★★★★★

“a beautiful representation of the power of live performance”

I can confidently say that you do not need to have seen Star Wars to enjoy this show. I say that because, shamefully, I went to see this without having ever seen it. With Star Wars being so engrossed in pop culture, and having enjoyed several other parodies (The Family Guy Specials, to be precise), the references certainly didn’t go over my head. Created by Russall S. Beattie and directed by Bec Morris, The Empire Strips Back is a classic Burlesque cabaret with a mix of comedic and contemporary dance performances all themed around the Star Wars franchise. It features everything one needs from great Burlesque: nipple tassels, audience interaction and some amazing lighting design. Even from the cosy seats of Hammersmith, the audience certainly experiences something far far away.

The show opens strongly with a dance duet between one of the incredible NX5 Theatrical Dance company members and what I believe is known as a Bantha. The first of many fantastic puppetry pieces of the show. After swiftly warming up the audience, we are introduced to the host who continues to engage with the audience before and after each act. This is where the majority of the comedy lies, with an incredible amount of wit and improvised audience interaction.

The dance styles are a mix between classic Burlesque, exotic and contemporary dance, making the show overall feel incredibly rich. There’s beautifully romantic scenes between masked aliens as well as surprisingly sexy dance moves from Chewbacca. The puppetry and animatronics are astounding, not only with the previously mentioned Bantha, but a full stage scale, lip syncing, Jabba the Hutt. Not one area of this show cuts corners. Every aspect from the costume, to the dance, to the amazing use of a rainbow lighting spectacle is fully exploited.

After six years of touring around the world, The Empire Strips Back has landed in London and launched on Star Wars day, and the City will be glad of it. As the world appears bleaker and bleaker, it is shows like this that bring joy, laughter and a sense of community. The audience was – naturally – full of Star Wars fans, with everybody bonding over their Star Wars tattoos and Chewbacca impressions. Even without knowing the franchise well, I felt a part of a really positive crowd. To quote the Last Jedi itself, as it was quoted in the show, “We don’t get stronger by fighting the things we hate, but by protecting the things we love”. The Empire Strips Back is a beautiful representation of the power of live performance. And that should be protected at all costs.

SISYPHEAN QUICK FIX 

Riverside Studios

★★★

“The performances by Paris and Tina Rizzo remain as strong throughout”

No one who is actually fine says ‘I’m fine’. A line we hear often in life, and more than once in Bettina Paris’ play “Sisyphean Quick Fix”. So, when London-based struggling actor, Krista, asks her sister how their father is – and she responds with a shoulder-shrugging ‘he’s fine’ – we know that’s not true. The sister, Pip (Tina Rizzo), still lives in Malta where they grew up. Krista left to pursue her dream, which is on the cusp of being attained although she is currently a penniless, stressed barmaid. The siblings have comparisons and contrasts. Pip is a career woman, dresses smartly and has the luxury of slowly chewing over a marriage proposal. Krista meanwhile is unlucky in love and life but unbound by expectations. What they do share, however, is a strong childhood bond. And an alcoholic father. The feelings of responsibility are equal, but what is contentious is each other’s share of the burden (especially as Krista lives far away). The play steers through the minefield of emotions as their father’s illness deteriorates.

Paris herself plays Krista and, apparently, the subject is based on real life experience. She has a natural onstage presence that puts us at ease. The opening scenes are light-hearted and full of expressive and witty dialogue that firmly establishes the sisters’ strong bond and affectionate rivalry. Nicky Allpress’ slick and intuitive direction creates two separate worlds that eventually converge into one. Initially, Oliver McNally’s lighting separates these worlds, bathing Pip’s Malta in a rusty glow while Krista’s London has the cold, hazy hues of the ‘Big Smoke’. A middle ground is found when Krista travels back to Malta.

Unfortunately, it is in the middle ground where the writing starts to get too comfortable. And the stakes don’t feel quite as high as they should. The performances by Paris and Tina Rizzo remain as strong throughout, but the offstage characters come to us second-hand without really coming to life. They wonderfully show us the effects their father has on their lives, yet the complexities of the causes remain underexplored, weakening the heart of the matter. The focus is still very much on Pip and Krista. And a wonderful, honest portrayal of their relationship it is. But although we get a sense of the sacrifices they make, we don’t feel the force of the circumstances that drive their decisions.

Ubiquitous questions surface: ‘could we have done more?’ or ‘we’re going to be okay?’ – the latter weighed down by its oversized question mark. Admittedly there are no definitive answers but in this play the questions seem a touch unearned. The title alludes to the Greek myth of Sisyphus, who was condemned to roll an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down every time it neared the top – repeating the action for eternity. In contemporary culture, tasks that are considered laborious or futile are described as Sisyphean. “Sisyphean Quick Fix”, however, is quite the opposite. Played out in short, fractured scenes there is an effortlessness to the staging that deals with an important, pertinent and universal topic. Which paradoxically also creates the problem – we don’t fully grasp the real struggle. The finely crafted writing needs just a few more sharp edges for it to cut through beyond the skin.

THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK

Riverside Studios

★★★★★

“a beautiful representation of the power of live performance”

THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK

Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 4th May 2025

by David Robinson

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK

THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK

THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK

SISYPHEAN QUICK FIX

Riverside Studios

★★★

“The performances by Paris and Tina Rizzo remain as strong throughout”