City of Floating Sounds by Huang Ruo and the BBC Concert Orchestra at Southbank Centre

You're going to pique my interest immediately when you have a performance that combines mobile technology with art, music or theatre. I've been working in mobile technology for 25 years and I love to see and experience new ways of using existing technologies in an effective, interesting, useful or unusual way. So when I saw the following blurb, you can imagine I was interested to know more:

"Picture the scene: dozens of strangers meet at select locations around London and walk through the city together, playing different strands of Huang Ruo’s City of Floating Sounds out loud from a bespoke app,creating a full symphony as they go. Sound intriguing? Grab your phone and some comfy shoes and join a moving orchestra!"

I rallied a few friends, organised our tickets and we met on a gorgeous, sunny, warm evening at Victoria Embankment Gardens and joined the crowd to form this so-called moving orchestra. The weather could not have been better for it. I can't imagine it would be much fun in the rain. We set off in a somewhat higgledy piggledy fashion along the north bank. We weren't given any instructions although there were clearly visible Southbank reps on hand. A QR code with a link to download the app would have been useful. A reminder that the sound would be better if we stayed closer together (after all, each phone was playing a different sound) and that you needed to have your volume on full and your screen on low to conserve battery power would have been helpful. As we walked along the road to Embankment Gardens, it was hard to hear any music due to traffic noises, other pedestrians and lots of chatting amongst ourselves. Maybe that's the point that we just heard snippets at this point as we adjusted to the immersive nature of the experience. 

Once we hit the gardens, the experience was infinitely better. We had more critical mass in terms of people together and there was much less traffic noise to contend with. It was also really fun to walk past bemused people in the park wondering what it was that they were witnessing. Some paid no attention whatsoever and carried on with their conversations, phone calls and doom scrolling but others were really intrigued and were watching us quite intently. 

As we headed towards Hungerford Bridge, we lost critical mass again as people dispersed across the bridge at different speeds. This was a shame, but my group did get talking to passers by to explain what it was they were witnessing. At the culmination in front of the Southbank, the sound grew. There were large speakers on the terrace, and the sound grew as people arrived. However, many people turned the app off or put their phones away once they arrived at the Southbank which was a shame. Our phones were still playing different things, and if more people had kept their phones out playing the music, the experience would have been better. Again, signage, a QR code and encouraging those milling around the Southbank to join in might have been good.

After a short break, we headed into the concert itself, where we enjoyed a full, live orchestra performance of the piece by composer Huang Ruo. We also heard two shorter pieces by Advaith Jagannath and Arvo Part. The acoustics in the Festival Hall are fantastic so it's always a pleasure to experience a full orchestra in there. For the two shorter pieces, we were treated to fantastic percussion. I do love a bit of timpani. 

I find writing about music quite hard. Although I sing a bit, play piano (albeit extremely rustily) and can read music, I don't have the vocabulary or depth of knowledge to truly describe it to someone else. The main piece was meditative - multiple loops that fitted together but were ever so slightly discordant. Not dissimilar to many of our lived experiences being in a city. We can wonder at the majesty of the River Thames, admire the skill and beauty of the architecture and art around us, yet baulk at the sweaty tube, busy roads and grumpy people around us. It's every so slightly jarring, and I felt that in the music. The structure of the piece sounded like it was perhaps in rounds, with repetition of themes. It made me wonder if you could create a similar effect using a loop or sampler pedal. The overall effect of the music felt representative of a tidal river, perhaps, as it ebbs and flows or even the microcurrents that may exist within it. Ultimately, it was a meditation on city life.

The immersive element of the programme was my favourite part, and it would have been good if more could have been made of what was almost like a flashmob. Would I listen to Ruo's piece again? Possibly not but I would most definitely participate in another mobile phone moving orchestra.

Tending - Riverside Studios

Tending, written by and starring El Blackwood, staged at Riverside Studios this week and last week, is a piece of verbatim theatre drawn from 70 interviews with real NHS nurses. With just three actors - El Blackwood, Anjelica Serra and Ben Lynn - and a simple set consisting of three chairs, a striplight and a surgical-style curtain as a backdrop, the production lets the words do the work.

The nurses' testimonies chart their journeys into the profession, their day-to-day work in the NHS, and the challenges they faced - firstly as newly qualified nurses ('they told me I'd be crying every day for the first 6 months and they were right') and then as early and mid-career nurses. Their roles made all the more challenging by funding cuts, relentless demand, and the long shadow of COVID. Their stories are by turns funny, harrowing and deeply moving, and as someone who has been both a patient and a visitor in hospital, I found many of the images they conjured very familiar, some of them painfully so.

The acting was outstanding - honest, nuanced and emotional. This was as powerful as anything I’ve seen in the West End, despite having none of the budget. Through raw, direct storytelling, the cast revealed what it really means to be a nurse in Britain today and also how they witness the human condition in all its forms from the sublime to the ridiculous. There were moments that certainly brought a lump to my throat, especially around palliative care (something I know about from being my late mother's carer), but the piece was never heavy-handed. The writing allowed for light and shade, making space for hope and humour alongside sorrow.

That said, the way the play ended felt strangely unresolved. Given the strength of the voices we’d just heard, I was left wondering what we were meant to do with it all. It felt like a missed opportunity—an ending that offered no direction. Instead, my friends and I came away feeling a bit despairing and helpless. 

Still, this was poignant, urgent, and vital theatre and shares more insight into the realities of the NHS than any episode of Casualty or Holby City. Tending is a moving reminder of the human faces behind the hospital scrubs and how critical the NHS is to our society here in the UK. 

You can still catch it until Sunday 4th May.

Ordinary Days - Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Ordinary Days, a musical by Adam Gwon, follows four New Yorkers as they navigate daily life in the big city. Two of them are a couple whose relationship slowly unravels before us; the other two are strangers, one an aspiring academic, the other a young man who is muddling through life, who connect through a lost item. During the show, all four characters reveal what brought them to New York and what they're searching for to create the lives they dream of. They reveal hopes and fears and the daily dramas in seemingly trivial things. Ultimately, we see how they find meaning, joy, and connection in an increasingly complicated world.

This production, from Birmingham’s Old Joint Stock Theatre, was staged Upstairs at The Gatehouse with a strikingly minimalist set: a few moveable boxes, some carefully placed props, and a single picture frame. Accompanied by a live pianist, the four actors—Aidan Cutler, Melissa Camba, James Edge, and Dora Gee—perform the entire show without spoken dialogue. The songs carry the narrative, giving the piece a lyrical, flowing rhythm.

Despite being written over 15 years ago, the musical feels fresh and timely. Cutler’s comic timing is impeccable, bringing warmth and real vulnerability to Warren, his oddball optimist of a character. Dora Gee is a standout as Deb, delivering razor-sharp humour with ease. All four performers are strong vocalists, and the pianist deserves credit for underpinning the show beautifully.

The sparse set and well-judged lighting effects enhanced rather than distracted, allowing the characters and music to take centre stage. The staging was excellent and the small cast used every inch of space giving the audience a feeling that we were in a much bigger space. Given that Ordinary Days requires only four actors and a pianist, it deserves to travel further. This production told its story with heart, humour and a quiet originality and despite it's relatively light tone, it felt life-affirming and I certainly came away feeling a little lighter than when I arrived. I hope it isn’t the last we see of it. Ordinary Days is anything but ordinary.

Salty Brine, These are the Contents of My Head at Soho Theatre

I didn't know what to expect from Salty Brine. I'm never quite sure that I'm the target audience for drag acts at Soho Theatre. After all, I'm CIS female, straight and certainly old enough to be the artiste's mother. I've been a bit non-plussed by some of those that I've seen there in the last few months feeling that they were aimed squarely at a queer, male audience and misogyny is also evident more times than I would like. 

I needn't have worried with this show. Salty is different. They had something to say that could touch anyone in the audience so it had a more universal appeal. Sure, there were things in it that a gay man would relate to more than me, but that feeling of being an outsider and trying to fit in in places where you're never really going to fit in resonated. 

The show is clever in that weaves Brine's Judy Garland singing persona, the songs of Annie Lennox's album DIVA, the Kate Chopin book 'The Awakening' (required reading in US schools apparently) and the tale of Brine's own upbringing. Despite this seemingly complex premise, it was easy and fun to be carried along with the adept storytelling, the wonderful singing and music. The whole thing was engaging, thoughtful and funny - a complete theatrical experience rather than a song cycle with anecdotes. 

A special mention should go out to Brine's band. What a treat to have a full ensemble on stage instead of a soundtrack. The musical arrangements were superb and Brine's Musical Director, Ben Langhorst, is also an absolute hoot! This show has style, pzazz aplenty and yet retains the human story at it's core. 

The next time Salty hits Blighty, I'm there!

Review: The Inseparables at Finborough Theatre

There’s a lot to admire in The Inseparables, a new play by Grace Joy Howarth based on Simone de Beauvoir’s novella of the same name (you can read about that here), now playing at the Finborough Theatre. It’s an ambitious project to take on a reworking of this recently found novella. The story shines a light on the early life and friendships that helped shape one of the 20th century’s most radical thinkers. And whilst the production has flashes of beauty, particularly in its visuals and performances, it doesn’t quite land emotionally, mainly due to issues in the writing.

The source material is loosely autobiographical: Sylvie represents de Beauvoir and Andrée is based on her real-life best friend and confidante, Elizabeth 'Zaza' Lacoin. These two young women were pioneers in thought, pushing against social norms and having the kind of formative conversations that would later feed into de Beauvoir’s feminist philosophy. On paper, it’s fascinating. But on stage, the depth of their connection doesn’t fully come through. I didn’t quite feel their inseparable-ness, which seems like a bit of a problem when that’s the central premise. Teenage girl friendships can be some of the deepest, passionate bonds around, as intense as any romantic crush and I needed more of that emotional weight to make sense of the story.

The play unfolds in a series of short, fast-moving chronological scenes, jumping from childhood into their twenties. That structure might work on the page, but here it felt a little rushed and fragmented. It was hard to settle into any particular moment before we’d moved on again. It was also hard work as an audience member to keep up with what was going on and where we were in place and time. This also meant there wasn't time to get to any emotional depth between the two girls. We got glimpses of their radical spirit, but not enough of the raw, thought-provoking conversations that maybe fuelled de Beauvoir’s work.

That said, the production design is full of clever touches. Hazel Poole Zane’s set is minimal but effective: a simple window with lace curtains, a chaise longue, a dresser-turned-anything, and a couple of prop shelves - nothing flashy, but enough to give each scene a clear sense of place. The stage is small, but it never feels cramped, and the transitions are smooth and purposeful.

The standout design element, though, is the video projection by newcomer Jessica Brauner. These projections add real texture to the world of the play, transporting us from school chapels to rural idylls to domestic interiors. The stained glass effect is especially striking—there’s one moment in Act 2 where it’s used in combination with shadow dancers to contrast Andrée’s faith with Sylvie’s rebellion, and it’s genuinely beautiful.

Costume-wise, everything feels grounded in period—give or take the odd zip (a small detail, but zips weren’t really a thing until the 1930s!). Overall, though, the look and feel of the show is cohesive and well thought-out.

Performance-wise, the cast of four is strong. Lara Manela as Andrée is a real highlight—graceful, expressive, and consistently engaging. She brings a subtle wildness to the role that hints at something deeper beneath the surface. Ayesha Ostler as Sylvie is solid too, although I didn’t always feel the fire of Sylvie’s emotional or ideological journey. I think that's down to the writing as much as anything. Alexandre Costet-Barmada and Caroline Trowbridge both provide excellent support, juggling multiple roles with ease and nuance.

The real treats come in the movement sequences, choreographed by Daniela Poch. Andrée’s love of music, especially the violin, is beautifully rendered through dance. These moments could have veered into interpretive-dance cliché, but they don’t. They’re elegant, clear, and a lovely way of deepening the character. The music choices (by Flick Isaac Chilton) are also pitch-perfect, helping to break up the linear storytelling and evoke mood and time really effectively.

There’s also something genuinely exciting about the fresh talent involved in this production. Three of the cast are new graduates, two are French (which feels fitting, given the source material), and the video designer is also just starting out. It’s fantastic to see new artists being given this kind of platform, and I really hope we see more from them in future. Kudos to the Finborough Theatre for providing a platform for them to showcase their talents.

Am I glad I saw it? Absolutely. Despite its flaws, it’s made me want to read the novella and dig deeper into both de Beauvoir and Lacoin’s lives so in many respects, the purpose of the exercise has been achieved. It's also important to support new work to maintain the health of our theatre ecosystem.

Playing until 10 May at Finborough Theatre (5 minutes walk from Earls Court tube, Warwick Road exit) https://finboroughtheatre.co.uk/production/the-inseparables/

The Inseparables - by Grace Joy Howarth, based on the novella by Simone de Beauvoir translated by Lauren Elkin

Cast & Creatives:

Cast: Alexandre Costet-Barmada, Lara Manela (Andree), Ayesha Ostler (Sylvie) and Caroline Trowbridge

Director: Anastasia Bunce / Set Designer: Hazel Poole Zane

Lighting Designer : Abraham Walkling-Lea / Sound designer: Flick Isaac Chilton

Movement Director; Daniela Poch / Video Designer: Jessica Brauner

Intimacy Coordinator: Justin Stirewalt / Stage Manager: Kiara Atkinson

An interview with Marisha Wallace

I was lucky enough to see Marisha Wallace's one-night-only concert at The Adelphi Theatre when I got back from Barcelona earlier this month. It was a great concert - partly biographical with a full band on stage, backing singers and a few special guests. I also got a chance to interview Marisha as part of the experience. Although I've interviewed many people over the years, it's usually been in the context of exploring issues in the mobile industry at a conference, podcast or panel session. 

This was my first interview in a long time with someone in the arts. The previous one was a joint session with Rufus Norris, my old youth theatre chum, when he'd just started his tenure as Artistic Director at The National Theatre some ten years ago. I'll have to dig that one out of the archives.

My review and interview with Marisha are over on 1883 Magazine. I really like what she had to say.

Much Ado About Nothing is Quite a Lot of Something

Having a passion for theatre and getting to write about it opens lots of doors to experience productions I might not have had the budget to go and see ordinarily. Much Ado About Nothing is one of those. At the time of writing this post, tickets for the last week of the run are selling for £350+ - This version of Much Ado about Nothing is Quite A Lot of Something Special. 

I was lucky enough to go and see it back in February. I loved it. It's a very different take on Shakespeare, getting the Jamie Lloyd stripped-back treatment but in pink this time instead of the monochrome we've seen before.

My review of it is over on 1883 Magazine. 

It was a couple of hours of pure joy perfectly reflected in the gorgeous pink confetti and giant pink heart seen on the stage. If theatre is meant to transport you somewhere for a couple of hours or so, then this production certainly delivers. As I said in the review, when Jamie Lloyd gets it right, he really gets it right. Shakespeare purists may not like it but ticket sales suggest that the rest of us love it.

It clearly also delivers to the fans. On leaving the theatre, there was an enormous queue around the block, patiently waiting for Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell to come out. I've never seen anything like it! 

The queue was very well organised to allow room for the actors to walk safely to talk to fans, sign autographs and have photographs taken. 

I didn't join the queue, but I did watch it in action and I was very impressed with how much time Hiddleston and Atwell spent talking to fans and interacting with them. 

Performing every night is usually enough for most actors but these two have to factor in working the stage door every night as well. The way they've handled this will only serve to increase their star power. Other actors could do well to take notice of this. 

I might just have to join the queue one night this week and get my programme signed too.