18 ARTS
www.southwarknews.co.uk/arts
Southwark News, Thursday October 29 2020
what’s on
in Southwark
Showcasing their fourth production since lockdown, the Eagle pub presents Next Thing You Know, a youthful musical (all the cast are 2020 graduates), with the book by Ryan Cunningham, and music and lyrics by Joshua Salzman, writes Carolyn Hart Taylor...
Faced with the challenge of making life decisions, this cast of four twentysomethings sing an eclectic range of songs throughout this musical, covering sizeable issues such as career choice and committing to relationships, to more frivolous matters like drinking, smoking and dating. Providing a perfect environment for characters to explore their angst is the imaginative decision to base the musical around a New York cocktail bar that doubles up as an apartment and workspace. Complete with neon pink flamingos, palm plants, an inky black dance floor and iconic American imagery, this foursome repeat conversations taking place all over the city. Waverley (Bessy Ewa), in keeping with her name, spends her time wavering. Pinning hopes on romantic commitment from boyfriend Darren, (Nathan Shaw) audiences witness this fledgling’s lack of self-belief and resignation to remain in the nest, forever working in the cocktail
bar as she sings, ‘All I want is for it to stay this way’. Quite the opposite is sassy friend, nightclub singer Lisa (Amelia Atherton), imploring Waverley to seize her moment, singing beautifully to her, ‘It’s your time, I’m waiting for mine’. Comedy moments are sprinkled around: laddish Luke (Callum Henderson) climbs the stairs with his latest conquest declaring, ‘If I’d known you live on the 5th floor, I’d have taken someone else home’. Later he clues up recently separated Darren as he sings sardonically of, ‘The best way to get a girl - is to get a girl’; and, ‘you’ve got to applaud this sick trick played by God’. Henderson really shines while singing a wonderful number about the grip cigarettes have. Simple as this musical’s storyline is, it’s packed with superb lyrical numbers and sung with a quality and confidence you’d expect from more experienced performers. The cast shone, their varied personalities lending the play depth and interest. A wonderful, entertaining night out.
Next Thing You Know is on at The Garden Theatre at The Eagle, 349 Kennington Lane, London SE11 5QY until Saturday 31 October. Time: 6pm. Admission: £20.00 + bkng fee www.gardentheatre.co.uk
Photo by Mark Senior
Gatsby’s Masquerade Ball Seeing as 2020 has not gone as planned it seems only right to don a sparkly dress, grab a glass of champagne and return to the 1920s for some Jazz Age revelry. writes Rosie O’Connell...
The grim realities of the world outside are, of course, never too far away with face masks and hand sanitisers aplenty, though the masks hardly seem out of place at Gatsby’s Mansion, merely add to the masquerade. Starting off (socially distanced) in the grand art deco designed bar and central space we are immediately introduced to our narrator Nick Carraway in the midst of one of Gatsby’s notorious parties. He is presently joined by the rest of the cast for an energetic Charleston that makes the room shake and the audience becomes naturally familiarised with the characters in attendance. From this point on, pockets of guests
are invited by the actors to join them in smaller side rooms where each group gets their own story additions. While previous renditions of this immersive experience would allow the audience to roam the different sets and rooms and stumble upon various interactions with the actors, the Covid-Safe restrictions mean just that - it is more restricted. It is, nonetheless, hard to not feel as though you are missing out by not exploring those areas that are off limits, even though it seems to be planned out in such a way that no matter your seat for the evening you will be whisked away at some point. And the majority of the narrative unfolds in that central bar space. That said, for someone perhaps not as familiar with the plot, I do wonder how unclear all of this might be. Craig Hamilton rose to the challenge as the eponymous Gatsby and gave a suave and smiling, yet melancholic detached performance,
and Lucinda Turner’s Daisy was the perfect balance of self-absorbed but still somehow enchanting. Beyond the leading roles, Ivy Corbin as Jordan Baker has unmatched energy throughout the whole evening and Lucas Jones’ George Wilson is tragic and heartfelt. The evening drew to an end with the feeling that actors and audience alike were truly thrilled and grateful to be in a performance space again. While it is not the open, free-roaming experience of before, they have maintained the glitz and glamour of Fitzgerald’s 1920s in a way that makes it well worth a step outside of reality for a few hours. The Great Gatsby is on at a secret Mayfair location until January 31st. Times: Daily at 7.30pm. Saturday matinees 2pm. Admission: £29.95 - £49.95 www.immersivegatsby.com
Photo by NatLPh
The next thing you know will be wonderful
