London Week Three

Things got a little manic this week as I made a side trip to Broadway for the weekend. Plus there was a West End opening night, a fringe show and some big revivals. Here are some mini reviews in chronological order.

Self Tape (Kings Head Theatre) ★★★

Written by Michael Batten. Kings Head Theatre. 18 Jun – 2 Jul, 2023.

An actor, making ends meet with some cyber-sex work, faces the realities of both industries that force him to pretend to be someone else to get by. I’ve written a full review up on The Queer Review.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! (Wyndhams Theatre) ★★★★★

Music by Richard Rodger. Book & Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Wyndham’s Theatre. Booking till Sep 2, 2023.

This revival has been picking up acclaim across the USA for a few years already before it landed at London’s Young Vic (one of my favourite theatres) and now it resides on the West End. I know people who raved about it, and those who think it’s an abomination. But I’ve never been a fan of Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals to be honest, so directors Daniel Fish and Jordan Fein’s radical new take filled me with joy – it’s actually sexy and dangerous and youthful without changing the text. This is the sort of interpretation we’re used to seeing with classics like Shakespeare, and it’s terrific to see this same process turned to classic musicals as well (another example will be coming up when I talk about the Broadway shows I saw). 

By treating the tunes as country music, rather than musical theatre, it puts the testosterone and sweat back into them – honestly, I can’t believe they made “Surrey with a Fringe on Top” sexy! The whole production simmers with sexual tension and violence. I think the ending may overstep the mark a bit, but this is a visionary take on the material.

The Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Theatre Royal Haymarket) ★★★★

Written by Dario Fo and Franca Rame in a new adaptation by Tom Basden. Theatre Royal Haymarket. 12 Jun – 19 Sep 2023.

What drew me to this updated Dario Fo farce? The £25 ticket lottery. But once in the door I couldn’t believe what a bargain that was. This is one of the most fiercely political plays I’ve ever sat through as well as being hilariously funny. Adapter Tom Basden has taken Fo’s tale of fascist Italy and planted it firmly in modern day London and it does not pull its punches. 

The behaviour and the corruption of the Metropolitan Police is on full display here, and while the script elevates things for comedic effect, the statistics that are used (and slipped between the jokes) are shockingly real. Since 1990 there have been 1861 deaths in police custody or following contact with police in England and Wales. It’s an appalling state made worse by the culture of cover-ups. Daniel Rigby runs an onstage marathon, busting through gags at a break-neck pace (verbal and physical) and making sure all the dramatic beats hit with enough force.

Guys & Dolls (Bridge Theatre) ★★★★★

Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Bridge Theatre. 3 Mar 2023 – 24 Feb 2024.

This was one of the shows I pre booked well in advance as I’d heard nothing but rave reviews from friends and critics alike. Nicholas Hytner presents this well-worn, much loved musical in “promenade”, meaning the stalls have been removed and a large proportion of the audience stands in the pit with the performers (with the staging rising out of the ground so those in the seats around the edges can see them). It’s dynamic and full of carefully choreographed chaos. But it’s not just the technical details that got me all hot under the collar, it’s the four excellent leads. Marisha Wallace, Celinde Schoenmaker, Daniel Mays and Andrew Richarson. And to up the ante, the Act One ending scene in Havana is now staged in a gay bar, with Sister Sarah drunkening attacking the men dancing with Skye. This managed to be both classic and incredibly fresh at the same time.

Mrs Doubtfire (Shaftesbury Theatre) ★★★

Music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick and a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell. Shaftesbury Theatre. Booking till June 2024.

My review is coming to The Queer Review, but needless to say this is exactly what you expect – fun but nothing special.