Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Set off the inner circle of my favourite of London's parks the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre has become somewhat of an institution, with this year marking its 80th season. But still I had never been...

And so, last week, as a treat from Tommy, he and I made our way through the rose gardens, champagne in hand, ready to lose ourselves in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

And lose ourselves we did - walking into the auditorium, we were confronted not by a fairy lit woodland, but more of a construction site, burly builders and all. Matthew Dunster's take on the romance resembling more an episode of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding than a Shakespeare classic.

But it worked. Surprisingly well. Twists to the relationships provided a new perspective - with Theseus portrayed as a wife-bashing lout and Titania a softer and more vulnerable (sewer)fairy Queen to her (sewer)fairy King Oberon. 

And it was funny. The climactic performance before the wedding party more of an operetta culminating in a dance routine to the likes of Beyoncé. The contrast of style and script strangely brilliant.

It was just very cleverly done, from the elaborate, gaudy wedding dresses to the effective yet simple set design. Despite both Tommy and I being zonked, we were gripped from beginning to end.


The theatre is open until early September with A Midsummer Night's Dream running 'til then. Definitely worth a trip.

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Babel

Hailed as 'the theatrical event of the year' it was with some trepidation that Em (dawg) and I headed to Islington's Caledonian Park for World Theatre's production of Babel last night. 

Welcomed by white-clothed cast members, we were straight in, and led through the winding paths of the park fizzing with expectation and crossing fingers for no rain. 


A variety of surreal scenes confronted us from a woman ironing up a tree to a man waltzing alone across an empty tennis court, played out in and around the foliage. 

The sound was impactful - A persistent beat overlaid with rhythmic breathing pulsing from somewhere out of sight, adding a hard-edged anticipation to our bemused wanderings. 

Ushered to the centre of the park, we found ourselves before the tower, around which a series of tents and stages had been set up. There was a real festival feel to the space - An incredible band kept up the magical feel, moving from husky-voiced blues to beat boxed garage with ease.  

Monologues were given from brightly lit bandstands, telling stories in all different languages.

The audience were spoilt for choice with things to see and do - encouraged to participate in the building of bamboo huts, or try a spot of knitting. As Em and I sat down to learn a lullaby in a cushioned tent, a sudden bang had us genuinely nervous and it was back to the tower again, where the play began.

I'm not entirely sure what happened after this... it was a little hard to follow, magnificent though it was in all it's musical and luminescent glory. The play itself was actually my least favourite part of the evening - the story told disjointedly, preferring drama to well written dialogue. A little read-up on Genesis' stories on the Tower of Babel would probably have helped. 


That's not to say, however, that I wasn't mesmerised. The choice of location, or indeed the raison d'être for the production was blindingly obvious - the tower looked phenomenal. Projected visuals were cleverly designed to work neatly with the structure - the clock face becoming a window out onto the crowd through which the baddies' eye peeped.

Whilst not the finest piece of theatre I've ever seen, the production is certainly an experience and has been filling my thoughts a fair bit today. With only 4 nights left, you'll have to be quick if you want to go, but I would. Definitely worth a view.

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Things I'd do if I were you...

Why do all the fun things always happen at once? I'm off to Morocco tomorrow for a week with my pretty Polly, but turns out there's a fair bit of fun going down in London town in the meantime...


Street Feast has got it's night market taking place tomorrow night in Shoreditch, with great food, art and cocktails. If you were sad to miss last week's StockMKT, this is the perfect op to get your foodie fill.

The fourth Land of Kings music and art festival is hitting up Dalston this weekend. Based on and around Kingsland high street, events will be happening in over 15 venues, from school halls to secret gardens. I'm most sad to be be missing Stoke Newington's International Airport's Live Art Speed Date - please go check it out for me.

I've been dying to check out The Big Red, ever since my friend Em (dawg) mentioned it to me a while back - top pizza joint on and around an old Routemaster bus, winner! And what better time to head down, than on Sunday (6th May) when they will be screening The Tunnel as part of the New X and Deptford Free Film Festival.


Tara Arts, the lovely South London based theatre company, are hosting a reading of a new play in progress, Reginald, on Friday 11th May. Written by EastEnders and Bend it like Beckham actor Shobu Kapoor, it will be read by the lovely Kris Marshall (Love Actually dude and star of the BT ads). The play consists of readings and interviews that look at the man behind the 1919 Amritsar massacre.

I like an early starting party and Fruit Palace's Rooftop event next Saturday (12th May) looks a good'un. Up on the roof of the Bussey Building, there'll be live acts and DJ's along with a nice bit of graffiti-time, so nab a ticket for a sun-downer and get there in good time, the views are meant to be ace.


This month's Wills-Moody jumble is happening on Sunday 13th May at The Lexington. I had a whale of a time when I went (see here) - with big bargain success.


After singing the praises of the delightful Wilton's Music Hall in my post on The Great Gatsby, I would urge you to head down there on Sunday evening (13th May) for Tea With Ruth. 'An evening of chat, songs and laughter' fundraiser in pirate costume - get your tickets quick.


And then I'm home again, hopefully mega bronzed and mega chulled, back to big-city-life. 

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The Great Gatsby

A manic day and a mad dash from work is never a great start to an evening. But so Jess and I arrived at Wilton's Music Hall, out of breath and in desperate need of a drink.

Greeted by a gorgeous flapper-clad door girl, we nabbed a quick voddie and were ushered to our seats - a sweet little bench at the back of this ornate music hall (the world's oldest no less). With a sigh of relief we sat back, immediately swept up in the charm and glamour of the scene before us - transported back to the 1920's and into the intriguing plot of F. Scott Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby.

The cast of Peter Joucla's production was small: just 3 girls and 4 boys, each actor playing both character and chorus-member. With a simple set, the decadence of Fitzgerald's book was spun through the energy and style of the players themselves. And the audience was palpably enthralled, laughing and cheering with abandon. The lightness of the play was added to by the sweet interjections of song and dance by the 'off-duty' cast members, who donned comical heavy rimmed specs to disguise their characters and become part of the chorus. 

As the lights dimmed for the interval, we were invited to Gatsby's party in the bar where actors milled, interacting with the audience and further feeding our enthusiasm. Delicious bar snacks were served: pork pies with rich chutney, scotch eggs with horse radish mustard and salty popcorn all fitting in perfectly with the neatly spun dream.

The second half of the play saw the end of the whimsical lives of the characters and the downfall of the elusive Gatsby. I actually liked the interesting direction around the death of poor old Myrtle, though this did receive a perhaps misplaced laugh from the majority of the audience. 

The last song drew to a jazz-filled close and a buzzing audience filtered back out into the bar. Clearly a preview, the production could do with a little polishing, the accents somewhat variable and the scene changes stilted. But there was a sweetness to the show that forgave it's imperfections. The atmosphere was magical, the beautiful setting of Wilton's working perfectly to create an intimacy that left us bewitched.

After a snoop around the upstairs rooms of this incredible building, it was back out into the rainy night and back to 2012 with a bump. I fear the run is all but sold out, but if I were you I'd rock up and chance it - worse comes to worst you can get yourself a good old pork pie, a glass of red and just soak up the amazingness of this place.

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Things I'm looking forward to...

In my February lethargy I made a flurry of bookings that are now fast approaching and my goodness am I excited.

Here are a few of the plans made - get tickets, come join! I think they should be good. I've linked them up, so just click on through.


Next Tuesday I'm off to a preview of The Great Gatsby at Wilton's Music Hall - a beautifully ornate, falling down theatre out East. Excited to see the production of one of my fave books ahead of the film release later this year.

Pinched snap of the lovely Wilton's

May brings the launch of Babel a massive, immersive theatre performance in Caledonian Park. It's all pretty mysterious, but with a cast of 300 it should be quite something.


Hilariously, I have bagged myself an invite to the Buckingham Palace Tea Party later in May and what better way to make for a totally oxymoronic day than to spend the evening grooving to a nice bit of ska. The Skatalites are playing at the Islington Assembly Hall on 22nd May - get tickets here.

Ever the romantic, mid-June seats have been reserved for A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Regent's Park Open Air theatre. My favourite Shakespeare play, in and amongst my favourite London park's roses. Heaven.


June 30th brings another lovely Wyndstock - 1920's dinner and dancing beneath the stars, life drawing and midnight hot-tubbing. Last year saw me hooked and my heart stolen.

Countryside decadence at Wyndstock

And then Summer's in full swing - no further entertainment needed than a chilled bottle of fizz, strawberries and whiling away long afternoons in the park, sun on our faces and grass in our hair. Again, feel free to join - the more the merrier.

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