The Constituent
Old Vic
The Old Vic, The Cut, London SE1 8NB
On stage, there’s an office desk and a couple of chairs. The mood of the space is created by colorful spotlights painting the gray walls. The set is just a backdrop; the story is the main thing.
This is a very, very topical new play by playwright Joe Penhall. It’s a hilarious story where a woman, a Member of Parliament, a completely desperate former military man (who seems quite unbalanced), and her security guard find themselves in an unusual situation. It’s a comedy of errors with unexpected plot twists. This is a no-holds-barred duel, a contest of psychological endurance and the strength of personal convictions. Who will win? Can there even be a winner in such a battle? “I’m not your punching bag! I’m a Member of Parliament!” – not much of an argument in this story.
Directed by the brilliant Matthew Warchus (yes, the same one who directed the beloved “Matilda”), the play stars comedians like James Corden and “Homeland” star Anna Maxwell. It might seem like a sharply political play, but no – “The Constituent” explores issues of personal security, human boundaries, and capabilities. By the way, the play has already made it into English theater history: Corden delayed one of the performances because the England team was in a penalty shootout at the European Football Championship at the same time.
Visit From An Unknown Woman
Hampstead Theatre
Eton Avenue, London, United Kingdom, NW3 3EU
In the mid-1930s, Stefan Zweig thrived in Vienna, his life resembling a full-flowing river – if not for the rise of the Nazi party’s popularity. But then another unpleasant event occurs: a woman appears on stage, Stefan knows her, but can’t remember from where.
This is a stage adaptation of Zweig’s novella “Letter from an Unknown Woman,” made by Christopher Hampton. When a classic, well-known text of world literature is staged, there is always a danger of being dull – after all, the ending is already known. And there’s the risk of the actor becoming a walking monument. But here, it’s different – in Chelsea Walker’s production, it’s not what happens but how it feels. Anger, fear, despair – and love are what matter.
Thomas Levin, who started his career in Denmark, plays Stefan – he doesn’t try to look like Zweig, although there are common features in a portrait sense. He plays an artist in a broad sense, torn by horror, the discrepancy between the external and internal, and a crumbling life. Actress Natalie Simpson plays the same stranger, Marianne, an embodiment of love, a collective image of the feminine, with all its traits and devils. What is between them? Pain, loss, oblivion? Or endless tenderness?
The Marilyn Conspiracy
Park Theatre
Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London, United Kingdom, N4 3JP
The dazzling Hollywood diva dies after taking a handful of pills, and it takes her friends five whole hours to call the police. What are they doing all that time? What are they trying to find out? Yes, they’re trying to investigate this death on their own.
The play was already performed in London in 2018 and was successful, and now it has a new production. In Guy Masterson’s play, the incredibly beautiful Marilyn (played by Genevieve Gaunt) appears on stage throughout the performance – her appearances, where she is either having fun with friends, quarreling, or crying, become flashbacks that reveal more and more secrets.
The play is very beautiful, perfectly capturing the spirit of the early 60s with its feminine dresses, beautiful furniture, white phones, and luxurious crystal champagne glasses. The contrast between this expensive setting and the terrible hidden secrets that destroyed tender Marilyn becomes all the more striking.
Mnemonic
Olivier Theatre
National Theatre, Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PX
One of the strangest and most enigmatic English plays by the Complicité Theatre Company was staged at the end of the 20th century. Today, twenty-five years later, it has been reimagined and brought back to the stage. The text of Mnemonic has been reworked in line with today’s world – after all, the world has changed (you could say catastrophically) over this quarter-century. The play still follows the same thread – two intertwined stories, one about a woman who lost her mother and went in search of her father, and the other about a 2500-year-old body found in a glacier. This metaphysically and esoterically incorporates the world around us with all its tragedies.
It’s a complex act that draws the viewer into its strange twilight rhythm. It’s hard to find words to describe the performance on stage, which flows slowly like a glacier and looks more like a ritual, some ancient sacred action, than a dramatic play.
Present Laughter
National Theatre Live
In the city’s cinemas
An old and beloved European theater comedy – a true gem of the genre, sparkling, light, and golden. Noël Coward wrote the play in 1939, but rehearsals were interrupted by the war, and only three years later did it premiere.
Yes, this is a video recording of a play, and I urge you not to dismiss this genre. The sensitivity of the video director captures it well. This is a video recording of the play directed by Matthew Warchus – this Present Laughter was staged at the Old Vic in 2019, with Andrew Scott playing the main role of actor Garry.
You have a great opportunity to see Scott’s performance up close. To see his eyes, his movements, the tiny nuances that are rarely visible in a live performance (because it’s either too far or too busy), here they are in full view. It’s an amazing viewing experience that you shouldn’t miss out on.
The Tiger Who Came To Tea
Theatre Royal Haymarket
18 Suffolk St, London, United Kingdom, SW1Y 4HT
Is it summer or not? Do you want to entertain the kids? Instill in them a taste for good theater? Then you’re in for a treat with the most famous tiger in English literature (he seems to rival only Shere Khan). “The Tiger Who Came To Tea” won the Olivier Award for Best Family Show. Judith Kerr’s fairy tale has returned to the stage this summer, and it’s an incredibly sweet staging, like a cartoon in a theater.
Wonderful scenery, tender characters – pure joy and light. The tiger – or rather the tiger costume – is very expressive, mobile, conveying the character’s emotion, but it’s so toy-like that it won’t scare even the most timid child. Small interactive interludes will keep the kids from getting bored, and costumes that match Kerr’s illustrations will transport young viewers into the familiar book.
Hello, Dolly!
Palladium Theatre
8 Argyll Street, London, United Kingdom, W1F 7TF
Director Dominic Cooke has staged the famous musical with the famous Imelda Staunton at the famous London venue – the Palladium Theatre. It’s a hundred percent hit, a real strike. There’s nothing more to add. Even if you don’t like musicals, this pure example will win anyone over. This show was planned back in 2020 at the Adelphi Theatre, but the pandemic got in the way. At that time, it seemed like this wonderful story would never appear again. But here we are – four years later, Staunton has taken the stage.
So, the matchmaker is looking for a bride for a millionaire – and suddenly decides to offer herself as the bride! Staunton’s incredibly bright energy captivates the hall; she dances like a girl, and she has a wonderful voice. This is a completely different Dolly than Barbara Streisand’s Dolly from the 60s movie, but no less impressive. What do we want from the theatre on a summer evening? For example, for a great actress to give us a couple of hours of joy.
