Tag Archives: Arcola Theatre

Writer: James Lapine Music/Lyrics: William Finn Director: Mehmet Ergen Designer: David Woodhead Musical Director: Arlene McNaught Reviewer: Ron Simpson Little Miss Sunshine is a sort of jollier Grapes of Wrath for the 21 st century. The hint is there in the family name “Hoover” – the Joads in Steinbeck’s classic spend time in squalid Hoovervilles, named for President Hoover. The ...

Writer: Alexis Gregory Director: Rikki Beadle-Blair Reviewer: Scott Matthewman This month sees the 50thanniversary of the Stonewall Riots when the gay clientele of the Stonewall Inn on New York’s Christopher Street fought back against yet another violent police raid. It was not the first such rebellion – the recent Netflix Tales of the City mini-series throws some light on the Compton’s ...

Writer: Tennessee Williams Director: Femi Elufowoju Jr. Reviewer: Karl O'Doherty Deft touches are woven in with the more powerful straight shots in Femi Elufowoju Jr’s cracking version of the Tennessee Williams old favourite. Williams’ original down-on-their-luck family are in this version African Americans, a shift that feels like it adds a level of grit and poignancy an all-white affair lacks. ...

Book: James Lapine Music and Lyrics: William Finn Director: Mehmet Ergen Reviewer: Maryam Philpott William Finn’s adaptation of Little Miss Sunshine promises much, wacky scenarios, a loveable misfit family and the most musical of themes, self-belief. And while no one likes to be upstaged, the success of Finn’s production, receiving its European premiere at the Arcola Theatre, relies on the glittering ...

Writer: Patrick Marmion Director: Oscar Pearce Reviewer: Maryam Philpott Patrick Marmion’s new comedy Keith? is all about chaos and the ease with which established structures can be upended. People like order, a way to give meaning to the terrifying randomness of the world, whether that’s through some form of religion to give life a pre-destined purpose, or the imposed human ...

Writer: D. H. Lawrence Director: Jack Gamble Reviewer: David Guest Gritty drama from the pen of one of the 20thCentury’s greatest writers is given a riveting reassessment at the Arcola Theatre in one of the best productions in the venue’s history. The Daughter-in-Law by DH Lawrence proved a sell-out success last year when it first appeared downstairs in Studio 2. ...

Writer: Gabriel Gbadamosi Director: Mehmet Ergen Reviewer:  Grace Patrick The insular, slightly claustrophobic atmosphere of the Arcola Theatre’s Studio 2 is perfectly suited to Gabriel Gbadamosi’s Stop And Search. As the lives of the small cast of characters run rings around one another, unable to ever really escape their influence upon one another, the looming spectre of the past fills ...

Writer: Chigozie Obioma Director: Jack McNamara Reviewer: Maryam Philpott A show that transfers from the Edinburgh Festival can look very different in the harsh London glare, but there are some that remain a bit special. In 2015 Chigozie Obioma published his debut novel about prophecy and family catastrophe, and director Jack McNamara immediately saw its potential, recruiting Gbolahan Obiesan to ...