Close-Up Culture

Independent journalism on the things we love

An Enemy Of The People – Theatre Review

ARTHUR Miller’s An Enemy Of The People is a powerful play that examines how representatives of society are sometimes able to manipulate the will of the people so as to crush the truth and pursue their own agenda. Even if in the process, honest people (truthsayers) are led like lambs to the proverbial slaughter.…
Time Is Love/Tempo Es Amor – Theatre Review

TIME Is Love is a moody, sexy and sultry play from the pen of Che Walker – who also skilfully directs. It fizzes along at a rapid-fire pace, helped by some mighty fine performances from a young and vibrant cast. Leading from the front is Sheila Atim (Girl From The North Country) who shines…
In Conversation With Graham Norton – Theatre Review

WHAT starts as a tale about a rather amusing voyage of personal discovery ends up dark and ultimately tragic. A story of and about our time. Welcome to the world of Mark – In Conversation With Graham Norton. A 17 year old young man (and a virgin) who looks back on his sexual awakening…
Close-up Culture’s Top 8 Theatre Productions Seen In 2018

8. Bury The Dead Irwin Shaw’s play, revived to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the ending of World War 1, was magnificently revived at the Finborough. A play about soldiers who ‘refuse’ to die. It highlights the human waste of war – dreams unfulfilled, relationships destroyed, lives cut off in their prime. Both devastating…
‘Jeannie’ Review

ALTHOUGH Jeannie may be 78 years old and a tad dated as a result, this play still sparkles with a rich overdose of humour and social comment. Penned by Aimee Stuart, a progressive writer of her time, Jeannie has been revived for the innovative and imaginative Finborough Theatre in London’s Chelsea (Stuart would approve…
‘Boujie’ Review

SECRETS lie at the heart of Hassan Govia’s ambitious play Boujie. Secrets that when revealed destroy long standing relationships. At the play’s fulcrum is Devin (Govia himself), a young man who seems to have done pretty well for himself as an entertainment blogger. A London flat, champagne on tap and all the trappings that suggest…
‘A Hero Of Our Time’ Review

OLIVER Bennett and Vladimir Shcherban’s adaptation of A Hero Of Our Time is a brave and refreshing one. Running until the middle of December at the Arcola Theatre, this play – based on a slither of Mikhail Lermontov’s 1840 novel of the same name – contains enough raw energy to keep a village lit…
‘Love-Lies-Bleeding’ – Theatre Review

LOVE-LIES-BLEEDING is a play about assisted death, from the mighty pen of Don DeLillo, an American novelist made famous by books such as Underworld and White Noise. Yes, tough subject matter, but director Jack McNamara has made a mighty good fist of the play’s UK premiere – thirteen long years since it was written. Helped…
‘Exodus’ Theatre Review

EXODUS is an ambitious and fun play amid despair. It highlights the innate ability of people to rise from the ashes, in this case quite literally so. Set in South Wales, the play is built around four individuals who are cruel victims of economic circumstance. Ray is ex army who seems to have lost…
‘Bury The Dead’ Theatre Review

THE poignancy of Irwin Shaw’s play Bury The Dead, first performed 82 years ago, is ramped up a notch or five by the 100th anniversary of World War 1 and the impending Remembrance Sunday on November 11. The play, currently being revived by the ground-breaking Finborough Theatre, highlights the cruelty of war, extinguishing young…