Chinese Food Festival - FREE - ★★★ - August, 2020


This festival offers an opportunity to taste some interesting Chinese food; a great change from some of the old standards of Chinatown. There are also some interesting products on sale for making your own Chinese food and a sign-up cooking class that allowed us to produce some surprisingly edible and authentic tasting Chinese delicacies. The setting is quite spectacular right beside Tower Bridge and just across from the Tower of London.

Reviewed by J.C.

 Our Score:  ☆☆☆ 

WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE:
August
Potters Fields Park
Nearest tube: London Bridge
www.chinesefoodfestival.com
Map & Location: Potters Fields Park, 165 Tower Bridge Rd, London SE1 3LW, UK

Most Popular

Sir John Soane's Museum Guided Tour - FREE - ★★★★★

Image
This is one of our favourite museums in London. The quirky and crammed home of John Soane, architect of the Bank of England. It has some wonderful treasures, including Hogarth's "The Election" and "The Rake's Progress." The sarcophagus of Seti I is in the basement along with the parlour of his imaginary friend, Brother John. Don't miss the opening of the display walls in the gallery now done on the hour and half hour. Also, try to be there for the free Private Apartments tour, limited to 8 people and requiring  sign up on site.
Reviewed by J.C.

 Our Score: ☆☆☆☆☆

WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE: Wed - Sun: 10 am - 5 pm (last entry at 4:30 pm) Closed: Dec 24, 25, 26, 31 & Jan 1
Private Apartments Tours: 1:15 pm & 2:00 pm Sir John Soane's museum, Lincoln's Inn Fields Nearest tube: Holborn https://www.soane.org
Full Details »

Relatively Speaking, The Mill at Sonning - ★★★★★ - Until April 18, 2020

Image
The words "Alan Ayckbourn" usually summon up fun and this production is no exception. It is a delight in every way. As soon as we see Michael Holt's clever set with all those doors we are anticipating a good time. It's not long before the characters are popping in and out of them and the laughs begin rolling in. Thanks to director, Robin Herford's perfect pacing of this piece the audience is completely taken into Ayckbourn's world and never given a pause to question the delightful absurdity of it all. The wonderfully silly plot twists and hilarious cases of mistaken identity all work beautifully. The entire cast get it just right with performances that make their unbelievably credulous characters entirely credible. James Simmons as the philandering husband on the verge of exposure is suitably self-serving and lecherous, and Rachel Fielding as his wife strikes just the right tone of gullible and knowing. The other woman, Lianne Harvey's Ginny, radiates the…
Full Details »

The Time Machine, The London Library - ★★★★ - Until April 5, 2020

Image
Science fiction is notoriously difficult to present theatrically; this immersive version of H. G. Wells' The Time Machine succeeds where many have failed. In groups of twenty, we were whizzed through the glorious galleries and bookshelves of the London Library. It is difficult to describe unless you can imagine travelling through 'The Crystal Maze' in the company of Doctor Who on steroids! This new dramatic version, written by Jonathan Holloway in November 2019, is loosely based on the novel's premise. The Traveller gives a lecture to his weekly dinner guests suggesting that time is simply a fourth dimension and he then demonstrates his invention. It was rather bewildering at the beginning because the narrative has been updated and jiggled about, but as we went with the flow, the anachronisms, ambience and theatricality of it all became enjoyable and, unexpectedly, spookily realistic. The idea that when we visit the future sections of the population have been infected …
Full Details »

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, Victoria & Albert Museum - ★★★★ - Until June 21, 2020

Image
For many the word "kimono" may long have been simply a synonym for housecoat or dressing gown. This fascinating exhibition first looks at the history and importance of this most versatile of garments in its Japanese home and then considers its impact after being introduced into Europe. Some stunningly beautiful examples of traditional kimonos from Japan's Edo period through the Meiji restoration are on display. These are sumptuous garments that reflect the growing fashion interest of a rising merchant class and offer lovely examples from both the geisha and kabuki theatre cultures. Indeed, the history of Japan is woven into the story of  the materials and techniques employed to create these wearable works of art. The post-war period saw the kimono's use relegated to cultural and ceremonial occasions, but there are some delightful examples of its resurgence in Japan's contemporary youth culture.  Since its introduction in the west, there have been a variety of use…
Full Details »

On Blueberry Hill, Trafalgar Studios - ★★★★★ - Until May 2, 2020

Image
"Though we're apart, you're part of me still" goes the song. Separation cannot break some bonds. Parent and child are indivisibly linked in Sebastian Barry's play, but can one reconcile with someone who has tried to break that bond? Two men in physical and mental prisons look at where life and death have brought them. Social impositions of self-loathing and vengeance are challenged by the recognition of a common humanity but can they find it? It is hard not to see this very thoughtful, and often humorous, piece as a metaphor for the challenges that Ireland has faced in its recent cruel and divisive history; however, it always remains a fascinating insight into two flawed, yet surprisingly sympathetic, characters. The story may be dark but its eloquent script makes it riveting. Sebastian Barry's mastery of the language is positively Shakespearean. The two prisoners' rich and comic recounting of their lives keeps the audience on the edge of their seats as t…
Full Details »

Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis, Park Theatre - ★★★★★ - Until January 4, 2020

Image
The title says it all. You know you're in for a lot of fun and this play lives up to its billing. What do you give to your dominatrix when she turns forty? It's a question we've all asked ourselves, and what we get here is an amusing and provocative answer. This is a piece that looks at and laughs at role playing, how it can liberate us and how it can trap us. Everyone from Chinese Elvis to dominatrix, Josie, has an alter ego that either supports them or constrains them. Coming to terms with the authentic self and enjoying the possibility of playing with the notion of other selves is both the challenge and the solution. This is a very funny play with a lot of heart and wisdom that is beautifully performed by a cast which never misses a beat. Sioned Jones is quite wonderful as the obsessive compulsive cleaner who grows into a new persona and Andrew P. Stephen is delightful as the dry cleaner who accepts his complexity. Kellie Batchelor is completely believable as the age-c…
Full Details »

Nuclear War, Buried, and Graceland - Old Red Lion Theatre - ★★★★★ - Until March 21, 2020

Image
“Oh death, where is thy sting?” could well be a subtitle for Alexander Knott's enthralling triptych comprising Buried, Graceland and Nuclear War. The first of these, Buried, is brilliantly performed by James Demaine as a man temporarily entombed in a collapsed building. His entire life flashes through his mind in a torrent of words and actions. His first drink, his first sexual experience, military service, boxing are all presented with tremendous physicality. In Graceland, Anthony Cozens plays an endearingly dysfunctional teacher who is pilloried by his class. By using the audience as his class, Cozens gains a terrific and often hilarious rapport. Kids can be both perceptive and cruel so when they discover that he is being cuckolded a different side of the teacher emerges. Using combustion as a metaphor for life we enjoyed this ingenious play and the performance enormously. Nuclear War comes as a shock when we meet two women, played by Zöe Grain and Freya Sharp, who portray two s…
Full Details »

The British Theatre Challenge 2019, Brockley Jack Theatre - ★★★★ - Until October 5, 2019

Image
The British Theatre Challenge produced by Sky Blue Theatre is a world-wide contest for new playwrights. The competition accepts entries of short, unpublished plays by young writers, and from the hundreds of submissions, five are selected. These are then presented for review by an audience who rank their favourites. This is a delightful evening in the theatre offering a chance to see five fresh, original works. This year's productions were the amusing and topical Antisocial Media by Julie Barnett, the thought-provoking For Abby by Holli Harms, the clever and innovative Cougar by Michael Fenlason, the dark metaphor of Trick or Treat by Ron Asher, and the humorous and socially conscious Fabio the Great by Elspeth Tilley. All of the plays were well worth producing, and the variety and ingenuity of the writers provide for a thoroughly enjoyable evening in the theatre. We won't tell you how we voted. Go and support these emerging artists and make up your own mind!

Reviewed by J.C.

 Ou…
Full Details »

Opera Undone: Tosca & La bohème, Trafalgar Studios - ★★★★ - Until March 7, 2020

Image
Opera Undone aims to bring opera to a new audience. These are shortened versions of the classics, sung in English and with contemporary lyrics and plots. These are not parodies of the originals, but very clever re-imaginings. Tosca is now a story about the Italian mafia, and Michael Georgiou's Scarpia is a very menacing godfather. Indeed in this version, the focus is very much on the psychology of the characters and the deeper look into Scarpia's motivations brings a whole new sense to the themes of loyalty and love. Honey Rouhani beautifully interprets Tosca, and Roberto Barbaro as Cavaradossi did a fine job. For us, however, the real treat was the transformation of La bohème. Casting Mimi as a man brought a completely new sense to the piece, and Philip Lee's interpretation brought a new depth to the part. Roberto Barbaro showcased his amazing talent for characterisation and excellent voice, this time as Rod/Rodolfo. His new version of Che gelida manina was quite wonderf…
Full Details »

Peace In Our Time, The Union Theatre - ★★★★ - Until April 4, 2020

Image
This is a Noël Coward you are probably not familiar with. After WW II, he wrote this more serious play based on the premise that the Nazis had won the Battle of Britain and had occupied the country. There are flashes of Coward's usual humour but the overall tone is quite serious. There is an almost Orwellian tone to the work as we see the new regime bombard Londoners with propaganda about how they have been liberated and the country is now back in business again. Coward, who was a committed patriot, based the play on his experience of occupied France. We are shown how a variety of people respond to what in France's case we now term the German occupation, but which at the time could easily have been a new, permanent reality. The present production beautifully creates the eerie quality of this life with its half-lit set and candles that suggest the fragile light of hope in this place. Situated in a pub near Sloane Square, the regulars run the gamut in terms of how they deal wit…
Full Details »

The City Life Magazine. Reviews and Ratings.