Tezza's Theatre Place

Do you know who Ada Lovelace or Charles Babbage are? The chances are that you will say no to the first and yes to the second name. Well, back in the 19th Century, Ada Lovelace carried out pioneering computing work on the Analytical Engine with Charles Babbage. Ada is one of the great unsung heroines of science whose works are only known by the men they collaborated with. Of course, that was the 19th Century and things are so much different today aren’t they? Unfortunately not. Historically the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) specialisations have always been perceived as the purview of men. This is one of the themes running through Katie Granger’s play  Ares  being performed during the final week of the Vault Festival in Waterloo. This one-woman show tells the story of Alice (Andrea Hall) a young lady who has moved from a humble farm – where she was brought up by her father after her mother abandoned the family – through to becoming an astrophysicis...

Peter Groom in Dietrich Natural Duty – Photo by Monir El Haimar Sometimes it’s amazing how a celebrity is well known but actually isn’t. Take Marlene Dietrich for example. I grew up knowing Marlene and her songs, especially “Lili Marleen” and “Falling in Love Again” but have never seen any of her films or even seen a recording of her performing. In fact, beyond the image, I knew nothing about Dietrich until I made a visit to Wilton’s Music Hall to see the amazing  Dietrich: Natural Duty . Created and performed by Peter Groom.  Dietrich: Natural Duty  is a wonderful tribute to a truly remarkable singer, actor and all-round performer. Peter, looking absolutely stunning, really brings Marlene Dietrich to life in a one hour show co-written and directed by Oliver Gully. Everything is there. The flawless makeup, the beautiful hair, the gorgeous gown by Kathleen Nellis, and the attitude are on a simple stage and Dietrich is back in the limelight once more. The show is basica...

https://www.londontheatre1.com/news/199366/victim-exploring-life-inside-a-womens-prison-review/ Louise Beresford in Victim In this, the hundredth anniversary of woman’s suffrage, there is a lot of soul-searching going on in the world. Companies are publishing their gender pay gap analysis and also looking at the gender split at the most senior levels. Finally, it is being recognised that men and women should be treated equally even though, quite often, women can be the stronger of the two sexes. And strong women are at the heart of Martin Murphy’s one-act play  Victim  at the King’s Head Theatre. Victim  is set in a women’s prison with two protagonists, a prison officer and a life prisoner who has a finger in a lot of pies. Both women are very intrigued by the arrival of a new prisoner, one whose crime both amazes and disgusts everyone who knows why she is there. Prisoner and warder come into contact a lot but the officer is experienced and knows about keeping the r...

https://www.londontheatre1.com/news/191040/review-expat-underground-tristan-bates-theatre/ Political plays are all the rage at the moment and taking centre stage in the narrative is the effects of Brexit – even the Archers talk about it every so often. A lot of these plays irritate me as they are based on supposition as to what will happen once the hard/soft/slightly flabby at the edges Brexit goes through – something that nobody knows right now. However, for a really good one-act play about the life – past, present & possibly future – of a European migrant, then I can heartily recommend Cecilia Gragnani & Jvan Sica’s  Expat Underground  which I saw at the Tristan Bates Theatre. This charming one-person (well sort of, as I will explain in a moment) production is the story of Cecilia, a young girl who decides to leave her Italian village and, after a sojourn in Paris, decides to move to London to seek her proverbial fortune. We follow her adventures from the mome...

https://www.londontheatre1.com/news/171243/review-no-finer-life-pleasance-theatre/ Those of us that live in London or one of the other cities in the UK often have very little knowledge of the countryside. For many people, it’s the green bit either side of the motorway as we travel from A to B. Or it’s that picture postcard place where we take a holiday to get so far away from things that the nearest Waitrose is half an hour away. Of course, the countryside is so much more than either of these things. It is the home and working place of millions of people and supplies around 60% of all the food consumed in the UK. If you would like a chance to really appreciate the countryside then I would heartily recommend Graham Harvey’s  No Finer Life  which I caught at the Pleasance Theatre the other night. No Finer Life  follows the story of Elizabeth (Roberta Bellekom) a Land Army Girl who falls in love with farmer George Henderson was the author of ‘The Farming Ladder’ – pub...

https://www.londontheatre1.com/news/170222/review-the-elephant-girls-draper-hall/ The Elephant Girls (Credit Andrew Alexander) Given the size and diversity of life in London, there has always been a lot of crime in the old city. In fact, in the early years of the twentieth century, you could draw a map of London showing how it was split up into different fiefdoms among the various gangs who operated there. As with pretty much all commercial activity at the time, the gangs were all made up of men. Well nearly all. In fact, down in SE1, there was an all-female gang running amok, and it is their story that forms the basis of Margo Macdonald’s one-woman show  The Elephant Girls  at Draper Hall. In a nondescript public house a couple of years before the start of WWII, a flashy man enters. Everything about his attire is perfect. From his three-piece suit, matching tie and handkerchief in the top pocket, to his trilby hat, this chap is immaculately dressed and out to be notice...

https://www.londontheatre1.com/news/169787/lucy-mccormick-triple-threat-soho-theatre-review/ According to the Collins English Dictionary, the word ‘gobsmacked’ means astounded and astonished. Personally I think this is too simplistic as we all know when we’ve been gobsmacked don’t we? Well, if you’re not too sure what it means then I would suggest you get yourself along to the Soho Theatre to see  Lucy McCormick: Triple Threat  and roughly an hour after the show starts, you will be 100% certain that you were gobsmacked. Lucy and her backing team present a show that is, in effect, the New Testament, or at least the story of Jesus. Playing all the major roles herself, Lucy takes the story of the Son of God from conception, through birth, adoration, betrayal, crucifixion and finally to ascension. How she does this, I can’t tell you for two very good reasons. Firstly,  Lucy McCormick: Triple Threat  is definitely one of those shows that needs to be seen to be belie...

http://www.carnstheatrepassion.com/south-afreakins/ In most patriarchal societies, it is taken as fact that the men rule the proverbial roost. Of course, the truth is totally different. The reality is that in most heterosexual couples, whilst the main believes he holds the power, the woman knows that she does. For example, when a chap retires, he may think he is going to potter about, a bit of gardening, some golf, a few jars with his mates. But many a wife will have made plans for his retirement well in advance of the day it actually happens. If you don’t believe me, then go check out Robyn Paterson’s one woman show  The South Afreakins  at the Vault Festival. Gordon and Helene are having a problem. All the lights in their house seem to have gone off at once. Helene is agitated whilst Gordon seems quite calm and in control. Eventually, they manage to get some illumination working and the two of them settle down. Gordon to read his paper and enjoy his first day of retirem...

http://www.carnstheatrepassion.com/review-hip-the-2017-vault-festival-until-feb-5th/ Remember the old song,”if you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise”? Well, let’s bring it right up to date with some new lyrics so, altogether now “If you go down to the Vaults this month you’re sure of a big surprise”. Yes, the annual Vaults festival is back causing thousands of people to go underneath Waterloo station, walk along the fascinating road known as graffiti street and enter a subterranean world where not just every night is a different but every hour brings surprises galore. Last night I had my first visit to the festival of 2017, to see Jolie Booth’s one woman show Hip. Now, the first thing about this show you need to know is that this is not an ordinary show. Any production that starts with a notice at the entrance stating “This is an Extra-live Performance. Audiences are invited to respond to a show in whatever way feels natural; Latecomers’ are permitted” is n...