Review: Tom’s Midnight Garden
An absolutely first-rate ensemble and they tell the story with all the wide-eyed wonder of a real enchantment, beyond Christmas, beyond, perhaps time. A gem.
Genre: Puppetry
Review: Men Talking
The end, as it inevitably must be, is a way of recollecting emotion with emotion. An inspiring act of witness, before others, and beyond ourselves.
Review: Taiwan Season: The Way Back
Interesting well-performed physical theatre with object puppetry
Review: JM Coetzee’s Life & Times of Michael K
Beautifully adapted, directed, performed and designed - masterful puppetry, poignant and meaningful.
Review: La Petite Gerda
Imaginative retelling of Snow Queen story with beautifully sung songs, excellent acting and creative storytelling.
Review: Casting the Runes
It is difficult not to be hooked by Box Tale Soup’s charming vision of M.R. James’ work.
Review: Moby Dick
It's hard to distinguish puppet from human in a spectacular retelling of Moby Dick.
Review: Manic
A new solo show that combines puppetry, spoken word and theatre to bring an honest look at sex and trauma to Brighton Fringe 2023
Review: No I.D.
The celebration of acceptance and being wholly comfortable in your own body for the first time in your life transmits to everyone. It should make you more comfortable, knowing how Tatenda Shamiso radiates the joy of his, bestowing a kind of benediction. A quietly groundbreaking show.
Review: Quality Street
Don’t miss this exquisite confection. After this production, there’s possibly no return to the original. It’s a rethinking paying homage to both the sentiment, which it never upstages, and the brand and its factory-workers the comedy gave its name to.
Review: Django in Pain
Poignant, charming and meaningful play that is imaginative and vibrant in vision and message.
Review: James and the Giant Peach
With memorable music and ensemble singing added to a first-rate BLT production, there’s no better Christmas show in town.
Review: Mother Goose
This is more than panto: it’s an affirmation of something that panto here welcomes in, in our time uniquely invoking layers as only Elizabethan/Jacobean drama can.
Review: Space Hippo
Blockbuster shadow puppetry show that is full of fun and has a hippo sized heart
Review: The Man Who Planted Trees
Charming story, masterful storytelling, entertaining and enlightening show imaginatively brought to life with beautiful sets, props and puppets.
Review: Will Tell and the Big Bad Baron
A great family show: energetic, pacey with plenty of opportunity to join in and let off steam.
Review: Famous Puppet Death Scenes
"A visually appealing and brilliantly creative massacre of tiny people."
Review: Move Fast and Break Things
Intriguing impactful story, characters and fascinating video and puppetry!
Review: A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings
Imaginative production of a magical realism story with intrigue, drama and subtle humour that people of all ages can enjoy together.
Review: Mary, Chris, Mars
Imaginative - and will appeal to families with an interest in space, astronauts and object/shadow puppetry.
Review: Finding Grace
A fascinating "tragi-comic solo performance about a writer who is looking for ‘Grace’.
Review: The Adventures of Sleepyhead
A charming theatrical performance of someone who thinks that by becoming a grown up, they lose their dreams.
Review: The Man Who Planted Trees
A must-see performance of a moving and timely story told by two men and a dog- an inventive treat for adults as well as kids
Review: The Twits
A summer must-see to charge you up for the autumn, and taking on the real twits ahead.
Review: More Grimm Tales
A rollicking production with razored timing, musical cues and ad-libs worked in to half-second slots. A must-see.
Review: A Feast for the Senses! Creative, Imaginative and Heartfelt – Christmas Carol by Manual Cinema
Creative Imaginative and Heartfelt visual storytelling - theatre, shadow puppets, original live music!
Review: Frankenstein
Imaginative, Exquisitely Haunting and Moving - Visual Storytelling at its best!
Review: Beauty and the Beast
Nothing so convincing has been done with this legend. It deserves many revivals.
Review: Shoe Lady
Katherine Parkinson inhabits that breaking through the office crust asphyxiating us
Review: As You Like It
For Lucy Phelps and Sophie Khan Levy above all, this is a joyful As You Like It.
Review: Celeste’s Circus
A quant and lovely trip to the circus for little ones that take big ones along for the ride
Review: My Love Lies Frozen In The Ice
A visual feast of physical theatre, gorgeous stagecraft, clowning and puppetry
Review: Moonbird
A sweet gentle show about encouraging difference for Deaf and hearing children, and older family members too
Review: Madagascar The Musical
Highly Recommended for monkeys and lemurs of all ages – quite apart from lions, zebras, hippos and giraffes.
Review: The Man Who Planted Trees
Charming, imaginative, entertaining storytelling and puppetry show, extremely well performed - thoughtful, moving story, with a noble message!
Review: Penguinpig
Charming, attractive, well thought out puppetry show set to lovely music, that will appeal to young children and accompanying grown ups!
Review: A Life On The Silk Road
An Epic and Unique Journey Through Dance, Music, Puppetry, and Physical Theatre
Review: Backup
Highly innovative climate change narrative that draws you into a dramatic movement piece which then delivers a massive knock out blow.
Review: Darlings
Well written and acted contemporary play about 20 somethings is relatable, informative, entertaining and pulls on the heart-strings, the best kind of theatre!
Review: A Cockroach and Furry Blurry Fluffy Things
Delightful show, positive, creative and imaginative!
Review: The Search for a Black-Browed Albatross
Creative, imaginative, beautifully crafted and well performed - excellent show!
Review: The Sorrowful Tale of Sleeping Sidney
This is a gem of many colours. Do see it. The miraculous construction’s matched by Jordan’s storytelling and sense of dark mischief. In Jordan’s hands it’s a re-possession of lost innocence by a strange sleight of a knowing child.
Review: The Boy, the Piano and the Beach
A good experiment that the Slot Machine Theatre hasn't quite managed to pull off… yet.
Review: Minefield
Minefield is for its unique and singularly consummate exploration of its themes, outstanding, in a class apart from any show you’ll see, perhaps even of Arias. Her work must be acknowledged here now.
Review: The Prophetic Visions of Bethany Lewis
Late night puppetry that sparkles with wit and wisdom in an age that suffers from a lack of both
Review: David Walliams’ The First Hippo on the Moon
A great children’s story told with much flair and tenderness.
Review: Heartwood
A family tale that has a heart of gold rather than wood but plenty of mileage to get through which will soften yours.
Review: The Tale of the Cockatrice
A superior piece of children’s theatre that tells an ancient tale with plenty of new tricks.
Review: The Wonderful World of Lapin
Charming and entertaining family show that will delight the very young.
Review: Puppet Fiction
Gritty story inspired by Pulp Fiction, except with puppets - entertaining and fun!
Review: Angels in America Part Two: Perestroika
Seeing Part Two reinforces the impression that in its virtues and a few vices, there’s nothing like this in theatre. An epic conveying a generational anger undergoing criminal abandonment, it blazons all corners of a nation. And the almost national multitude of cast and creatives Marianne Elliott’s assembled stands proud in this, almost beyond praise.
