“There isn’t an actor who does not love the Richmond Theatre”, starts the chapter on tonight’s venue in the highly recommended doorstopper London’s Great Theatres by Simon Callow and Derry Moore. Pre-lockdown intensive renovations went ahead at this beauty on Richmond Green. A blue plaque refers to theatre architect legend Frank Matcham. Insisting that we … Continue reading When Darkness Falls – from Guernsey to Richmond Theatre
If the Dungeons sound just a tad too “family entertainment” to you, 1797 – The Mariner’s Revenge is your maritime hauntology alternative for this Halloween season: No silly shiver-me-timbers, no franchise pirates and no Hans Zimmer tunes but instead grown-up madness, all comical, cruel, chaotic and strange. Immersive theatre, but cast-led. Yes, there can always … Continue reading 1797 – The Mariner’s Revenge at the Old Royal Naval College’s Admiral’s House
A model train takes us in the spooky intro on a journey to Grimsby: Accompanied first by the harmonica, then the birdsong from The Juniper Tree, it is interpreted as a shanty for one, fitting our times and the North German original – the more than morbid, taboo-heavy story of the Juniper Tree is one … Continue reading Grimm Tales for Fragile Times and Broken People by Creation Theatre’s new Repertory Company
I remember staying up all night as a teenager to read Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in one sitting as a teenager, a German translation admittedly and not the original text from 1886. The hypnotic narrative and tension made me regret years later still that Dr. Frankenstein’s fellow … Continue reading Chasing our memories through Lambeth: Fire Hazard Games’ Jekyll / Hyde
Germans are strange people occasionally: How could an averagely successful American kids’ detective book series ever become a national treasure? The Three Investigator books were first published in the United States in 1964 and author Robert Arthur doubted the success so much himself he asked no one else but Alfred Hitchcock to step up as a patron and an occasional book … Continue reading Trying to explain a very German phenomena from California – Die drei ??? in Hamburg
Because print is still the most engaging advertising channel I am already back at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith – Ghost Stories do not allow visitors under 15th, advertises with audience reaction from their “scream cam”, and has therefore been picked by me for a night out in the theatre for a big birthday with friends from Hamburg. Bringing people … Continue reading Ghost Stories at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith – a scare that stays with you
I have watched Berberian Sound Studio on DVD several times – cohabiting with an Italophile AV technician led the film towards me naturally. Both the film and its soundtrack have become a code word for everyone interested in foley art and sound creation and is further well known among the fans of Italian horror director … Continue reading Berberian Sound Studio live on stage at the Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden
Something must be going on in Yorkshire when you visit early in the year – and indeed it’s the annual Viking festival Jorvik which had been (due to my Haithabu roots) on my bucket list for years. Here in York the Vikings settled when coming over to Britain from Northern Europe. After I already got … Continue reading The York Dungeon – Yorkshire’s bloody history in 75 minutes
Confession first: Before tonight I had not seen Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show on stage or watched the film. I knew that the Time Warp was a thing, “Dammit, Janet” a catchphrase and that audiences brought water pistols, rice and toilet paper to performances everywhere. Hopefully, all these little myths and rituals will now make … Continue reading A baptism of fire at the New Wimbledon Theatre – seeing Richard O’Briens Rocky Horror Show for the first time
Exactly a year ago we came to London’s Bridge Theatre for the first time. It had only opened recently but we were standing in front of closed doors. Not even the foyer lights were switched on. I had bought the tickets a month before when looking for a Christmassy night out; not something as loud as a … Continue reading Hans Christian Andersen in London – A Very Very Very Dark Matter at the Bridge Theatre
Sadie takes the Stage 