So here I’m again, blogging like I promised. Yes a bit delayed. Life took a turn to the hard and rocky road. Family, loss, grief & the admin that goes round that. But delayed isn’t the same as not going ahead- so theatre / live events I saw in 2018 (in the order of recall) :
1) Fun Home (musical at Young Vic)
2) A Monster Calls (play at Old Vic)
3) Wise Children (play at Oxford Playhouse)
4) An Octoroon (play at National Theatre)
5) Amadeus (play at National Theatre)
6) Rasheeda Speaking (play at Trafalgar Studios)
7) Shabeen (play at Theatre Royal Stratford East)
8) Chicago (musical in West End)
9) Iolanthe (opera at ENO)
10) Play about a Bank Robbery (play in West End)
11) The Sweet Science of Bruising (play at Southwark Playhouse)
12) Girls and Boys (play at Royal Court)
13) Dick Whittington and His Cat (Panto at Oxford Playhouse)
A) Daniel Kitson work in progress (stand up at Bill Murray pub)
B) A Comedy Cottage stand up (multiple stand ups at Harlequin Theatre)
C) ShakeItUp improv (comedy Shakespeare improv at Ram Jam Records)
D) Bill Bailey Larks in Transit (stand up at New Wimbledon Theatre)
E) An Evening with Brian Blessed (talk at The Anvil)
So top 5 out of the 13 plays is…(DRUM ROLL!):
1) Girls and Boys by Dennis Kelly. Dir: Lyndsey Turner. One woman play with Cary Mulligan. Ohh wow. Writing, performance & directing. I didn’t regret the subsequent bad and long journey I had on the way back from the theatre. This is high praise! Yes it made me sad and mad at world, but that was it’s aim.
2) Fun Home. Music by Jeanine Tesori, Book & Lyrics by Lisa Kron. Based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel. Dir: Sam Gold. I’m not often a big fan of musicals. More because I’m fussy – I want them to contain triple threats and be great at all levels. That’s a big ask so… Fun Home was and is fab. Unusual too – lesbian protagonist etc.
3) Iolanthe by Gilbert & Sullivan. Dir: Cal McCrystal. Yeah, I wasn’t expecting to adore this one either, but it was so playful, colourful and joyous. Also not racist. Win!
4) Dick Whittington and His Cat by & dir: Steve Marmion. Yep, Panto was the totally on the mark. Funny, bright & bit bawdy. The children couldn’t get enough of it. I have also seen two other Panto’s since & it still won out by a long shot – even against Paul Merton’s Widow Twanky (in Aladdin at New Wimbledon Theatre) which was good.
5) Shabeen by Mufaro Makubika. Dir: Matthew Xia. Now the play isn’t perfect- in terms of plot – but the dialogue, characters, even the music, acting and direction telling a story about the Windrush Generation kept me engrossed. I cried a little.
I haven’t favourited any of the stand up, because I enjoy it all equally and frankly I got spoilt last year in my few but excellent choices. Though Brian Blessed is still MY NUMBER ONE!