Reviews by Ella K Clarke
SIX
Ella K Clarke
Hook me up to this glittery inferno of sass. As SIX rip-roared into Oxford’s Playhouse theatre to a sold out first night I had a sudden flashback; not only to snooze-inducing primary school white ...
2 months ago
SIX
Smart Casual
Ella K Clarke
"I’ll Google it”. Smart Casual ‘s tenacious and sprightly representation of a ‘Gen Z musical’ had its audience’s full attention from the first song. GOYA’s slick production had an ...
3 months ago
Smart Casual
As You Like It
Ella K Clarke
This company lovingly sang sweet odes to Shakespeare’s witty comedy As You Like It on a balmy summer’s eve in a leafy corner of St Edwards School’s sports grounds. Oxford Theatre Guild’s ...
3 months ago
As You Like It
after birth
Ella K Clarke
To be at this show’s premiere felt like a real privilege. Having been awarded the Propeller Award in 2020, after birth voices its powerhouse story with clarity, wit and integrity and was welcomed ...
5 months ago
after birth
Violin and Voices
Ella K Clarke
I had almost forgotten the medicinal balm live music can offer. This unassuming concert (one of several for the Orchestra’s festival season this summer) reminded me of just that. Conducted by the ...
5 months ago
Violin and Voices
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Ella K Clarke
With the familiar favourite Joanna Lumley, glimpses of the reassuring timbre of Stephen Fry, and a generous serving of a cavalier Alfred Enoch, I had high hopes. Fionn Whitehead with his romantic ...
8 months ago
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk
Ella K Clarke
This masterpiece was “dreamt in a fever”. A celebration of the union between artist Marc Chagall and writer Bella Rosenfeld, Kneehigh’s tender production was streamed live from Bristol Old ...
12 months ago
The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk
Oxford Lieder Festival 2020
Ella K Clarke
Opening recital: Dame Sarah Connolly and Eugene Asti, 10th October With my favourite mug of tea in hand, I quickly became transfixed by the welcome screen of fluffy white clouds gliding through an ...
a year ago
Oxford Lieder Festival 2020
23 Walks [12A]
Ella K Clarke
I cannot resist an ode to a beloved pet dog. A regal photo of Bruce, a golden lab, pops up at the end of the credits in dedication; presumably once a member of writer-director Paul Morrison’s ...
a year ago
23 Walks [12A]
Waterperry Opera Festival Mini Festival 2020
Ella K Clarke
Ariel by Jonathan Dove and Cosi Fan Tutte by W A Mozart
Within the first two bars, my eyes were as moist as the air. It’s been a while since I had this reaction to Opera, let alone live ...
a year ago
Waterperry Opera Festival Mini Festival 2020
The Time Machine: A Virtual Reality
Ella K Clarke
As many performance art companies are adapting to the restrictions of lockdown with live-streamed and pre-recorded entertainment, Creation Theatre has “boldly gone where no man has gone before” ...
a year ago
The Time Machine: A Virtual Reality
