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Brief awakenings: White Rose The Musical @MaryleboneTHLDN

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A fascinating and daring act of defiance in Nazi Germany by a group of university students in Munich is given a slightly perplexing rock musical treatment in White Rose, the musical. Something seems amiss in this earnest and occasionally tuneful show. It lags more than it inspires, which is surprising given the tragic and compelling history of the real-life characters the show depicts. Given that young people are increasingly likely to vote for far-right parties across Europe, it’s an opportunity to look at a time when they had a different perspective on the future. Perhaps something has been lost in the translation or the larger space of the Marylebone Theatre where it plays.  The White Rose were a group of university students in Munich who sought to undermine the Third Reich through publication of a series of pamphlets urging passive resistance to the Nazi regime. Over a brief period between June 1942 and February 1943, they distributed their pamphlets across campus using ...

Ambiguously Straight: Bromance @udderbellyfest @bmtroupe


Flying by the seat of your pants takes on greater meaning with circus troupe Barely Methodical and their latest offering Bromance, which is at the Udderbelly Festival on the South Bank until 19 July.

The three performers, Beren D’Amico, Louis Gift and Charlie Wheeller, fuse circus performance with their expertise in martial arts tricking, parkour and breakdancing; not to mention some hilarious comic interactions for a thrilling hour.


By the end of the evening there are more than a few times you will find yourself gasping at some of the positions they throw themselves into and the feats they perform. Handshakes become handstands as D’Amico and Gift perform a series of clinches and grasps. Meanwhile Wheeller captivates the audience balancing on the Cyr Wheel as he goes it alone… And before the end of the show they strip down to their underwear showing their fantastic... er... form by creating a human pyramid.

The piece explores the boundaries and limits of male companionship. Trust, the essence of relationships and the boundaries of support and personal space. Much of the humour is derived from challenging what is considered to be acceptable non-sexual behaviour between men (much to the titillation of the audience).

The performers relish this ambiguity and these boundaries... Is it just friendship or is it something more. But it is a thoughtful examination of how it is possible to use acrobatics, movement, dance and theatre to provide  insight into what makes us who we are.

Yet another amazing piece of circus theatre at the Udderbelly, Bromance runs on the South Bank until 19 July. Don't miss it.

⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎

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