Aliya Al-Hassan - Page 82

Back in 2003, before writing the superb Enron, A Very Expensive Poison and the Emmy Award-winning TV series Succession, Lucy Prebble's first play The Sugar Syndrome made its debut at London's Royal Court. It now comes to Richmond's Orange Tree in its first major revival, in a darkly funny and thought-provoking exploration of the internet's potential to bring the most unlikely people together.

The West End has missed the wit, cheek and high-kicks of Kinky Boots since it strutted off on a nationwide tour last year. Thankfully, the show with a huge heart will be screened in more than 600 cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 4th and 9th February.

The Royal Opera House is on a mission to show that ballet and opera are accessible to everyone. As part of their live cinema season, last night saw Tchaikovsky's beautiful interpretation of fairytale, The Sleeping Beauty, broadcast live across the world.

It's that time of year again; Cirque du Soleil have returned to London's Royal Albert Hall, bringing their show LUZIA to Europe for the first time. Last year's TOTEM felt somewhat bland and soulless, but LUZIA shows the company at its very best.

On paper, Le Corsaire emphatically should not work. Based very loosely on the poem Le Corsair, written by Lord Byron, the plot is flimsy and the score is a mash-up of work by ten different composers. However, this revival of Anna-Marie Holmes' 2013 production for English National Ballet actually works on every level and is a wonderful evening of escapism and virtuoso dancing.

As the decade comes to a close, many of us are all left feeling a little more bruised by the world than we felt in 2010. Climate change, political upheaval and humanitarian crises can feel relentlessly negative. Fortunately, the arts continue to delight, educate and inspire. The power of theatre never ceases to amaze me and the hard-working people on and off the stage are testament to an industry that will always try its best, even in the face of challenges from funding cuts and social media dominance.

'Messiah' is probably Handel's best-known piece; written in 1741, the oratorio was originally composed for Easter time, but you don't have to travel far to find a performance of it at this time of year. Handel at Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall is always a special, festive event. The composition has been performed in full at the venue since 1871 and, as of this month, it has been performed a remarkable 524 times.

Kingston's Rose Theatre always goes all-out for their Christmas production. After last year's huge success with Hansel And Gretel, writer and director Ciaran McConville turns his hand to another Hans Christian Andersen tale with The Snow Queen.

The annual pantomime at Richmond is always an entertaining affair. After last year's Peter Pan, we now turn to a glittering and very enjoyable version of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs. Comedian, writer and presenter Jo Brand is the star turn as the wicked Queen Lucretia. Brand takes a little while to settle into the rhythm of the show, but is a screeching baddie, with a throaty, cackling laugh. She maintains the sardonic and dry style that she is known for. Even when she appears to forget her lines, her request for a prompt gained laughs rather than groans. She is an evil, but also funny character and her scornful rendition of 'I Put A Spell On You' is her highlight.

For many, it simply cannot be Christmas without Nutcracker. The enduring story of Clara and her beloved Nutcracker is one to soften the hardest of hearts. The pair defeat the evil Mouse King and his army and journey to the Kingdom Of The Sweets to meet the Sugar Plum Fairy for a magical adventure. English National Ballet present another Christmas revival of the Wayne Eagling version which both enchants and charms.

Billed as the only all-female panto in the world, The Fairytale Revolution: Wendy's Awfully Big Adventure is the latest pantomime offering from Battersea's Theatre503. With a cast of only four, this is an energetic and charming production that attempts to subvert many pantomime stereotypes. Wendy from Peter Pan is stuck at home caring for the Lost Boys, while Peter Pan and her brothers have all the adventures. Captain Hook is a poetry-lover who wants to break free from his villainous past. The pair team up and go on to meet Thumbelina's mother Baker Swife (!), who has been sent to Banishment for trying to save her daughter.

When you enter a theatre to a soundtrack of Stormzy and open the programme to see a Beatboxer listed on the credits, you know that this is probably not a traditional staging of a nineteenth century play. Much anticipation has been building for Martin Crimp's new adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac. Directed by Jamie Lloyd and starring James McAvoy, this magnificent show has stardust sprinkled all over it.

Among the new writing and nurturing of talent during a season at Richmond's Orange Tree Theatre, there is always a revival of a more classic piece. Artistic Director Paul Miller has an historical weakness for Bernard Shaw, with a new version of Candida being the fourth Shaw play he has directed at the theatre since 2014.

It has been a rocky start to The Wolf Of Wall Street immersive theatre experience. Numerous problems have delayed the opening several times. Unfortunately, it would be better if we were still waiting. Spanning four floors, the experience is supposed to follow the now infamous story of Wall Street trader Jordan Belfont, who burst into the public consciousness with 2013 smash-hit black comedy film Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo Di Caprio.

Mary Shelley's literary masterpiece, Frankenstein, is a cautionary tale of the consequences when a man decides to play God. Victor Frankenstein, a gifted young scientist, aims to create the perfect human specimen. When his creation goes wrong, Frankenstein bitterly rejects the monster he has created, who then seeks furious and murderous revenge.

In a world where it is now normal to name your baby Bear, Apple and Denim, it is interesting for a play to explore if a person's name reflect who they really are. In Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de la Patellière's 2010 comedy Le Prénom, a group of friends is challenged when one couple's decision about what they will name their child causes controversy, arguments and even violence. Translated into English by Jeremy Sams (who also directs), What's in a Name? was a hit play, a film and is now revived for a second time in the UK.

Set in 1933 New York, Annie is the well-known and well-loved story of Annie, an orphan living under the guardianship of the hideous Miss Hannigan. She dreams of being reunited with her parents who promised they would return for her when they left her as a baby. During her efforts to find them, she is befriended by the billionaire Mr Warbucks, who welcomes her into his home and proceeds to persuade the government to help find her parents.

It's very much that time of year again; high street shops are already tormenting staff and shoppers alike with 'festive' songs, mince pies have been on sale for months and pantomimes are starting to surface. The Vaults is not the place to see a conventional pantomime and expectations of an 'alternative' panto are more than fulfilled with their festive offering Aladdin And The Feast Of Wonders; a very adult take on a story inspired by Aladdin and the Arabian Nights.

Where would theatre be without literary adaptations? From The Woman in Black to Matilda The Musical, some of the best shows originate from books. At first glance, Sarah Waters' fourth novel, the 2006 hit The Night Watch, is ripe for adaptation for the stage. A tale of love and desire set during and after World War Two, it follows the stories of four Londoners in reverse. They manage to survive The Blitz, but are forever-changed by their experiences.

A new family face the most testing of circumstances when their beautiful new baby girl is diagnosed with a potentially life-changing condition. Out Of The Dark, Suzy Gill's absorbing debut play, explores how a couple deal with the joys and the traumas of life where their child did not form in the way they thought she would.