Month: December 2022

Set in a Pennsylvania town called Nazareth in area area where names are borrowed from the Middle East, Sons of the Prophet presents a Maronite Lebanese American family who are remotely related to author Kahlil Gibran and it titles its scenes with chapter headings from his The Prophet. It begins with a car crash and… Continue reading Sons of the Prophet

S pice Girl Mel C is swapping pop concerts for contemporary dance after taking a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to perform at Sadler’s Wells. The star – real name Melanie Chisholm – signed up after being approached by dancer and choreographer – and self-confessed Spice Girls fan – Jules Cunningham. The pair will perform with fellow dancer Harry Alexander… Continue reading Spice Girl Mel C turns contemporary dancer at new Sadler’s Wells show

Elegant and danced with assurance, though emotionally the stakes remain sluggish Last week, Ukraine’s culture minister, Oleksandr Tkachenko, urged western classical companies to avoid Tchaikovsky’s music, “pausing performances of his works until Russia ceases its bloody invasion”. For ballet companies, the plea falls on sympathetic but unresponsive ears: Tchaikovsky’s ballets are rare bankers in uncertain… Continue reading English National Ballet’s Nutcracker at the London Coliseum review: a festive treat

The Standard recognised two great theatre names who fought for the art form and kept its spirit alive during the pandemic When the 66th Evening Standard Theatre Awards in association with Garrard took place earlier this month after a two-year pandemic hiatus, the paper’s owner, Lord Lebedev, handed out two special awards. As in previous… Continue reading 66th Evening Standard Theatre Awards Special Award winners Vanessa Redgrave and Nica Burns on theatre’s future

The Evening Standard Theatre Awards returned last night after a two-year pandemic-enforced break, in a night that reflected the strength of London’s theatre recovery The 66th Evening Standard Theatre Awards ceremony was an emotional affair last night. Dame Vanessa Redgrave spoke movingly about her father. Stephen Graham said of Jodie Comer: “Our kid f***ing smashed… Continue reading Joyous and emotional: inside the 66th Evening Standard Theatre Awards

It’s even better than last time: break a minor byelaw if it helps you get to the gig When Liz Kingsman’s brilliantly silly One Woman Show opened at the Soho Theatre in 2021 I suggested that comedy fans do everything legal to get a ticket. Having now enjoyed an upscaled version I’d reiterate that. In… Continue reading Liz Kingsman: One Woman Show at the Ambassadors Theatre review – the number one comedy of 2022

Julian Clary shines in this camp, corny and filthy show engorged with star names Fee fi fo fum, I smell an uproariously cheesy pantomime that will brighten up London for the next five weeks. Director Michael Harrison is the man behind another festive Palladium production packed with star names of a certain vintage and punchlines… Continue reading Jack and the Beanstalk at the London Palladium review: uproarious panto packed with comic vulgarity

The oak-paneled, stained glass, 14th century Middle Temple Hall feels Dickens-ier than Dickens This atmospheric version of Dickens’s evergreen Christmas morality tale, laced with reworked and reworded carols, deserves its place alongside the multiple other adaptations vying for attention across London. Both nimble and faithful, its main asset is its location. The oak-panelled, stained glass, 14th… Continue reading A Christmas Carol at Middle Temple Hall review: resistance is useless

Claus the Musical is not a conventional Christmas potboiler. It does not presume the young target audience has a limited attention span and depends more upon imagination than slick special effects to tell the story. L Frank Baum’s best-known story—The Wonderful Wizard of Oz—successfully shifted the fairy tale formula from Europe to the American Heartland.… Continue reading Claus the Musical