Wendell Pierce gives an astonishing performance in this enthralling revival of the Arthur Miller classic. With a fantastic supporting cast, Marianne Elliot and Miranda Cromwell’s latest joint venture is an absolute triumph with acting at its absolute finest. This new take on Death of a Salesman keeps the location and timings as originally written. The […]
Kieran Hurley creates a masterpiece with this fresh narrative of social inequality and artistic license. He writes an exceptional account of how story telling is sensitive and emotionally captivating particularly when dealing with people’s lives, and that it should never be stereotyped. Mouthpiece explores the relationship between self-employed theatre writer Libby, and a troubled teen […]
Little Potatoes is an extraordinary, heart-warming tale of two women residing in China who lose a child in two very different ways. It explores China’s ‘one child’ policy, and how it impacted the lives of many, particularly women, where conforming to social rules highlighted the real fragility of life. The sole two characters, who adopt […]
A warm and engaging revival of a classic musical, Trevor Nunn’s Fiddler on the Roof has heaps of heart as it tells this tale of family, community and solidarity. Set amongst a small Jewish settlement in Imperial Russia during the early 1900s, Fiddler on the Roof’s themes are surprisingly still relevant. The story carefully balances […]
Call Me Vicky, the debut play from sisters Nicola and Stacey Bland is based on an entirely true story and is an absorbing, well-written and thought-provoking production. Set in the 1980’s, the play tells the story of Martin, played by the talented Matt Greenwood, who is transitioning from male to female, and the struggle of […]
Jeanine Tesori’s diverse range of work continues to impress me. Whether it be the scores for the hugely successful Shrek or Thoroughly Modern Millie, the excruciatingly raw Fun Home, or the hilarious yet heart-breaking Caroline, or Change. I was recently lucky enough to see fantastic productions of the latter two in this impressive list, and […]
Enjoying its second run at the Arcola, Jack Gamble’s production is a stark portrayal of the family dynamics of a typical working class family at the start of the 20th century. Focussing on the strained relationship between Luther and Minnie during the early weeks of their marriage, D H Lawrence’s The Daughter-in-Law is all about […]
Bright, wondrous, and bubbly, Seussical, is an odd little show, but one that is filled with positivity and happiness. This enthusiastic group of performers throw everything at the production, and I’d challenge anyone to leave the theatre without a massive grin on their face. Littered with playful and uplifting songs, the musical mixes a number […]
With new theatre, it is sometimes tricky to differentiate between what comes from the original writing and from the production you are viewing. After all, such an early incarnation of a musical will have very few, if any, comparisons by which the production itself can be directly judged. With Hadestown, the two are even more […]
After a run at the Edinburgh Fringe, Maddie Rice brings her comedic one woman show Pickle Jar, directed and developed by Katie Pesskin, to the Soho Theatre in London and delivers a skillful and hilarious performance. Rice successfully establishes the world of her main character, known only as Miss, as well as cleverly portraying all […]
David Morton’s new play The Wider Earth, staged at the Natural History Museum is a confident and educational new piece of work that quite literally spins you through the great adventure of a young Charles Darwin. Fast-paced and fun, this play cleverly lays out the building blocks of Darwin’s theory of evolution, incorporating clever set […]
David Hare’s plays always seek to provoke one’s mind of current issues such as inequality, social deprivation and most particularly the politics of the changing state of the Labour Party – and his most recent play showing at the National Theatre does just this. It focuses on NHS and funding, creating a meaningful story into […]
A bold new rock musical that brings a contemporary feel to the story of the Bronte sisters, this is a fun and smart piece of work that doesn’t shy away from experimental ideas, and while still a little rough around the edges, is an admirably successful piece of work. There are many parts of this […]
James Hogan’s new play is a touching portrayal of love, struggle and bereavement, but lacks the bite to make the drama gripping, spending too long stomping on well-trodden ground. Centring around Stan, recently out of prison and returning to the home he has been left by his late father, the play focuses on his interactions […]
Rory Mullarkey’s new play is totally bonkers, and while it does have some laugh-out loud moments, there are too many misfires meaning it ends up plodding along and becomes quite a frustrating watch. Unapologetically, this is a play deeply rooted in the surreal comedy genre, and it seems likely that it is going to split […]
Recent times have taught us that the novel ‘dark romantic comedy’ genre can work in popular culture. Tim Burton even created such a style that is now synonymous with his namesake. Corpse Bride, for example, shows that the motif can succeed in straddling the line between the macabre and the touching without falling too far onto one side or the other. It Happened […]
What a remarkably raw and human piece of theatre. The libretto of this brutally honest look at working-class life is crafted with such eloquence that it is a joy to listen to. Coupled with such a powerful performance from its cast, this play challenges your preconceptions and presents the complexities of an apparently simple life […]
It is remarkable that the principal themes of Machinal, an expressionist 1928 play by Sophie Treadwell, should resonate so acutely with the dominant questions of the modern world. Ideas of a woman’s role in an industrial and patriarchal society, whether one can be trapped by society and whether there is any ‘way out’ are in many […]
With a sharp and witty script delivered with crisp precision, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives is highly entertaining throughout, combining comedy and drama gracefully to produce a wonderfully crafted story. A highly entertaining new play, based on Lola Shoneyin’s novel, it tells the tale of a polygamous relationship in modern day Nigeria and […]
The story of Charles Ignatius Sancho is astonishing…
Every now and then a play comes along which helps to define its time. Ella Hickson’s The Writer does just that. With an explosive script, stunning design, and phenomenal acting – led by Romola Garai in what may be her finest performance to date – the Almeida’s new production is compelling. While the play takes […]
Inspired by the work of Yuval Harari – ‘Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind’ (2011) – this highly engaging piece captures your imagination from the get go. The book itself discusses evolutionary theory and how the human race has developed over time, stressing the cognitive development and intelligence of the human mind compared with our […]
Coconut, a new dark comedy playing at the Ovalhouse, is a witty and moving portrayal of life in contemporary Britain for a British Muslim woman. Based on the real experiences of its writer, Guleraana Mir, the play explores what it’s like to navigate cultural expectations and romantic freedom, but in a very real and unpredictable […]
Jason Robert Brown is a name that is maybe unfamiliar to the casual theatregoer, but you wouldn’t think that was the case sat in the packed London Palladium for his BBC Radio 2 concert. It is a treat in itself to have Brown in the UK, but the extra appeal of this occasion was that […]
How far will you go to be famous? This is the key theme that is explored in Ruthless!, a musical that does not hold back in poking fun of the brutality involved in succeeding in show business and all the stereotypes that come with musical theatre. The show achieves its aims somewhat, satirizing the very […]
Musical theatre isn’t usually the first place you look for a modern horror story, but in this new short creation by Bella Barlow and A.C. Smith, the eclectic mix works incredibly well. While it could do with tightening up in some areas, particularly near the end, the plot moves along with intrigue and excitement, with […]