Review: What If If Only
Churchill’s anatomy of grief is what abides. Its emotional plangency and pulling the future open is unique.
Genre: Theatre 0
Review: The Midnight Bell
An outstanding ballet by any standards. One that like its inspiration Patrick Hamilton will last.
Review: Walden
Amy Berryman’s Walden is a remarkable play where the earth itself’s at the cross-planet, and travellers in space have inner and outer choices.
Review: Twelfth Night
With Michelle Terry as Viola, one of the most touching and truthful Twelfth Nights I’ve seen.
Review: Romeo and Juliet
A fleet, brilliantly upending, wholly relevant take on the Verona-ready toxicity feeding male violence and young depression
Review: Dirty Dancing
There’s a fitting heart-warming climax to a dream of production. And a surprise to those who think they know the film.
Review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Outdoors, this has grown prodigously. Some actors give transcendent performances up there with London’s finest. Out in the slant air this proves magical.
Review: Statements After an Arrest under the Immortality Act
An important, scorching revival, Statements explores the limits of love in a forcing-house of oppression and racism.
Review: Once Upon a Time in Nazi-Occupied Tunisia
A profound parable for co-existence and its sometime impossibility, perpetually skewed by others’ disruptions.
Review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Even more than 2019, a carnival riot of joy – with enough misdirection to evoke moonshine
Review: Prison Game
Hercules is a very compelling performer who has created a snapshot of a microcosm that we can learn from, in this complex meaningful physical theatre show
Review: Looking for América
Epic personal story, very well crafted and performed. It’s a lifetime and back – a meaningful, visceral and emotive experience. Not to be missed!
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: Under the Floorboards
Enter the story of serial killer Ed Gain and his house of horrors - if you dare!
Review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Some actors give transcendent performances up there with London’s finest. Out in the slant air this will now prove magical.
Review: This Beautiful Future
Heartstopping. There’s an absoluteness here we need. We must prove desperate for it or die ourselves.
Review: Bard In The Yard : The Scottish Play
Will’s got a nasty case of writer’s block and is in desperate need of ideas and people to help him.
Review: For All the Love You Lost
A fascinating portrait of the anxiety of youth, the loss of somebody close and that endings are not always assured, even in a theatre.
Review: The Return of Sherlock Holmes
The standard story set up by a highly entertaining pair who deliver a very high standard of performance.
Review: Rosetti’s Women
A lovely, dramatic presentation that covers the racy relationships, from the perspectives of three of his women, of Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Review: Rapunzel
A tremendously enthusiastic summer panto slap bang in the tradition of getting them going, taking them on a journey and filling them full of good cheer.
Review: The Dream Train
Contemplative and beautiful to watch, 4 characters interact in juxtaposed realities underscored by Bach's Goldberg Variations
Review: Love in the Time of Lockdown
An acute observational review of love (and life) under lockdown
Review: The End of the Line
Do strangers see us as we are, rather than how we might wish to be seen?
Review: Femme Ta Bouche
A melodramatic revelation and epic journey of self-discovery that is prescient and worthy of a pedestal upon which to put itself.
Review: Plasters
Two actors in a relationship, both on and offstage, struggle to find meaning for themselves.
Review: Myra’s Story
One woman, many characters, several tragedies told with the earnestness of truth and the triumph of theatre.
Review: The Twits
A summer must-see to charge you up for the autumn, and taking on the real twits ahead.
Review: The Power of Silence
Memories, imagery, tender and searing recollections - it creeps up on you!
Review: The Merchant of Venice
This production needs a run. It’s potentially a great interpretation.
Review: Misfits
An important play, tackling the deadly serious with laughter that all too easily could lead to stark tragedy.
Review: Sweet William
Naturally enriched by living with Shakespeare Michael Pennington unearths local habitations and names for him.
Review: Evening Conversations/Life Laundry
Engrossing, it should provoke. Sudha Bhuchar absolves us by being bloody funny.
Review: Troy Story
Again the most educative stand-up and a thrilling presentation. Oh and bloody funny on war, male sexuality and the Bechdel Test.
Review: Dracula
You should see this with some fine acting and a storyline making more sense of Dracula than Stoker does himself.
Review: Tom Lehrer
Another sovereign tribute. Stefan Bednarczyk brings Tom Lehrer swaggering out of retirement.
Review: Jeeves and Wooster Perfect Nonsense
A professional-standard production, and magnificent start to the 2020s.
Review: On Arriving
On Arriving takes sixty minutes it seems we’ve been immersed in a Greek Tragedy of ninety. See it.
Review: The Mother Load
Three women, three pregnancies, three experiences, much laughter and revelation in a funny and engaging audio performance.
Review: Hindu Times
A religious text for our times, told in the language of the now with universal messages.
Review: and breathe…
Yomi Sode’s hybrid theatre is a compelling immersion of witness and poetry: we need more of it.
Review: Staircase
A first-rate revival of a play that with its ostensible shock-value in aspic, reveals subversions and a clever structure so unsettling we should all look in the mirror and wince.
Review: The Girl Who Was Very Good at Lying
Andrews vividly conveys what it is to be an undone thing, someone unravelling tales to live.
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: Bette: Bathhouse to Broadway!
One of the most musically satisfying, funny, filthy and inclusive tribute acts of its kind.
Review: Deaf Ears: How I Learned To Hear
Friedman’s a spellbinding storyteller in the lives he’s immersed himself in listening to.
Review: Branching Out
Three very fine and one outstanding work, Scratches – the best kind of play on depression, self-harm, black holes. Because it’s screamingly funny and deeply connected to why we do theatre.
Review: Leaves
This haunting 45-minute tale is a superb small gem from Jermyn Street’s Footprints Festival.
Review: An Evening With Flanders and Swann
A sovereign tribute. If you know Flanders and Swann, you’ll know Bednarczyk.
Review: Pandora’s Jar/Honour Among Thebes
The most educative stand-up and a thrilling presentation. Oh and bloody funny on the tragedies.
