Kat Mokrynski - Page 15

Ray O’Leary: Your Laughter Is Just Making Me Stronger is a classic kind of stand-up show with no real story throughout, but this also leads to several bits going on for too long as O’Leary appears to find his footing. Whether that’s a true struggle or if it's O’Leary simply putting on a show is for the audience to guess.

Written by and starring Aidan Pittman, Dr Dolittle Kills A Man (And Reads Extracts From His New Book) is set at an event where Dr Dolittle is, as one might guess, reading extracts from his new book, Dr John Dolittle: The Time of My Life. As the audience takes their seats, a number of slides appear on the screen with rules for the show. The show then starts with an introductory video that gives audiences an idea of what is to come in the next hour - jokes, references and visual gags that flash by at the speed of light.

Jin Hao Li: Swimming in a Submarine is the first stand-up show I have been to in which, before the show starts, the comedian goes around the audience, giving each person a thumbs-up and asking, “You good?” It’s a surprise, but a welcome one that makes something immediately clear - Jin Hao Li is not your average comedian.

Even before the show begins, Demi Adejuyigbe is Going To Do One (1) Backflip has me laughing with its preshow playlist, a fascinating tracklist of songs that have been turned into some absolutely wild mash-ups. From combining Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan to making a seamless transition from Kendrick Lamar to Fleetwood Mac, there are some surprisingly great ones - my particular favourite was ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” combined with Disturbed’s “Down with the Sickness!”

Glorious!, the musical about Florence Foster Jenkins, who is referred to by some as “the worst singer in the world,” is arriving at the Hope Mill Theatre later this month. Witten by Peter Quilter and directed by Kirk Jameson, the show aims to tell the true story of the American socialite, played in this production by Wendi Peters.

A new production of Hamlet is arriving at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Directed by Rupert Goold and starring Luke Thallon in the titular role, the play, which is being described as “high concept,” promises to bring a new take to the iconic story. Recently, we had the chance to speak with Elliot Levey, who plays Polonius, the father of Ophelia and Laertes. We discussed how Shakespeare has been a part of his acting career since he first auditioned for the National Youth Theatre, how one should treat the work of Shakespeare and even how he connects with Polonius as a father himself!

Amy Gledhill: Make Me Look Fit on the Poster begins with Gledhill posing a question to the audience - “Would you like to go to bed with me?” It’s a fun way to start a show, encouraging the audience to react, but Gledhill takes it a step further by completely redoing the beginning and handing out knickers for audience members to throw at her while cheering even more loudly than before. At this moment, as knickers are flying from the seats to the stage, the audience are charmed by Gledhill, and it certainly won’t be the last time.

After premiering on Broadway over a decade ago in 2014, IF/THEN will be arriving on the West End as a two-night-only concert production at the Savoy Theatre. The musical stars Kerry Ellis as Elizabeth, a 38-year-old woman whose life splits into two paths after making a choice. The concert’s cast also features Adam Garcia, David Hunter, Preeya Kalidas, John-Owen Jones, Jenny Fitzpatrick, Tim Howard, Carl Man and Joni Ayton-Kent.

When entering the Etcetera Theatre to see Pat Rascal: Space Gravy, audience members are greeted by props scattered across the space and two metal chairs sitting in the centre. The show’s description even acknowledges the number of props, stating that they “may or may not fit in the Etcetera Theatre.”

There are two kinds of people in this world - those who are aware of the significance of lions and llamas and those who are not. Those who have inhaled Sharpie fumes putting cat whiskers on their faces and those who have not. Those who know who Dan and Phil are and those who do not. With three sold-out nights at the London Palladium, one can be certain that the duo have a strong fan base in London.

Recently, we had the chance to chat with Flo & Joan, AKA sisters Rosie and Nicola Dempsey. E discussed how they first got started in musical comedy, the creative process for a show like One Man Musical and even some favourite fun facts they’ve found while researching for the show!

Comedians may have told Chloe Petts that comedy is subjective, but Petts is determined to prove them wrong. In How You See Me, How You Don’t, Petts wants every single person in the world to enjoy the show, whether they’re a young queer person or a Crystal Palace football fan - or both!

The RSC’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream has transferred from Stratford-upon-Avon to the Barbican Centre for the winter. Starring Mathew Baynton as Bottom, the Shakespeare comedy tells the tale of four young lovers from Athens who escape into a magical forest where they come face-to-face with the fairy world.

Colin Hoult: Colin is a show in which Hoult tells the audience the story of his life, beginning with the origins of his name (he was named after his father, referred to as “Big Colin”) and leading to having children of his own (not named Colin). We learn about his childhood obsession with Elvis, and even his mother bringing out a ouija board for Christmas.

Rob Copland: Gimme (One With Everything) begins with quite the introduction, with Copland not actually beginning the storytelling of the show for several minutes. Before the show, I had seen Copland doing some warmup stretches, which quickly made sense once he ran onto the stage, jumping around and pulling audience members up to dance with him.

Titanique, the hit off-Broadway musical, has finally docked in London. Currently playing at the Criterion Theatre, the show mixes the iconic story of Titanic with the equally iconic music of Céline Dion, transforming the “Ship of Dreams” into a “hysterical musical fantasia.”

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical has been taking The Other Palace by storm since it opened in November 2024. Recently, we had the chance to speak with Max Harwood, who plays Percy Jackson, the titular hero of the tale who goes on a quest after discovering the truth behind his parentage. We discussed how he first got into theatre, his love for the world of Percy Jackson and even which Greek god would be his godly parent!

Having seen over 320 shows in cities like London, New York, Edinburgh in 2024, it was certainly difficult to narrow it down to my top ten shows of the year, but I have done my best! This list is a mix of plays, musicals and stand-up comedy shows that I have seen as both a critic, as well as some that I went to as a punter.

Created by Recent Cutbacks, Hold On To Your Butts is a “shot for shot” parody of the iconic Jurassic Park film, with three actors taking on the movie in only seventy minutes (the original film has a runtime of two hours and seven minutes). Jack Baldwin and Laurence Pears take on nearly all of the characters (yes, even Mr. D.N.A makes an appearance!) through simple costume and prop changes.

“Oh, that I were a man!” In the opening scene, one might worry that they have accidentally stumbled into a one-woman production of Much Ado About Nothing, as the woman on stage gives a passionate rendition of one of Beatrice’s iconic monologues. However, this quickly changes when another woman accidentally crashes the audition, leading to a fateful meeting that will change the paths of these two women forever.