Theatre in London

Sullivan and Gilbert

Reviewed by , May 17, 2013

Created by classic inspiration and preserved and revived continually by their public domain status, Gilbert and Sullivan’s plays defined musical comedy as much as Shakespeare defined theatre. This play is an enjoyably stylized dramatization of the disparate pair’s fractious partnership with some good music in the mix.

In 1890, the Savoy Theatre company is commissioned to perform their first revue, …

Red

Reviewed by , May 13, 2013

Red Riding Hood is far more than a simple children’s fairy tale; it is a story loaded with potent metaphors about femininity, sexuality and related themes. This play takes advantage of that special literary significance to create a moving drama about one woman’s emotional journey as it moves from the symbolic to the painfully real for her.

Considering the more literal interpretations of the fairy tale, this play is a refreshing change of pace with its metaphorical approach. To that end, the play creates a smoothly-paced parable that moves from the symbolic to the realistic wrapped …

The Great Kooshog Lake Hollis McCauley Fishing Derby

Reviewed by , April 25, 2013

The “fish out of water” plot has been a standard for generations and can come off as a cliche if not done well with heart, wit and imagination. Fortunately, A Missing Link has achieved a hilarious and oddly touching, if occasionally mawkish, show with their world premiere of Norm Foster’s play.

James Bell (Dwayne Adams), an ambitious investment banker, has his car break down in the rural community of Kooshog Lake and finds that he’s stuck there for the weekend for more than one dispiriting reason. With nothing better to do, …

Dance Legends

Reviewed by , April 21, 2013

These dancers are the stars!

If you are sitting at home watching Dancing with the Stars on TV, shame on you! Get off the couch right now, and go to the Grand in London to see Dance Legends. It is so much better!

This is a high energy show, with …

Underbelly

Reviewed by , April 12, 2013

William Burroughs was a unique presence in the 1950s Beat Generation literary movement, considering he was a colleague of luminaries of Alan Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac despite the fact that he was old enough to be their father. This play is a wildly imaginative look at the life and the mind of this author that serves as a jumping-off point for a surreal stream of consciousness one man performance.

The biggest surprise is that this is not a straight adaptation of Burroughs’ writings, but more a tribute to its general spirit. The stories are entirely McDonald’s own creation of gleefully strange stories that …