We all have dark thoughts; some are darker than others, but some are deadly dark
Coming to Hoxton Hall on the 7th July.
The Hive, for one night only will return to London to perform at Hoxton Hall in July. With music by one of the UK’s most accomplished and diverse musicians Harvey Brough (founder, musical director and producer of Harvey and the Wallbangers) and words by previous associate director of The Royal Court Theatre Carole Hayman (Ladies of Letters, The Warfleet Chronicles).
It was Carole Hayman’s research into female serial killers while a fellow at Kings College London, as well as her interviews with those connected to the killings that inspired The Hive. The title, The Hive, was inspired by a Forensic Psychiatrist who said, “Women kill close to the home, or the Hive, as you might call it.”
Directed by British theatre director Paulette Randall MBE, The Hive combines raw verbatim interviews with a scorching operatic score to investigate our fascination with serial killers – from grim tales to the real thing; from the first act of murder to the long- term effects of psychopathic darkness. A story that is both captivating and shocking.
Writer, Carole Hayman said “What I want to do in Hive is challenge popular stereotypes and re-connect with the basic humanity of the people who’ve caused the suffering. It’s crucial we keep in mind that they are only human, just like the rest of us. How do we know what we too might be capable of doing? 10% of us are personality disordered. Like it or not, a part of these killers is in us all. My hope is that – without condoning, or sympathising we might be able to understand and even empathise with the perpetrator. That way, I believe, redemption lies.”
The infamous Sh!t Faced Showtime are back in London with a festive edition, they have taken Dickens’ classic and put a drunken spin on it. The formula is the same as other iterations of the Shi!t Faced shows, one member of the cast has been boozing, and this time it is John Milton who plays … More A PISSEDMAS CAROL – REVIEW – LEICESTER SQUARE
Spine-tingling yet heart-warming, Mark Gatiss’s retelling of A Christmas Carol truly encapsulates the haunting atmosphere of a Victorian ghost story, balanced out with enough humour so as to capture the festive season. Led by Keith Allen as Scrooge, with Peter Forbes as Marley, this show is perfect for Christmas viewing. The set design by Paul Wills is instantly captivating, … More A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE
The title of this winner of Theatre 503’s 2023 International Playwriting Award by Roxy Cook may seem like the set-up to a joke, but the narrative that unspools is instead an affectionate, gently barbed and at base quite sobering portrait of three ordinary souls (and one restless feline) adrift in modern Moscow. There is much … More A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503
Peter Pan Goes Wrong first premiered in London at the Pleasance Theatre in 2013, and earlier this year the show made its Broadway debut. Now the production is back in the West End for the Christmas season. Following on from The Play That Goes Wrong, in this production, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is staged by … More PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE
Drawing heavily from the classic canon of the British supernatural, HighTide’s trio of contemporary Gothic narratives uses traditional storytelling formats to address contemporary themes. Directed by Elayce Ismail, reverent musical interludes accompany tales of apparitions and nighttime conjurings that speak of women from the East of England. Unfortunately, the effect is less chilling and more … More GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE