KING LEAR★★★★Riverside Studios
KING LEAR at Riverside Studios ★★★★ “a stunning sight that feeds our imaginations” The air is thick with silence. And darkness. As we hold our breath, our eyes slowly adjust while a blanket of white light spreads across the back wall like an uncertain dawn. Silhouettes appear like ghosts on
CAPTAIN AMAZING★★★★★Southwark Playhouse Borough
CAPTAIN AMAZING at Southwark Playhouse Borough ★★★★★ “a timeless and emotive piece of theatre, perfectly silly and sensitive” This is a 10 year anniversary revival of a beautiful piece that has lost none of its composure. Captain Amazing is a tour de force of storytelling, with Mark Weinman nimbly navigating
LAUGHING BOY★★★Jermyn Street Theatre
LAUGHING BOY at Jermyn Street Theatre ★★★ “Whilst moving, the piece lacks dramatic elements and at times feels more like a lecture more than a theatrical work” Laughing Boy is a piece of Political Protest Theatre, which is theatre that arises from injustice and makes it clear it is protesting
PIPPIN IN CONCERT★★★★★Theatre Royal Drury Lane
PIPPIN IN CONCERT at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane ★★★★★ “The air is thick with the exhilaration that flows from the cast and ensemble” “We’ve got magic to do, just for you… We’ve got miracle plays to play. We’ve got parts to perform – hearts to warm… as we go
THIS IS MEMORIAL DEVICE★★★★Riverside Studios
THIS IS MEMORIAL DEVICE at Riverside Studios ★★★★ “The anecdotes and reminiscences are poetic in style and Higgins has an energy that rises as he slowly takes his foot off the soft pedal” From 1983 to 1985, ‘Memorial Device’ was the best band that no-one’s ever heard of. Mysterious, post-punk
BLUE BEARD★★★★Battersea Arts Centre
BLUE BEARD at the Battersea Arts Centre ★★★★ “A ricocheting trip through cabaret, musical, farce, drama, concert, pantomime, horror and fairground ride” If you’re familiar with Emma Rice’s way of working, whether with Knee High or her current Wise Children company, you will know what to expect when you wander
TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK)★★★★★Criterion Theatre
TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK) at the Criterion Theatre ★★★★★ “the whole show has the feel of a classic, like it has been around for ever, yet it still glows with a freshness and streetwise modernism” The move from an off-West End theatre into the West End
WHY I STUCK A FLARE UP MY ARSE FOR ENGLAND★★★★★Southwark Playhouse Borough
WHY I STUCK A FLARE UP MY ARSE FOR ENGLAND at Southwark Playhouse Borough ★★★★★ “Alex Hill is outstanding. He performs the role of Billy with such energy and dynamism it’s exhausting just to watch” Ever wondered what might cause a man to do something as reckless as sticking a
CALENDAR GIRLS★★★★Mill at Sonning
CALENDAR GIRLS at the The Mill at Sonning ★★★★ “Innocently raunchy and with a feelgood factor as comforting as home-made plum jam” ‘We’re not naked… we are nude!’. This distinction is a playful leitmotif that runs through the charmingly English comedy-drama, “Calendar Girls”. That the debate can follow seamlessly from
BEATS★★★King’s Head Theatre
BEATS at the King’s Head Theatre ★★★ “It’s an astonishing performance from Campbell, and Snell’s tracks complement it well” This intense and intimate reimagining of Kieran Hurley’s 2012 play captures the appeal and vibe of ‘90s rave culture, while missing what makes it interesting now. The concept of Beats is
DUET★★★Theatre at the Tabard
DUET at Theatre at the Tabard ★★★ “And while the intimacy of the piece is fitting, Morgan and Straus fail to capture the richness and depth of the legendary characters” More than a century before our Celebrity Culture took hold, the legendary actors Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse became the
BANGING DENMARK★★★Finborough Theatre
BANGING DENMARK at the Finborough Theatre ★★★ “the story is well paced and refreshing in its levity” Banging Denmark is rom-com about a pick up artist who asks a feminist sociologist for help in seducing a Danish woman and hijinks ensue. Written by Van Badham, the piece is a light
THE FAIRY QUEEN★★★★Jacksons Lane
THE FAIRY QUEEN at Jacksons Lane ★★★★ “the ensemble company of fourteen young opera singers work tirelessly well together, invested and focused throughout” There was a lot to like about HGO’s production of The Fairy Queen, including the twelve piece on stage Baroque HGOAntiqua Orchestra led by Seb Gillot, playing
MACHINAL ★★★★Old Vic
MACHINAL at the Old Vic ★★★★ “a brave and exciting revival that mixes gritty absurdism with precision-cut stylisation and outstanding performances” When Sophie Treadwell’s “Machinal” premiered in 1928, the New York Times was so intrigued that it reviewed the production twice – calling it ‘a triumph of individual distinction, gleaming
FROM ENGLAND WITH LOVE★★★½ Southbank Centre
FROM ENGLAND WITH LOVE at the Southbank Centre ★★★½ “the choreography excels – subtly, not in caricature, allowing the dancer’s skills to shine” The latest work from Hofesh Schecter, From England with Love, is exactly what you might expect from the title. An exploration through dance of England; its long,
BOYS ON THE VERGE OF TEARS ★★★★Soho Theatre
BOYS ON THE VERGE OF TEARS at the Soho Theatre ★★★★ “the ensemble takes the audience through violence, turmoil and tenderness” We open to a startling flash of light burnishing a grimy public lavatory as a small but mighty voice coming from a cubicle proclaims “I don’t need any help”
STREET SONGS: A BUSKER’S TALE ★★★★Golden Goose Theatre
STREET SONGS: A BUSKER’S TALE at the Golden Goose Theatre ★★★★ “a heart-warming show that gives many classic but over-played songs brilliant new meaning” Buskers have been performing in public spaces since public spaces were invented. They are the backdrop to society. Too often taken for granted and now highly
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING★★★★Watermill Theatre
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at the Watermill Theatre ★★★★ “never a dull moment in this energetic and above all entertaining show” Tom Wentworth’s version of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing promises a ‘sashay into the Golden Age of Hollywood’ but does the filmset backdrop stick in this brand new adaptation?
CHEEKY LITTLE BROWN★★★ ½ Theatre Royal Stratford East
CHEEKY LITTLE BROWN at the Theatre Royal Stratford East ★★★ ½ “a grower of a piece whose meaning lingers after it’s done” Described by writer Nkenna Akunna as ‘an ode to your early twenties’, ‘cheeky little brown’ follows Lady, played by Tiajna Amayo, for a night on the town as
HITS AND PIECES #5 (SPICE GIRLS)★★★★Cockpit Theatre
HITS AND PIECES #5 (SPICE GIRLS) at the Cockpit ★★★★ “a wholesome and welcoming atmosphere which continues into the bar after curtain-down” Theatre has long benefitted from pop stardom. Whether by using featured artists to draw in the crowds, or more directly providing the soundtrack to the drama. Hits &
“Once glanced at by someone moderately famous”