By: Unmasked Theatre Writer: Harriet O’Neil Director: Joanna Rosenfeld Reviewer: Simon Topping Winners of the 2020 Brighton Scratch Night bring their witty and thought provoking play to an appreciative audience at the Rialto Theatre. It is England in 1921, a world of post-war liberation. Victoria lives with her Parisian girlfriend Celeste. They are both deeply in love but cannot truly be themselves as neither of their families are aware of their situation or just not willing to accept their sexuality. Making life harder for the couple is the fact that homosexual acts between men are illegal, while female homosexuality…
Author: The Reviews Hub - Brighton
By: Nicholls & Brown Reviewer: Simon Topping Rosie Nicholls and Sullivan Brown produce some divine chemistry and plenty of laughs in the premier of their latest show Grubby Little Mitts. Decked in red, like the “White Stripes” of comedy, Nicholls and Sullivan start their set with a rollickingly fun dance to an uber-cool soundtrack. A chez lounge forms the centrepiece of their staging and is inventively used to block out scenes in a variety of ways. The performance is billed as unsettling and edgy, which thankfully it isn’t. To the performers credit this is a warm comedy show, with some…
Created by: Real Positive Poles Reviewer: Lela Tredwell Exceptionally brilliant improvised genre performance which perfectly delivers on paying homage to the iconic Twilight Zone. This shows is a beautiful demonstration of everything that improvised performance can be. From the start we are assured we are in capable hands as every detail of this experience from the audience’s point of view has been carefully considered. The performers are all devoted to their aesthetic with well-chosen costumes, a perfect soundscape, and the use of cigarette props to edit scenes and narrate in the iconic style of The Twilight Zone. We are treated…
Created by: Leamprov Reviewer: Lela Tredwell This show is made up of fast-paced improv games. Much of the laughter is created from the ludicrous scenarios and silly structures. Games include activities such as having to play out a scene in shorter and shorter time frames, a version of chain charades and a game where a performer guesses his own excuse for arriving late to work… He trod in dog faeces and travelled the distance in a cold air balloon. The group hail from Leamington Spa and all seem to enjoy this short form style of improv, throwing themselves in to…
Created by: Michelle Reviewer: Lela Tredwell A joyful improvised performance served up with plenty of laughs. This delightful show takes audience suggestions and turns them into playful shenanigans in the fictional Hotel Michelle. All made up on the spot, you can expect whimsy, japes and downright hilarity in this feel good improvised feast. A happy bunch, the cast visibly delight in each other’s company, as they create spontaneous tales within the surreal world of hospitality. As soon as the show starts, we are enthusiastically met with a high standard of improvisation. The exchange between two people stuck down a well…
By: Ham Theatre Writer: Linsay Oliver Director: Linsay Oliver Reviewer: Lela Tredwell A dark piece of theatre which preaches the dangers of speeding. Writing a show with a heavy moral message based on preaching and shame is probably always going to be a challenging task. Largely, the show is preoccupied with a collection of stereotyped characters in a speed awareness group, but every now and again we are transported to the evangelical sermon of a sequin-sporting preacher, wearing a large Mercedes Benz logo pendant,and preaching the Highway Code. In the group scenes the majority of the time is spent with…
By: Leanne Shorley Reviewer: Simon Topping This one woman show about intimacy and love, with a side order of sex toys, brings joy and laughter to an enthusiastic audience at the Caxton Arms. Leanne Shorley is not sure about love. What is love and why is it tricky? Modern dating is hard, rife with pitfalls and disappointments. Her own experiences of love and relationships have often been difficult. In this engaging and funny hour Shorley examines her own life around these issues in an offbeat, brutally honest, yet endearing, way. Shorley is a commanding presence on stage; both self…
By: Tiny Dynamite Reviewer: Simon Topping This beautifully stylistic and funny improv comedy show lovingly pastiches Wes Anderson movies to the delight of the audience gathered. To anyone familiar with Wes Anderson and his back catalogue of eccentric and humorous films Yes Anderson will be a real treat. The action starts in a nondescript European town where a dusty old post office is about to close. The clerk thumbs through a mountain of telegrams, never sent, and reminisces. The “telegrams” are cards filled in by the audience before the show about Wes Anderson style characters and their stories, to enable…