Category: Hampstead Theatre
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Chekhov’s early, untitled play has had two airings this year; plays are like buses, after all. First to arrive, via Chichester, was the David Hare’s adaptation at the National Theatre using the title of the protagonist, Platonov. And now Hampstead Theatre has revived Michael Frayn’s version called Wild Honey. Having really enjoyed Platonov, I had…
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Tony Piper's three tiered set is nearly as high as the title of Tony Kushner's play is long. It's three storeys of a stripped-back brown stone in Brooklyn: stairs, landings and fragments of rooms – a bed and picture on one floor and a desk and chair on another. This is the home of the…
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Caoilfhionn Dunne (Woman) and Jack Farthing (Andrew) in Wild at Hampstead Theatre. Photo by Stephen Cummiskey Andrew (Jack Farthing) is alone in a nondescript hotel room. He's done something big, something which takes him from sitting in KFC with his girlfriend one week to hiding out in a hotel in Moscow the next. Sound familiar?…
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Very excited about seeing this one next week. Have always had a preference for Mike Bartlett's 'smaller' plays such as Cock, An Intervention and Bull rather than big production numbers like Earthquakes in London – although King Charles III is an exception to that. Wild has a cast of three and from these pictures looks…
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Tom Burke (Greg) in Reasons to be Happy at Hampstead Theatre. Photo by Manuel Harlan There is a shipping container centre stage and in front of it a couple are arguing. The man is Tom Burke. I'm thinking: This is all weirdly familiar, have I seen this before? Turns out I have and I haven't.…
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Lisa Dillon (Hapgood) in Hapgood at Hampstead Theatre. Photos by Alastair Muir Tom Stoppard likes his science. It's probably why the only play of his I've seen that I've really liked is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (see link below). I don't have anything against science it's just the way he uses it in his…
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Gone are the dog collar and respectful black and in are bouffant wigs and dresses with faux buxom bosoms. Simon Russell Beale follows up his subtle and serious turn in Temple with a raucous comedy Mr Footes Other Leg at Hampstead Theatre. Written by Ian Kelly (who also plays Prince George) the story is based on…
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All I know of Stevie Smith is her poem Not Waving But Drowning and I decided to keep it that way ahead of seeing Hugh Whitemore's play at Hampstead (Poly didn't even know she was a poet and I'd like to have seen the play through her eyes). Not Waving makes an appearance, as do…
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Miranda Raison and Shaun Evans in Hello/Goodbye, Hampstead Theatre Juliet (Miranda Raison) is moving into her new flat only to discover there's been a bit of a mix up and a man, Alex (Shaun Evans), is already there, unpacking his own belongings. This is the set up of Peter Souter's relationship 'dramedy' which has graduated…