London Theatre | Andrew Girvan

Exploring London Theatre Advertising at Christmas

By: agirvan

17-11-2009

My trips up and down the escalators to the Tube every morning changed slightly over the weekend with all the standard theatre posters being replaced with Christmas themed versions.

It’s the first time I’ve been in London for an extended period this close to Christmas but it does make perfect sense that West End producers are bumping up their advertising campaigns and planting the idea of a West End show Christmas treat in the minds of consumers. The number of high budget, highly advertised shows around London has also spiked in the run up to the festive period with Peter Pan transfering it’s tent from Kensington Gardens to the O2 arena. Panto is of course the other market factor to contend with as regional theatres just outside London, local to the train season ticket toting, high earning commuters who arrive in the city centre every morning.

London Theatre Review: The Trial at Southwark Playhouse

By: agirvan

12-11-2009

London Theatre, Theatre Review

Familiar to those I have worked with at C venues over the past couple of years, Belt Up are an an experimental theatre company hailing from York who have recently been making quite the impression at the Fringe. Their adaptation of Kafka’s Trial was one of two sell out shows that were staged at the Fringe this year, moving the group from their previous Red Room venue at C central into a found space in the fire wrecked C soco.

The back arch at Southwark Playhouse plays host to the piece for the next three weeks and again gives the piece a fantastic backdrop of urban decay. Just a few metres away from the trains rumbling over head the lighting design can only be described as spectacular, moving the audience from one end of the space to another, constantly creating new environments and revealing what sometimes feels like an endlessly large space. It really is a fantastic environment to showcase the work, adapted by and starring Dominic Allen.