THE GOLDMAN CASE starts silent, a full-on immersion into the context of the trial of Pierre Goldman, a left-wing intellectual, thief and revolutionary accused of multiple robberies and two murders in the imperialist and capitalist France of the 70s. We know Goldman before we see him – two letters read out loud, one to his friend, other to his lawyer, in which his personality shows and strikes us, and fills us watchers of questions.

This is the only moment of the film that happens outside the court. There are no flashbacks, no music to lead the audience on, just one place and moment – the second trial of Pierre Goldman after being convicted six years before – which we follow from beginning to end in this riveting film about the complexity of justice. Cédric Kahn, the writer (among Nathalie Herzberg, television and film screenwriter) and director mentions that ‘The audience’s presence helps bring across the notion that a trial is also an arena where a battle is being held: it is a cross between spectacle and a search for truth.’ ‘An arena where a battle is being held’ – there’re no better words to describe what we are about to witness.

Kahn got infatuated by the story years before transforming it into a movie. He talks about the process and his rejection of a biopic. THE GOLDMAN CASE is made up of a mix of interviews, newspaper articles and books that make the film as faithful as possible while also taking some liberties, a long process that shows and attracts us, fast-paced and intriguing, into this world we’re not sure we’re welcome to enter.

The style and cinematography are true to the time while also being contemporary. The colours and aesthetic transport the audience to the age the film is based on. THE GOLDMAN CASE is as well a story we can still relate to – a story about racism, classism, complexities of justice and how media shapes narratives: contemporary themes that sadly still shape our society fifty years later.

That Pierre Goldman is innocent or not doesn’t matter as much as the politics in France at the time and how the narrative was shaped, both by himself and by the press, before getting to where they are at the moment. Arieh Worthalter, the main actor, does an incredible job in showing us this duality, as we question him and his personality – just like the court questioned Goldman –and begin to love him – just like France did as the case unfolded.

As clearly stated on the film, this was ‘The case of the century – even if the century is far from ending’. And so it feels. With Cédric Kahn on the steering wheel and the amazing cast, THE GOLDMAN CASE is an emotional and compelling story well worth of its nominations and César award for best actor.

Review by Eva Mateos Rodriguez

Read Eva’s latest Film Review: Monia Chokri’s ‘The Nature of Love’ is an honest insight into adult affairs – in UK and Irish cinemas – Abundant Art

The Goldman Case is released in UK & Irish cinemas 20^th September 2024 Certificate 12A & Running Time 115 Minutes Tickets: TheGoldmanCase.co.uk

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY CÉDRIC KAHN

STARRING:

ARIEH WORTHALTER – César Winner – Best Actor, The Goldman Case

ARTHUR HARARI –Academy Award, BAFTA and César Winner – Best Screenplay, Anatomy of a Fall

Inside Tavares Strachan: There Is Light Somewhere, daylight is replaced by a hushed, almost reverent darkness. Spotlights pierce the gloom, highlighting individual works with dramatic intensity. A low, rhythmic chanting echoes through the vast space, creating a sense of mystery and anticipation. This immersive introduction sets the stage for the captivating mid-career survey of Bahamian artist Tavares Strachan.

Strachan’s work is a vibrant tapestry woven from diverse media – sculpture, collage, neon installations and multimedia experiences. The unifying thread is a commitment to celebrating the invisible – unsung explorers and cultural pioneers whose stories have been lost, marginalised, or deliberately erased by history’s biased gaze.

As you wander through the exhibit, monumental sculptures command attention – huge stone heads, bright acrylic boxes, skeletal neon drawings. Their bold forms and unexpected materials stimulate and challenge the viewer.

A highlight of the exhibition is installed within the upper galleries. Here, viewers enter a transformed space, their senses immediately bombarded with a unique blend of stimuli. The floor crunches underfoot, a gritty texture created by a thick layer of iron oxide. In the centre stands a towering structure made of straw, its organic form offering a stark contrast to the industrial surroundings. A pungent aroma fills the air – a mix of hay and minerals, both earthy and unexpected. As you approach the hay structure, a recording of Gil Scott-Heron‘s Whitey on the Moon crackles in the background. The lighting also plays a crucial role in orchestrating this multi-sensory experience. Fading in and out, it creates a sense of revelation. One moment, the space is enveloped in darkness, the only guide being the faint scent of hay. Next, a shaft of light illuminates the sheet music hanging from the ceiling like constellations. The faded notes display stories of forgotten musical legacies. Both jarring and thought-provoking, the scene prompts the viewer to question who gets to write our historical narratives.

The impact of the exhibition lingers long after leaving. Strachan’s artistry leaves you questioning the histories you take for granted, prompting you to seek out the voices that have been silenced. With each thought-provoking installation, he shines a light on the overlooked corners of history, reminding us that even in the darkest space, there’s always a spark worth finding.

Featured Image –  Inner Elder (Nina Simone as Queen of Sheba), 2023 Ceramic. Courtesy of the Artist and Marian Goodman Gallery.

Review by Amy Melling

Read Amy’s latest Review: East London Shakespeare Festival’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ – An evening of laughter, romance and deception under the stars – until 4 Aug – Abundant Art

‘Tavares Strachan: There Is Light Somewhere’ was showing at Hayward Gallery until 1st September 2024. 

Coming soon at Hayward Gallery Haegue Yang: Leap Year – 9 Oct 2024 – 5 Jan 2025 For more information visit Southbank Centre

Arranged into five thematic zones, Leap Year will illuminate Yang’s multifaceted and inventive practice from the early 2000s to today, bringing together installation, sculpture, collage, text, video, wallpaper and sound across her most notable series.

‘The Weyard Sisters’ is presented as a female-orientated sequel to ‘Macbeth’, conceived by Helen Alexander, who serves as both the writer and director. The play seeks to re-examine Shakespeare’s narrative through the lens of the overlooked female characters, offering them a voice and agency often denied in the original.

Given the central role of women like the witches and Lady Macbeth in influencing the pivotal decisions of the male characters, it’s clear why a reimagining that centres around these figures is pursued. Alexander’s work aims to delve deeper into the psyche of the witches, the ‘Weyard Sisters’, and explore the necessity of women compensating for the failings of men, especially in times of crisis.

The play envisions an alternate aftermath of the battle where Malcolm and Macduff overthrow Macbeth, portraying Malcolm, played by Jonathan Campbell, as a bitter and disorganised ruler, unfit and unprepared for kingship. His portrayal is agitated and often clueless about the true state of affairs within his own realm, failing to acknowledge the labour and contributions of the women who manage crucial tasks, including the burial of Lady Macbeth. In this narrative, the ‘Weyard Sisters’, played by Julia Munro, Pippa Caddick and Jan Shepherd, who prophecy the rise and fall of Macbeth, are now hunted by Malcolm and Macduff as scapegoats for the kingdom’s woes, symbolising the relentless pursuit of justice for prophecies that brought ruin.

The production’s unique intentions and conceptual ambition are commendable, though the storytelling doesn’t quite reach the same level. The plot somewhat obscures a clear thematic message, which could guide the narrative towards a more discernible climax or resolution. The element of multi-rolling, actors taking on multiple characters in the play is fascinating but complex. Enhancing the clarity of its execution would help the audience better track the evolving roles and identities on stage.

‘The Weyard Sisters’ exhibit flashes of originality and creativity, particularly in its costume design, by Dana Pinto. The production feature an intriguing blend of contemporary and traditional Scottish attire, with characters donning leather jackets, plaid kilts, studded belts, and mesh vests. This fusion of modern fashion with historical elements reflect the play’s thematic exploration of timeless issues through a Jacobean lens, symbolising the collision of past and present ideologies.

Whilst the play incorporate elements of comedy, these moments of levity sometimes feel out of sync with the darker, more serious undertones of the narrative. Though at times the humour undermine the gravitas of its powerful feminist critique or statement, yet it succeeds in providing its intended entertainment.

Particular performances stand out; Claire Morrissey’s role as the mother to England’s crown prince is convincing and intriguing. Her collected demeanour exaggerate the immature and hot-headed attitude of the current king Malcolm, demonstrating the irrational nature of a patriarchy in which blood and sex determine a nation’s future. In addition, performers Munrow, Caddick and Shepherd drive the play with their humorous and engaging performance, skilfully adapting to each character they portray.

With impressive acting, intriguing production design and a compelling concept, ‘The Weyard Sisters’ is an ambitious endeavour that aspires to give voice and depth to the female characters of ‘Macbeth’.

Featured Image: Jan Shepherd as Portia – Photography by Livia Hartmann

Review by Teodora Wollny

Read Teodora’s latest Review: Magician Jamie Allan’s ‘Amaze’ reminds childhood excitement and magic is lifelong – Marylebone Theatre, until 24 Aug – Abundant Art

The Weyard Sisters premiered at the Riverside Studios on 13th August 2024.

For upcoming events at the Riverside Studios visit www.riversidestudios.co.uk

After the successful U.S. run of his new show ‘Amaze’, critically acclaimed magician Jamie Allan makes his highly anticipated return to the UK.

‘Amaze’ delivers an evening of exciting and heart-warming entertainment! Centred around the childhood aspirations of magician Jamie Allan, he takes viewers on a journey, from his very first Fisher Price magic set to the trick that catalysed his career. It provides an interactive and engaging experience, in which audience members are included within. Allan recognises that magicians and their craft is complete with their audience along the journey.

Allan strays from pyrotechnic and acrobatic shock factor work and sticks to old-school tricks, with a few selected tech twists! His work truly thrills and amazes, leaving viewers chatting and theorising from the curtain close. Thoughtfully crafted from set to storyline, this performance reminds audiences of the real magic found in life through chance and fulfilment of lifelong dreams.

Within an intimate venue, Allan shares his private inspirations: surrounded by selected objects that contributed to who he has become. The set seems alike to an attic, with boxes and old toys.  As the show progresses, the items disappear into storage, symbolic of the end of childhood and beginning of adulthood.

The show plays as a conversation between the audience and performer, as Allan narrates his personal story and where his magic tricks originate from, before demonstrating them live. He illustrates his style, displaying examples of techniques he learnt from poker books, as well as pieces inherited from mentors.

‘Amaze’ skilfully evades the common stop and start trick show, and instead paints an autobiographical image of who Jamie Allan is and why, he is who he is. A clear message is conveyed to viewers, who are shown the power of chance in defining human, being and life. The audience is reminded that the excitement and magic of being a child does not have to end, and that magic- in its own way- is truly lifelong.

Review by Teodora Wollny

Read Teodora’s latest Review

Featured Image – Jamie Allan in Amaze (c) Ingenious Design UK

Running at: Marylebone Theatre, London NW1 6XT
Thursday 25 July – Saturday 24 August
Performances at 4pm & 7pm
Running Time: 2 hours including interval
www.marylebonetheatre.com 0207 723 7984

Amaze is co-created by Jamie Allan and Tommy Bond. It is directed by Jonathan Goodwin and produced by Corey Ross with executive producer Steve Sterling. The show’s creative consultant is Harry De Cruz. Clare Nordbruch is senior creative designer, Natalia Love is company stage manager, and Joe Wenborne is The Believer.

Deck chairs, lemon trees and romantic backdrops – ELSF brings the Mediterranean to North London as the audience are whisked away to sun-drenched Messina, a Sicilian paradise. This new take on Much Ado strikes the perfect balance between Shakespeare’s original story and accessibility for contemporary audiences. The dialogue remains in its original Elizabethan form, delivered with a playful twist. 

Ursula Early delivers a fiery Beatrice, the heartbroken heroine seeking solace at her family’s villa. Her cutting wit is laced with a vulnerability that endears her to the audience. Just as the holiday is beginning, she runs into her obnoxious ex, Benedick, played by Kieran Garland, who is on leave from the army. After a series of unfortunate meetings it is clear the couple are still in love, although neither of them want to admit it. Garland perfectly captures Benedick’s arrogance and charm, making their on-again, off-again dynamic all the more delightful. Meanwhile, Beatrice’s cousin Hero (Londiwe Mthembu) is also falling for one of the troop, Benedick’s friend Claudio (Isambard Rawbone). As the story unfolds, we witness romance, anger, deception and a little sabotage.

Director Rosie Ward embraces the open-air setting. The performance unfolds around you, drawing the audience into the heart of the action. In one stand-out scene, Leonato’s (Hero’s father and Duke of Messina) extravagant masked ball becomes a vibrant party, complete with sing-a-longs and playful choreography. This fun-filled performance is perfect for children, with many in the audience having attended the mask workshop prior, donning their colourful creations. The audience are transformed from observers to party revellers.

The manicured gardens of Lauderdale House, a picturesque tudor house, are the perfect setting for this production. Made even more magical as the sun sets and the stage is lit up with fairy lights. The audience are encouraged to bring picnics, which can be enjoyed throughout the performance. 

The atmosphere is one of pure joy, with laughter erupting from the audience throughout – most notably at Beatrice’s cutting witticisms and when one of the cast members starts eating an audience member’s crisps. Children and adults alike are entertained by slapstick characters and the play’s inherent silliness. ELSF’s trademark high-energy numbers are sure to get your toes tapping. The pop-hits soundtrack is perfectly delivered by Lauren Hendricks and the rest of the cast. 

ELSF’s Much Ado About Nothing is a vibrant tapestry of Shakespearean wit, modern music and summer fun. It’s a must-see for anyone who wants to experience the Bard’s timeless tale reimagined under the stars, leaving you with a heart full of joy.

East London Shakespeare Festival will be performing around London until 4th August. For more information and tickets, please see their website. 

Featured Image: Scene from Much Ado About Nothing (c) Yioda Nicholaou

Review by Amy Melling 

Read Amy’s latest Review: When Forms Come Alive “a rapturous exploration of sculpture” – Hayward Gallery, until 6 May – Abundant Art

‘True love, according to Vladimir Jankélévitch, is irrational. We love because we love. Love is the sole source of love. It strikes us like an illness.’

The chaos of the first scene of NATURE OF LOVE  immediately immerses the audience. We are shoved into the brains of our main characters – fast, busy, complicated – only to end up in the first five minutes in a completely different place. That is, the complicity of that first moment of silence or calm with someone you like. A lovely entrance into what we are about to see.

Sophie is a 40 year-old in a committed relationship. She loves her partner but, after ten years of marriage, the passion is gone. So when she meets Sylvain, an attractive man taking care of the renovations of her and her husband’s new chalet in the countryside, something ignites within her. What starts as an exciting sexual affair suddenly turns into more.

As a big fight breaks out between Sylvain and Sophie that suddenly break the magic, leaving Sophie alone and desperate, full of a guilt that she doesn’t know what to do with, and Sophie questions herself and her marriage, other questions start appearing. Can something so physical be love? Can it last? And, is it worth losing all you’ve built before?

The Nature of Love works us up wonderfully into the natural talk of love or attraction. Sophie and her husband are intellectuals, philosophers, and their life is guided by that. It is full of conversations that would be uncomfortable for others. Sylvain, on the other hand, isn’t very well informed and believes mostly what he is told.

‘Schopenhauer asserts that in love, all is physical. What we see as noble sentiments of the heart, are actually the expression of our sexual instincts. It’s simply our body talking.’, Sophie recites halfway through the film as she gives a lecture. And this might be a good way to describe the plot of The Nature of Love.

The film, just like at the beginning, continues being dynamic until the end. There’re constant interruptions and talking over each other which make it all fast paced and entertaining. This is also highlighted by the cinematography, sudden zooms or movements of the camera to accompany the tension or fun of the scenes. This is clearly seen, for example, in the subtle hiding by the car’s mirror of the new couple’s eyes as they kiss for the first time, and later on when Sylvain meets Sophie’s husband in the exact same place.

Monia Chokri is a Canadian actress, director and screenwriter. The Nature of Love has given her multiple nominations, including two in Cannes 2023, and a César Award in the category of Best Foreign Film this year. Chokri’s approach is clever and gives us an honest insight into adult affairs and their normalization in society. Magalie Lépine-Blondeau (Sophie) and Pierre-Yves Cardinal (Sylvain) drive the film and carry it in their hands from beginning to end. Incredible performances from the actors make the narrative real and relatable, and perhaps an eye-opener for those sharing similar lived experiences.

Written and directed by Monia Chokri
Actors: Magalie Lépine-Blondeau, Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Francis-William Rhéaume, Monia Chokri, Steve Laplante

For screening  details and more information visit Vertigo – The Nature of Love (vertigoreleasing.com)

Review by Eva Mateos Rodriguez

Read Eva’s latest Review: Sheep Soup’s ‘House Of Life’ transcends language and time to become an energy, a collectiveness, a self-discovery – Soho Theatre, until 6 July and EdFringe in August – Abundant Art

House of Life is a captivating cabaret show that transcends conventional theatre boundaries. Led by the RaveRend, a wonderful host and performer, we start what they will call in a few moments the ‘journey to happiness’ merely by arriving to our seats in this dim-lit relaxed space that will be our home for the next hour.

Step one: arrive.

A music stand, interesting looking young man, instruments and mostly lots of glitter (that will inevitably get stuck in our clothes throughout the performance) wait for us as we settle in. Then the charismatic RaveRend appears. And oh, what a person – none of us were ready for it.

Sheep Soup is a company that started whilst training at the Television Workshop, a BAFTA award-winning training ground. Sheep Soup’s signature is a mix of uplifting original music with universal characters and stories we can also feel related to, all born through collaboration and interdisciplinarity. Ben Welch, the RaveRend, is one of the Artistic Directors of the company.

In House of life, the RaveRend and his colleague Trev take us in just an hour through an incredible musical journey. As the show description states in the Soho Theatre website, it’s one-part sermon, one-part purge, three-parts party. And that statement doesn’t fail to fit the expectations. Each step of this bizarre yet heartfelt journey is filled with moments of emotional connection and of fun. A universal experience accessible for everyone seeking to enter into the world they’ve created – an esoteric, vibrant place where will we transcend into happiness.

But not everything is as happy as it seems. As the show progresses and the audience’s involvement becomes more clear, the responsibility is slowly given to us – the fourth wall broken into pieces – and we’re the ones that get to lead the journey and decide for ourselves how it will terminate; how we will ascend – active participants in the unfolding narrative.

House of life is one of those shows that you take with yourself and never forget – one of those you keep talking about way after it’s done. ‘I am ready. I am strong. I am feeling myself like I never have before’ will resonate in your mind even after years, the catchy melody stuck forever inside your head. Because HOUSE OF LIFE transcends language and time to become an energy, a collectiveness, a self-discovery. And it’ll stay like that until the end.

Final step: Purge.

House of life is not your typical theatre performance. A must-see, the show is a celebration of life whose universal appeal can’t be overstated Whether you’re a seasoned theatre buff or a newbie, with friends or by yourself – House of life has something for you. It will engage and move you until it becomes a part of you and you become a part of it.

Review by Eva Mateos Rodriguez

Read Eva’ latest Review: Fun and lots of truth fill ‘The Rest of Our Lives’ – Battersea Arts Centre, until 22 June – Abundant Art

Created and performed by by Ben Welch (The RaveRend) and Lawrence Cole (Trev) 

Produced by Sheep Soup in association with Soho Theatre

Shortlisted: Untapped Award 2023

Soho Theatre Upstairs
Tuesday 18 June – Saturday 6 July 2024
7pm | 3pm matinees (Saturdays)

Tickets and information: House of Life – Soho Theatre

The show will be transferring to Edinburgh Fringe as part of Soho Theatre’s Edinburgh Fringe programme.

Ed Fringe dates
Underbelly Cowgate (Belly Dancer)
66 Cowgate, Edinburgh, EH1 1JX
3 – 25 August 2024 (not 12) | £12.50 (£11.50)
Previews: 1 and 2 August | £8.50 (£7.50)
3 – 25 August | £11.50 – £13.50
Box Office: 0131 510 0395 | www.underbellyedinburgh.co.uk

Created and Performed by Jo Fong and George Orange

We are given raffle tickets by the performers as we enter, with a quiet ‘Good luck’ along with a warm greeting. We are immersed in an instant, transformed into participators of the show we are about to witness. This is The Rest of Our Lives.

The stalls almost surround the stage. There’s a table, two chairs, and a LED screen where we can read different sentences waiting for us. That, and the two protagonists of the story – Jo Fong; a Creative Associate of the Wales Millennium Centre, whose practice focuses on the intention of the creation of community; and George Orange; artist, circus director, performer, facilitator and creative leader who carries hundreds of performances on his back, both in the United Kingdom and internationally.

In this set up that we are welcomed to, Jo talks to us, to the audience, searching for our laughs and responses with softness but commitment. She tries to slowly weave us into what we’re about to see, which is – what exactly?

The Rest of Our Lives is a fun and silly show fuelled by a middle-age crisis. Jo used to be a dancer and George a clown. In this joyful decline, they both search for human connection as they dance, sing and perform, but mostly as they make the audience laugh.

As the performance develops, the LED screen palpitates. In it, the questions that Jo and George won’t dare say out loud are written, from beginning to end, like an introduction to the next chapters of the show. Jo and George wonder how life’s going to be from now on. ‘What’s the point?’, ‘Am I bothered?’, ‘Is there hope?’, ‘Where is this going?’, ‘Am I ready?’ are some of the queries we read. A hopeful insight into adulthood, and the growing old rather than growing up of our bodies through time.

As the show progresses and the space grows more chaotic, the audience is drawn in to find their own meaning of what’s going on, and what the performance is about. Is it that to have fun, sometimes you have to struggle first? Or that the world only has the importance that you want to give it? Or maybe that we’re never alone, we humans, in this chaotic world?

What makes this show outstanding, though, is how the fourth wall is broken at all times. Jo and George warm up the audience slowly by connecting with us in numerous ways. They give us table tennis paddles and gradually throw balls so we are forced to play around them as they dance, they give out an intimate connection date as a raffle’s first prize. Until they end up letting the audience take over the show – that’s once we’re all down on the stage floor, mingling with them, and dancing the night away to Beyonce.

The performances are warm and inviting in this disruptive yet hopeful show. A much-needed breath of fresh air – fun and lots of truth fill The Rest of Our Lives. We can only hope the rest of our lives are filled with that as well.

Featured Image: Jo Fong and George Orange © Sara Teresa

Review by Eva Mateos Rodriguez

Eva  is an eclectic artist specialising in acting, writing and song writing. She has been part of several performances, responses and exhibitions, and is now a student of MA Creative Writing at Birkbeck University.

Read Eva’s latest Review: Wedding Band – A love/hate story in black & white “explores themes not talked about enough, not even in the 21st century.” – Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, until 29 June – Abundant Art

Tickets and information:  The Rest of Our Lives | Battersea Arts Centre (bac.org.uk)

BSL interpreted performances: 13 and 15 June. Integrated BSL interpretation by Katie Fenwick.

The Rest of Our Lives was commissioned by the Rural Touring Dance Initiative and has been supported by Groundwork Pro, Fieldwork, Dance House Cardiff, China Plate, Yorkshire Dance, Wales Millennium Centre, Place Theatre, Chapter Arts, Council of Wales, British Council and Wales Arts International. 

Wedding Band starts like a fever dream. A striking set where wire fences are the main character silently waits as the audience sits down. The light is dim, and it stays that way as we are introduced to the characters, slowly filling the space with their walking, their breathing, their sombreness. A room is set up in the middle – we quickly learn that it’s Julia’s room, our main character’s room, a place where intimacy will be created and violated as the play progresses.

Wedding Band was written by playwriter Alice Childress in 1966. Childress was born in 1916 in South Carolina, a founding member of the American Negro Theatre. She was the first African-American woman to see her own play professionally produced in New York. In this revival of Wedding Band, Monique Touko takes her shot at directing an African-American classic, its first time as a major production in the United Kingdom, with great responsibility and courage.

The story follows Julia, a black woman from South Carolina, and is based in 1918, an era defined by the rise of segregation laws and racism in the United States of America. Julia has just moved to a new area and is surrounded by welcoming arms until the words slip out of her mouth that she has had a partner for ten years who she is not married to, and that, that partner is a white man. As he, Herman, comes to visit and is stricken by a burst of sickness that Julia is afraid might kill him, her neighbours and colleagues, as well as Herman’s family, deal with the news and are forced to question their own standards and ideas.

The themes in Wedding Band are not talked about enough, not even in the 21^st century. Alice Childress made a great job describing how life was like for black people those first decades after the first world war – a ground-breaking story, with a black woman as its heart – and Monique Touko takes over wonderfully to make that experience accessible for the wide-eyed UK audience with the humour and passion of this production.

There is a feeling of collectiveness that moves from the stage to the audience the whole 2 hours and 40 minutes the show lasts for. Gasps, laughter and crying are heard all throughout it, accompanying the performers until they become a part of the show. The audience is clearly immersed, engaged to their core to what is happening on stage. But that’s not all – Wedding  Band at times feels more like a movie than a theatre – a movie that goes by in an instant and leaves you blown away. A movie about power, about love/hate, and about the rage we hold inside.

Wedding Band: A love/hate story in black and white is a powerful show full of powerful performances, a must-watch.

Featured image: Deborah Ayorinde and David Walmsley in Wedding Band – Lyric Hammersmith Theatre (c) Mark Senior.

Box office: 020 8741 6850 www.lyric.co.uk

Review by Eva Mateos Rodriguez

Eva  is an eclectic artist specialising in acting, writing and song writing. She has been part of several performances, responses and exhibitions, and is now a student of MA Creative Writing at Birkbeck University.

Read Eva’s latest Review – Katy Baird’s ‘GET OFF’ will make you squirm, cringe, and laugh out loud like never before – Battersea Arts Centre, now on until 25 May – Abundant Art

Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Black and White: A Lyric Hammersmith Theatre production, By Alice Childress
Directed by Monique Touko, Set & Costume Design by Paul Wills, Wigs, Hair & Make-Up Design by Cynthia De La Rosa, Lighting Design by Matt Haskins, Sound Design by Elena Peña, Music by Shiloh Coke, Choreography & Movement by Aline David, Wigs, Hair & Make-Up Associate Designer Keisha Paris-Banya, Casting by, Sophie Parrott CDG, Dialect & Voice Coach Joel Trill, Fight &, Intimacy Director Bethan Clark, Assistant Director Mo Korede

‘Sappho’ presents a captivating blend of ancient history and contemporary queer culture, drawing audiences into the world of the iconic poet from Lesbos. Described by director and writer Wendy Beckett as “an adult fairy tale”, the production’s playful storytelling sheds light on the significance of Sappho’s writings as the earliest known documentation of queer identity.

The juxtaposition of modern camp culture with ancient civilization is skilfully executed through vibrant costumes and set design. Emmanuel Akwafo’s portrayal as the narrator, adorned in heels, corsets, and bold makeup, immediately immerses the audience in this atmosphere. Set design elements such as fluted Grecian columns divided by tinsel curtains and glittering stage pieces evoke the essence of both eras, creating a visually stunning backdrop for the narrative.

The heart of the story revolves around a tender love affair between a young Sappho, portrayed by Georgie Fellows, and her muse Adore, played by Eleanor Kane, as Sappho finds herself pressured by her parents into a heterosexual marriage. Sappho’s parents fight to convince Sappho to marry into an upper-class family, in hope of sparking political change, using the respected family name to do so. Here the protagonist is forced into a dilemma, having to consider whether to prioritise her family’s wishes and the greater good of Lesbos, over her own happiness. Here we can appreciate the struggles of women of lower class, at the time, with limited opportunities to make change, and their most significant decisions limiting their freedom further. Despite Sappho’s clear talent and skill, being dubbed the ‘Tenth Muse’, it seems her gender still places her at a disadvantage to men. Lesbianism appears to be the ultimate form of protest to an evidently misogynistic society, with women choosing to deny their opportunity to climb society’s male-dominated hierarchical ladder, for their own pleasure.

The production tastefully captures the essence of the lesbian romance, with sexual tension building through brief encounters, gentle touches and sly glances. The acting style used is predominantly non-naturalistic and almost pantomime like. Maintaining the style of traditional ancient Greek theatre, the production incorporates a chorus that uses song and dance to advance the storyline. These frequent insertions, alongside references to themes such as political ideologies and the struggles of womanhood, catalyse a new perspective on Sappho’s role in history, though it detracts from offering fresh insights into these complex conversations.

‘Sappho’ serves as an engaging tribute to the ancient queer icon, whilst also preserving and celebrating her enduring legacy as a literary genius. It offers valuable insight into the origins of LGBTQ+ identity and highlights the queer community’s resilience spanning centuries, with each generation seeing new radical icons.

Featured image: Eleanor Kane and company, credit Mark Senior

For more information and tickets Sappho – Southwark Playhouse

Review by Teodora Wollny

Teodora is a recent A-level graduate, having studied Art History, Drama, Philosophy and English Literature. Being both a performer and an avid writer,  she enjoys attending a range of entertainment, including theatre performances and art exhibitions. Whilst currently on a gap year, she intends on pursuing Visual Art and Film studies. 

Read Teodora’s latest Review: Roberto Rossellini’s 1945 neorealist masterpiece ‘Rome, Open City’ captures the recurring dilemma in war: is survival achievable through conformity or resistance? – re-releases in cinemas, 17 May 2024 – Abundant Art