"What do you mean you've never been to the Edinburgh Festival? You must go, you'd love it" Yeap, it's that time of year where I hear variations of the above ad nauseam. Normal, sane members of the theatre-going public see theatre at a pace that exceeds even my idea of a busy theatre week. As … Continue reading Confessions of an Edinburgh festival avoider
theatre
An evening with Ian McKellen
Photo by Teresa Harrison On Friday night I had the great pleasure of seeing Ian McKellen's show at the Park Theatre, followed by tapas with the fabulous man himself. It was a wonderful night from start to finish. The show was engaging, personal and packed with intelligence, wit and warmth. Including Tolkien, Shakespeare, Wordsworth, a … Continue reading An evening with Ian McKellen
London’s musical delights
Last week I saw two very different musicals, and adored them both. It has made me think about just how varied musical theatre can be if you stray from the big West End productions. I spent years thinking I didn't like musicals, and than the Menier Chocolate Factory did a production of "Merrily we … Continue reading London’s musical delights
The Site: An experiment
Photo taken after the poor unfortunate piece of paper got to spend some quality time in my handbag. It's vicious in there. The Royal Court is famously the new writing theatre, and a space where the writer is King/Queen/Some flavour of deity/boss of their world, or at least it is in my fevered imagination. I … Continue reading The Site: An experiment
My theatre heroes
(Pictured: the pot of tea I drank after seeing the glorious The Lounge at Soho Theatre. On until 20th May, worth running to get tickets) Inevitably my blog posts are filtered through the context of my life, so before I launch in, here's a spot of context for you. (1) I'm freelance, and am often … Continue reading My theatre heroes
Squidgy seats and intimate spaces – London Theatre on a Budget Part 2
For today's post on great theatre that doesn't cost the earth, I'm going to focus on two powerhouse theatres that have been producing some phenomenal work recently (something that was brought home to me when I did my review of 2016 theatre and realised how many of my favourite shows were in these two venues). … Continue reading Squidgy seats and intimate spaces – London Theatre on a Budget Part 2
London Theatre on a Budget Part 1
As a functioning theatre addict without an endless resource of cash (my biggest Euromillions win was £13.40) I've learned to get my fix without always having to splash out huge sums of cash (for big name west end shows it can be inevitable). I thought I'd pass on some of my tips for seeing great … Continue reading London Theatre on a Budget Part 1
Diversity and creativity
Diversity, and broader accessibility to opportunities, have always been subjects close to my heart. If I had one wish for humanity, it would be that we could construct a world that allows all people to live their best possible lives. There is this very dangerous assumption, by many in a position of privilege, that offering "equal opportunities" … Continue reading Diversity and creativity
A theatre addict’s top 10 London theatres
Given how often I go to the theatre it was inevitable that I'd develop a fondness for certain venues. The truth is that a great night out at the theatre is about more than the show. Don't get me wrong, the show is a bloody important ingredient, but the really special nights are about so … Continue reading A theatre addict’s top 10 London theatres
Escaping the writing cage
There is nothing like writing a novel to make me feel caged as a writer, the tyranny of a project that feels both never-ending and solitary. At one point in my novel writing journey I stopped writing altogether. Why? There are several possible reasons I could give, including my struggles with depression, or a more generic loss … Continue reading Escaping the writing cage
