The Sorcerer's Apprentice ★★★★ Southwark Playhouse (online) | Until March 14, 2021


"There's magic in the air" as Goethe's fable of The Sorcerer's Apprentice gets a contemporary reading in this clever new musical from the team of Richard Hough and Ben Morales Frost. The story deals with the rocky relationship between the sorcerer and his rebellious daughter while also treating the darker issue of our current climate crisis. Can magic and science work together to defeat human greed, or will all be swept away by the forces of a natural world that humans have abused? Despite the big issues being dealt with here, the story remains charming and simple. Kudos to Mary Moore who, in her first major role, brings an engaging joy and rebelliousness to her character, Eva Gottel. Moore has a lovely voice and she creates a credible teenager, both cocky and needy. She is ably supported by a generally strong cast. David Thaxton is suitably serious and sympathetic as her sorcerer father and Dawn Hope is terrific as Lamia Lydekker, the evil factory owner. However, it is Marc Pickering as Fabian Lydekker who steals the show. His delightfully over-the-top performance captures the spirit of a fairy tale and completely engages the audience at the same time as we are considering some darkly serious subject matter. In songs like "Let There Be Light" Pickering's energy and broad humour bring life to what could have been a rather dry allegory. This is a theatrical performance that has been recorded and it is a wonderful reminder of why all of us are longing to get back to magic!

Rated: ★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Geraint Lewis.

Want to save on tickets? See our Tips page.

When, Where, Getting there:

Most Popular

Cupid's Revenge ★★★★★ The Place | October 14 - 16, 2021

Image
Cupid's Revenge , performed by New Art Club, is a joyous, life-enhancing burst of joie de vivre. Tom Roden and Pete Shenton are two extremely accomplished dancers and actors who bring us an hour of fleet-footed dynamism whilst rattling off seemingly random words and phrases at breakneck speed. Love in all its blazing diversity is here as we come to realise the endless lists of words are all connected to our interpretation of love in the twenty-first century. There is humour aplenty balanced with heartfelt emotion which never becomes mawkish. Everyone is able to relate to some parts of the story as we move through meeting and parting, loving and losing, fighting and reconciling. The show is superbly paced with occasional knowing winks at the audience – Shenton's new haircut comes in for a ribbing. Having worked together for about twenty years, Roden and Shenton's tightly synchronised movement comes from a wonderfully close rapport fused with excellent dance technique. Will H
Full Details »

The Pleasure Garden: A Vauxhall Musical ★★★★ Above The Stag Theatre | Sep 15 - Oct 17, 2021

Image
The Pleasure Garden: A Vauxhall Musical , written by Glenn Chandler and Charles Miller, provides great entertainment in this boisterous Victorian-style musical romp. The gardens at Vauxhall were directly behind this theatre and were always somewhat disreputable; this is exploited to the hilt by director Fenton Gray. As the two charming and handsome leading men, Sam Baumal and Jay Worley really shine and sing tremendously well. Ashleigh Harvey gives the complex character of Lady Lovelock real polish and supplies a great singing voice, shown to best effect in "The Place I Left Behind." However, for us the glorious projections stole the show. Ever-changing and always beautiful, George Reeve has created magical video images which are always apposite and frequently extremely lovely; his balloon landing is a sensation on this small stage. A brief scene at the Battle of Sebastopol is thrilling. The first half may feel a tad long; whilst it tells us of the frolics which went on in Va
Full Details »

Back to the Future: The Musical ★★★★★ Adelphi Theatre | From September 13, 2021

Image
The future of the theatre is here! Whether you are a fan of the film franchise or have never seen one of the movie blockbusters, you will love this show. It's a wonderful immersive experience that captures all of the fun and silliness of the original while taking theatrical spectacle to a whole new level. Finn Ross (video design) and Tim Lutkin (lighting design) really have pulled out all the stops. The visual effects are quite stunning, but the great thing here is that the terrific cast of performers are not overwhelmed by these production values. We completely shared Olly Dobson's wonder as he created a completely credible Marty McFly, and Roger Bart was wonderfully goofy as Doc Brown, the unlikely inventor of the time machine. The other stand-out for us was Hugh Coles as the awkward, endearing George McFly. Kudos also to Rosanna Hyland (Lorraine Baines) and Aidan Cutler (Biff). For this production, Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard have contributed several new songs but the ol
Full Details »

Tokyo Rose ★★★★★ Southwark Playhouse | Sep 23 - Oct 16, 2021

Image
Tokyo Rose tells the story of a woman born in the USA to Japanese parents. During the Second World War, she is accused of broadcasting propaganda for the enemy and is put on trial for treason. Her story may not be very well known in the UK but that shouldn't be a barrier to success; just think of other shows based on historical characters such as Eva Perón or Alexander Hamilton. There is a subtle connection to both of these shows musically as well. Despite the historical context, Tokyo Rose is very much a musical of today, both in style and content. The show vibrates with life and vitality right from the superb opening number performed with tremendous verve by the cast of six women. Hannah Benson directs, choreographs and arranges the music with such flair that we were swept away by it. The singing is stunning throughout, even if occasionally it seems a little overwrought. Playing Iva Toguri, who becomes known as Tokyo Rose, Maya Britto sings her heart out as "a child of Ame
Full Details »

Lately ★★★★ Lion & Unicorn Theatre | October 5 - 9, 2021

Image
Lately by James Lewis addresses the very emotive and sensitive issue of suicide among young men. Lewis has a beautiful and poetic command of language and this is well served by director David Brady. The circular nature of the plot tells the stories of Alison and Callum, their unhappy home lives with dysfunctional, abusive parents and their attempt at a relationship. Eventually Alf chooses to run away to the big city. Cal remains only to choose a more final and tragic way to escape. The young couple's plight is beautifully realised in the performances of Lauren Ferdinand and, particularly, Matt Wake. Played on a virtually bare stage with some well chosen projections, the tone becomes quite filmic which really suits Ferdinand's intimate performance. Wake's strong delivery makes every word count and we were particularly moved when he spoke of his father's death from a stroke. Strikingly lit, the intensity of his stillness spoke volumes. Indeed, Wake makes a very fine prof
Full Details »

How to Survive an Apocalypse ★★★ Finborough Theatre | Sep 28 - Oct 23, 2021

Image
How to Survive an Apocalypse is a romantic comedy lightly camouflaged as something deeper through references to survival if the supply chain breaks down. It resonates with our current situation, but this is entirely coincidental as the Canadian play was written in 2016. Luckily, in Jimmy Walters' neat and tidy production, it receives four excellent performances. Kristin Atherton is outstanding as Jen, the millennial wife who fears for the future as her marriage seems to be going nowhere. The most amusing performance comes from Noel Sullivan as her husband, Tim. Sullivan really nails the character's lost puppy-dog persona as he garners more laughs than are written in the script. Christine Gomes is charming as Abby, the play's least showy part. Ben Lamb dominates the stage as Bruce, the arrogant young executive who is happy to become a hunter/gatherer if needs be. However, what he hunts and gathers best are the women around him. By far the best scene in the play is when the
Full Details »

Snowflakes ★★★★ Old Red Lion Theatre | Sep 28 - Oct 16, 2021

Image
Snowflakes is author Robert Boulton's debut play and it certainly packs a powerful punch. Tony, a successful author with issues, wakes in a hotel room after a night of debauchery; 'room service' isn't quite what he expected when a strange pair of contract killers hurtle in. The play becomes a dystopian cat and mouse game about morality and retribution. The title, Snowflakes , comes from the pejorative term for young people with an inflated sense of uniqueness. There are definite echoes of Black Mirror , Pinter's The Dumb Waiter and, maybe Dorfman's Death and the Maiden . The play might be a little over-complicated as Boulton crams in so many issues and twists, but it is a tremendous debut. Under the expert direction by Michael Cottrell, we are given thrilling performances with some of the most violent fights and disturbing torture we have ever seen at such close quarters; all three hurl each other across the tiny stage. The acting is quite outstanding with Bou
Full Details »

Yellowfin ★★★★ Southwark Playhouse | Oct 13 - Nov 6, 2021

Image
Marek Horn's fascinating new play, Yellowfin , is set in a dystopian future where all fish have mysteriously vanished from the seas. Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" appropriately plays as we enter the auditorium to find ourselves in Anisha Fields' strikingly designed US Senate Committee Room. Put simply, the play is an ecological parable exploring the limits of power and our reactions to change. Horn's writing gives us beautifully natural speech patterns and injects unexpectedly subtle humour into a dark situation. Calantini, played by the excellent and volatile Joshua James, is questioned by the committee over his suspected illegal trade in what is now an extremely rare commodity – canned tuna. Ed Madden's direction is immaculate and realistic; we particularly liked the frequent use of the desktop microphones for heightened dramatic effect. Heading the committee is Nancy Crane's superbly forthright and funny Marianne – patently satirising
Full Details »

Hokusai: The Great Picture Book of Everything ★★★★★ The British Museum | Sep 30, 2021 - Jan 30, 2022

Image
In  Hokusai: The Great Picture Book of Everything we see over 100 exquisite little drawings by Japan's most famous artist, Katsushika Hokusai. These newly rediscovered works haven't been on public display before and date mainly from the 1820s. Hokusai's intention was to provide a visual encyclopedia of every form of life, and each composition, from historical figures to exotic animals and mythical creatures, is depicted in stunning detail. He had boundless invention. Many pieces have delightful wit including a naughty ape on a camel's back or a grinning, long-snouted baku. Others are more serious in tone, but all demonstrate Hokusai's sensational ability, even into his seventies, to draw with minute accuracy and without the aid of glasses. These drawings were intended to have been destroyed as they were designed to be pasted onto board in readiness for printing and then only seen in book form. Several of these books are also on show; they are sensational. We are al
Full Details »

A Splinter of Ice ★★★★★ Jermyn Street Theatre | October 14 - 30, 2021

Image
Ben Brown's A Splinter of Ice is a fascinating and thought provoking play recounting a fictionalised version of a real meeting between Graham Greene and Kim Philby in Moscow in February 1987. It is framed by references to Greene's iconic The Third Man . Alan Strachan and Alastair Whatley's direction is beautifully nuanced and immaculately paced. However, it is the performances which take this play to another plane. Philby was one of the most notorious spies of the twentieth century, but we are asked to consider was he "the honest thief, the tender murderer”? Stephen Boxer is superb and imbues Philby with an easy charm masking a more ruthless side; his wife, Rufa is played tenderly by Karen Ascoe. Oliver Ford Davies wears the role of Graham Greene like the comfortable jumper he has beneath his jacket; every word, every gesture, every look is perfectly placed. This is acting of the highest possible quality by both men. Maybe the conversation occasionally smacks a little
Full Details »

The City Life Magazine | Reviews & Ratings