Tezza's Theatre Place

It’s always good to see a production transfer from the fringe into the West End, so I was really pleased to be invited along to review Kevin Elyot’s  Coming Clean  which following a successful revival at the King’s Head Theatre in July 2017, has now opened at the Trafalgar Studios. Tony (Lee Knight) and Greg (Stanton Plummer-Cambridge) have been together for five years and seem to be happy in their relationship. Although they are a couple, they are open, which leaves Tony free to hit the discos with his best friend and total ‘scene queen’ William (Elliot Hadley) in search of a bit of ‘trade’. Tony is a frustrated writer and Greg is an author and teacher, which leaves little room for domesticity in their Kilburn flat. In an effort to restore harmony, Tony hires a cleaner, Robert (Tom Lambert) a young resting actor. Whilst young and apparently fairly naive, Robert is erudite and educated and, although Greg initially, doesn’t seem keen on him, he fits in well with the househ...

Ever think about retirement? I must admit I am starting to and face the prospect with absolute dread. I know some people look forward to giving up work and spending the halcyon days of their lives in a relaxed and carefree way in the company of friends and loved ones. That was certainly the plan for the couple in Adrian McLoughlin’s play  The Golden F**king Years  currently being presented by Vital Signs Productions & Andrew Livingstone Productions at the Brockley Jack. On a sun-drenched balcony overlooking the Mediterranean, two people sit. Gordon (Adrian McLoughlin) and Helen (Deborah Maclaren) have been married for 18 years and are now retired. They spend their days relaxing in their apartment, drinking gin and reading – and their nights at the local bar. The couple don’t have a hectic life. After all, they aren’t as young as they once were – Gordon is nearly 70 – so obviously their pace of life has slowed down. In fact, Gordon seems happy to drink his way through ...

https://www.londontheatre1.com/news/170789/review-she-wears-scented-rose-camdens-theatro-technis/ She Wears Scented Rose Writing a review is not always as easy as some believe it to be. There are many things to be taken into account when looking at a production including the writing, directing, acting, set and costume design, lighting, sound etc. And, no matter how dispassionate one tries to be, some shows will strike a chord while others may not. This means that sometimes there can be wildly differing reviews of the same show – I’ve recently seen a show given a 1 star rating by one reviewer and 4 by another. Ultimately then, reviews are the subjective thoughts of the person writing them. Keep that in mind as I take you to Camden’s Theatro Technis where Razor Sharp Productions are currently performing Yasir Senna’s  She Wears Scented Rose . Late one night in a street in the Wimbledon area of London, Mark (Craig Karpel) is dragging himself along a road bleeding profusely. He m...

https://www.londontheatre1.com/news/167236/the-wild-party-the-other-palace-review/ Ever thrown or been to a party where things have got a little out of hand? Yep, me too. In fact, there was a certain party where……. Well, I can’t say any more because my mother sometimes reads these reviews. However, no matter what has happened at your party, it pales into insignificance compared to the shenanigans at Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe’s The Wild Party which has re-launched The Other Palace (formerly the St James Theatre) in Victoria. 1920s New York and Vaudeville performer Queenie (Frances Ruffelle) is getting bored with her relationship with fellow performer Burrs (John Owen-Jones). In an effort to calm her after one particularly nasty fight threatens to get out of hand, Burrs suggests they throw a party and invite all their old friends. This is destined to be some party and Queenie is planning to really enjoy herself and...