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Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: ‘Girls & Boys' by Griffin Theatre is a devastating solo memory play
As I walked out of Griffin Theatre's extraordinary production of 'Girls & Boys,' in that dazed state that sets in after a show really messes with your head, two thoughts immediately ran through my mind. First: Cynthia Marker just gave a hell of a solo performance — one of the best I've seen in a long time. Second: how on earth am I going to convey the impact of this play without spoiling too much of the plot? I'll give the latter my best attempt. In this one-woman play, British writer Dennis Kelly (a Tony Award winner for the book of 'Matilda the Musical') manages a tricky balancing act, tackling an extremely dark subject in almost surgical detail while softening its harshest blows for the audience and maintaining some sense of hope in humanity. Oh, and the show is also hilarious. Griffin's Midwest premiere of this 2018 play is directed by Robin Witt, who excels at the helm of intimate dramas, as recently demonstrated by the moving two-handers 'A Case for the Existence of God' and 'A Slow Air' at Steep Theatre. Her knack for shaping exquisitely paced, quietly devastating emotional arcs works equally well in 'Girls & Boys.' With a skilled writer and a sensitive director in her corner, Marker holds the audience in rapt attention for 100 minutes straight in the role of the unnamed narrator, a quick-witted, irreverent Londoner from a working-class background. She launches her opening monologue with a bit worthy of a stand-up comedy set, recalling how she first met her future husband while waiting to board a JetBlue flight in Naples, Italy. As he sarcastically dashes the hopes of two gorgeous models trying to flirt their way ahead in the tense queue, this previously unremarkable man starts looking like a Greek god to our narrator. The attraction proves to be mutual, and Marker's character rhapsodizes about their passionate physicality and seemingly perfect compatibility in the early stages of their relationship. Suddenly, a sound cue and a shift from white to blue lighting indicate a leap in time, and this woman begins to relive a mundane interaction with her two young children, Leanne and Danny, while speaking to thin air and miming her motherly motions. Although we don't initially understand the purpose of this disorienting scene, in which the narrator no longer addresses the audience but instead seems wrapped up in her own memories, it does begin to make sense of the striking scenic design by Sotirios Livaditis. The set's ground level consists of a simple couch, throw rug, end tables and lamps in grays and off-whites — an ensemble that is mirrored by blue furniture suspended from the ceiling and strewn with children's toys and two stuffed animals. The overhead set pieces light up during the blue-tinged memory sequences, with lighting designer Brandon Wardell and sound designer Thomas Dixon working in tandem with Livaditis to toggle back and forth in time as the play inches toward revealing how the narrator's own life was turned upside down. When the action flips back to the brightly lit, right-side-up look, Marker's character recounts how her husband, a successful entrepreneur, cheered her on as she pursued a new career in documentary filmmaking. In another comedic moment, she tells the story of her first job interview in the industry, which pitted her against a horde of posh young people who could afford to pad their resumes with unpaid work experience. But with a combination of grit and humor, she gets her foot in the door and works her way up. A happy marriage, a fulfilling job and soon, a growing family — her adult life seems off to a promising start. Of course, that's not where the story ends. I won't reveal more here, but the script drops enough hints of the horrors to come that when the crisis finally arrives, the narrator acknowledges that the audience probably knows where it's going. Then, she gives the gentlest, most generous trigger warning imaginable. When the story gets difficult, she tells us, remember two things: this did not happen to you, and it is not happening now. But in this fictional world, the unspeakable did happen to her, and the narrator's reflections on violence, grief and memory are both poignant and profound. Marker never succumbs to a full breakdown in the telling, and her character has had years to process the trauma, but her pain is no less palpable for this restraint. It's a performance that will haunt me for some time, I suspect. Don't miss 'Girls & Boys' (4 stars) When: Through Aug. 16 Where: Griffin Theatre at the Bramble Arts Loft, 5545 N. Clark St. Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes Tickets: $30-$43 at
Hindustan Times
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Harry Potter reboot: Bertie Carvel opens up on his role as Cornelius Fudge
Tony-winning actor Bertie Carvel, who is set to play Cornelius Fudge in the upcoming Harry Potter reboot series on HBO Max, spilled the beans on his role in the show. In a recent interview with The Times, Carvel shared his excitement about joining the wizarding world, admitting that he read the Harry Potter books only after landing the role. JK Rowling's Harry Potter series is all set to release on HBO Max. Bertie Carvel will play the role of Cornelius Fudge.(AP) While he's best known for his stage performances, including award-winning roles in Matilda the Musical and Ink, Carvel is no stranger to political characters, having played both Tony Blair in The Crown and Donald Trump on stage. The Harry Potter reboot is based on J.K. Rowling's books of the same name. Cornelius Fudge was the Minister of Magic in the books and movies. He shared a contentious relationship with Potter, particularly over the re-emergence of Voldemort. Bertie Carvel joins Harry Potter reboot as Cornelius Fudge According to Screen Rant, HBO Max is pulling out all the stops for the Harry Potter remake, casting top-tier talent like John Lithgow as Dumbledore and now Carvel as Fudge. While fans have met each casting update with intense scrutiny, Carvel remains grounded. He told The Times that his continued involvement in the show 'depends on what the fans think.' Also read: Johnny Depp recalls his response after getting dropped from Fantastic Beasts franchise: 'F**k you…' Bertie Carvel on his future in Harry Potter reboot 'I don't know how it's going to fit into my life. I've read one script, which I loved, and I've read the books. I hadn't before I got the role. I think I saw one of the films, maybe two. As a boy if I had read these books I would have devoured them. So I am coming at it with a really open mind,' he added. Carvel did not comment on the backlash the casting had received. Whether or not that happens is up to the fandom, but Carvel seems ready to let the magic unfold. FAQs 1. Who is playing Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter reboot? Bertie Carvel will portray Cornelius Fudge in the HBO Max remake series. 2. What is Bertie Carvel known for? He's known for The Crown and Matilda the Musical, among other roles . 3. Is the Harry Potter reboot a TV show or movie? It's a TV series with each season covering one book. 4. When is the new Harry Potter series releasing? The release date hasn't been announced by HBO Max yet.
Otago Daily Times
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Queenstown's sister act
Rhiannon, left, and Tatum Hookey readying to hit the stage in Invercargill next weekend. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Excitement's building — and just a few nerves — for Queenstown sisters taking to the stage next weekend for Invercargill Musical Theatre's two-week season of Matilda the Musical. St Joseph's School pupils Rhiannon, 7, and Tatum Hookey, 12, are, respectively, one of three girls playing the title role and one of two sharing the role of Alice. They've been rehearsing for six months and relocated to Invercargill, with their parents, at the start of the second term. Rhiannon, who says "I'm excited but also nervous", plays Matilda on opening night next Saturday, then for three other performances, but she'll also be the off-stage Matilda for another four shows in case illness strikes the on-stage lead. "Rhiannon's learnt a huge monologue, it's blown our mind how she's retained the script," her mum Greer Ell says. "It's phenomenal for an 8-year-old." Tatum will play Alice for eight performances including the final night. "I'm very, very, very excited for the show," she says. "And I just am so excited for everything that we've done in the rehearsal room to come to life on stage and just be 'revolting children'." Ell notes "the girls are at every single rehearsal with a mask on just to make sure they don't catch anything in the final hour because there's a lot going around Invercargill at the moment". She adds the girls, who've been home-schooled this past term, have had great support from their school. "I have to say it's the most amazing adventure our family has ever had — we've only got wonderful things to say about our experience, and the directors have really pushed the girls to the point where it's a super-professional production, from what I hear." Like the other parents, Ell says she and husband, Dave Hookey, will only get their first glimpse of the show, and Rhiannon on stage, on opening night — Tatum debuts the following night.
Time Out
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
A gigantic stampede of life-sized puppet animals is coming to London this weekend
Do you remember The Walk? Staged in 2021, the show-slash-festival-slash touring artwork was based around Little Amal, a-not-so-little (in fact gigantic) puppet refugee girl who 'walked' from war-torn Syria to dear old Blighty. Now the producers behind it – including former Young Vic boss David Lan – have a new show with a similar, but different, and even more visually striking idea. The Herds is effectively a migration of puppet beasts from the heart of Africa: elephants, giraffes, antelopes, lions, wolves, wildebeest and more. They set out from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this year, travelling overland from Africa and on into Europe with their final destination of the Arctic Circle. By all accounts they're travelling in large numbers and their appearances are pretty damn spectacular. Why is this happening? Well just as The Walk was designed to raise awareness of refugees' stories, so The Herds is themed around climate change and habit loss, with the animals – all made from recycled materials – 'fleeing' habitat loss in their native countries. If that sounds heavy: well yes, it is, but the events scheduled for London actually look pretty fun. After making their arrival at Tower Bridge on the morning of Friday June 27, the beasts will be 'fed' at the Scoop amphitheatre near the bridge by local primary school children at 10am in a performance entitled Cornflakes and Hay created by the nearby Unicorn Theatre. That afternoon they'll move into the West End and stampede around performers from Matilda the Musical and the Royal Opera Company (from 4.10pm) in a bit entitled Hold On for Deer Life. The next day they'll take in Camden and Coram's Fields, while they'll round off their trip to our city (they're off to Manchester next week) on Sunday 28 with a visit to Stratford (3.15pm at Westfield!) and finishing with a late night (9.30pm) adventure in St James's Park called Caught in the Light that's free but that you'll have to register for. All in all a pretty magical weekend for London: The Herds will only visit once; don't pass up your chance to see it.
Irish Independent
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Matilda the Musical star Alisha Weir: Saoirse Ronan is my inspiration – how she grew up in the industry is something I admire so much
Alisha Weir is a 15-year-old actor and singer known for her role in 2022's Matilda the Musical. She was included in the 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and received the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer for her role in 2024 horror movie Abigail. She lives in Co Dublin with her parents and two sisters.
