This Is London

More documents

Recommendations

Info

20 Photos: Johan Persson. Edward Albee's The Goat, Or Who Is Sylvia? Sophie Okonedo (Stevie), Damian Lewis (Martin). THE GOAT, OR WHO IS SYLVIA? Theatre Royal, Haymarket What a strange, unnerving and uncomfortable play Edward Albee’s The Goat or Who Is Sylvia? is. It’s an unsettling comedy with tragic undertones whose constant references to Greek drama attempt to intellectualise and make palatable the taboo subject of bestiality. As the stage lights come up we are in familiar territory – a tastefully furnished suburban living room, complete with an Eames chair. Whoever lives in a house like this has to be successful, affluent and cultured. And so it proves. Martin (Damian Lewis) is a prize-winning, middle-aged architect currently involved in a billion dollar project to build a brand new city in the Kansas wheatfields. He has been happily married to Stevie (Sophie Okonedo) for over twenty years and has a teenage son Billy (Archie Madekwe) who is gay. Though Martin isn’t happy about his son’s sexuality and is convinced it’s only a faze the boy is passing through, something else is clearly destracting him. Is it the memory loss he has has recently been experiencing? Turns out to be far more serious: he has fallen hopelessly in love with a goat (yes, a goat!) whom he calls Sylvia. He confides this shattering revelation to Ross (Jason Hughes), a photo-journalist and his oldest friend who, in turn, insensitively imparts the shocking news to Stevie through the post. The emotional tsunami that follows builds to a shattering climax in which an uncomprehending, irreperably distraught Stevie vents her fury on every object in the living room she can lay her hands on, including a cherished painting by Stevie’s mother. So much for the narrative surface of the play. Beneath the seismic shocks lies the play’s raison d’etre as it questions Jason Hughes (Ross). the nature of love and human sexuality. Martin, may be borderline homophobic, yet falling profoundly in love with a goat feels natural and right to him. And who are we to judge him? There are disturbing moments when two other taboos, sex with an infant and incest, are briefly raised. ‘Is there anything you people don’t get off on?’ Martin’s friend Ross asks in disgust? ‘Is there anything anyone doesn’t get off on?’ is Martin’s response. Staged in three scenes without an interval, the play, although very funny in parts, is not an easy watch and, on occasion, draws inappropriate laughter or uneasy giggles from the audience to hide their obvious discomfort or even revulsion. Passing moral judgment when we all have guilty secrets is never easy to do and Albee cunningly milks this unease by asking questions for which he refuses to provide answers. It’s a brave, raw, nerve-jangling evening powerfully staged by Ian Rickson in an attractive set by Rae Smith whose outer walls close in at the end of the play to symbolise that Martin’s revelations have choked the life out of him and his family. Damian Lewis, suffering from a pierced eardrum and reportedly in agony at the opening performances, is thoroughly convincing as a man obsessed and preoccupied with a situation only he can accept. Sophie Okonedo as his hapless wife summons up all the rage the role demands, Archie Madekwe (in the part that brought instant stardom to Eddie Redmayne in 2004) effectively nails his character’s pain and confusion and, as the underwritten Ross, Jason Hughes does the best he can. Though The Goat isn’t up there with Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? or A Delicate Balance, it’s one of Albee’s better later plays and this fine revival is definitely worth catching. CLIVE HIRSCHHORN t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g a z i n e • t h i s i s l o n d o n o n l i n e
HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD PARTS I & II A brand new stage play based on the Harry Potter franchise written by Jack Thorne, based on an original story by J.K Rowling. PALACE THEATRE Shaftesbury Avenue, W1 (0844 412 4656) THE MOUSETRAP Agatha Christie’s whodunnit is the longest running play of its kind in the history of the British theatre. ST MARTIN’S THEATRE West Street, WC2 (0844 499 1515) THE PHILANTHROPIST A major revival of Christopher Hampton's play starring Matt Berry, Simon Bird, Lily Cole, Charlotte Ritchie and Tom Rosenthal. TRAFALGAR STUDIOS Whitehall, SW1 STEPPING OUT Amanda Holden heads a starry cast in this wonderfully funny and heart-warming comedy which charts the lives of seven women and one man attempting to tap their troubles away. VAUDEVILLE THEATRE The Strand, WC2 (0330 333 4814) DON JUAN IN SOHO Loosely based on Molière's tragicomedy, this modern update transports the action to contemporary London. Starring David Tennant. WYNDHAM’S THEATRE Charing Cross Rd, WC2 (0844 482 5120) MUSICALS KINKY BOOTS Inspired by a true story and based on the Miramax film, the show tells the story of Charlie Price who has reluctantly inherited his father's Northampton shoe factory. ADELPHI THEATRE Strand, WC2 (020 3725 7060) STOMP This multi-award winning show continues to astound audiences across the world with its universal language of rhythm, theatre, comedy and dance. AMBASSADORS THEATRE West Street, WC2 (020 7395 5405) WICKED Hit Broadway story of how a clever, misunderstood girl with emerald green skin and a girl who is beautiful and popular turn into the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch in the Land of Oz. APOLLO VICTORIA THEATRE Wilton Road, SW1 (0844 826 8000) BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL This new musical is the untold story of her journey from school girl to superstar, featuring the Carole King classics. ALDWYCH THEATRE Aldwych, WC2 (0845 200 7981) MATILDA Critically acclaimed Royal Shakespeare Company production of Roald Dahl’s book, directed by Matthew Warchus. CAMBRIDGE THEATRE Earlham Street, WC2 (0844 800 1110) AN AMERICAN IN PARIS The award-winning, thrillingly staged and astonishingly danced Broadway Gershwin musical featuring some of the greatest music and lyrics ever written. DOMINION THEATRE Tottenham Court Rd, W1 (020 7927 0900) THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Long running epic romance by Andrew Lloyd Webber, set behind the scenes of a Paris opera house where a deformed phantom stalks his prey. HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE Haymarket, SW1 (0844 412 2707) THE LION KING Disney‘s phenomenally successful animated film is transformed into a spectacular stage musical, a superb evening of visual delight. LYCEUM THEATRE Wellington Street, WC2 (0844 871 3000) THRILLER – LIVE High octane show celebrating the career of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Over two hours of the non-stop hit songs that marked his legendary live performances. LYRIC THEATRE Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 (0330 333 4812) SCHOOL OF ROCK Andrew Lloyd Webber's new stage musical with lyrics by Glenn Slater and book by Julian Fellowes, adapted from the film. NEW LONDON THEATRE Drury Lane, WC2 (020 7492 0810) HALF A SIXPENCE The first West End revival of the classic 1960s musical transferring from an an acclaimed season earlier this year at the Chichester. NOEL COWARD THEATRE St Martin's Lane, WC2 (0844 482 5141) MAMMA MIA! Hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, set around the story of a mother and daughter on the eve of the daughter’s wedding. NOVELLO THEATRE Aldwych, WC2 (0844 482 5170) THE GIRLS Gary Barlow and Tim Firth's new musical comedy, based on the true story about the Women's Institute's Calendar Girls. PHOENIX THEATRE Charing Cross Road, WC2 (0844 871 7627) ALADDIN The classic hit film has been brought to thrilling life on stage by Disney, featuring all the songs from the Academy Award winning score. PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE Old Compton Street, W1 (0844 482 5151) LES MISERABLES A spectacularly staged version of Victor Hugo’s epic novel about an escaped convict’s search for redemption in Revolutionary France. QUEEN’S THEATRE Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 (0844 482 5160) DREAMGIRLS West End premiere, starring Amber Riley. Set in the USA during the late 1960s and early 1970s, it follows a young female singing trio as they become music superstars. SAVOY THEATRE Strand, WC2 (020 7492 0810) MOTOWN THE MUSICAL Featuring all the much loved classics from Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, and the Jackson 5, the show tells the story behind the hits. SHAFTESBURY THEATRE Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 (020 7492 0810) 42ND STREET The song and dance, American dream fable of Broadway returns to the West End. Featuring a score by Harry Warren and Al Dubin and book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble. THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE Drury Lane, WC2 (020 7492 0810) Photo: Matt Crockett. 21 t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g a z i n e • t h i s i s l o n d o n o n l i n e
Page 1 and 2: 58 60 Years Informing The No.1 Inte
Page 3 and 4: Welcome to London 3 CONTENTS Events
Page 5 and 6: Fleet Street Upper Victoria Embankm
Page 7 and 8: C O N T R O L Y O U R E N E R G Y R
Page 9 and 10: wembleystadium.com/tours 0800 169 9
Page 11 and 12: ST GEORGE’S DAY CONCERT The Band
Page 13 and 14: LONDON STADIUM TOUR Now Open EXPERI
Page 15 and 16: ORDER, ORDER Book your tour today 0
Page 17 and 18: MPs ON THE RUN BEFORE THE GENERAL E
Page 19: PLAYS TRAVESTIES Tom Stoppard’s d
Page 24: A LIVE NATION & SJM PRESENTATION BY

This Is London

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?