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 &
GISELLE: REMIX★★★★★Pleasance Theatre
GISELLE: REMIX at the Pleasance Theatre ★★★★★ “a must-see – a piece of queer performance that is not to be missed” Adolphe Adam’s romantic ballet Giselle tells the story of a young peasant girl who falls in love with the disguised duke, Albrecht. Driven mad by the revelation of his
SPENCER JONES: MAKING FRIENDS★★★★Soho Theatre
SPENCER JONES: MAKING FRIENDS at the Soho Theatre ★★★★ “a delightfully silly hour with real heart, and the most representative chicken-owning experience I have ever seen on stage” The more time passes since the pandemic, the rarer you see the topic is raised on stage. Four years on, I was
ARTIFICIALLY YOURS★★★Riverside Studios
ARTIFICIALLY YOURS at Riverside Studios ★★★ “We want to dig deeper into the shadows, but the writing is reluctant to explore far enough to flesh out the ideas that are bubbling underneath” As I came out of the premiere of Aaron Thakar’s debut play, “Artificially Yours” I played a game
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM★★★★★Wilton’s Music Hall
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at Wilton’s Music Hall ★★★★★ “a production of charm and genuine ebullience” The grade II* listed Wilton’s Music Hall has endured as one of London’s hidden theatrical gems since the Victorian era. Its current run of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Flabbergast Theatre) is a spectacle worthy
MOBY DICK★★★★★UK Tour
MOBY DICK at the Royal and Derngate Theatre ★★★★★ “It is one of the finest pieces of theatre I have seen” Simple8 present an ambitious adaptation (by Sebastian Armesto) of Herman Melville’s epic 1851 adventure, directed by Jesse Jones. There is a minimal set (designer Kate Bunce) of scaffolding on
YOUR LIE IN APRIL★★★★Theatre Royal Drury Lane
YOUR LIE IN APRIL at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane ★★★★ “Frank Wildhorn’s sumptuous score sweeps through the auditorium with its rousing ballads” Midway through Act Two of “Your Lie In April” something extraordinary happens. Zheng Xi Yong, as the young musical prodigy Kōsei Arima, places himself at the piano
“Once glanced at by someone moderately famous”