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You can’t stop the boats: Sorry We Didn’t Die At Sea @ParkTheatre

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Sorry We Didn’t Die At Sea by Italian playwright Emanuele Aldrovandi and translated by Marco Young, has made a topical return to London at the Park Theatre after playing earlier this summer at the Seven Dials Playhouse. In a week when leaders and leaders in waiting were talking about illegal immigration, it seemed like a topical choice . It also has one hell of an evocative title. The piece opens with Adriano Celantano’s Prisencolinensinainciusol , which sets the scene for what we are about to see. After all, a song about communication barriers seems perfect for a play about people trafficking and illegal immigration. One side doesn’t understand why they happen, and the other still comes regardless of the latest government announcement / slogan .  However, the twist here is that the crossing is undertaken the other way. People are fleeing Europe instead of escaping war or poverty in Africa or the Middle East. It’s set sometime in the not-too-distant future. There is a crisis causing p

The Time Warp, muscle and fishnets: Rocky Horror Show 40th anniversary tour

Richmond Theatre never looked so different (or young) on Thursday evening as a packed audience -  many dressed as transsexuals or something in between - filled the theatre for the tour of the Rocky Horror Show, which is in town until the weekend. When you arrive at the theatre don't be surprised so see men in fishnets and cheap wigs and ladies looking like goths. This is a show where at least half of the audience will dress for the occasion. Or at least dress to look like their favourite character from the show. The other half of the audience that didn't make an effort (myself included) felt a little under dressed...

The Rocky Horror Show is celebrating forty years since it was first produced and is still as fun as ever. But now the years of audience participation (which goes from the sublime to the obscure) has given the show a feel of an adults only panto. The audience shouts out dirty, naughty or just plain bizarre things throughout the show which gives an element of expect the unexpected. Philip Franks as the narrator has the somewhat difficult task of responding to the various interjections while telling the story, which he manages with hilarious results.
Oliver Thornton as Frank N Furter bears an uncanny resemblance to Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl. But once you get past this coincidence he is a very pretty and muscular Frank And if you want to see his ass hanging out of a pair of fishnets, this is the show that will do it...


All told it was an energetic and enthusiastic return to the time warp. Perhaps the musical arrangements don't showcase the great rock and roll soundtrack at their best, but most people were having too much of a good time to notice that anyway.

One from the vault... And Richmond Station after the show looked a bit different too as people headed back to London...

The late night double feature boo with @Johnnyfoxlondon follows... The Rocky Horror Show is at Richmond this week before continuing its national tour... Check the website for dates...

listen to ‘Late night douboo feature: Rocky Horror Show’ on Audioboo


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