Red Head Reflection

On the 21st February, ‘Showstopper! The Improvised Musical’ came to the Curve Theatre, Leicester. Making its way in the world since the Fringe in 2008, I had absolutely no idea what to expect, as they advertise so significantly that the show is completely improvised, but wow was I impressed. A phone rings and its producer Cameron Mackintosh, asking for a hit. Its down to the audience as the writers to suggest a setting, title, and 5 existing musicals to base the song styles off. The show begins. A dazzling display of talent from every cast member is produced, flowing seamlessly from scene to scene, song to song, that is so polished you find yourself second guessing if it's actually rehearsed. In many ways, it was all ludicrous nonsense, but that’s what made it so fantastic. The cheesiness but also the charm. The nature of this entirely improvised show means that no two shows are the same, so unless you were lucky enough to be there yourself, no one else can witness th...

Matthew Bourne is one of the most world famous choreographers, known for his unique and contemporary remakes of traditional ballets. He is the Artistic Director for ‘New Adventures’, who are currently on tour in the UK performing ‘Swan Lake’. Realistically, this choreographer and company need no introduction. On the 16 th February, the company performed their last show at The Birmingham Hippodrome. This production follows a similar narrative to the traditional story line, whereby a prince falls in love with a swan, however Bourne famously swaps gender roles, and instead creates a chorus of male swans. The production has been raved about in numerous existing reviews and written about for several school essays, so the world is already aware of its astonishing choreography, beautiful dancers, and comedic moments, but what most struck me was the significance of the gender roles chosen. It was such a refreshing change to see ballet that wasn’t afraid to come into the twenty first c...

If you’re a theatre person then you already know the name ‘Frantic Assembly’ - a dynamic and internationally renowned physical theatre company, who make wonderfully expressive and visceral productions that have been amazing audiences since they were founded in 1994. They are one of the most studied companies, inspiring numerous young people to get involved in theatre, most significantly through their Ignition program. On the 13th February they performed their new touring show ‘The Unreturning’ at The Curve Theatre, Leicester. Exploring the after effects of war from three contrasting eras, past, present and future, the performance examined what coming home really means, and exposed the grim truth: home changes. We are introduced to three characters; George, a valiant soldier in 1918 suffering from PTSD, longing to regain his old life with Rose, his wife; Frankie, a laddish soldier in 2013, discharged from his position after attacking a civilian, who is no longer seen as a hero, b...

Founded in 2005, ‘1927 Theatre Company’ are well-renowned for merging projected animation with live performance to create beautifully polished performances, gaining them numerous awards since their establishment. Their quirky style is reminiscent of a Tim Burton movie, combining comedy with a pinch of dark humour – a cabaret show with a live soundtrack played by the performers themselves. On the 8 th February, ‘1927’ performed their well-loved piece, ‘The Animals and Children Took to the Streets’, at the HOME Theatre, Manchester. There’s a place in the city called Red Herring Street. An unloved, dingy and dank thoroughfare, where shops sell stolen goods, and prostitutes, paedophiles and murderers live in the flats upstairs. One day, Agnes Eaves and her daughter Evie movie in to the Bayou mansions. Armed with pasta bows and PVA glue, she aims to save the children from a life where “when you’re born in the Bayou, you die in the Bayou”. Riots break out, as the children of Red Herri...

Gecko is an internationally acclaimed physical and visual theatre company, which has been experimenting with movement, multi-lingual texts, and audience interpretations since 2000. Led by Artistic Director Amit Lahav, the company work tirelessly over several years to produce each individual show. On the 29th January I watched their performance of 'Missing' at The Nottingham Playhouse', and was also fortunate to be part of an after show discussion with the cast, and Lahav himself, which proved extremely beneficial to the piece. The Performance takes us on an exploration of the life of Lily (Katie Lusby), who finds herself trapped between quarrelling parents, a love life with no spark, a job that is overwhelming her, and a pressure to maintain her Spanish family heritage. Lily’s soul is described as ‘decaying’, and we are presented with an emotional journey to find herself again. Later in the discussion, it was interesting to learn that this concept stemmed f...

On the 1 st Feb I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to sit in a relaxed performance of ‘Pulse’ by ‘Bamboozle Theatre’ in association with ‘Curve Theatre’, Leicester. Founded in 1994 by Christopher Davies and Sue Pyecroft, ‘Bamboozle’ draws on a range of drama in education techniques to create multi-sensory experiences for children with learning disabilities. This is a brilliant example of an accessible performance, with a fully sensory and interactive style, providing young children and those with additional needs the chance to lose t hemselves in a story. Set in a dry 1930s America, where Patience and Bird are waiting for the rain, we are introduced to Clanky Jane, pushing what seems to be a pile of junk. But all it takes is a bit of percussion from her ‘Cloud-O-Matic’ and the heavens open. Although the story line may seem simple, it was the perfect accompaniment to the inclusive techniques used, and not one section was boring for this group of schools in the audie...