A Night with Janis Joplin – The Musical ★★★★ Sadler's Wells Peacock Theatre | Aug 21 - Sep 28, 2024


This is a tribute show with a difference. While Mary Bridget Davies creates an impassioned incarnation of the incredible Janis Joplin, her musical influences also come to life in some extraordinary re-creations of Aretha Franklin, Bessie Smith, Odetta, Nina Simone and Etta James. We definitely would have liked to have seen more of Kalisha Amaris, Georgia Bradshaw and Danielle Steers in their all too brief appearances as these icons. Nevertheless, the focus on Joplin is totally satisfying, and Davies manages to embody the spirit of the unique talent who was a worthy inheritor of the legacy established by these great ladies of the Blues. The contrast between a traditional rendition of "Summertime" and Joplin's tormented and tender interpretation of the classic illuminates her one-of-a-kind talent and her rightful place among these luminaries. Davies' performance of this piece is a highlight in a programme that has many milestone moments. The format for the show is a concert with flashbacks to Joplin's childhood. The biography, however, is largely skimmed over to concentrate on Janis' music which is left to speak for itself, the commentary only hinting at the psychological needs that made "Pearl" one of the greatest exponents of the musical genre that expresses an almost existential sense of loss and longing. The need for love and the pain that reverberate through the powerful performances of "Me and Bobby McGee" and "Down on Me," make Joplin's art the window into the spirit of the artist. Davies' equally impressive versions of the signature songs "Ball and Chain" and "Piece of My Heart" deliver all the passion of the originals while exposing her own extraordinary talent. It is a performance of unbridled energy that is exhausting even for the onlooker. Indeed, it is a performance that gives the lie to the old cliché that we will never see her like again.

Rated: ★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Danny Kaan

Want to save on tickets? See our Tips page.

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: Portugal St, London WC2A 2HT, UK

Most Popular

Bedroom Farce ★★★★★ The Mill at Sonning | Aug 1 - Sep 21, 2024

Image
Three reasonably happy couples! Delia and Ernest might have some leaky eaves on the house as they celebrate the anniversary of their crotchety union; Nick may be suffering from a bad back while struggling to read about the menacing shark in Jaws as his wife, Jan, sets out for a party where her predatory ex will be present; Kate and Malcolm are definitely stressing about the party they are hosting, and he may prove to be not quite the DIY master that he thinks he is. Still, they all have adjusted to the compromises of their relationships, and nothing has quite prepared them for the real threat to their connubial constructions – the chaos that Trevor and Susannah will hilariously create when they bring their train wreck of a relationship into these comfortable worlds. The power of Alan Ayckbourn's comedy about domestic distress is that the dialogue and the dilemmas are so close to what we all experience. The exaggeration is beautifully calibrated to bring out the humour of very reco
Full Details »

St. Martin in-the-fields: Lunchtime Concerts ★★★★ FREE

Image
Maybe the best musical value in London. The lunchtime concerts at St. Martin's are always a wonderful way to escape the hustle and bustle that is London and the sensory overload that is Trafalgar Square. This is a beautiful setting with great acoustics, and a church pew hard enough to make sure you don't nod off. Reviewed by J.C.  Our score:    ☆☆☆☆  WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE: Mon & Fri: 1 pm - 1:45 pm ( occasionally Tues & Thurs)  St. Martin in-the-fields, Trafalgar Square Nearest tube: Charing Cross https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/whats-on
Full Details »

Northbound Boy ★★★★ King's Head Theatre | Aug 13 - Sep 1, 2024

Image
Growing up in a family dominated by the forces of his religious aunt, Ivy, and his drunken military father, it is not surprising that Kenneth has become a fearful, obsessive rule-follower who cannot fully come to terms with being a gay man. But now that his judgemental father has died, Kenneth is returning to reclaim his family home, and, perhaps, himself. On the way to his past, he picks up a young hitchhiker who represents all the anarchic, sexual power that the older man has been unable to integrate into his life. The question becomes whether Kenneth can develop a balanced, authentic ego in the face of the apparently unrelenting disapproval of society represented by Aunt Ivy and the seductive, but ostensibly destructive, attraction of the young hitchhiker. James Hogan has written a very funny riff on this not unfamiliar tale of the need to find self-acceptance and to establish equilibrium between what Freud once called the superego and the ID. Kenneth's dilemma is brought to lif
Full Details »

Cockfosters ★★★ The Turbine Theatre | August 13 - 31, 2024

Image
The tone for the show is set by an officious transit employee in the lobby before the journey begins, and the odd scattered newspaper on the theatre seats prepares us for the familiar commuter ordeal. Cockfosters is a series of very funny skits tied together by a slim narrative about an awkward, gaffe-prone boy who meets a girl with "trains in her veins" on their shared journey from Heathrow to the aforementioned terminus of the Piccadilly line. Along the way they encounter all the usual denizens of the Underground from beggars to buskers, plus her ex-boyfriend and his obnoxious school chum. And of course, there's the rowdy football fans, the lost tourists and the drunken hen party. We are also treated to a rather thorough history of the Tube, a spoof of its inane advertising, and an audience-participation trivia game about London's famous transportation system. Compensating for the disjointedness of this whole mishmash and the corniness of some of the jokes is the r
Full Details »

Pride and Prejudice ★★★★★ Jermyn Street Theatre | Aug 19 - Sep 7, 2024

Image
This delightful and respectful version of Jane Austen's masterpiece should please both devotees of the novel and those who enjoy clever and innovative theatre. It is nothing short of incredible that Austen's intricate courtship classic can be condensed into two hours and be successfully performed by only three actors, but that is what happens here. This is a small gem of a production which manages to maintain all the interwoven storylines of the original and to bring to life all of Austen's iconic characters. April Hughes' Elizabeth is nicely headstrong and willful, and Luke Barton's Darcy is suitably standoffish and condescending. They both successfully manage to convey the chemistry that brings the two together despite initial misgivings, as they deftly perform their assigned social roles. Barton does a simply splendid job of slipping into and out of the other characters who populate this rarefied world. He beautifully captures Mr Bennet's ironic detachment an
Full Details »

The Fabulist ★★★ Charing Cross Theatre | Aug 12 - Sep 21, 2024

Image
Based on Giovanni Paisiello's 18th Century comic opera The Imaginary Astrologer , James Farwell's The Fabulist is set in Mussolini's Italy of 1929. The Church now has authority over culture and education, and magicians, or fabulists, are seen as perpetrating pernicious falsehoods. This attitude is matched by the Church's almost equally suspicious view of science, and both are threatened by the empowered clerics. Farwell's tale tells the story of a magician, Julian/Agrofontido, and his companion, Pupuppini, who decide to hide from the powers that be on a movie set where two sisters, the director, Cassandra, and scriptwriter, Clarice, ply their trade. These two have differing views on the role of film, whether it is primarily art or entertainment, and this debate parallels the concern of their father, the scientist Count Petronius who questions the role of magic as opposed to science. On top of these rather knotty thematic issues there is also a satiric commentary on
Full Details »

State Ballet of Georgia: Swan Lake ★★★ London Coliseum | Aug 28 - Sep 8, 2024

Image
For the first time in its 175 year history, the State Ballet of Georgia is appearing in London, and to mark the occasion it is presenting its lavish, almost liturgical, production of Swan Lake . Except for the unusual happy ending, this is a version which stays very close to the traditional presentation of Tchaikovsky's masterwork, and it is satisfying to see a staging which does not feel the need to reimagine the piece. Artistic director Nina Ananiashvili of the Georgia Ballet and former Bolshoi artistic director Alexey Fadeechev have respected the original Petipa/Ivanov choreography and have trimmed and added judiciously so that all the treasured moments are intact. Under the baton of Papuna Gvaberidze the English National Opera Orchestra does an excellent job of mining the riches from Tchaikovsky's score, and kudos must go also to Vyacheslav Okunev for the opulent costumes and evocative set. On the night we attended, the role Odette/Odile was exquisitely danced by Chloe Miss
Full Details »

Death of England: Closing Time ★★★★ @sohoplace | Aug 22 - Sep 28, 2024

Image
With the third in any trilogy of plays, the question always is "Do I need to have seen the other ones first?" And, the answer here is a resounding "no." Clint Dyer and Roy Williams' Death of England: Closing Time stands on its own as a fascinating study of two cultures wedded to each other in an uneasy alliance. Denise and Carly are yoked together by the fact that the latter is the partner of the former's son, and they have also more or less gone into business together. Nevertheless, the personal and business ties are strained by their differences in race and heritage. They make tentative steps towards each other, but are always on the verge of mutual incomprehension. Dyer and Williams' metaphor for the complex nature of the new multicultural Britain has a wonderfully current feel with references to Kamala Harris and Liz Truss, and jokes that are full of clever contemporary allusions. The language simply soars, with lots of brilliant throwaway lines a
Full Details »

The 39 Steps ★★★★ Trafalgar Theatre | Aug 16 - Sep 28, 2024

Image
An old favourite returns to the West End and is just as funny as we remember it. The 39 Steps is a supremely silly spoof of Alfred Hitchcock's spy film of the same name from 1935. This version is a delightfully nonsensical take on the original and has lots of sly references to the other movies in Hitchcock's oeuvre. It also imaginatively sends up some of the cinematic conventions and tropes of the era. But even if one doesn't know the original or isn't a film buff, there is lots here that will strike the funny bone. The physical comedy is highly skillful and the running gags are wonderfully wacky. Clever employment of very basic props, ingenious use of musical cues, plus nimble pacing, all ensure that the audience's interest never flags, and one is blithely carried along through spy-catcher Richard Hannay's trials and tribulations. Tom Byrne is terrific as world-weary Hannay who drags himself to the theatre only to meet a mysterious stranger who will involve th
Full Details »

Peanut Butter & Blueberries ★★★★ Kiln Theatre | August 8 - 31, 2024

Image
As the title suggests this show is about unlikely combinations. Bilal and Hafsah have some things in common: dysfunctional families, the university experience and trying to find a place between their Pakistani heritage and their British identity. They are also quite different. She is a somewhat snobbish, self-satisfied adolescent intellectual, while he struggles as a student and is emotionally volatile. An unlikely pair – but the audience knows where this is going. The two characters also have equally complex internal issues to reconcile. He is torn between his duty to his family and his desire to make his own way in the world. She is seeking a path between her feminism and her faith, which seems to lead to overcompensating with the latter to justify the former. Playwright Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan delineates the developing relationship between the two with lots of insight and considerable humour, and she has created characters who engage the audience and are for the most part touchingly
Full Details »

The City Life Magazine | Reviews & Ratings