Snippet Reviews of shows in London, Eng. To be expanded shortly:
At the Hampstead Theatre.
Written by Mike Bartlett.
Bartlett’s latest gripping play about a man named Edward who released thousands of secret documents onto the internet because he wanted a fair playing field. He is now in a hotel room in Russia being interrogated by two people. He does not know who they represent or what side they are on. By the end of the play his world and that hotel room will turn upside down, literally. And for all his idealism, his actions did not make one bit of difference.
Startling, compelling play.
At the Dorfman Theatre, National Theatre.
A young British couple on a Greek island invite an American couple for dinner. The American husband is a ‘floater’, who works in diplomacy, more like spying. His wife drinks too much and is a bit of a twit. The British couple are seduced by the ‘charisma’ of the American man. We are wary of him because we catch him in a lie. He is involved in nasty business.
A wank of a play. It’s not an allegory about the ugly American. Or about American-British politics. It’s just pretending to be about something important.
Cuttin’ It.
At the Royal Court Upstairs.
About Female Genital Mutilation in the Sudanese culture. Brutal and important. Beautifully acted.
Unreachable.
A young film director hold up production of his film waiting for the perfect light. The play was created in the rehearsal hall between the cast and the ‘playwright’ director. Some of the funniest lines I’ve heard in a long time. The final scene is a wonder of animation and streaming light and confetti that showers the audience. All of which has nothing to do with the film we are told they are filming. Weird.
Richard III
At the Almeida Theatre
Ralph Fiennes plays Richard III. Vanessa Redgrave plays Mad Queen Margaret. Rupert Goold directs one of the dreariest, dull, boring, static productions of this gripping play. Ralph Fiennes speaks clearly and crisply but there is no sense of nuance, charm, wit, evil, or calculation. He speaks the lines and that’s it. He is fine on film and a bore on stage.
Into the Woods
At the Menier Chocolate Factory.
Stephen Sondheim’s musical about fairy tales and spooky woods. Done by the fabulously inventive Fiasco Company from New York. Terrific.
Faith Healer
At the Donmar Warehouse.
Brian Friel’s three character, four scene play about a charismatic faith healer who is a liar, a cheat and destructive. Terrific production.