Listings including text "arcola"

A rare opportunity: A Taste of Catalan Contemporary Theatre at the Arcola Theatre

The Arcola brings us a little touch of Catalan in the Tent. It's an evening of two halves - the first straightforwardly dark, the second darkly humorous. Stick with it: the second half is more rewarding, and worth the wait.

Monday 20th May 2013 Read more...
Brave the Overground for this whopper of a show: Sons Without Fathers at the Arcola Theatre

This is a brilliant version of Chekov's rarely performed first play, understandably avoided as it is undeniably a Make or Break script. This is the former: each aspect of it – acting, design, lighting and costume – is a potential award-winner. At the Arcola Theatre.

Wednesday 15th May 2013 Read more...
Love For Sale: Larisa and the Merchants at the Arcola Theatre

In a trading town on the Volga River a poor young girl aims to forget her no-good nobleman lover by hitching herself to a government official. But she hasn't counted on her lover's return to the town. Alexander Ostrovsky's play about gender and economics receives a long-overdue British premiere in Samuel Adamson's compelling version. At the Arcola Theatre.

Wednesday 8th May 2013 Read more...
Thar she blows: Moby-Dick at the Arcola Theatre

Simple8's succinct and encapsulating version of Melville's epic transports you through the  oceans of time, as well as from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Featuring a strong all-male ensemble, this production is original and raw. At the Arcola Theatre.

Thursday 4th April 2013 Read more...
Controversy on the Rock: Gibraltar at Arcola Theatre

Gibraltar takes us back to one of the most controversial events in the history of The Troubles. As well as focusing on the killings of the "Gibraltar Three", it examines the role that the media played in the aftermath. Interesting as it is as a piece of reportage, this works less well as a play, though its four actors remain dedicated throughout.

Saturday 30th March 2013 Read more...
Shadows and song: The Cabinet of Dr Caligari at the Arcola Theatre

A malevolent yet playful adaptation of one of the most influential horror films of all time. Built around music, a multitalented cast and very little else, an admittedly witty script that has some tonal problems doesn't detract much from this engrossing, darkly comic study of guilt and control.

Friday 1st March 2013 Read more...
Paved with good intentions: The Route to Happiness at the Landor Theatre

Deliberately crafted for small casts in fringe venues: Alexander Bermange's new musical follows three variously disillusioned singletons in their quests for fame, fortune and love. And when they find it, will they want it? At the Landor Theatre.

Thursday 21st February 2013 Read more...
An open and shut show: Laugh Your Farce Off at the Pleasance Theatre

Laugh Your Farce Off at The Pleasance captured the spirit of new writing, testing the abilties of writers to work in a genre in which it is notoriously tricky to succeed. It would have done well to be better prepared, but overall the evening was enjoyable and warmly received.

Thursday 21st February 2013 Read more...
Get Your Arts Fix This Weekend! 18-20 January, 2013

Looking for arts events to go to this weekend? Look no further – read here for our suggestions of how to get your arts fix for the weekend of 18–20 January, 2013!

Friday 18th January 2013 Read more...
Win Two Tickets to The Turn of the Screw at the Almeida Theatre!

Win two tickets to The Turn of the Screw, Henry James' classic gothic novella adapted for the stage by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, directed by Lindsay Posner at the Almeida Theatre!

Thursday 17th January 2013 Read more...
Olga's Disturbing Room at Arcola Theatre

It is a harrowing tale, not easily watched, but one that stays with you all the way home as you reflect on this almost unbelievable piece of history. At the Arcola Theatre.

Wednesday 16th January 2013 Read more...
Short plays: Miniaturists 38 at the Arcola

The latest Miniaturists event brings staged performances of fully-formed short plays to the Arcola Theatre. From absurdist drama to monologues, five writers make the short play format their own, in a celebration of getting new writing onto London stages.

Tuesday 27th November 2012 Read more...
Theatre for Everyone?

The dark nights have set in, our noses are cold from the turn of the weather, and it's time to plan our evenings indoors rather than sitting outside, sipping on a light cold beer. You could book a table at your favourite restaurant, or buy those tickets to check out the new James Bond film. Or, and here's a thought: you could go to the theatre! Stop sniggering at the back.

Thursday 22nd November 2012 Read more...
Cracking and energetic: The Sweet Smell of Success at the Arcola Theatre

An unsavourily-plotted antidote to Guys and Dolls, the cult Mackendrick 50's movie was re-worked by A Chorus Line's Marvin Hamlisch for a 2002 Broadway opening that never really took off. In a more intimate setting appropriate to the New York night clubs through which the characters trawl, Arcola boss Mehmet Ergen directs a cracking, energetic production with outstanding choreography. 

Thursday 15th November 2012 Read more...
Win Two Tickets to The Serpent's Tooth at Shoreditch Town Hall!

Win two tickets to David Watson’s new play The Serpent's Tooth, which Michael Buffong will direct at Shoreditch Town Hall from Nov 7th-17th.

Tuesday 6th November 2012 Read more...
Miniaturists 37 at the Arcola Theatre

The Miniaturists have been organising one-act play evenings since 2005, and the show has become an extremely well-oiled machine. This particular collection of plays is less hit than miss, but the high quality of directors, actors and writers involved speaks to the niche this group have carved out for themselves. At the Arcola Theatre.

Wednesday 24th October 2012 Read more...
Desperate Dancers: Dead on her Feet at the Arcola Theatre

Dead on her Feet focuses on the American dance marathons of the 1930s and draws parallels not only between the Great Depression and the current recession, but also between entertainment trends of the last century. Well directed, brilliantly acted – yet occasionally lacking in subtlety and surprise – this moving piece will wear you out! At the Arcola.

Sunday 7th October 2012 Read more...
Cuban Missile Jazz-Hands: Thirteen Days at the Arcola Theatre

Grimeborn, the Arcola Theatre's alternative and fringe opera festival, closed with new musical Thirteen Days this year, Alexander S. Bermange's musical rendition of the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis, where the world purportedly came as close as it ever has to nuclear annihilation. There's still some work to be done to make this piece fully come together, but it's got some great moments for now. At the Arcola Theatre.

Tuesday 11th September 2012 Read more...
10 Theatres That Go the Extra Mile

Trying to narrow down the vast number of theatres in London to a notable list of ten is a daunting task, but there will always be a few standouts for me. I have not listed them in order of preference or grandeur, but instead attempted to select a diverse collection of venues/spaces that each have winning attributes.

Thursday 23rd August 2012 Read more...
Pandora's Box

An awkward combination of sitcom and drama and scattered with Yoruba, Pandora's Box is a daunting piece to review - personally speaking, I felt lost for most of it and dragged back and forth between the different styles, although judging by the standing ovation I may have been the only one. At the Arcola Tent.

Sunday 13th May 2012 Read more...