London Theatre 1

3 days ago | londontheatre1.com | Chris Omaweng

Usually part of the Tonight at 8:30 collection of ten short plays originally performed in alternating groups over three evenings (there were no matinees – it was, after all, called Tonight at 8:30), Red Peppers is brisk and snappy, at least partly because of the deadlines imposed as the main characters, George (Jon Osbaldeston) and Lily Pepper (Jessica Martin) are performing in a variety show, and the theatre’s management pop in every so often, to tell them how long they have left before they...

4 days ago | londontheatre1.com | Chris Omaweng

Not every production of Fiddler on the Roof elevates the comedy elements as much as this one, with Adam Dannheisser’s Tevye, father of five daughters, reacting more with surprise than explosive anger at his older children deciding, separately, who they wish to marry for themselves rather than following the local customs and traditions, which include arranged marriages.

5 days ago | londontheatre1.com | Chris Omaweng

Max Ritvo (Eric Sirakian) has little patience for critics or bloggers who, according to his good friend and mentor, Sarah Ruhl (Sirine Saba) points out, “misunderstood his work”. The very word ‘critic’, he notes in his American accent, “contains the word ‘dick’”. For the whole of the second half, the words “There is no god” are writ large in block capitals on the back wall of the stage, itself positioned like a catwalk with the audience sat longitudinally on either side.

1 week ago | londontheatre1.com | Chris Omaweng

There’s some direct engagement with the audience – and it’s become customary for me to point out that what I really mean is that audience involvement is absolutely not the same as audience participation. Nobody in the audience gets up and finds themselves on stage, willingly or otherwise. A brief show, Petra (Maddie White) nonetheless has her reasons for repeatedly asking what the time is. Alas, I couldn’t personally answer – my phone was off and I don’t have a glow-in-the-dark wristwatch.

1 week ago | londontheatre1.com | Chris Omaweng

Part comedy and part confessional, this production has many of the hallmarks of the best of single performer shows – a gripping and accessible storyline and the distinct voices, mannerisms and other personal characteristics of multiple characters, all brought to life in such a way that it is easy to forget there is only one person on stage. The proverbial fourth wall is demolished very early on in the show and is never reinstated.