Brighton Year-Round

A fascinating showcase, featuring actors we shall see again.

Mark Burgess and his students should feel immensely satisfied. And of course the students themselves divinely dissatisfied as they develop their craft.

All Saints Sussex Flutes

First-class and compelling, both compositions and performers. A gem.

An Officer and a Gentleman

What brings this musical home is the drawing-together of threads that hang loose in Act One. And finally you believe in a story that doesn’t flinch from darkness and sings its distress. Thoroughly enjoyable.

And Then There Were None

This is the finest Christie production I can remember. If you’re not a Christie fan, do see this anyway: it’s far more than a whodunnit.

As You Like It

A first-rate outdoor revival, and easily rivalling what the Globe have to offer.

Brief Encounter-Brighton Open Air Theatre

An unforgettable immersive theatrical experience-

Circle Mirror Transformation

A Fringe must-see.

Cluedo 2

The last ten minutes in particular are the silliest stuff: which is why it works. Soon more of the show will tighten and we’ll see that quality retro-fit.

Coming Clean

A must-see for anyone interested in the theatre of the past 40-odd years.

Constellations

This superb revival suggests Constellations will certainly travel for a long time.

Drop the Dead Donkey: The Reawakening

This is as fresh as an AI paint set, and far more transgressive than the original. The fizziest, most outrageous assault on common decency since – I’ll leave it to the gibbons. A must-see.

Experiment With an Air Pump

One of the stand-out NVT productions of recent years. A must-see.

For Entertainment Purposes Only

Philip Ayckbourn’s songs are the heart of this collection. It’d be thrilling to see a full musical here; and staged in London. Enthusiastically recommended, there’s gems, with more of Ayckbourn’s elegiac sensibility than I’ve ever seen. More of this please.

Hangmen

Assured, idiomatic performances. And Martin McDonagh’s distinction resonates in a manner peculiar to him alone. A must-see for anyone in Sussex.

Here You Come Again

As delicious and heartening as Parton’s last torch song.

John Fowles adapted Mark Healy The French Lieutenant’s Woman

This is BLT. How they manage it might stupefy a newcomer. A must-see.

Macbeth

It’s a phenomenal feat and even if you know Macbeth, it’s still a must-see for how a quintessence can be dusted off.

Muswell Hill

Cook and team have shown commendable disregard for comfortable options, sharing a rediscovery.

Neil Crossland Piano Recital, Unitarian Church, New Road Brighton

All in all an outstanding recital. Neil Crossland’s piano recital at the Unitarian Church is again on another level

Oliver!

You’re not going to see anything this special in most (if any) revivals, however luxury-cast. In stripping-back, then regrowing a complete ensemble with even lesser songs, this is the most complete Oliver! we’re likely to see.

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Will haunt NVT’s Studio as much as it will you.

Punchline

Destined to be a riveting play in Kay’s late-emerging canon.

Queers

All I can repeat is: see it.

Sabotage

Everything fits in Nofit States enthralling Sabotage

Sao Paulo Dance Company

She-Wolves

The Forgotten Female Rulers of England

Sister Act

In short, a fabulous example of British talent, now endangered, bringing quadruple threat to a magnificent production. Not all such mainstream shows on tour even approach outstanding, but this truly is.

Sleeping Beauty

If you care for ballet and you’re not in Covent Garden every month, see this.

St Nicholas Duo Brikcius 2 Cello Recital

Overall a richly satisfying recital, letting us into worlds and sonorities, ways of listening to some music we knew, and much we didn’t, that I’d love to hear again. Superb.

St Nicholas Emmanuel Sowicz Guitar Recital September 11th 2024

A consummate guitarist already marked - by many - for greatness.

St Nicholas Hammig String Quartet with Clare Wibberley, St Nicholas

Throroughly recommended.

St Nicholas In Memory of Benjamin Cruft

It would be good to hear far more from this singular ensemble.

St Nicholas John Bruzon Recital

Sovereign performance, intriguing sidelights. An immensely satisfying recital.

St Nicholas Kwanita Kwan-Lam Lau & Guangmel Chen Schumann Violin Sonatas

To have these Sonatas played and one after another too, is an absolute privilege, almost a luxury

St Nicholas Louis-Viktor Bak Piano Recital

An exceptionally distinguished recital. We’re lucky to have Louis-Viktor Bak, and the Petroff piano might just tempt him – and others – to return.

St Nicholas Richard Bowen Guitar Recital

Recommended for languorous afternoons such as the burst of May outside.

St Nicholas Simon Carrey Fauré and Chaminade Recital

Simon Carrey is an exquisite and deeply-musical pianist, wholly in tune with Fauré. I’d love to have heard two hours of him, with an interval.

St Nicholas Soprano Mandy Ching Man Liu and Pianist Mia Miaoyan Li Recital

Liu has both power and joy, precision and range. Li as pianist has aplomb and discretion in equal measure

St Nicholas Sylvia Akagi and Peter Golden Recital

A wonderful afternoon, and in its way fortuitous, necessary, and healing.

St Nicholas The John Lake Quartet Recital

A summer-rich ensemble that could play in any season.

Sussex Musicians Club Unitarian Church

Another unique evening, of revelatory and unfamiliar music.

Taking Care of Baby

Exemplary performances and production: with Charly Sommers outstanding as a woman hollowed out by everyone she knows. An auspicious full-length debut for Neil Hadley.

The IT

A truly worthwhile production

The Kite Runner

Spellbindingly translated to the stage and here with more power even than before. Don’t miss it.

The Sweet Science of Bruising

It should go to a prize-fight.

The Vicar of Dibley

This is a must-see. If there’s a ticket, grab it.

The Woman in Black

As fine a touring production as you’re likely to see

Until We Sleep

Vanya