Pygmalion★★★★Old Vic
PYGMALION at the Old Vic ★★★★ “Carvel is all stooping eccentricity with a touch of Reginald Perrin” When George Bernard Shaw wrote “Pygmalion” in 1912, its West End premiere was delayed due to the leading lady’s nervous breakdown. Instead, the German translation opened in Vienna followed by the New York
The Brief Life & Mysterious Death Of Boris III, King Of Bulgaria★★★★★Arcola Theatre
THE BRIEF LIFE & MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF BORIS III, KING OF BULGARIA at the Arcola Theatre ★★★★★ “The small but mighty cast of this show present impassioned performances leaving nothing more to be desired” The Brief Life and Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria doesn’t just pack a
The Yellow Wallpaper★★★The Coronet Theatre
THE YELLOW WALLPAPER at The Coronet Theatre ★★★ “Thierrée’s skillset appears to be underused here, and her customary charisma is diluted” Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the ‘rest cure’ was a popular and radical treatment for many mental disorders, particularly hysteria or depression. Later proven to have no
Kyiv City Ballet – A Tribute to Peace★★★½Peacock Theatre
KYIV CITY BALLET – A TRIBUTE TO PEACE at the Peacock Theatre ★★★½ “a varied and defiant show” On 24 February 2022 Vladimir Putin launched his ‘special operation’ in Ukraine, launching missiles and sending in tanks to the city of Kyiv. Less than 24 hours prior, Kyiv City Ballet had
Beautiful Thing★★★★★Theatre Royal Stratford East
BEAUTIFUL THING at the Theatre Royal Stratford East ★★★★★ “The pair have an enchanting chemistry – they perfectly capture the awkward nervousness of young love” Jonathan Harvey’s coming-out and coming-of-age story Beautiful Thing was first performed at the Bush Theatre in 1993. Now, 30 years on, a revival – directed
Compositor E★★★Omnibus Theatre
COMPOSITOR E at the Omnibus Theatre ★★★ “It’s a fascinating concept – well researched and historically accurate” Who owns our stories? And how is meaning imbued in them? Marking 400 years since the printing of Shakespeare’s first folio, Compositor E, an original story and script by Charlie Dupré, explores the
Strangers in Between★★★★Golden Goose Theatre
STRANGERS IN BETWEEN at the Golden Goose Theatre ★★★★ “Murphy has an ear for brilliant one liners and non-sequiturs, and a piercing insight into human contradictions.” “Strangers In Between” premiered in Sydney, Australia in 2005. Not that long ago in the great scheme of things, but it has already acquired
The Threepenny Opera★★★Cockpit Theatre
THE THREEPENNY OPERA at the Cockpit Theatre ★★★ “A promising opening, that isn’t quite sustained throughout.” We walk into the ‘Factory of Plays’. A kind of warped bandstand sits centre stage, with mannequin torsos circling it; grotesque and absurdist, some attached to rope like an umbilical cord. Or a hangman’s
Sunsets★★Seven Dials Playhouse
SUNSETS at the Seven Dials Playhouse ★★ “Grier is full of energy, and her performance should bring a drive to the piece” There are some great ideas in this one-woman deep dive through rom com history, but it loses itself in an increasingly elaborate plot tangle. We’re welcomed to a
Edging★★★Old Red Lion Theatre
EDGING at the Old Red Lion Theatre ★★★ “Coates shines the brightest of the pair with his deadpan manner and fearless displays of physical humour” Edging, a new play by co-writer and co-stars Harry Al-Adwani and Martin Coates, tells the story of Henry and Marcus, two childhood friends who reconnect
It’s Headed Straight Towards Us★★★★★Park Theatre
IT’S HEADED STRAIGHT TOWARDS US at the Park Theatre ★★★★★ “Hound and West are outstanding” Imagine your greatest enemy. Now, imagine being trapped in an actor’s trailer with them. That’s on a moving glacier. That’s on the side of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull. That’s erupting. ‘Disaster comedy’ It’s Headed Straight
This is Normal★★★★Old Red Lion Theatre
THIS IS NORMAL at the Old Red Lion Theatre ★★★★ “a nuanced and endearing story that is more personal than political” Despite new variants circulating and cases supposedly soaring this summer, for most people, COVID feels like a distant memory. A time when we were all told to social distance,
Anthropology★★★★Hampstead Theatre
ANTHROPOLOGY at the Hampstead Theatre ★★★★ “some interesting twists and turns along the way” Anthropology, Lauren Gunderson’s new play premiering at the Hampstead Theatre, is a convoluted tale about sibling love that attempts to transcend life as we presently know it. It begins as a tale about a missing woman,
Rebecca★★★★Charing Cross Theatre
REBECCA at Charing Cross Theatre ★★★★ “its sights are undoubtedly set on a bigger space” “Rebecca” the musical has taken quite a while to come to our shores. Based on Daphne du Maurier’s Gothic novel of the same name, it was written by Michael Kunze (book and lyrics) and Sylvester
Artefact and Something Unspoken★★★★The Playground Theatre
ARTEFACT and SOMETHING UNSPOKEN at The Playground Theatre ★★★★ “Together they are a delicious meditation on mid-century hidden desire” Artefact / Something Unspoken intertwines two pieces of forbidden love, sharing a set, actors, and sapphic tensions. I took along a plus one who was not a date, but also not
Feast★★★½Wilton’s Music Hall
FEAST at Wilton’s Music Hall ★★★½ “a feast for the eyes and ears with an interesting perspective that should keep the audience gripped” Feast tells the story Jessica, a woman on the verge of a promotion, desperately trying to impress to get it. It’s theatre about class barriers, trying by
The Little Big Things★★★★Sohoplace
THE LITTLE BIG THINGS at @Sohoplace ★★★★ “The script may read like a Hallmark greetings card at times, but the show has all the hallmarks of a major hit.” Being challenged in life is inevitable, but being defeated is optional. So runs one of the tag lines for Henry Fraser’s
Sorry we Didn’t Die at Sea★★½Park Theatre
SORRY WE DIDN’T DIE AT SEA at the Park Theatre ★★½ “There are moments of excellence … but in the end the story just doesn’t quite hold” Sorry We Didn’t Die at Sea, directed by Daniel Emery, is a surreal satire about the perils of people-smuggling. Set in a near-future,
Rhythm of Human★★★★★The Coronet Theatre
RHYTHM OF HUMAN at The Coronet Theatre ★★★★★ “Ambiguous proceeds to win us over with the sheer grace and athleticism of their five dancers” The Ambiguous Dance Company return to the Coronet Theatre in Notting Hill this week with a new piece that once again demonstrates their easy facility for
Infamous★★★★Jermyn Street Theatre
INFAMOUS at Jermyn Street Theatre ★★★★ “There are wonderful moments of humour and wit” Lady Emma Hamilton was a truly fascinating figure. Reading her Wikipedia page is akin to a modern gossip column – salacious affairs, a secret love child and an obsession with keeping up appearances for the media.