Reviews

World Problems is the new experimental theatre project written and performed by Emma Mary Hall. Not familiar with her previous work, l found it an interesting and rather intriguing process as an audience participant. She vividly tells her story, recollecting her own experiences via a repetitive recall of  “You remember”. Confident and engaging, she takes you into her personal memory vaults from her childhood days, teenage years, adulthood, present day and into her own dystopic visions of herself in the future.

What results when a British director, a female playwright from Northern Ireland and an overbearing American actor meet? A black comedy of epic proportions. Playwright David Ireland has created an intense, confrontational story about gender politics, female empowerment and owning one’s truth.

With the recent success of the film The Greatest Showman it makes perfect sense for March Productions to present Barnum. A difficult musical to say the least, it requires a leading man who can sing, dance and walk the tightrope.

Those of us who are old enough remember the great Reg Livermore playing the title role. March Productions have a winner on their hands with Ben Francis from the Tightrope Cast as P.T. Barnum himself.  While some of the leading roles are different in the alternating cast (the Trapeze Cast), I can only comment on the cast I saw.

Personals has an impressive pedigree, with book and lyrics by the writers of Friends (before it became a worldwide phenomenon) and Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz amongst the songwriters.

Written in 1985, when people placed ads looked for partners in the free street press of the day, 34 years on director Jason Langley has given the dating concept a clever IT spin with the use of mobile phones and computers.