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Jackson Griffiths

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Last night as Cher @tradese17 was pure JOY! ⚡️Jared won the MEDIEVAL CAPE bingo prize and let it loose on the dance floor! ⚡️Claire won the pink velvet ET VOUS jacket prize ⚡️And Jackson turned up in their leopard t-shirt win from last time.

I had a BALL with you all. THANK YOU💜 I’m back DEC 10th with HAVE YOURSELF A RAZZLE DAZZLE XMAS - as Audrey Heartburn & Moody Judy! On sale soon💖

Lorra love!

#walthamstowtradeshall #shellsuitcher #bingo #comedy #medievalcape

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A super fun night at Solve-along-A Murder She Wrote; with surprising guest stars of that episode Linda Hamilton and Bryan Cranston making their debut on the high tech Fameometer/Suspiciometer

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Birthday Boardgames

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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, a really good fun musical based on William Kamkwamba; and my first time in @SohoPlace

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Parody of the Rings recently took up a short residence in the gorgeous Wilton's Music Hall, and as a big Lord of the Rings fan, I had to check it out of course. I'm not sure if it was the size of the venue, or the higher than usual ticket prices, but somehow this show didn't quite come together for me.
Theatre manager Jackson and usher Peter welcome the audience to a fundraising event to save their theatre from closure, a Lord of the Rings trilogy movie screening including a tombola with fantastic prizes. A 12 hour long event to raise money and delight the fans, but just as the screening is supposed to start, the projector starts smoking and a fire alarm is set off. Trying to be helpful, Peter throws water on the projector to extinguish it, accidentally ruining it and leaving the theatre without a way to screen the films. Pressed for a solution, Jackson steps up and proceeds to re-enact the movies with the help of random props from the tombola table and from behind the stage, and of course with a hapless Peter being roped in to assist.
What follows is a madcap adventure that turns mops into flowing beards and hula hoops into previous rings. The wild two-hander is a hilarious romp, with the two actors whirling through the plot while recruiting audience members to help out. There is a brilliant idea behind this fringe show, yet it doesn't quite connect in the larger auditorium. It feels like it would be more at home in a smaller pub theatre, where the one hour runtime is more expected. In the music hall, it seems adrift, having to rush through the last twenty minutes where a plethora of plot is skipped to keep the show brief.
This show could easily be extended to two hours without losing its charm, perhaps giving more justification to the higher prices of a venue like Wilton's. If you have a chance to see this in a smaller theatre, I'd definitely recommend it, it's a fun little show! Though for a larger venue, it definitely needs more work to not feel so out of place.

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Seagull: True Story, currently running at the Marylebone Theatre until 12 October, might just be the most urgent production running in London at the moment. Inspired by true events, it's an examination of free speech in the arts and the devastating effects of current events.
When rehearsals for Kon's free-spirited production of Chekov's The Seagull are interrupted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, state censorship forces it back into a more traditional setting before it can open at the Arts Theatre in Moscow. Frustrated and defiant, the director flees from Russia to New York, seeking to bring his original vision to life in the land of the free. But it takes more than an idealistic idea and a defiance towards totalitarian regimes to find true freedom of expression.
Alexander Molochnikov directs this stunning masterpiece based on his own lived experience. The play was written by Eli Rarey, trying to capture Molochnikov's wild ideas and personal accounts. Utilising a classic play by one of Russia's most revered playwrights to illustrate contemporary societal and political issues in Russia and beyond is a stroke of genius, giving this play a stunning framing device that serves to connect current events with history effortlessly.
There is an air of defiant urgency about the first act, following a troupe of actors and creatives in Russia trying to toe the fine line between maintaining artistic expression and avoiding state-sanctioned violence. While the second act really ramps up the action, going from subversive to outright revolutionary. Connecting the contemporary political landscape with historical events, Seagull: True Story speaks loudly on state-censorship and the rise in fascism, the dangers of letting fear muzzle an artistic vision, the utter desperation and panic that comes with making a stand that means losing ones connection to home and family.
There is a point in the play where it dawns clearly and searingly that none of the cast or creatives involved in this production can safely return to Russia during Putin's lifetime
Read the full review on my blog, link in bio…

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The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe recently had another stop in London for a short stint at the Sadler's Wells Theatre, and I finally managed to catch a performance! It's still travelling through the country, so check out the tour dates to see if you can fit a visit in yourself.
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of C.S. Lewis’s classic novel, Narnia comes to the stage in this delightful musical and dance production. Condensing the plot quite a bit to whittle it down to a just over 2 hour show, it still retains all the major plot points and the charm and heart of the story.
When siblings Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter are sent from London to the countryside to stay safe from the raging war, but Professor Digory Kirke's house holds many surprises for them, including a wardrobe with a portal to another world! As the children are thrown into another war in Narnia, they gather their strength to fight for a better world.
This gorgeous production blends puppetry, music, modern dance, and stunning stage effects to bring the world of Narnia to life. A whirlwind of a show, the condensed plot works incredibly well, while the costuming and physicality of the performance are a feast for the senses. There is real stage-magic happening here, with a dedicated cast of musician-actors delighting through stunning storytelling. A brilliant family show that will engage young and old patrons alike!

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Cymbeline, one of Shakespeare's lesser staged plays, is currently running until 20 April at the atmospheric and cosy Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at the Globe Theatre. The wooden, fully candle lit little theatre is always a great location to witness a play, and it works incredibly well for this beautiful version of the romantic come-tragedy. In this production, many roles have been swapped out for women, god Jupiter is now Gaia, and the whole show is underlined with a gorgeous soundscape achieved by three musicians utilising string instruments, sound bowls, glasses, rocks, straw, and other natural materials, as well as haunting natural vocalisations to underline the mood and action on the stage below. This ethereal soundscape really sets the play apart and deepens the moodiness, adding a beautifully organic feel to this version of the play that heavily leans into female power.
There is a lot going on in this play, with many intertwining plot lines concerning power, loyalty, love, and family ties. Cymbeline, Rome's vassal Queen of Britain, is enraged that her only daughter, Innogen, has married Posthumus, another woman. Without a man in the marriage, there will be no heir, which would mean an end to the bloodline. The queen previously had twins who disappeared when they were babies, some twenty years ago. Without these older children, all her hopes for the future lay squarely on Innogen's shoulders. Posthumus is exiled and Cymbeline, as well as her husband who secretly plots to kill the queen, petition Innogen to accept Cloten, her step brother as a more suitable match. While in exile in Italy, Posthumus wagers with Iachomo that Innogen's chastity is unparalleled and he won't be able to seduce her. From there, a slew of mistaken identities, intrigue and betrayal, murder and war make for an incredibly convoluted but equally fascinating story.
Read the full review on my blog, link in bio…

#shakespeare #cymbeline #globetheatre

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As it is definitely closing on 4 January, I had to fit in a quick trip to Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre before it disappears. I've loved all the promenade performances I've seen at this venue, so opted for the standing/immersive tickets again.
Upon entering the standing area, we are transported to the streets of Manhattan, complete with a hot dog cart, pretzel seller, street vendors selling hats and sunglasses, programs and drinks, and of course Mindy's Restaurant. With a variety of neon signs hanging from the ceiling, traffic lights and glowing street markings on the ground, it is an immersive environment that is wholly engrossing. We grabbed a couple of pretzels and sat at a table at Mindy's to rest before spending an entire performance standing and walking around the action.
The stage in the immersive standing area is modular, raising and lowering from the ground in various configurations, with ushers dressed as NYC PD officers swiftly manoeuvring the crowds around the space to facilitate smooth and safe operation of the rising and lowering stages. Due to this constantly moving live experience, there is no settling into one spot to watch the entire show, instead you move with the action, fully immersed in the story and always in motion. I find this type of promenade performance much gentler on the body than, say, an entire show standing at the Globe, where movement is minimal and the physical stress of standing in place for long periods of time is much more taxing.
The story of the musical is of course quite outdated and somewhat traditional in its gender roles and portrayal of relationships, but if you can leave that part of critical thinking behind and just get engrossed in the joyful, entertaining swing of things, it's a fantastic production of Guys & Dolls, wonderfully dynamic and cheeky, with the best rendition of Sit Down, You're Rocking The Boat I have seen to date! Due to the immersive nature, there are plenty of chances to dance and cheer along, another fantastic promenade production at the Bridge!

#guysanddolls #LondonTheatre #TheatreReview

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The Flea, currently running at the Yard Theatre in Hackney Wick until the 30th November, is a stunning piece of theatre. Based on the 1889 Cleveland Street Scandal, the story goes as such: the crown had to be saved by the god of the queen who was told by the prince of the tale of the lord about the man at the house which was found by the cops who were pressured by the MP, asked by the mother of the son of the father who was kicked by the horse which was spooked by the rat that was bitten by The Flea. (taken from the trailer for the show)
In the wake of the failures of the police in the Jack The Ripper, Inspector Abberline is eager to save his reputation with a new, big case. When Constable Hanks tells him of suspicious goings on with the telegraph boys, he dives head first into a huge scandal that sees him disenchanted with police work in by the end of it. The show is presented through the voice of Emily Swinscow, mother of Charlie Swinscow, a telegraph boy arrested for being found in possession of a lot more money than he had any explanation for owning. His arrest unravels the story of an illicit homosexual brothel with high society clientele. But when Abberline and Hanks try to investigate, the queen herself steps in to cover up a scandal that reaches deeper than any of them suspected.
Breffni Holahan is an extraordinary storyteller, dominating the stage in her role as Emily Swinscow, illustrating the story passionately through enthralling narration and strong acting. The 4-strong cast accomplish the feat of embodying twelve distinct characters beautifully, giving each character unique voices, mannerisms, body language. It is immediately obvious which character is being portrayed simply through the way the actors move onto the stage, aided by the gorgeous costuming by Lambdog1066, merging period clothing with 80s punk aesthetics in a stunning display of creativity and distinction. A feast for the eyes, the simple stage impresses with tiny chairs that grow over the course of the performance, the more important a moment or character become, the larger, or higher up on the wall, their chair.

Read the full review on my blog, link in bio…

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