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Heart and music: Don Black's From The Heart at the Garrick Theatre London

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By his own admission, it took about 30 years to bring this song collection to the stage, but Don Black’s From the Heart has been worth the wait. With a vibe designed to evoke a New York cabaret venue, albeit on a slightly grander scale, the piece showcases Black’s ingenuity in creating deceptively simple lyrics, along with his love of music and comedy. It’s running for a limited time at the Garrick Theatre .  The premise is simple: to capture the feel of New York’s cabaret venues. A series of songs, mostly new ones written for the show, run through a variety of moods. With each song running a little more than three minutes, the show moves briskly. Each offers a chance to appreciate Black’s economical lyrics, flashes of deadpan comedy, and occasional inspired choices, such as rhyming sex with the (artist) Lautrec.  A classy ensemble also brings these songs (and the stories they tell) to life. Clive Rowe delivers the first laughs with a song about doctors. The song is simpl...
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Bare emotions: Gods and Monsters @swkplay

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Gods and Monsters , now playing at the Southwark Playhouse is a showcase of incredible performances from its terrific cast and an engaging story. Oh and there is a bit of full frontal nudity too. Based on the novel Father of Frankenstein (which was also the source material for the film of the same name ), the story is a blend of fact and fiction. Age, memory, fame, youth and loss collide in the story of the last few months in the life of English director James Whale. Whale director and creator of the first two Frankenstein films, had a moderately successful career in Hollywood which enabled him to live comfortably in Los Angeles. He was also openly gay. But following a series of strokes in his sixties, he lost his ability to prevent painful memories from his past flooding back. And without giving too much away, his most successful creation, the monster in Frankenstein, seems to become something far more personal.
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Put on a little mascara: Pretty Ugly at Camden People’s Theatre

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  Many shows explore living in the present and leaving the past behind. Theo Chen’s Pretty Ugly is about finding who you are and accepting it. Even if you have a lingering doubt or two about your life, there’s no time like the present. Including dressing up and putting on a show. And isn’t that what anyone wants from a performer? It has concluded a short run at the Camden People’s Theatre .  Pretty Ugly explores the inner demons and self-doubt that mark Theo’s journey from Singapore to taking on the world. With a little sparkle and a smattering of songs, it’s a warm, musical journey through Theo’s life so far. It also includes plenty of Sondheim. Sondheim's music can change your life , and it clearly left a strong impression on young Chen from age twelve onward.  Theo Chen takes us through self-doubt, high school friendships that end in tears and wandering about the cruising grounds of New York City. As he recounts the latter and strikes up a conversation with someone the...
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