King's Head Theatre Archives - Page 17 of 52

World’s End

King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed – 29th August 2019

★★★★

“throwaway lines elevate an ambitious script, and wittily display Corley’s talents as a playwright”

How much has really changed in twenty years? This extraordinary new play by James Corley takes audiences on a nineties nostalgia trip to remember. As his first full length play, ‘World’s End’ is nothing short of breath-taking, introducing a wonderful foursome of characters all trying to figure out their place in the world of late-nineties London.

Single mum Viv (Patricia Potter) has moved with 19-year old son Ben (Tom Milligan) from Norfolk to Chelsea to start a new life in London. At the World’s End estate, they move in next to the Kosovar Albanian family, Ylli (Nikolaos Brahimllari) and his son Besnik (Mirlind Bega). As Viv finds a new job (and a new man), and Ylli gets more and more involved with the Kosovo War, their respective sons bond over Nintendo video games, and fall in love. It’s only when Viv decides to move in with her new boyfriend that things spiral out of control, as Ben settles into his independence and falls victim to a terrible act of violence.

It all seems so familiar. Foreign nations fighting for autonomy, insurgent armies, refugees escaping conflict, and targeted attacks on minorities. Against this backdrop, Corley reminds us of a time not so long ago where you couldn’t make a call if the internet was on and neighbourhood communities meant something more than just muffled sounds coming through the wall. His hopeful script is tender, funny, and beautiful. Playing ‘Legend of Zelda’, Besnik asks if Link can have sex in Hyrule town. “We can fish?” is Ben’s awkward, terse response. Thinking about moving, Viv looks around her soon-to-be old flat: “Bit like going to the hairdressers, isn’t it; always looks best before it’s cut”. These throwaway lines elevate an ambitious script, and wittily display Corley’s talents as a playwright. My only gripe is Ylli and his slightly muddled patriotic pride. An intriguing character, his story never quite gets the attention it is probably needs to be convincing.

As a Zelda fan, I loved the references to ‘Ocarina of Time’, and Harry Linden Johnson’s sound subtly introduces Zelda themes to underscore the main love story. The cast, directed by Harry Mackrill, give convincing performances. Patricia Potter is an utter delight, effortlessly embodying the stresses of single motherhood and blending it with Chelsea charm. Tom Milligan, playing an awkward and stuttering Ben, gives a grounded performance that keeps you rooting for the main lovers. Mackrill does well with a small space, and his actors seem cool and confident throughout.

I usually never think plays should be as long as they often are. ‘World’s End’ however is one of the few exceptions where it ended too soon. Such interesting characters deserve a bit more space and time to develop, especially with the more political subplots, and although the ending is hopeful, it feels like too little too soon. I would love to see this transfer, as many plays from the King’s Head Theatre do, and for the team to use that as an opportunity to expand the scope of Corley’s script. In its current form though, this is still a real treat of a production, and one not to be missed. Powerful, courageous, and full of wisdom, Princess Zelda would be proud.

Reviewed by Joseph Prestwich

Photography by Bettina Adela

World’s End

King’s Head Theatre until 21st September

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

Awkward Conversations With Animals … | ★★★★ | April 2019

HMS Pinafore | ★★★★ | April 2019

Coral Browne: This F***Ing Lady! | ★★ | May 2019

This Island’s Mine | ★★★★★ | May 2019

Margot, Dame, The Most Famous Ballerina In The World | ★★★ | July 2019

Mating In Captivity | ★★★★ | July 2019

How We Begin | ★★★★ | August 2019

Click here to see our most recent reviews

★★★★

“It’s always wonderful to see roles written for women that are robust and real”

Surfacing Act Theatre present their debut play, How We Begin at the King’s Head Theatre in Islington. Written by Elisabeth Lewerenz, it depicts the beautifully complex love story of best friends Helen and Diana.

How We Begin is described, by the company, as ‘a queer female love story, told in a way, which has never been told before’ and after watching the show you can understand why they would so, boldly, declare this. Their production, certainly, has a unique voice and style that sharply defines itself. Surfacing Act Theatre was founded in 2019 when Elisabeth Lewerenz and Elizabeth Benbow (director) met during the VAULT Festival’s New Writers Showcase. Finding a kindred affinity for storytelling, they joined forces to write queer narratives which are often overlooked and left on the periphery of our stages.

The show begins with Helen (Talia Pick) and Diana (Emma Lucia) who intimately share their journey of friendship to secret lovers and then back to friendship again. This cyclical love tale; poignant and incredibly witty, was deftly navigated by Pick and Lucia who portrayed the vulnerable and conflicted characters with great emotional intelligence. Both actresses were confident, displaying perfect comic timing as they bantered on stage. Their presentation of the flexible duality of love, delicately peeled away the binary spectrum so predominantly seen. It’s always wonderful to see roles written for women that are robust and real. Lewerenz’s writing provided the platform for these actresses to thrive and Benbow’s direction was the catalyst to making the piece a seamless and engaging watch.

The stage was designed (Delyth Evans) with minimalist precision and though the space was not particularly large, somehow, it began to expand before our eyes; transporting us from one location to the next. This illusion was facilitated by the subtle lighting cues (Lucía Sánchez Roldán) that silently sang alongside the action whilst steering the direction of the play. Such is the magic of theatre when it is done well – all wheels of the production moving in one smooth motion.

The true power of this play, however, is in the ‘ordinariness’ of it. It is a transferable story, relatable to all ages, genders and demographics and yet this ordinary story (and those like it) are ignored and rarely represented. How We Begin opens up the box that queer love is repeatedly stuffed into and draws out the many layers and nuances that exist within it.

Surfacing Act Theatre have created an astute, professional and accomplished production. If this is what they achieve as a debut, then they have a bright future ahead of them.

Reviewed by Pippin

Photography by Charlie Sambrook

King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed – 29th August 2019

★★★★

“throwaway lines elevate an ambitious script, and wittily display Corley’s talents as a playwright”

Reviewed by Joseph Prestwich

Photography by Bettina Adela

World’s End

King’s Head Theatre until 21st September

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed – 11th August 2019

★★★★

“It’s always wonderful to see roles written for women that are robust and real”

Surfacing Act Theatre present their debut play, How We Begin at the King’s Head Theatre in Islington. Written by Elisabeth Lewerenz, it depicts the beautifully complex love story of best friends Helen and Diana.

Surfacing Act Theatre have created an astute, professional and accomplished production. If this is what they achieve as a debut, then they have a bright future ahead of them.

Reviewed by Pippin

Photography by Charlie Sambrook

How We Begin

King’s Head Theatre until 12th August

Previously reviewed at this venue: