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Ruthless People: Ruthless - Arches Lane Theatre

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What is it about the Madoff’s that writers can’t resist writing about? Sure, it may have been the largest Ponzi scheme to collapse (so far), but there isn’t much more to explore. Or is there? In Ruthless by writer Roger Steinmann, Ruth Madoff is imagined as a wronged, gun-toting woman anchored in the past while trying to move on with her life. It’s not entirely successful but a fascinating look at life and wig choices, It’s currently playing at the theatre now known as the Arches Lane Theatre in Battersea. Ruth Madoff, played by Emily Swain, is here wearing a wig. I thought it was an odd look until I reviewed how closely it matched the photo of her interview in  The New York Times .  Typically, it’s the sort of wig you might see worn by Ladies on a night out in central London, not someone who once had over $80m in assets. With Bernie in Jail and both her sons now dead - one by suicide and one due to cancer, she is setting a table for the men who have left her. And ordering p...

Eternal guilt: Dorian The Musical @SWKplay


Dorian is a new musical that updates Oscar Wilde’s gothic novel from the uptight Victorian era to an undetermined period of gender fluidity and glam rock. On paper, musicalising the Picture of Dorian Gray to a period of glam rock, social media, and cheap shoes seems like a good idea. After all, Oscar Wilde’s gothic story is very adaptable. It has been the source of countless adaptations for the stage, television or movies. I was half expecting a trashy Dorian, similar to the early 1980s telemovie that shifted Dorian’s gender to a woman. This version falls into a so bad it’s good category with Anthony Perkins in a lead role, who as he ages under makeup starts to look like Andy Warhol. 


And while it’s great to see a new show, a strong cast can’t compensate for such an earnest production with underpowered songs. There’s no sense of fun, and some curious staging and costume choices  -mismatched dresses, crocodile boots and furry suits - serve as a distraction. It’s currently playing at the Southwark Playhouse (Borough). 

There are some subtle changes to the names and characters of the source material. Dorian (Alfie Friedman) is a broody, sullen man on the brink of musical fame. A photoshoot by Baz (Leeroy Boone) leads to a framed picture that becomes old while Dorian pursues a hedonistic lifestyle with his ambiguously straight friend Harry (George Renshaw). Death, drugs, and many pearl necklaces follow Dorian around.

But the songs don’t tend to move the drama forward and feel repetitive. If you sell your soul for eternal youth, there has to be some upside. Instead, we get introspection. We could have had a good time if there had been a nudge and a wink that everyone was in on the craziness. 

Directed by Linnie Reedman with a book by Linnie Reedman and music and lyrics by Joe Evans, Dorian is at the Southwark Playhouse until 10 August. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Photos by Danny Kaan


 

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