Tag Archives: Lavinia Co-op

United Queendom

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Kensington Palace

United Queendom

United Queendom

Kensington Palace

Reviewed – 2nd March 2020

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β€œa fabulous and thoroughly enjoyable journey”

 

If you are lucky enough to have a ticket for this sold out show you are in for a treat. If you don’t have a ticket try and get a return.

Kensington Palace is the venue and, when you arrive, you will discover that you have been invited to the birthday party of King George the Second. A feast of delights awaits you! Will you meet the King? Or maybe Queen Caroline? You will definitely see them, and you will also see Henrietta Howard, the Queen’s mistress, and a host of characters from the Georgian court. The Necessary Woman, played by the irrepressible Christina Ngoyi, will escort you to the entrance to the palace. She will probably explain that her job is emptying the many chamber pots that are scattered around. She will be shooed away by Deven Modha, as the Lord Chamberlain, the most important of the King’s staff, as he will no doubt inform you. You’ll pick up a glass of wine, and the revels will begin. At the bottom of a grand staircase you will suddenly by surrounded by a flurry of skirts and wigs as courtiers appear and mingle with the crowd. You will be taught how to bow or curtsy, and maybe hear some hints of scandal. Senesino, the renowned court musician and composer will play virtuoso violin and, later, you will hear his beautiful counter tenor as he sings an aria that echoes and floats down the King’s staircase. James Hastings plays him with such sublime talent, and such wonderful theatricality, that you won’t want the music, to stop. Some of you will be given a golden envelope and ushered away to visit the King’s inner apartments. I don’t know what will happen to the rest of you, as there are two β€˜tracks’ to the show and two different experiences. One thing is certain; you will have a fabulous time, whichever way you go.

We were treated to some hilarious court mischief, exposed to factions supporting the King or the Queen, and invited to a salon, where the women of the court hosted such great thinkers as Isaac Newton to talk. Deborah Tracey’s vibrant Salonnieres and the fusty old fashioned Duke of Newcastle, brilliantly played by Richard Holt, disagreed about whether the earth is round of flat. On the way round the palace we come across the Countess of Hertford, a supporter of the Queen, who wears men’s clothing and raps up a storm. Lucy Reynolds clearly has fun playing her, and is a joy. We discovered that Lord Harvey is rather a naughty boy, especially when he is with Miss Vane – Stephan Boyce and Nadia Sohawon really are deliciously scandalous in these roles. And yes, we met the King and Queen and, of course, Henrietta Howard. Lavinia Co-Op is archly camp George II, and Miranda Heath and Yasmin Keita, as the two women central to this story clash and face off like two birds of paradise in a sparkle of jewels and a ruffle of feathers. But is it possible that this β€˜Queendom’ could be united? is there, perhaps, another way of doing things? You’ll just have to go and see it to find out. If you can get a ticket.

The costumes are glorious, the wigs and make-up a flamboyant delight. And the music is divine. Susan Kulkarni, Victoria Stride and Patrick Neil Doyle respectively are a dream team of creatives. Nadia Sohawon’s choreography adds to the mix, which manages to be both historically accurate and contemporarily relevant, lit with touch of magic by Pablo Fernandez Baz. And all brought together into a fabulous and thoroughly enjoyable journey through one night in the Georgian court by director Christa Harris. Amid all the uproarious glee we learned a lot too. Unmissable.

 

Reviewed by Katre

Photography by Gail Harland

 


United Queendom

Kensington Palace until 30th March

 

Last ten shows reviewed by Katre:
The Legend Of The Holy Drinker | β˜…β˜…Β½ | The Vaults | January 2020
Beige | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | The Vaults | February 2020
Gypsy Flame | β˜…β˜…β˜… | Network Theatre | February 2020
In My Lungs The Ocean Swells | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | The Vaults | February 2020
Killing It | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Network Theatre | February 2020
La Cage Aux Folles | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Park Theatre | February 2020
Life And Death  Of A Journalist | β˜…β˜…β˜… | The Vaults | February 2020
Spree | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | The Vaults | February 2020
The Upstart Crow | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Gielgud Theatre | February 2020
Time And Tide | β˜…β˜…β˜… | Park Theatre | February 2020

Click here to see our most recent reviews

 

Escape From Planet Trash

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Pleasance Theatre

Escape From Planet Trash

Escape From Planet Trash

Pleasance Theatre

Reviewed – 21st November 2019

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β€œcombines drag, sci-fi and innuendo galore to create the perfect foil for the abundance of family-friendly shows on for the holidays”

 

It is the year 2050. Earth is no more and is instead known as Planet Trash, the dumping ground for the entire universe. East London drag queen Ginger Johnson and her 28-year-old son Sonny (David Cumming) are its last survivors and spend their days foraging through rubbish. That is until an impending solar flare threatens to obliterate the planet and a discarded weapon that the Intergalactic Government is desperate to get its hands on. Cue the arrival of the Captain of the Star Corp voyager (Mairi Houston) and the ambiguously gendered Private P. P. Parts (Mahatma Khandi).

Their quest, however, soon turns sour when an army of mutant turkeys decide to seek revenge on the human race for having eaten them at Christmases past. Now, it’s up to Ginger and Sonny to save the day and stop the eradication of mankind. Sink the Pink’s brand-new seasonal production Escape From Planet Trash combines drag, sci-fi and innuendo galore to create the perfect foil for the abundance of family-friendly shows on for the holidays.

Johnson and Cumming are the strongest in their roles, with the former having no trouble working the crowd. The rest of the cast sadly do not always seem sure of themselves or their lines. The plot that is set up in the play’s opening scenes is unfortunately rather quickly forgotten. Loose ends are rife in this production and the solar flare and ever-so-important weapon hardly get a look-in.

There are some moments of serious commentary. The play reflects on the climate crisis and capitalist greed and drag artists Maxi More and Lavinia Co-op join the cast as two dark tourists travelling the galaxy. Silliness however wins out in Escape From Planet Trash but without a solid narrative – which Ginger in fact jokes about the play needing – it is hard to be fully invested.

The set is multi-tiered with characters able to ascend and descend several sets of stairs. This makes for some dynamic visuals even when little else is happening on stage. To the left of the stage, the entrance to a sewer pipe and, above it, the interior of Star Corp’s spaceship. To the right, the tin shack house of Ginger and Sonny complete with rooftop terrace and light-up HOME sign. The centre of the stage sits on a rotating platform which allows for some great reveals such as Lavinia tap dancing as the Johnson’s home spins around. The set did pose a few hiccups including the shack’s door swinging open unexpectedly and revealing actors preparing for the next scene.

The lighting (Clancy Flynn) is solid throughout and used atmospherically. Costumes (Julia Smith) are a lot of fun with Ginger wearing a particularly ostentatious white plastic see through mesh bodysuit with a clear plastic overcoat.

The musical direction (Sarah Bodalbhai) is overall very strong. A rendition of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life from Monty Python’s Life of Brian (which the cast sing to a literal piece of shit played by Lavinia) that ends with a reference to the β€˜dis-gus-tang’ video meme is a definite highlight. All the songs are a real blast though the cast do struggle to get the audience to sing along even at moments which beg for it. A finale song would also be good to round off the show in true pantomime fashion.

Escape From Planet Trash is a barrel of laughs and as silly as it is campy. Though the production lacks polish at times, you would be hard-pressed to not enjoy Sink the Pink’s newest endeavour.

 

Reviewed by Flora Doble

Photography by Ali Wright

 


Escape From Planet Trash

Pleasance Theatre until 22nd December

 

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:
The Accident Did Not Take Place | β˜…β˜… | October 2019
The Fetch Wilson | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | October 2019
The Hypnotist | β˜…β˜…Β½ | October 2019
The Perfect Companion | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | October 2019
The Unseen Hour | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | October 2019
Endless Second | β˜…β˜…β˜… | November 2019
Heroin(e) For Breakfast | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | November 2019
Land Of My Fathers And Mothers And Some Other People | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | November 2019
Madame Ovary | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | November 2019
Wireless Operator | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | November 2019

 

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