Aliya Al-Hassan - Page 86

Possession, power and control, with climate change thrown in. Cougar is a new play by Rose Lewenstein which is essentially a series of 80 snapshots into the lifespan of a dysfunctional relationship between younger ex-barman John and older, highly successful executive Leila set in the confines of a number of anonymous hotel rooms around the world.

It is difficult to overestimate how popular Notre Dame de Paris is in France, leaving audiences in raptures for twenty years. However, the critics were not kind when it was last performed in London back in 2000. Poor translation of the lyrics and a prerecorded backing track seemed to be the main issues. Despite this, the show has been performed all over the world and this new run at the Coliseum will mark its 20th anniversary, this time with a new translation and a live string section.Unfortunately, this is not enough to save a show that often feels dated and self-absorbed.

Manon is not a ballet for the #MeToo era. The story follows Manon as she falls in love with Des Grieux, a poor student. She is, essentially, pimped out by her brother to become the mistress of wealthy aristocrat Monsieur GM. Swayed by the material world of gambling and courtesans, we see Manon falling for the fur coats and jewellery, but it is when she wants to follow her heart and escape with her lover, things go dramatically wrong. She is arrested then raped by a brutal jailer and dies. It is not a tale of female emancipation and not even of the triumph of good over evil.

It is easy to be wowed by Cirque du Soleil; the acts themselves are often utterly thrilling and defy any expectations of human strength, dexterity and flexibility. With TOTEM, returning to the Royal Albert Hall for the next six weeks, a lack of some truly breathtaking acts, a coherent storyline and amusing comedy are issues that let a potentially brilliant show down.

Playwright Kevin Elyot is best known for his brilliant AIDS-era play My Night With Reg, but after being revived at Islington's King's Head Theatre, his debut play Coming Clean has now transferred to the Trafalgar Studios, exploring male gay culture, fidelity and love set in London in the early eighties.

After a rather pedestrian version of Tchiakovsky's iconic Swan Lake by the St Petersburg Ballet at London's Coliseum in the summer, ballet fans are eager for a more immersive and emotionally charged version from the English National Ballet to kick-start 2019. They will not be disappointed with this revival which sparkles with energy and delicate elegance.

London is already blessed with two outstanding productions of the Christmas ballet The Nutcracker. Birmingham Royal Ballet now also presents Peter Wright's beautiful version in the challenging space of the Royal Albert Hall for the second year. And what a treat it is.

With extraordinary feats of bravery, strength and skill, the appeal of old-fashioned circus is not hard to understand. Performing a show that is the essence of traditional circus entertainment, Circus 1903 comes to London's Southbank Centre for its European premiere: a celebration of the Golden Age of circus, with highly skilled performers, raucous comedy and excellent family entertainment.

What a bizarre year 2018 has been. In the months that saw too much Trump, devastating Californian wildfires, an escalation in the refugee crisis, not to mention the dreaded 'B' word, it makes me more grateful than ever for the pure escapism that live theatre so often provides.

The perfect family show at Christmas is a big ask for theatres. The pressure is on to cater for the biggest range of audiences they see all year. They expect fun, jokes, a good story, great visual effects, excellent acting, maybe some catchy songs (but not annoyingly so) and a happy ending to boot. If you are looking for all these things rolled into one glorious package of festive wonder, head down to the Rose Theatre in Kingston because they have cracked the perfect Christmas show.

London is lucky enough to have three different productions of Nutcracker playing this year. With fabulous reviews for The Royal Ballet's immaculate version already in and anticipation for the Birmingham Royal Ballet's version at the Royal Albert Hall building, the English National Ballet's production of Nutcracker is under pressure to ooze with festive charm and beauty.

Alexander Pope's poignant quote 'To wake the soul with the gentle strokes of art' hangs above the stage of the beautiful Richmond Theatre to remind us of the potent power of art and theatre. Quite what he would have made of modern day pantomime is anyone's guess, as the latest offering of festive mayhem comes to Richmond Theatre in a sea of glitter and flashing lights.

Was there ever an actor more suited to perform a one-man show than Simon Callow? Add in the evocative and mellifluous writings of Dickens at Christmas time and you have the recipe for a show overflowing with festive goodwill. If you leave the Arts Theatre without a tear in your eye and spring in your step, I would recommend that you check your pulse.

William Congreve's rarely performed Restoration comedy, The Double Dealer, is an interesting choice to be revived at Richmond's Orange Tree theatre and, for some, will be a welcome relief to the pantomimes and doggedly 'festive' productions at this time of year.

If you are struggling to get into the festive spirit this year, a visit to London's Old Vic theatre is highly recommended. After the roaring success of Jack Thorne's charming adaptation of Charles Dickens' yuletide classic last year, the decision to stage A Christmas Carol again is as warm and welcoming as a hug from St Nicholas himself.

The best versions of La boheme are simple enough to let the genius of Puccini's opera shine, rather than distracting the audience with quirky updates and subliminal messages. The ENO's decision to return to Jonathan Miller's luscious production for the fourth time in a decade, is a beautifully pitched celebration of beauty in penury, love and heartbreak.

As one of the most famous coming-of-age films, the story of Dirty Dancing is loved by many. The 2004 stage show now comes to the New Wimbledon Theatre in an energetic but occasionally awkward revival. 

Back in 2005, Friedrich Schiller's 18th century offering Don Carlos won rapturous reviews when it transferred to the Gieldgud from Sheffield's Crucible. Now revived by the newly formed Ara theatre company, founded by actor Tom Burke and Israeli director Gadi Roll, it comes to Kingston's Rose Theatre.

In 2010, Lisa Hammond and Rachael Spence created a show called No Idea based entirely on what the general public said they should make a piece of theatre about. The result was an uncomfortable and comic take on how often disabled people are written out of the main narrative, becoming relegated to the sidelines as the main action happens without them.

If there was ever a film to screen with a live orchestra and choir, it would be Peter Shaffer's multi-award-winning Amadeus. London's Royal Albert Hall continues its successful series of blockbusting films broadcast on an enormous high definition screen, this time accompanied by the Philharmonia Chorus and the Academy of St Martin in the Field.