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‘Malory Towers’ review – ‘vibrant and lively with a strong moral core’
Malory Towers is a series of books written by still-omnimpresent children’s writer Enid Blyton, most well-known for The Famous Five series. As the programme for this show says, in 2017 she was still the 12th most popular children’s author, with her books being the most translated works for children in the world (UNESCO). Active from the late 1930s…
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‘Eat the Rich (but maybe not me mates x)’ review – ‘effortlessly vivid and fun’
It’s a beautifully sunny day in Bristol and I’m heading over to the Bristol Old Vic to see ‘Eat The Rich (but maybe not me mates x),’ by Jade Franks. The show, currently being developed by Netflix as a TV series, began life as stand-up sets before Franks worked it into a full play. A…
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‘Second Summer of Love,’ by Emmy Happisburgh review: ‘anchored by vitality and charisma’
Second Summer of Love is the debut play from actor and teacher Emmy Happisburgh, about a former raver and now parent reminiscing about her time on the 1980s rave scene. Happisburgh arrives onstage in a neon and black bodysuit. She is almost immediately confronted by her aggrieved teenage daughter Molly (Rosa Strudwick, her real-life daughter)…
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Interview with ‘Second Summer of Love’ writer and performer Emmy Habbisburgh
Emmy Happisburgh trained at the Poor School and Guildford School of Acting. Her debut play Second of Summer of Love, about 90s rave culture, parenthood and coming of age, is following on from a successful Edinburgh Fringe run with a UK tour, stoppping at the Alma Tavern on the 12th and 13th September. Tickets here.…
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Chris Grace: Sardines at The Wardrobe Theatre review – ‘beautifully profound and touching’
I was exclusively attracted to seeing Chris Grace’s show ‘Sardines,’ by two important factors – 1) my deep affection for his long-suffering character Jerry on the criminally-underloved NBC sitcom ‘Superstore,’ and 2) a general intrigue of a US comedian coming to Bristol, given that they tend to mostly stay in London (occasionally braving Manchester.) But…
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‘The Arms’ at the Alma Tavern review – ‘an intriguing and inventive show’
The Arms, an original work by South Korean theatre maker Moon Kim, comes with a compelling hook – one of the two characters has been making herself extra arms in order to provide more help to the struggling people of the world. We start with Domi (Rosalind Jackson Roe) – as she introduces us to…
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‘Pull My Goldfinger’ at the Alma Tavern review: ‘some genuinely inventive moments’
Carlos Sandin’s one-man show Pull My Goldfinger starts before the lights go down, as he lightly commentates on the incoming audience, warning several in jumpers and coats to take them off and promising to restart if someone comes in late. We are here for a one-man show about James Bond – hence the title –…
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‘Kool Story Bro’ at the Bristol Old Vic review: ‘a glut of talent and skill’
I sprinted into the theatre with seconds to spare to watch ‘Kool Story Bro: Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Friends,’ mainly because we were – literally – running late, and also because I was very excited. It was the first night of their UK tour, having previously performed it for a 3-day run at the Edinburgh Fringe…
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