Bad influence?: Mandeep Dhillon (Mandeep) and Jalleh Alizadeh (Anita). Photo credit Ellie Kurttz Theatre: Theatre Royal Stratford East Play: Anita and Me Writer: Meera Syal Adapted by: Tanika Gupta Director: Roxana Silbert Review by Esha Chaman Tanika Gupta’s musical adaptation does justice to Meera Syal’s coming-of-age novel and tells the story of a British Asian… Continue reading Anita and Me

Book: The Silent Striker Author: Peter Kalu Publisher: Hope Road Publishing Price: £6.99 Review by Angela Howell Marcus is 14 years old and from the local council estate. His school football coach considers him a genius, but in class he is considered a disruptive student. Marcus sees school as a waste of time and feels… Continue reading The Silent Striker

Book: The Whale House and other stories Author: Sharon Millar Publisher: Peepal Tree Press Price: £8.99 Review by Reshma Ruia The Whale House and other stories is a powerful collection of short stories which both entertains and informs. Millar presents a kaleidoscope of Trinidadian life with all its longings and disquiet and probes beneath the… Continue reading The Whale House and other stories

When the feminine meets the masculine: Libby King (Elvis) and Kristen Sieh (Teddy). Photo credit Sue Kessler Theatre: Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, Royal Court Play: RoosevElvis Playwrights: Rachel Chavkin, Libby King, Jake Margolin and Kristen Sieh Director: Rachel Chavkin Review by Esha Chaman RoosevElvis is a mind-bending journey of self-discovery, where introverted Ann finds herself travelling… Continue reading RoosevElvis

Praising in the name of donations: Monica Dolan (Megan) and Vanessa Babirye (Nurse). Photo credit Manuel Harlan Theatre: Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Royal Court Play: Plaques and Tangles Playwright: Nicola Wilson Director: Lucy Morrison Review by Irenosen Okojie There’s been a recent onslaught of plays (and films) about the ageing process. Alzheimer’s appears to be a… Continue reading Plaques and Tangles

Natalie Ibu photo credit: Robert Day Natalie Ibu is making waves as artistic director at the British African theatre company tiata fahodzi, established 18 years ago by Femi Elufowoju, Jr. Born in Scotland of mixed heritage with a first class honours degree in theatre with arts management, Ibu always knew that theatre was her calling.… Continue reading Interview with Natalie Ibu

Photo credit Mark Douet Actor, director and playwright Lucian Msamati could be described as a polymath. Born in the UK, he was brought up in Zimbabwe where he studied French and Portuguese at university before pursuing his dream of acting by establishing the acclaimed Over the Edge Theatre Company with his friends. Since relocating to… Continue reading Interview with Lucian Msamati

Praising in the name of donations: The cast of A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes. Photo credit Mark Douet Theatre: Tricycle Theatre Play: A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes Playwright: Marcus Gardley Director: Indhu Rubasingham Review by Joy Francis French playwright Molière’s 17th century morality tale Tartuffe (The Imposter) has been modernised, refurbished and relocated to Tennessee,… Continue reading A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes

Thinking about the future: Nala (Ava Brennan) and Simba (Jonathan Andrew Hume). Photo Credit Johan Persson Despite most of my nieces and nephews, along with their parents, having made their merry way to see The Lion King over the years, I had yet to take the plunge. Far from being a sign of avoidance, other… Continue reading Disney’s The Lion King

Film: 3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets Director: Marc Silver Genre: Documentary Producers: Minette Nelson, Carolyn Hepburn Distributed by: Dogwoof Films Review by Awra Tewolde-Berhan Marc Silver’s gripping documentary 3 ½ Minutes, Ten Bullets, is like a thriller and serves as a painful reminder of how a fleeting moment can destroy a life. In this case, the… Continue reading 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets