Deep-Heat Rivalry, The Mirror Crack’d, The Human Voice / The Seven Deadly Sins & Still Life

This episode, we’re covering four wildly different theatrical experiences: a double bill of opera at Charing Cross Theatre, Noël Coward served with afternoon tea at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, an Agatha Christie mystery at the Mill at Sonning, and the gloriously outrageous Deep-Heat Rivalry at The Other Palace.

The Human Voice / The Seven Deadly Sins

One woman, two operas and two very different journeys.

Charing Cross Theatre brings together The Human Voice and The Seven Deadly Sins in a fascinating double bill exploring women pushed to their emotional limits.

Francis Poulenc and Jean Cocteau’s The Human Voice unfolds through a single devastating telephone conversation as a woman speaks to her former lover for what may be the final time. It’s paired with Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s The Seven Deadly Sins, a biting satire infused with Weimar cabaret and American jazz, in which Anna is divided into two halves of the same soul and sent across America to earn enough money to build her family a home.

We discuss two very different musical worlds brought together to create one intriguing psychological portrait.

Still Life

Before there was Brief Encounter, there was Noël Coward’s Still Life.

Theatre Royal Drury Lane’s magnificent Grand Saloon is transformed into the refreshment room at Milford Junction station for an intimate, immersive production directed by Tam Williams.

With afternoon tea served as part of the experience, the audience sits inside Coward’s world as Rachel Pickup and Alasdair Craig play Laura and Alec, two married strangers whose chance meeting develops into an intensely restrained love affair.

Supported by Elizabeth Elvin, Antony Jardine and Seren Sandham-Davies, with music performed live by the company, this is Coward served with tea, sandwiches, longing and heartbreak.

We discuss whether placing the audience right inside this quintessentially British love story makes its famous emotional restraint even more powerful.

The Mirror Crack’d

There’s been a murder in St Mary Mead – which can only mean one thing: Miss Marple is on the case.

Liza Goddard takes on Agatha Christie’s legendary detective in The Mirror Crack’d at the Mill at Sonning, adapted for the stage by Rachel Wagstaff.

When Hollywood star Marina Gregg arrives in the village and throws a glamorous party at Gossington Hall, the celebrations end in murder. Secrets emerge, suspects multiply and Miss Marple begins piecing together what really happened.

We discuss Goddard’s interpretation of Miss Marple, Sara Crowe’s turn as fading Hollywood star Marina Gregg, and a production directed by Jonathan O’Boyle that left us with plenty to talk about.

Deep-Heat Rivalry

And then things get hot. Very hot.

Deep-Heat Rivalry at The Other Palace takes the world of professional ice hockey, adds forbidden romance, powerhouse vocals, Shakespeare, tiny towels and an impressive quantity of innuendo – while proudly admitting to having absolutely no understanding of sport.

Written and directed by Trevor Ashley, the outrageous parody follows hockey superstars Shane Hollandaise and Ilya Stroganoff, sworn rivals who discover that all that aggression might actually be disguising something considerably steamier.

Sario Solomon brings enormous charm and vulnerability to Hollandaise, while Jason Leigh Winter knows exactly what he’s doing from the moment Stroganoff makes his deliciously sultry entrance. Diana Vickers lets rip as The Diva, delivering powerhouse vocals and fearless comedy, while Ross Chisari as Puck provides narration, Shakespeare and some scene-stealing one-liners.

Filthy, ridiculous, unapologetically queer and enormous fun, we discuss why Deep-Heat Rivalry might just be one of the best Saturday nights out in London.

From Poulenc and Brecht to Christie and Coward – before ending with sweaty hockey players ripping each other’s clothes off – you really can’t accuse us of lacking variety this episode.