DO YOU WANT SOMETHING TO CRY FOR★★★½Theatre Peckham
DO YOU WANT SOMETHING TO CRY FOR Theatre Peckham ★★★½ “a complex and nuanced exploration of black boyhood, impressive for such a short piece” Peckham Fringe – hosted by community-led Theatre Peckham, now in its fourth year – is hoping to bring some of that festival magic to south London.
SHUCKED★★★★★Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
SHUCKED Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre ★★★★★ “The fun factor is dolloped on as thick as melted butter on crispy corn on the cob” You can imagine exactly whereabouts in the United States Cob County (the fictional location for the musical comedy “Shucked”) would lie. Somewhere on the border of
IN OTHER WORDS★★★★Arcola Theatre
IN OTHER WORDS Arcola Theatre ★★★★ “Seager and White give astonishingly convincing performances, both fearless in displaying emotions most of us would like to keep buried” A little bit of trivia: “Fly Me to the Moon”, the popular standard made famous by Frank Sinatra in the 1960s, was originally titled
THE FIFTH STEP★★★★@Sohoplace
THE FIFTH STEP @Sohoplace ★★★★ “the direction is slick and there’s always a sense that something is around the corner” About halfway through this bracing alcohol-and-redemption two-hander, James suddenly appears in a rabbit’s head. This is a call-back to a dream that Luka recounts, Luka being a newcomer to the
THE LAST INCEL★★★Pleasance Theatre
THE LAST INCEL Pleasance Theatre ★★★ “ultimately never reaches the heights that it could” Inceldom — it’s a topic that deserves to be addressed in media more regularly. If we have any hope of dispelling the narrative that is being sold to young men — that most women hate them,
DIAGNOSIS★★★½Finborough Theatre
DIAGNOSIS Finborough Theatre ★★★½ “an original and interesting show led by two excellent performances” The 16th of May 2035. 3:37am. A woman has been arrested and brought in for questioning regarding an assault on a man in a bar on Villiers Street in central London, but it is very quickly
1536★★★★Almeida Theatre
1536 Almeida Theatre ★★★★ “Max Jones’ excellent design, complemented by an arresting use of lighting is striking” 1536 is definitely innovative: it uses the backdrop of Anne Boleyn’s defamation and execution to demonstrate the impossibility of existing as a woman and the power imbalance exploited by men. Ava Pickett’s debut
THE COMEDY ABOUT SPIES★★★★Noël Coward Theatre
THE COMEDY ABOUT SPIES Noël Coward Theatre ★★★★ “another all-conquering crowd-pleasing triumph” There’s a reliable joy to a Mischief Company production – a blend of manic precision, cheerful chaos, and the comforting sense that, whatever happens – or doesn’t – you’re in safe hands. The writing team of Henry Lewis
DEAR ANNIE, I HATE YOU★★★★Riverside Studios
DEAR ANNIE, I HATE YOU Riverside Studios ★★★★ “Ipema is a wonderful storyteller. She leads us through her story with both humour and a certain poetry” It’s a dangerous thing, walking out your front door. Especially for Sam — because there’s a ticking time bomb nestled in her brain. A
HOUSE OF GAMES★★★Hampstead Theatre
HOUSE OF GAMES Hampstead Theatre ★★★ “diverting, packed with plot, character and incident” Writer Richard Bean’s stage version of House of Games, directed by Jonathan Kent, is a theatrical sleight-of-hand that both honours and undercuts its source. Adapted from David Mamet’s 1987 film and story, the play tries to pull
DOGS ON THE METRO★★★★★Live Theatre
DOGS ON THE METRO Live Theatre ★★★★★ “a clever, meaningful, and essential piece of theatre” ‘Dogs on the Metro’ at the Live Theatre is a precise and important reflection on adolescence, friendship, and consent. Masterfully written by Emilie Robson and directed by Maria Crocker, this personal two-hander is a force
SPECKY CLARK★★★Sadler’s Wells Theatre
SPECKY CLARK Sadler’s Wells Theatre ★★★ “Oona Doherty’s script is amusing and poignant” At the centre point of the performance, ten-year-old Specky Clark, played by Faith Prendergast, walks across the stage to a radio in the rear corner and turns it on to a dance tune by David Holmes. The
REMYTHED★★★★King’s Head Theatre
REMYTHED King’s Head Theatre ★★★★ “the cast cycle through characters with impressive dynamism” The memes are everywhere, making casual jokes about historical figures whose same-sex relationships were definitely just that of “close friends”. We’ve long known that recordings of myth and legend do not favour the LGBTQIA+ — even when
MARIE AND ROSETTA★★★★★UK Tour
MARIE AND ROSETTA Rose Theatre ★★★★★ “soul-stirring, celebratory and foot-tappingly uplifting” It is sometimes extraordinary how a figure can fade into the back pages of history. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a huge star in the 1930s and 40s, who struck a chord with a white electric guitar slung around her
EINKVAN★★★★★Coronet Theatre
EINKVAN Coronet Theatre ★★★★★ “Fosse’s sparse poetic script strips life down to its essentials, matching the images on the screens” Einkvan is a rare opportunity to see the work of Nobel prize winning playwright Jon Fosse in London. It’s also a chance to see it at the Coronet Theatre in
FRAT★★Old Red Lion Theatre
FRAT Old Red Lion Theatre ★★ “With some rewrites, this is a show that could easily shine.” “He said/she said” is a conundrum that many have attempted, with varying success. And with the rise in right-wing rhetoric about traditional versus modern masculinity, these narratives have never been more fraught. Newcomer
THE GANG OF THREE★★★★King’s Head Theatre
THE GANG OF THREE King’s Head Theatre ★★★★ “At the centre of director Kirsty Patrick Ward’s bitchy and erudite psychodrama are three rounded and convincing performances” The occasional soundtrack behind this formidable political drama tells of a nation undergoing change, from the raucous rock of the early ’70s to the
FAYGELE★★★★★Marylebone Theatre
FAYGELE Marylebone Theatre ★★★★★ “allows us into a world that may be unfamiliar, and makes space for connection, truth, and healing” Faygele is a powerful and moving theatrical piece written by Shimmy Braun and directed with sensitivity by Hannah Chissick. It’s a work that gives voice to those so often
THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK★★★★★Riverside Studios
THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK Riverside Studios ★★★★★ “a beautiful representation of the power of live performance” I can confidently say that you do not need to have seen Star Wars to enjoy this show. I say that because, shamefully, I went to see this without having ever seen it. With
CONVERSATIONS AFTER SEX ★★★Park Theatre
CONVERSATIONS AFTER SEX Park Theatre ★★★ “a play that focuses more on glimpses of intimacy and character variety rather than any tangible plot with a clear ending” Desire, grief, family, sexually transmitted diseases and much more can be found in this production of Conversations After Sex. Written by Mark O’Halloran,
