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The greatest show and other bromances: Adam Riches and John Kearns ARE Ball and Boe @sohotheatre

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Alfie Boe and Michael Ball seem to be a bit of a joke act anyway. Their endless interpretations of popular songs (also known as covers) and their double-act bromance make them quintessential crossover artists where popular music meets opera and Broadway. And a perilous choice for the discerning listener. It’s not that they aren’t talented musicians and performers in their own right. Still, their musical choices are always safe, predictable and less than their potential. But every country deserves to have a pair of self-described national treasures that can tour the local arenas and give people a good time for the bargain price of £175 a seat.  And so the concept of Adam Riches and John Kearns - two world-famous from the Edinburgh Fringe comedians taking on this bromance seems like a curious choice for a Christmas musical fare. One can only hope that over the fourteen nights, it is playing at the Soho Theatre that the show evolves into something more substantial than a series of po...

He had it coming: Burnt Up Love @finborough


Out of the darkness and shadows, three characters emerge. Lit only with candlelight or flashlights, a gripping tale by writer and performer Ché Walker about crime, punishment, love, and loss emerges. The fast pace conveys a sense of urgency to make up for lost time, lost opportunities, and what might have been. It’s currently playing at the Finborough Theatre. 


We first meet Mac (Ché Walker) in prison, serving time for a crime he committed. With only a photo of his young daughter, Scratch, to keep him company, he looks for her upon release. But Scratch (Joanne Marie Mason) isn’t the teacher, lawyer or dancer Mac imagined while incarcerated over the years she might be. Instead, Scratch is in and out of trouble, on the edge, angry and violent. A chance encounter one night with JayJayJay (Alice Walker) forms a loving bond and gives her a moment of stability. But Scratch’s demons and restlessness mean trouble does not seem far away. Scratch's random act of thoughtless violence against an ex-lover threatens all the characters.

There are strong performances in this three-hander with three distinct contrasting characters. The tension is heightened by original music by Uchenna Ngwe and additional music by Sheila Atim, which gives the sense of urgency, loss, and anger.


Usually, it would be easy to consider a show under lit as a missed opportunity since you can’t see the performances. But here, in the intimate space of the Finborough, you find yourself leaning into the void to connect to the characters and their loss. It may not be a straightforward story to tell, but one you can’t look  away from either.

Written and directed by Ché Walker, Burnt-Up Love is having its world premiere at the Finborough Theatre until 23 November. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Photos by Rio Redwood-Sawyerr

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