Aliya Al-Hassan - Page 75

Families are complex and the relationships between parents and children and siblings themselves is a rich basis for drama. Beru Tessema’s new play House of Ife is a tense and fascinating insight into the dynamics of a British-Ethiopean family, living in London, and navigating life and personal grief in the wake of the sudden death of the eldest son, Ife.

Damiano Michieletto’s modern-day staging of Donizetti’s sparkling comedy Don Pasquale divided critics when it last appeared at The Royal Opera House in 2019. The story of the tricking of an old man into marrying a seemingly demure bride, only for her to rapidly becomes a nightmarish tyrant as soon as the ring is on her finger, is a comedy with some very sharp edges.

Touching on nationalism, childish loyalty and what it means to be English, The Misfortune Of The English is Pamela Carter’s new play, inspired by tragic, true events. In April 1936 a group of 27 schoolboys are on a walking holiday in Nazi Germany’s Black Forest. By the end of the day, after collectively choosing a difficult route in terrible weather, five of them are dead.

It is doubtful that Prima Facie would have received the same pre-show hype if Jodie Comer had not been making her West End stage debut in the production. The transition from screen to stage is littered with fallen idols, but fans can rest assured that the play and Comer’s performance is worth getting excited about.

The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe was the first of C.S. Lewis’ much-loved books to be written in his series, The Chronicles of Narnia. Since its publication in 1950 there have been numerous adaptations. Michael Fentiman’s new version, based on the original production by Sally Cookson, is a magically warm and inventive piece of theatre. Read our critic's review.

Not to be confused with the 2002 film of the same name, Catch Me If You Can is a small ensemble thriller that debuted on Broadway in 1965. Based on a French play by Robert Thomas, this American version, written by Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert, is a potentially entertaining evening, but fails to captivate and excite.

There is certainly a gap in the representation of middle-aged women who are confronting ageing and complicated relationships on stage. Victoria Willing’s new play SAD has the potential to fill that hole by exploring a woman-of-a-certain-age’s messy experiences of love, grief and isolation, but fails to provide anything new.

Patrick Ness’ novel A Monster Calls is a sharp and poignant look at loss in childhood and how death is approached by adults and children. First seen at the Bristol Old Vic in 2018, Sally Cookson’s heart-breaking stage production tries to make sense of illness and grief and how lying to children about death can be more damaging than telling the truth.

Back in 2017, few could have imagined the success of a show about a teenage drag queen. Ever since it blasted its way onto the stage in 2017, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has been a sensation here and as far away as Japan. Now on a nationwide tour, the true-life story of a 16-year-old wannabe drag queen is still as entertaining and relevant as ever.

On the night marking two years since theatres were forced to close their doors due to the pandemic, we are reminded of the power of theatre in Franz Xaver Kroetz’s Tom Fool. This poignant and disquieting play from 1978 neatly explores the crumbling of a family as social pressures thwart their ambitions and expectations.

The concept behind Fiji really shouldn’t work. A black comedy about the incongruous combination of online dating and consensual cannibalism was well-received when it ran for a few performances back in 2019. This unlikely premise, inspired by the 1991 case of the 'Rotenburg Cannibal', sparks a surprisingly witty and touching play that is also extremely disquieting.

Was it Professor Plum in the library with the dagger? To many of us, the board game Cluedo is a family staple, but director Mark Bell’s play takes more of its influence from the 1985 American film Clue. The play retains the characters, weapons and location of a spooky manor house and turn it into a pacey farce that both amuses and frustrates.

Rufus Norris’ stage production of Andrea Levy’s Small Island was hailed as a triumph on its debut in 2019. The epic story of race, friendship and betrayal set among the Windrush generation was a welcome distraction when streamed during lockdown and now makes an exultant return to the grandeur of the Olivier’s stage.

First seen back in 2017 at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, Jeff James and James Yeatman’s boldly modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s last novel Persuasion now makes a triumphant entrance at the Rose Theatre. It is often cited that Austen was ahead of her time and this adaptation throws away the concept of bonnets and breeches, to sweep the action firmly into the present day.

Retirement concerns and empty-nest syndrome will be familiar issues to many and are ripe for both exploration and satire. Despite these juicy subjects, Belinda Lang’s adaptation of Gérald Sibleyras and Jean Dell’s comedy An Hour And A Half Late, has amusing moments, but fails to make a lasting impression.

But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical has a long history; based on the 1999 cult film, the musical was first workshopped at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2005, where it picked up the Audience Award for Best New Musical. London got its first glimpse in 2019 at MTFestUK in a showcase for new musicals and it has now opened in a blaze of bubblegum pink at Battersea’s Turbine Theatre.

After opening night was postponed due to Storm Eunice, the ENO's new production of Leoš Janáček's opera is a welcome slice of brightness in the current gloom. One thing we have all seen in the last few years is nature's incredible ability to renew and refresh, whatever mankind may throw her way. The ENO's first new production of The Cunning Little Vixen since 2001 serves as a reminder that life continues and nature always renews. In a good-looking production, using typical Moravian folk songs, along with an exploration of fairy tales, this quirky opera fuses both comedy and tragedy to ask what it means to be alive.

First recorded in March 2021 and broadcast on BBC Radio 4, (still available on BBC Sounds) Sian Carter’s new play Running With Lions is a raw and honest look at attitudes towards grief, faith and the stigma of mental health problems in a multi-generational British-Caribbean family.

First seen in a 20-minute version in April 2021, as part of the Orange Tree's foray into theatrical streaming Outside, Two Billion Beats is Sonali Bhattacharyya's engaging and vibrant play that explores the relationship between two South Asian teenage sisters as they confront injustice, racism and the realities of growing up.

Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers remains one of only three shows to play for over 10,000 performances in the West End, bringing audiences to their feet night after night in the days when standing ovations were not always the default. A tale more than tinged with Greek tragedy, Russell’s examination of class, opportunity and poverty is given an injection of enthusiasm and vitality by an excellent cast in this touring production.