Simon Ward reviews Glamrou: Drag Mother at the Soho Theatre Drag queen Glamrou is the alter ego of Amrou Al-Kadhi, a British-Iraqi writer, filmmaker and performer. This could be called a loosely autobiographical show – you can’t necessarily believe everything they say, but some of the most outrageously […]
Simon Ward reviews Cutting The Tightrope: The Divorce of Politics From Art at the Arcola Theatre The staging of this collection of short works is an explicitly political act, which aims to galvanise audiences into further political action. Under those circumstances, therefore, it seems crass and irrelevant to […]
Simon Ward reviews Sanctuary at the Hope Theatre Christine Rose’s topical and disturbing new play is premiering in a short run at the Hope in Islington. Directed by Broadway stalwart Donna King and starring Laura Shipler Chico as Cassie and Andrea Milton-Furlotti as Amelia, it presents a vision […]
Simon Ward reviews Fragments at the Etcetera Theatre In this astonishing piece Nigerian writer and performer Pearl Ada pulls no punches as she tackles the intersecting issues of colonialism and its legacy, racism, and patriarchy. Put like that, it sounds like a grim hour, whereas it is anything […]
Simon Ward reviews The Elephant In The Room at the Waterloo East Theatre Peter Hamilton’s latest play, now presented in Waterloo East under Ross McGregor’s direction after a run last year at the Tabard Theatre, is a kaleidoscopic magical mystery tour encompassing life, death and all points in […]
Simon Ward reviews Miss Julie at the Courtyard Theatre Under the direction of Jon Fentiman, this is a stripped-down rendition of August Strindberg’s naturalistic play of 1888. Taking place in the madness of Midsummer’s Eve celebrations, it is set in a world of aristocrats and servants, with strict […]
Simon Ward reviews Port City Signature at the Hope Theatre Written and co-directed (with Phoebe Rowell John) by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller, this is a modern riff on a film noir setup – a passing stranger gets embroiled in local skullduggery with tragic consequences. The set (designed by Hannah Williams […]
Simon Ward reviews My English Persian Kitchen at the Soho Theatre Upstairs Based on a story by Iranian food-writer Atoosa Sepehr, and adapted as a play by Hannah Khalil, this extraordinary show manages to be at once a feast for all the senses, a nail-biting thriller, a heartbreaking […]
Simon Ward reviews Bangers at the Arcola Theatre Written by Danusia Samal, who also co-stars, this is a mash-up of a club night where composer and sound designer Duramaney Kamara’s tunes mixed with some classics keep the dancefloor humming and a touching exploration of two young people – […]
Simon Ward reviews Dorian :The Musical at the Southwark Playhouse Borough With book by Linnie Reedman and music and lyrics by Joe Evans, this loose adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s 1890s novel A Portrait of Dorian Gray feels like an attempt to re-imagine the story as Wilde might have […]
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