52 Souls, Chronic Insanity (online) - ★★★ - Until September 6, 2020


Do life and death depend upon the turn of a card? In this remarkably constructed entertainment written by Joe Strickland and Nat Henderson, no less than fifty-two performers have recorded short monologues. Reactions to mortality and death are put under the microscope, sometimes to devastating effect. The different pieces are viewed over the course of an hour and are randomly available to the viewer depending on which playing card from the pack one turns over. Unsurprisingly, some of the monologues work better than others both in terms of writing and delivery, but the experience is always enthralling. Several pieces stand out, none more so than the very first one I happened to choose: this monologue about the Aztec view of the after-life, is beautifully performed by Helena Rimmer. TL Thompson's very dark monologue about a child finding a dying lady's diaries is charmingly delivered and is accompanied by childlike drawings. It was probably the most poignant point of the evening. The constant reference to death and loss might have been disturbing, but the brevity of each monologue doesn't allow for too much involvement; this can be both an advantage and a stumbling block. Technically the presentation is extremely accomplished and is certainly worth watching even though the serendipitous nature of the show leads to an overall lack of form. This random development can unfortunately result in an anticlimax, as one's enjoyment will depend on which monologues you see and in which order you see them.

 Reviewed by D.S.J.

  Our Score:  ☆☆☆ 

 Want to save on tickets? See our Tips page.

 WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE:
Until September 6, 2020
Chronic Insanity (online)
Various show times available at:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/chronicinsanity/382222/

Most Popular

Best of Enemies ★★★★★ Noël Coward Theatre | Until Feb 18, 2023

Image
It is usually long after an empire ends that historians sift out the reasons for its decline and demise. In Best of Enemies James Graham traces the current problems of the American polity to 1968 and the atmosphere surrounding the conventions of that year which selected the two presidential candidates. The decision by ABC, the least popular national television network, to include as part of its coverage debates between the novelist and playwright, Gore Vidal, representing the left, and William F. Buckley Jr, author and political pundit, representing the right, is seen to begin the decline of news into entertainment and the rise of current ideological ghetto media such as Fox television. Similarly, the two formerly "big tent" parties become increasingly ideological. The Republicans come to represent a libertarian conservatism that appeals to an alienated underclass, and the Democrats find themselves caught between the old left concerned with protecting workers and supporting
Full Details »

Barbara Bleier and Austin Pendleton ★★★ The Pheasantry | January 13 &14, 2023

Image
Two consummate song stylists bring their talents to interpreting the works of Stephen Sondheim and Oscar Hammerstein in this thoroughly enjoyable evening at The Pheasantry. Both Barbara Bleier and Austin Pendleton have long histories in performing, and they draw on that experience in a show which features the two genius songwriters in the first half and offers a selection of their own favourites in the second. From the opening number, "What Do We Do? We Fly!" taken from Sondheim's show with Richard Rodgers, Do I Hear a Waltz? the audience knows that, unlike the reluctant flyers, we can relax. We are in the capable hands of two seasoned songsters. Indeed, with their excellent accompanist, Paul Greenwood, the pair manages to extract depths of meaning and humour from the works of both the masters and from their other selections, some familiar and some new to us. Their performance of "Anyone Can Whistle" was a showstopper, and a particular highlight was Bleier
Full Details »

Salt-Water Moon ★★★★ Finborough Theatre | January 3 - 28, 2023

Image
Chronologically the first in David French's "Mercer Plays," Salt-Water Moon recounts the complicated courtship of Mary Snow and Jacob Mercer. Their story parallels the history of Newfoundland, a former British colony which joined Canada in 1949, but which at this point in time is suffering from the trauma caused by the small territory's participation in World War I. The war has threatened the old social compacts. It exposes the young to a wider world and leads to a questioning of the island's almost feudal system of governance. Mary Snow may be trapped in servitude and given to superstition, but in gazing at the stars, she is also intrigued by the wonders of science and a larger universe. Still, she remains distrustful of the change represented by Jacob Mercer, who apparently abandoned her in a search for adventure. Jerome, son of a local luminary, might be a safer bet to ensure her future. The play's clever counterpointing of the love story with its larger c
Full Details »

George Takei's Allegiance ★★★★ Charing Cross Theatre | Jan 7 - Apr 8, 2023

Image
George Takei's Allegiance deals with a dark time in American history and raises some questions about today's political environment. Referencing the treatment of Takei's own family, it looks at the policy of incarcerating Japanese Americans during WWII. Property confiscated and deprived of their liberty, members of the community were moved into camps where their treatment was often worse than that accorded prisoners of war. They were then offered a choice which was really a cruel catch-22: protest this unfair policy, refuse to fight in the war and be branded a traitor, or fight in the war, prove one's patriotism and be put in an all-Japanese American company that is assigned to suicide missions. The choice divided families and the wounds often never healed. Young Sammy Kimura (Telly Leung) decides to assert his independence and demonstrate his allegiance to country by making the latter choice. He thus becomes estranged from his sister Kei (Aynrand Ferrer) who, since the
Full Details »

Magic Mike Live ★★★★ The Theatre at the Hippodrome Casino | Until December 29, 2021

Image
Magic Mike Live is unique; in some ways it harks back to the sort of entertainment that Paul Raymond and Peter Stringfellow specialised in many years ago. But, there's one gigantic twist. Here the strippers being leered at are male. Channing Tatum, the show's creator, based this production and the films of the same name on his experiences as an eighteen-year-old stripper in Florida. The show embodies blatant objectification of the fit and highly talented performers; if the genders were reversed, there would be placards paraded outside The Hippodrome Casino. In a programme note, Tatum says he “was truly humbled by the incredible response to the show from women around the world.” Tonight’s predominantly female audience screamed with raucous delight as their glasses were endlessly refilled with Prosecco; meanwhile, the toned hunks pretended to perform sexual acts with the two female cast members. There is little or no plot in this ninety minute extravaganza, nor is there any geni
Full Details »

The Ghosting of Rabbie Burns ★★ King's Head Theatre | January 3 - 14, 2023

Image
A young woman has been ghosted by her partner of several years and withdraws to a country cottage to nurse her wounds. Little does she know that this particular hideaway is haunted by the spectre of Scotland's bard. It is Burns Night and the phantom suddenly decides to appear and pay her a visit. The premise is intriguing, but unfortunately the execution fails to live up to this promise. Both the young woman, Emily, and the ghost are two dimensional characters who engage in a dialogue that is neither very amusing nor very insightful. Emily Ashton does a credible job as the jilted lover, but other than being identified as a writer she doesn't have much of a role to work with. On the other hand, Burns was a deeply complex individual – by turns sentimental, self-absorbed and surprisingly sensitive. However, while these conundrums of his character are hinted at, they are not explored in any meaningful way; he is presented here as having a buffoonish lack of self-awareness. The iss
Full Details »

Dinner With Groucho ★★ Arcola Theatre | Nov 16 - Dec 10, 2022

Image
The Nobel Prize winning poet, T.S. Eliot, and the wise-cracking comedian, Groucho Marx, are a most unexpected pairing. That they admired each others' work and corresponded probably comes as a surprise to most people. This slight play takes its inspiration from a dinner they had together in 1964. However, rather than trying to imagine the polite banalities or thoughtful interchanges that might have constituted that evening's conversation, Frank McGuinness has created a pastiche of the two artists' signature tropes. The underlying sense of absurdity and disconnection that inform Groucho's humour and Eliot's poetry become the theme of this encounter which is then supplemented by musical interludes and lots of literary allusions. We are given a rendition of Marie Lloyd's "The Boy I love is Up in the Gallery" and a sustained reference to Marianne Moore's poem, "Silence," thus making the script the kind of mixing, and mocking, of high and low c
Full Details »

Newsies ★★★★ Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre | Until April 16, 2023

Image
Newsies is a big brash musical that has some absolutely breathtaking dancing sequences. Its themes of workers striking for fairer treatment and the media's manipulation of public opinion may resonate with today's headlines, but finally in this show it's the choreography that carries the day. Based on the Disney movie of the same name, Newsies tells the true story of a group of newspaper sellers who take on the press baron, Joseph Pulitzer, when he attempts to raise the price of their bundles from 50 to 60 cents apiece. It's an inspiring tale leavened with a love story that involves the leader of the strike Jack Kelly, ably played by Michael Ahomka-Lindsay, sparring with Pulitzer's rebellious daughter, Katherine, interpreted by Bronté Barbé. None of the songs struck us as particularly memorable, but to be fair, some of their impact was lost in sound issues that also occasionally rendered the dialogue unintelligible. The Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre is an enormou
Full Details »

Love Goddess, The Rita Hayworth Musical ★★★ The Cockpit | Nov 18 - Dec 23, 2022

Image
Rita Hayworth was one of the most important stars of her generation. A talented dancer who was seductively glamorous, she lit up the screen in Hollywood's golden era. This musical tells the story of the creation of her persona – which unsurprisingly involved a domineering father and a series of exploitative men. However, it also sets up the contrast of this typical show business tale with the tragic loss of her identity to the cruelty of early onset Alzheimer's disease. The challenge with translating such a biography into theatre is how much information to include. It is a question of finding the essential theme of a life and not getting caught up in all the fascinating details. Unfortunately here, there is really too much dependence on chronology and a determination to squeeze in a lot of particulars. The performances, however, are generally strong. Imogen Kingsley-Smith is an excellent young Rita and her dancing is outstanding. We particularly liked the sequences with Joey Si
Full Details »

On The Ropes ★★★★ Park Theatre | Jan 7 - Feb 4, 2023

Image
On The Ropes chronicles the life of Vernon Vanriel, a British boxer whose boxing career took off in the late 70s and early 80s. The show is a no-holds-barred exposé of his professional and personal life, unflinchingly revealing both its highs and its lows. While the piece is divided into twelve rounds, it really seems to deal with two different bouts. In the first, Vanriel achieves considerable success in the ring, but he ultimately succumbs to his struggles with a corrupt boxing establishment and his own demons. In the second fight, he squares off with the bureaucracy of the Home Office to establish his right to live in Britain. He eventually triumphs in that struggle and becomes emblematic of the abuses perpetrated on the Windrush generation. In telling the boxer's story, the challenge for writers, Vanriel and Dougie Blaxland, is to establish the relationship between these two battles, but unfortunately it feels as if one story is dropped when the other is picked up. The only co
Full Details »

The City Life Magazine | Reviews & Ratings