera is a show that brings together a collection of verbatim performance, some very funny sketch scenes, dance, poetry, song, video and much more. It is bold and sexy, and although it can feel awkward at times, it has some very touching moments.

Co-directors Alex Etchart and Siobhan Knox use a mother-daughter relationship to frame the action on stage. The mother serves as a tool to question the actions of the daughter, a sex-worker, and comes to represent the voice of ordinary people: those who can never fully understand sex-workers. Presenting the mother in this way allows the action to be naturally guided by questions the mother would like answers to about sex-work, helping audiences understand the characters and their stories.

Photo: Julio Etchart

The piece brings up legitimate and important points raised by those who do sex work as a profession, bringing to light stereotypes and perceived expectations. There is humour in the piece, such as a scene depicting different types of pornography, and what the government deems “acceptable”. But serious issues are also discussed, like the disadvantages of criminalisation, the effects sex work has on people and their families, and the safety of sex workers themselves. Etchart and Knox tackle these issues lightly, with humour and sketch, as well as  with some very intimate and touching moments.

The delivery of the stories is authentic, and the sincerity of the performers draws in the audience. For example Vera Rodriguez’s touching story about her life as a sex worker, her abusive partner, and the consequences of their relationship. Her interest in photography shines through the stunning photos projected on the screen. Rodriguez was also one of the strongest performers, the skit between her and her client asking for relationship advice was the funniest moment in the show.

Photo: Julio Etchart

The interactions between mother and daughter were a chance for the audience to question the scenes before and reflect on what they had witnessed. However the repetitiveness of the dialogue in these transitions felt uncomfortable at times. It would have been better if they were kept shorter , which would have helped with the awkwardness of the performances. Additionally, the technical elements of the transitions as a whole were very weak and felt under-rehearsed. This meant there was a lot of waiting and watching people move things around on stage. If they were slicker, this would have cut down on the running time, which at 3 hours (including the interval) feels too long.

This isn’t to say, however, that the show isn’t worth watching. The intriguing characters, their lives, their stories, and how they deal with adversity is the Sex Workers’ Opera‘s soul. The cast is comprised of those who identify as straight, LGBTQI, have disabilities, and hail from around the world, and their diversity is celebrated. The show tackles a serious issue in a very theatrical way, making it accessible, enlightening, and a great show to see.

Sex Workers’ Opera is at The Pleasance until 29th May

Gatsby @ Union Theatre

Theatre company Ruby in the Dust celebrate their 10th anniversary with a reprisal of their original musical Gatsby, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. Before the Union Theatre, the show had reached several other venues in London with critical acclaim. This time around however, the company’s classic doesn’t hold up to its previous recognition.

Narrated by Jay Gatsby’s (Nicolas Fagerberg) friend and mentor Meyer Wolfshiem (Paul DuBois) Gatsby is told as a flashback, and follows Fitzgerald’s story quite accurately. The show opens as Wolfshiem is discussing Gatsby’s death with Nick Carraway (Blair Robertson), who was his neighbour. We find out that the reason for the title character’s lavish parties was to finally meet Daisy Buchanan (Joanna Brown), whom he was once in love with. Daisy is now unhappily married to Tom Buchanan (Zed Josef), and when she meets Gatsby again, the two rekindle their love, leading to a tragic end.

Photo: Roy Tan

The idea of Wolfshiem as a narrator is an interesting concept, as it is a refreshing take on the classic that allows the audience to see Gatsby through the eyes of the man who helped him become the rich and charismatic character he is. However as the show continues, it becomes clear that this perspective is not going to give an alternative narrative to Gatsby’s character. Instead this is just a musical adaptation of The Great Gatsby which lacks the glitz and glamour of the Roaring Twenties it is trying to convey.

There are elements of the era director Linnie Reedman stages really well. The jazz sounds of the period are entertaining during the upbeat songs, and it’s great to hear the talented cast doubling up as the musicians. At points however, the instruments drown out the sounds of the singing making the lyrics hard to pick up, which sadly becomes quite distracting. Similarly, some of the performances were so over the top, and accents so inconsistent, that it became hard to concentrate. In a large space, the exaggerated performances would be perfect for the musical, but at the Union Theatre’s intimate space, it came across as very obnoxious.

Photo: Roy Tan

DuBois was an oddly  likeable Wolfshiem, engaging from the onset, and the character that stood out the most in the show. It would have been great for him to have more narrative throughout which would have given him a chance to be more involved in the story. Another stand out performance was by Josef, who portrayed Tom’s arrogance and immorality brilliantly and with charisma. One person who lacked on that front was unfortunately the great Gatsby himself. Fagerbeg’s portrayal was not very memorable, and it was difficult to see him as the man with the enigmatic persona and lavish parties.

The costumes were one of the more redeemable qualities of Gatsby, the dresses and suits oozing 1920s glam. But on this occasion the disappointing elements of the show outweigh the more enjoyable aspects of it. Apart from the few memorable performances, this musical adaptation of The Great Gatsby doesn’t live up to its greatness.

Gatsby is at the Union Theatre until 30th April