Edgy Racial Conflict, Tap into Eastbourne & Time Warp Back to Brighton
0Theatre seems to have bounced back from the devastating effect of COVID and venues are gradually announcing new tours and accommodating still some of those that were postponed and now rescheduled. Fingers firmly crossed that things are bound to get better.
That said, changes in funding from Arts Council England will no doubt impact some organisations' futures. Decentralisation of grants will no doubt help to promote the arts in the regions but at the same time the news has had a devastating impact on some capital based organisations. Time will tell how this all plays out.Thank heavens then for both commercial theatre and local theatre, much of which survives without depending on centralised funding.
Latest’s theatre critic Andrew Kay often hears people complain about commercial theatre productions but seldom do they realise that it is those full-house, crowd pleasing, bums on seats shows that bring in the much needed revenue that allows the commercial theatre to invest in new material, new writing and riskier productions. Next time you take your seat to see something new and riskier just remember that in part this has been made possible by that big commercial musical or classic who dunnit.
With previous words in mind he takes a look at a very exciting piece of theatre that is coming to Theatre Royal Brighton in February. Pilot Theatre presents Noughts and Crosses, a gripping Romeo and Juliet story, written by award winning writer Malorie Blackman and adapted by Sabrina Mahfouz, Noughts and Crosses is a captivating drama of love, revolution and what it means to grow up in a divided world. Sephy and Callum sit together on a beach. They are in love. It is forbidden Love. Sephy is a Cross and Callum is a Nought. Between Noughts and Crosses there are racial and social divides. A segregated society teeters on a volatile knife edge. As violence breaks out, Sephy and Callum draw closer, but this is a romance that will lead them into terrible danger.
This is not only good theatre, this important theatre too.
Noughts and Crosses is at Theatre Royal Brighton from the 21st of February next year.
Over to Eastbourne next and a show that has been wowing audiences for some time. After more than 500 shows on the five continents, Tap Factory is back in the UK with this 10th Anniversary Tour! Take 12 oil barrels, one stepladder, four bins and a bucket. Blend with the breathtaking tap dancing of eight male performers. The result is Tap Factory, a potent cocktail of dance, acrobatics, music and comedy that is a must-see show for all the family. Tap Factory is at the Connaught Theatre on February the 14th next year for one night only, and yes that’s Valentine’s Day so a perfect romantic night out maybe or a way to avoid the soppiness that night.
One of the all time classic shows of British theatre started out as something rather experimental back in 1973 upstairs at the Royal Court theatre in London’s Sloane Square, but who would have thought that this slightly alternative piece of experimental entertainment would go on and on and become one of the most loved musicals of all time. Yes we’re talking about The Rocky Horror Show, Richard O’Brien’s brilliant spoof rock horror hybrid which is fast approaching it’s 50th anniversary and has been seen by over 30 million people world wide. Andrew Kay took a step to the left and time warped to talk to the amazing Kristian Lavercombe who for over 2,500 performances has made the iconic role of Riff Raff his very own.
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