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Death becomes her: A Brief List Of Everyone Who Died @finborough

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For a natural process, death is not a topic that comes up naturally for people. We ask how people are doing but expect the response to be “I’m great”, not “I’m not dead yet”. And so for the main character in A Brief List of Everyone Who Died, Graciela has a death issue. Starting with when she was five and found out only after the matter that her parents had her beloved dog euthanised. So Graciela decides that nobody she loves will die from then on. And so this piece becomes a fruitless attempt at how she spends her life trying to avoid death while it is all around her. It’s currently having its world premiere  at the Finborough Theatre . As the play title suggests, it is a brief list of life moments where death and life intervene for the main character, from the passing of relatives, cancer, suicides, accidents and the loss of parents. Playwright Jacob Marx Rice plots the critical moments of the lives of these characters through their passing or the passing of those around them. Howeve

A class of their own: HMS Pinafore @KingsHeadThtr




Charles Court Opera's production of Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore takes life below deck to a new level. Set on a bright yellow submarine in the 1960s, it is a treat. Particularly with some excellent vocal singing from the small cast. It's currently playing at the Kings Head Theatre.

As a satire on the enduring preoccupation by the English on class, the piece never feels dated. So shifting the time and place doesn't seem such a bad thing. It's full title HMS Pinafore, or, the lass that loved a sailor pretty much sums up the story. The captain of the HMS Pinafore intends his daughter to marry the first Lord of the Admiralty, but she is in love with a lower-class sailor.

Here with a small cast while the chorus is reduced, it allows us to focus on the main action. And the music under the direction of David Eaton on keyboard. The cast works well to balance the demands of the music with the comic elements of the piece.


As the lovestruck sailor Ralph Rackstraw, Philip Lee has a strong tenor voice and some excellent comic timing. Alys Roberts as the Josephine, the captain's daughter is also vocally strong.  Joseph Shovelton is perfect as the somewhat ridiculous and under qualified First Lord of the Admiralty.

Last week while watching the show that has been following it, I found myself distracted by wondering what those unusual shapes and bits concealed behind a black curtain were. Set and costume designer Rachel Szmuckler has created a unique and detailed look for the show. Complete with bunk beds, periscopes and ladders.

Charles Court Opera is presenting it's tenth Gilbert and Sullivan Season at the Kings Head Theatre. It's clear they have developed a loyal following with their comic and witty adaptations.

Directed by John Savournin, HMS Pinafore is at the Kings Head Theatre until 11 May.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



Photos by Robert Workman

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