All female theatre company Swipe Right Theatre return to the King’s Head with their 90s pop musical, ‘2 Become 1’. As you enter the auditorium, there’s an inconsolable twenty something sobbing alone on the floor while a continuous stream of messages from her mates are played on the answerphone … the final one saying they’re coming to get her …!
Charlie (Eliza Hewitt-Jones) the man hungry one, Molly (Kerrie Thomason) the slightly dim one and Amanda (Jessica Brady) the bubbly one all there to comfort Jess (Natasha Granger) the blubbering, recently dumped by her boyfriend one.
Not an overly complex plot – girls get together, girls go out speed dating, girls have a singalong or two … and that’s about it. Plenty of classic 90s tunes throughout and a host of cultural and pop references from the time – ‘Oooh you’ve got a Nokia’, and a liberal sprinkling of girl power of course! (Not really sure quite why there was a veiled reference to Scottish Independence in there too … )
The show is a comedy but sometimes the humour felt a little contrived. There’s one routine (and I’m sure there’s a technical name for it) where each of the ladies speaks in turn, cut off just as they are about to say something vulgar and the next person takes over, e.g. ‘flashing my c…’ quickly followed by ‘continuing …’ – this should have been a comedy highlight of the show but unfortunately the timing wasn’t quite there and it felt somewhat laboured.
The ‘My Heart Will go on’Titanic parody routine was enjoyable and worthy of a few laughs. All credit to Jessica Brady who really made the scene her own and was the stand out star of the show.
Condensing the show into an hour means there’s no real time to develop the story or to get to know the characters enough, making it all seem a little rushed at times.
It’s a fun enough way to kill an hour though and most of the audience seemed to love it. I was sort on the fence with this one but perhaps that’s because I’m more of an 80s man!
Critically acclaimed smash hit THE KITE RUNNER to fly again in the West End at the Playhouse Theatre from 8 June – 29 July!
After 93 standing ovations and wowing 60,000 people at Wyndham’s Theatre, “The Kite Runner” will transfer to the Playhouse Theatre for a strictly limited 8-week season.
After wowing the West End since Christmas, winning rave reviews, receiving standing ovations at every show and captivating an audience of more than 60,000 theatregoers, The Kite Runner finished its Wyndham’s Theatre season earlier this month as planned.
Today producers announced that it will soar again in the West End in a strictly limited 8-week season at the Playhouse Theatre from 8 June – 29 July.
Final casting to be announced.
Based on Khaled Hosseini’s international best-selling novel, this haunting and powerful story has been adapted into a stunning new stage production. A haunting tale of friendship which spans cultures and continents, it follows one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption. Afghanistan is a divided country on the verge of war and two childhood friends are about to be torn apart. It’s a beautiful afternoon in Kabul and the skies are full of the excitement and joy of a kite flying tournament. But neither Hassan or Amir can foresee the terrible incident which will shatter their lives forever…
Producers said:
“We were completely overwhelmed by the response from audiences at Wyndham’s Theatre; sold out houses and a standing ovation at every single show; Londoners took this haunting show to their hearts and we are thrilled to be able to return so soon to the West End for a strictly limited summer season.”
The Kite Runner, published in 2003, was Khaled Hosseini’s first novel. It became an instant bestseller across the globe and has since been published in 70 countries, selling 31.5 million copies in 60 languages.The book tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, whose closest friend is Hassan, his father’s young Hazara servant. The tale is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan’s monarchy through the Soviet invasion, the exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime.
The Kite Runner is adapted by Matthew Spangler and directed by Giles Croft. It is produced in the West End by Martin Dodd for UK Productions and Derek Nicol & Paul Walden for Flying Entertainment. It was originally produced by Nottingham Playhouse and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse.
Photography by Robert Workman
from the original West End production at Wyndham’s earlier this year
