Category Archives: Theatre

THEATRE REVIEW: ‘The Women of Troy’ at the National

Posted on November 30, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – There are moments in Katie Mitchell’s staging of Don Taylor’s version of “Women of Troy” when the fate of all women condemned to suffering by war and oppression is made sorrowfully clear. An imprisoned queen, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'The Women of Troy', Don Taylor, Euripides, Katie Mitchell, National Theatre, Sinéad Matthews | Comments Off

THEATRE REVIEW: ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’ the musical

Posted on November 22, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Pumped up and shrill, the sound system almost overwhelms some decent performances of classic Blondie songs in the new stage musical based on the film “Desperately Seeking Susan.” It’s not a bad idea at all … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'Desperately Seeking Susan', Angus Jackson, Blondie, Emma Williams, Kelly Price, Peter Michael Marino | Comments Off

THEATRE REVIEW: ‘Statement of Regret’ at the National Theatre

Posted on November 17, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett The conflict between blacks of direct African descent and their Caribbean cousins is at the heart of British playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah’s third play, “Statement of Regret.” While clearly a source of considerable anguish for those concerned, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'Statement of Regret', Don Warrington, Kwame Kwi-Armah, National Theatre | Comments Off

THEATRE REVIEW: Candida Cave’s ‘Lotte’s Journey’

Posted on November 2, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON — Charlotte Salomon was a young German Jewish woman who perished at Auschwitz in 1943 but who left hundreds of paintings that describe a short life lived in the shadow of the Nazi terror. Candida Cave’s … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Michael Ball in ‘Hairspray’

Posted on November 1, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett “Hairspray” is still running in New York, and there has been a movie version starring John Travolta, but the 2003 Tony winner for best musical has finally made it to London’s West End in all its frenetic, … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'Hairspray', Jack O'Brien, Jerry Mitchell, John Waters, Leanne Jones, Marc Shaiman, Mark O'Donnell, Mel Smith, Michael Ball, Scott Witman, Shaftesbury Theatre | Comments Off

THEATRE REVIEW: Ringwood players’ ‘Allo, ‘Allo

Posted on October 31, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett On any given weekend, enthusiastic players from more than 2,500 amateur theatre companies around Britain get together to put on a show and last weekend, I went down to Hampshire by the New Forest to see the … Continue reading →

Posted in Notes, Theatre | Tagged 'Allo, Andy Steeds, Julie Lax, NODA, Peter Ansell, Poppy Garvey, Richard Bennett, Ringwood Musical and Dramatic Society, Sheryle Daniels | 1 Comment

THEATRE REVIEW: Nick Stafford’s ‘War Horse’

Posted on October 26, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – It’s an imposing puppet made of bamboo, nylon, bicycle chain and leather, and its three human operators are clearly visible, but not long into the National Theatre’s captivating production of “War Horse,” the steed in … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'War Horse', Adrian Sutton, Handspring Puppet Company, Luke Treadaway, Michael Morpurgo, Mrianne Elliott, National Theatre, Nick Stafford, Tom Morris | 1 Comment

THEATRE REVIEW: Christian Slater in ‘Swimming With Sharks’

Posted on October 20, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett Hollywood loves to think its corporate monsters are worse than in any other business, as George Huang demonstrated in his scabrous 1994 film “Swimming With Sharks”. Now, British writer Michael Lesslie has rendered the story onstage and Christian … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'Swimming With Sharks', Christian Slater, Matt Smith, Michael Leslie, Stephen Warbeck, Vaudeville Theatre, Wilson Milam | Comments Off

THEATRE REVIEW: Jonathan Pryce in ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’

Posted on October 14, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – David Mamet’s already spare drama “Glengarry Glen Ross” has been pared to the bone in a scintillating revival that stars Jonathan Pryce (pictured left) , who shows that spending time on such light Hollywood fare as … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'Glengarry Glen Ross', 'Glengarry Glen Ross' Jonathan Pryce, Aiden Gillen, Apollo Theatre, David Mamet, James Macdonald, Jonathan Pryce | Comments Off

THEATRE REVIEW: Wycherley’s ‘The Country Wife’

Posted on October 12, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – When the curtain goes up in the new West End production of William Wycherley’s Restoration sex comedy “The Country Wife,” Toby Stephens, as a priapic young stud named Horner, is standing alone with his back … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'The Country Wife', David Haig, Fiona Glascott, Jonathan Kent, Judy Dench, Maggie Smith, Theatre Royal Haymarket, Toby Stephens, William Wycherley | Comments Off