I was fortunate to catch the final twenty-five minutes of Aurora Nova’s large scale show in the ‘Hogwarts’ school quad. The location is superb. Tucked behind the vast gothic buildings, it is an enclosed square with a dominant tower and corner staircases heading spookily upwards. There is a sense of awe and hush from the […]

Dik Downey and Adam Blake look pretty much how we expect clowns to look, with over-sized trousers, too-big boots, red noses, and hair as if they’ve just stuck their fingers in a plug socket. And to begin with, they behave pretty much as we expect clowns to behave: all silly walks, happy-sad faces, and roping […]

Dreamthinkspeak has an international reputation for creating extraordinary immersive theatre installations and its latest production, Absent, is a welcome addition to its canon. The experience begins before you enter the building. The transformation of the exterior of Shoreditch Town Hall into a hotel is so effective that I actually walked straight past it. Inspired by […]

A chorus line with wolf heads and cartoon gartered legs; a dazzling psychedelic explosion of flowers, fairies, and butterflies; and Terry Gilliam-style cog-filled heads. Chinese dragon-serpents chasing their own tails; spear-carrying monkeys; and an aria-singing spider woman. Welcome to the crazy world of Komische Oper Berlin’s The Magic Flute. Co-directed by Barrie Kosky and 1927 […]

This performance is placed in a sideshow carnival circus world, and is presented by Fittings Multimedia Arts, a Liverpool based disability led arts organisation – most of the spoken word is also signed by Kinny Gardner and Caroline Parker, Sally Clay playing the bearded lady on the keyboards is sight impaired and Garry Robson plays […]