WONDER BOY★★★★UK Tour
WONDER BOY at the Theatre Royal Stratford East ★★★★ “Cookson’s inventive style of directing is – as ever – capturing, stimulating and entertaining” Wonder Boy by Ross Willis, and directed by Sally Cookson, follows Sonny (Hilson Agbangbe) as he comes to terms with the cause of his stammer; and tries
WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ANNE FRANK★★★★Marylebone Theatre
WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ANNE FRANK at the Marylebone Theatre ★★★★ “this drama is pure, clean, rich with luxuries, well-engineered and superbly constructed” In this visceral dissection of modern Judaism, what greets us first is designer Anna Fleischle’s super chic compact kitchen island: clean lines, cream
THE JAMES BOND CONCERT SPECTACULAR★★★½Indigo at the O2
THE JAMES BOND CONCERT SPECTACULAR at Indigo at the O2 ★★★½ “a shaken-and-stirring combo of hits through the ages” Superspy James Bond is no stranger to The O2. Remember the sequence in 1999’s The World Is Not Enough? The suave Pierce Brosnan zips the Q Boat round the Docklands. He
DR DOLITTLE KILLS A MAN (AND READS EXTRACTS FROM HIS NEW BOOK)★★★Museum of Comedy
DR DOLITTLE KILLS A MAN (AND READS EXTRACTS FROM HIS NEW BOOK) at the Museum of Comedy ★★★ “We’re in the land of the surreal, where nothing makes sense until it suddenly does” His name is Dolittle, Dr John Dolittle, sweaty adventurer, animal linguist and hyper-animated Oxford don. Remember him?
SLAVE: A QUESTION OF FREEDOM★★★★UK Tour
SLAVE: A QUESTION OF FREEDOM at the The Lowry ★★★★ “Moments of lightness or humour are rare, but welcome, during the work, which is a hard watch for a compassionate audience” Co-adapted for stage by Kevin Fegan and Caroline Clegg from the autobiography Slave (Virago) by Mende Nazer and Damien
FILUMENA★★★★UK Tour
FILUMENA at the Theatre Royal Windsor ★★★★ “There are complex emotions and issues on show here, that are delivered with warmth and humour – and at times with quite a punch” The opening of Eduardo De Filippo’s “Filumena” finds the title character on her deathbed with Domenico, her partner of
THE LEHMAN TRILOGY★★★★★Gillian Lynne Theatre
THE LEHMAN TRILOGY at the Gillian Lynne Theatre ★★★★★ “a towering study of human drives, frailties, venality and, yes, exuberance” On September 15, 2008, something was stirring. I went to the window of my Canary Wharf office and peered down to see an ant trail of sacked Lehman Bros workers
EURYDICE★★Jermyn Street Theatre
EURYDICE at Jermyn Street Theatre ★★ “Occasionally it feels as though the actors, lost in their own underworld, are making it up as they go along” “Orpheus was beginning to get very tired of sitting by his girlfriend on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice
KING TROLL (THE FAWN)★★★★★New Diorama Theatre
KING TROLL (THE FAWN) at the New Diorama Theatre ★★★★★ “brilliant, vital and fresh” As an art form theatre is rarely truly frightening. Often a show will be disquieting, or sinister, but as King Troll began, I was confronted with the unusual sensation of fear. From the initial shock factor
PLEADING STUPIDITY★★★New Wimbledon Theatre
PLEADING STUPIDITY at the New Wimbledon Theatre ★★★ “absurd and delightful in equal measure” Pleading Stupidity is, as the title suggests, ever so silly. From Maybe You Like It Productions, this is the true story of two very stupid boys (classic) on their gap year (very classic) working in a
FRENCH TOAST★★★★Riverside Studios
FRENCH TOAST at Riverside Studios ★★★★ “It mocks pretty much everything about the industry, but it is also a heartfelt love letter to the theatre” The French actor, director and writer, Jean Poiret, is best known for his 1973 “La Cage aux Folles”. He is perhaps less well known as
MAISIE ADAM – APPRAISAL★★★★UK Tour
MAISIE ADAM – APPRAISAL at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House ★★★★ “a welcomingly confrontational and awkward evening of stand-up with a bit of something for everyone” On the biggest night of her new tour, Maisie Adam presents a raucous night of heckling the audience right back, and journeying through
PORT CITY SIGNATURE★★★½Hope Theatre
PORT CITY SIGNATURE at the Hope Theatre ★★★½ “a riveting, exciting watch” Port City Signature by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller is a Noir-styled suspense story centred around the arrival of the naïve Newcomer into the local public house after having missed her train home. The mistrustful Regular and his sex-working partner-in-crime, Lady
FOREVERLAND★★★★Southwark Playhouse Borough
FOREVERLAND at Southwark Playhouse Borough ★★★★ “a gorgeously heartfelt and intimate story” Most of us have a gut reaction to the question ‘Would you like to live forever?’ But once it subsides, we discover that it is impossible to answer. The quandary is as old as life itself: nobody wants
PAST TENTS★★★Golden Goose Theatre
PAST TENTS at the Golden Goose Theatre ★★★ “The actors, as writers, producers and performers, are committed and sincere.” Alan and Justin take a lot of getting used to. Alan, in particular, is a rancid bundle of petty aggression and intolerance. He literally crashes into a campsite having totalled his
THE RIVER★★★Greenwich Theatre
THE RIVER at the Greenwich Theatre ★★★ “each actor was incredibly committed and the chemistry between them was fantastic” Jez Butterworth’s The River returns to London at the Greenwich Theatre. A play about a man who takes his girlfriends to a lovely country cabin by a river. Yet he is
FRONTIERS★★★★Sadler’s Wells Theatre
FRONTIERS at Sadler’s Wells Theatre ★★★★ “an impressive showcase of talent, both established and on the up” The National Ballet of Canada arrived at Sadler’s Wells this season for the first time in over a decade. Company Director Hope Muir leans into the national heritage with a programme of works
INCARNATION★★★★Theatre Royal Drury Lane
INCARNATION at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane ★★★★ “Caruso is a meticulous performer; each step choreographed with a purpose” “I remember that day like it was yesterday. I remember being tied up, being unable to speak. I remember how much I hurt trying to escape”. Maria Caruso’s pre-recorded voice swoops
THE HISTORY BOYS★★★★UK Tour
THE HISTORY BOYS at the Cambridge Arts Theatre ★★★★ “an enjoyable and important revival of a play that has become a modern classic” Alan Bennett’s much-loved play celebrates the 20th anniversary of its National Theatre first performance with a new production and a national tour (Director Seán Linnen). The period
ONE SMALL STEP★★Charing Cross Theatre
ONE SMALL STEP at the Charing Cross Theatre ★★ “Milla Clarke’s slowly revolving set reflects a narrative going round in circles” Set in the not-too-distant future, Takuya Kato’s “One Small Step” depicts a society where colonising the moon has become a practical reality. The scenario throws up many questions, some
“Once glanced at by someone moderately famous”