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Review: Now. Here. This., Golden Goose Theatre

The newly opened Golden Goose Theatre brings some interesting musical theatre to Camberwell with Now. Here. This.

“Why are there lipmarks all over the TV set?”

Truth be told, my first thought on hearing that a new theatre was opening in London was ‘do we really need another one?’. Then I clocked the address in Camberwell and realised that I could add it to the list of theatres that I can walk to in under 10 minutes (the White Bear, the Blue Elephant, the Ovalhouse as was…) which kinda goes to my first point there…

And you do have to admire the gumption that goes with opening a new venue in the middle of a pandemic (I recommend this article on that topic) and so I happily made my way to the Golden Goose Theatre to catch their second ever show Now. Here. This.. All credit to the staff for ensuring a safe and friendly environment and even with its capacity reduced, the new auditorium feels ripe with potential, particularly with a pleasingly large, high stage which immediately sets it apart from many a fringe venue. Continue reading “Review: Now. Here. This., Golden Goose Theatre”

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Review: [title of show], Above the Stag

Four cracking performances make [title of show] a musical highlight of the month at the Above the Stag Theatre, more than holding its own with the West End

“A musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical”

In a month full of major West End musicals opening, [title of show] is a glorious example that bigger isn’t always better. In the studio at the Above the Stag Theatre, something special is on offer, perfectly suited to the intimacy of the space and highlighting some pretty serious musical theatre talent about which we should be shouting as loud as we do those with their faces on billboards on the Strand.

Hunter Bell (book) and Jeff Bowen’s (music and lyrics) meta-musical of musical theatre injokes as it depicts two guys called Hunter and Jeff responding to a call for submissions to the New York Musical Theatre Festival. And looking for inspiration, they decide to write a show about two guys called Hunter and Jeff responding to a call for submissions to the New York Musical Theatre Festival, using their own words verbatim and bringing two friends onboard as well.  Continue reading “Review: [title of show], Above the Stag”

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Nominations for the 2015 Drama Desk Awards

Outstanding Play:
Clare Barron, You Got Older
Lisa D’Amour, Airline Highway
Anthony Giardina, The City of Conversation
Stephen Adly Guirgis, Between Riverside and Crazy
Elizabeth Irwin, My Manãna Comes
Simon Stephens, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Jack Thorne, Let the Right One In

Outstanding Musical:
An American in Paris
Hamilton
Fly By Night
Pretty Filthy
Something Rotten!
The Visit Continue reading “Nominations for the 2015 Drama Desk Awards”

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Nominations for 2012 Lucille Lortel Awards

Outstanding Play 
Blood and Gifts – Produced by Lincoln Center Theater; Written by J. T. Rogers 
Milk Like Sugar – Produced by Playwrights Horizons and Women’s Project Theater; Written by Kirsten Greenidge 
Sons of the Prophet – Produced by Roundabout Theatre Company; Written by Stephen Karam  
The Big Meal – Produced by Playwrights Horizons; Written by Dan LeFranc 
The School For Lies – Produced by Classic Stage Company; Written by David Ives 

Outstanding Musical
Once – Produced by New York Theatre Workshop; Book by Enda Walsh, Music and Lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová 
Queen of the Mist – Produced by Transport Group; Words and Music by Michael John LaChiusa 
SILENCE! The Musical – Produced by Victoria Lang, Rich Affannato, Donna Trinkoff in association with Scott Kirschenbaum, Theater Mogul, Kitefliers Studio, Terry Schnuck and John Arthur Pinckard; Music and Lyrics by Jon Kaplan and Al Kaplan, Book by Hunter Bell, Adapted from the screenplay Silence! The Musical by Jon and Al Kaplan
The Blue Flower – Produced by Second Stage Theatre ; By Jim Bauer and Ruth Bauer  
The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World – Produced by Playwrights Horizons and New York Theatre Workshop; Book by Joy Gregory, Music by Gunnar Madsen, Lyrics by Joy Gregory and Gunnar Madsen, Story by Joy Gregory, Gunnar Madsen, and John Langs  Continue reading “Nominations for 2012 Lucille Lortel Awards”

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Review: Silence! The Musical, Above the Stag

“I’ll throw her in a well so that no-one can find her,
I’ll tuck my dick between my legs and call it a vagina”

Silence! The Musical is described as ‘the unauthorised parody of The Silence of the Lambs‘ and grew from a collection of songs posted on the internet into an off-Broadway show in 2005. It had a two week run in Baron’s Court last year, but this version at the Above the Stag theatre above a Victoria gay bar is billed as the European professional premiere: it has added new material getting its first airing and retains the original director from New York, Christopher Gatelli.

It does what is says on the tin, it’s a relatively faithful rerun of the events of the film where trainee FBI agent Clarice Starling is pressed into interviewing notorious psychiatrist and serial killer Hannibal Lecter in prison in order to help catch another serial killer Buffalo Bill. However, it is mercilessly and hilariously parodied throughout with a book by Hunter Bell and music and lyrics by Jon & Al Kaplan and a chorus of singing and dancing lambs. Continue reading “Review: Silence! The Musical, Above the Stag”