Tag Archives: Christopher Haydon

Diary of a Madman

Gate Theatre, Notting Hill, London (****)

© Iona Firouzabadi, Guy Clark (Matthew White), Liam Brennan (Pop Sheeran)

© Iona Firouzabadi, Guy Clark (Matthew White), Liam Brennan (Pop Sheeran)

Bumptious, mouthy, cheeky – Al Smith’s adaptation of Gogol’s short story, Diary of a Madman is all these things and then some. A metaphor that rages about Scottish independence, national identity and corporate take-over wrapped up in the story of a humble man driven mad by loss, Christopher Haydon’s sparky, irreverent production understandably set tongues wagging during its initial run at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Continue reading

The Iphigenia Quartet

Gate Theatre, Notting Hill (****)

© Helen Murray, Susie Trayling (Clytemnestra), Anthony Barclay (Agamemnon), Shannon Tarbet (Iphigenia)

© Helen Murray,
Susie Trayling (Clytemnestra), Anthony Barclay (Agamemnon), Shannon Tarbet (Iphigenia) in Iphigenia by Suhayla El-Bushra

The Gate Notting Hill’s dynamic artistic director Christopher Haydon has taken a mighty gamble with this commission, Iphigenia at Aulis reflected through a fresh, contemporary prism from the point of view of each protagonist: Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, Iphigenia and the Chorus. Continue reading

Image of an Unknown Young Woman

Gate Theatre, Notting Hill, London

© Iona Firouzabadi

© Iona Firouzabadi

Did Elinor Cook have in mind that famous iconic picture of the little Vietnamese girl screaming in the road when she entitled her latest play, Image of an Unknown Young Woman kicking off Christopher Haydon’s intriguing new Gate season of Icons and Idols. Huynh Cong “Nick” Ut’s photo that went round the world came to symbolise the horror of the Vietnam war for a generation and beyond. Continue reading