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1 month ago | 
1883magazine.com | Nick Barr
In a world increasingly dominated by spectacle and distraction, Tambo & Bones cuts through the noise with sharp satire, dark humour, and uncompromising honesty. Currently touring the UK, the play is a searing exploration of the commodification of Black culture – from minstrelsy to modern hip-hop – and what it really costs to perform pain for profit. Yet somehow, it also manages to be really, really funny.
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1 month ago | 
1883magazine.com | Nick Barr
I just saw Alterations at The Lyttelton Theatre, a powerful revival of Michael Abbensetts’ 1979 play, directed by Lynette Linton with additional material by Trish Cooke. Set in a Guyanese-run tailor’s shop in 1970s London, it offers a vivid snapshot of the Windrush generation’s hopes, struggles and sacrifices. At the centre is Walker Holt, played by Arinzé Kene, a man consumed by his dream of owning the shop he runs.
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1 month ago | 
1883magazine.com | Nick Barr
When I say “Dracula”, certain images come to mind… Possibly Gary Oldman with a heart-shaped head, or Christopher Lee with a bloody face, or the most terrifying – Klaus Kinski’s Nosferatu, looking like some sort of part man, part rat.
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1 month ago | 
1883magazine.com | Nick Barr
The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is a classic French story that has been translated into over 500 languages and dialects since it was first published in 1943. It has been delighting children for the better part of a century, and teaching them about human nature, love, and loss. Like me, you probably had it read to you as a child, and if you have children, you will likely read it to them.
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1 month ago | 
1883magazine.com | Nick Barr
If you’ve read one of my previous season Phantom Peak reviews (click here to read my first and fullest), you’ll know that this steampunk paradise in Canada Water is an ever-evolving world of adventure, mystery, and very, very good cocktails. And just when I thought they couldn’t top Wintermas, Jonacon arrives. Jonacon is an all-new season that plunges Phantom Peak into a convention-style, meta-festival dedicated to the town’s enigmatic (and definitely not evil) overlord, Jonas.
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1 month ago | 
1883magazine.com | Nick Barr
Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical was my favourite ‘off West End’ show last year, and without a doubt the best jukebox musical I have ever seen. With just a three-month run at The Other Palace in London, not nearly enough people had the chance to see it, so you can imagine my excitement when I heard that they were taking the show on a UK tour! If you don’t know the story or background, check out my review of the original production here.
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1 month ago | 
1883magazine.com | Nick Barr
Last night upon the theatre known as Bridge,Did Richard Second’s tale unfold with grace. Jonathan Bailey in the title role,Yes, he of Bridgerton and Wicked fame. The Bridge, since Guys and Dolls, has much transformed,No longer home to an immersive show. With seats returned and stage thrust ‘tween the crowd,The view superb where’er you choose to go.
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2 months ago | 
1883magazine.com | Nick Barr
There’s a particular kind of magic in studio Ghibli films, particularly My Neighbour Totoro. For those of us who grew up with it, the film is more than just animation – it’s comfort, childhood, and the quiet wonder of the world made visible. Bringing that to life on stage? Seemingly impossible. And yet, Basil Twist, master puppeteer and something of a legend in his field, has done exactly that. Speaking to him, it’s clear that puppetry, for Twist, is not just technical craft – it’s belief.
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2 months ago | 
1883magazine.com | Nick Barr
“Spectacular, spectacular, no words of the vernacular can describe this great event, you’ll be dumb with wonderment…”. As I was sitting in the Royal Albert Hall, watching Cirque du Soleil: Corteo, unfold before me – my first ever live Cirque du Soleil show – this line from Moulin Rouge came into my head. The show was incredible and spellbinding. I could hardly look away from the action and was gripped and entertained throughout. We have all heard of Cirque du Soleil; I have known of them for years.
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2 months ago | 
1883magazine.com | Franco Milazzo |Nick Barr
Over a decade ago, on a Friday night in what was Piccadilly’s Café de Paris, cabaret singer Dusty Limits joked that “the only thing that should require a trigger warning is a gun.” Going by the reactions to The Years so far, he may want to make an exception.
