[TITLE OF SHOW]★★★Southwark Playhouse Borough
[ TITLE OF SHOW ] at Southwark Playhouse Borough ★★★ “you have to hand it to the four performers – they know how to deliver. All of them have solid pipes and their whip crack dialogue rattles along at pace” It’s cold and wet in Southwark. If your idea of
THE GLORIOUS FRENCH REVOLUTION★★★★New Diorama Theatre
THE GLORIOUS FRENCH REVOLUTION at the New Diorama Theatre ★★★★ “The chaos is cut with emotion, and it’s carefully and cleverly structured” YesYesNoNo are one of the hottest new theatre companies on the current London scene. Following a sell-out run of Nation at the Edinburgh Fringe, which he wrote and
U-BU-SU-NA★★★★★Coronet Theatre
U-BU-SU-NA at the Coronet Theatre ★★★★★ “a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a performance that is both explosive and meditative” U-BU-SU-NA translates as “the mystical divine power that protects the land and those who live there.” It’s about as ideal a title as one can find for a production
IN THE SHADOW OF HER MAJESTY★★★★★Jack Studio Theatre
IN THE SHADOW OF HER MAJESTY at the Jack Studio Theatre ★★★★★ “brilliantly kinetic and breezy” This year, we’re all round Doreen’s for an absolute cracker of a Christmas. It’s the best of times and the worst of times but this fractious and penniless Islington family have no choice but
EXIT ABOVE★★★★Sadler’s Wells Theatre
EXIT ABOVE at Sadler’s Wells Theatre ★★★★ “When the show reaches its climax, the performers let it all out and enter a superbly choreographed frenzy” For those knowledgeable in the dance scene, the name Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, who’s been choreographing since 1980, is more than familiar: it signifies a
MACBETH★★★St Paul’s Church Covent Garden
MACBETH at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden ★★★ “Shakespeare in the Squares have created a very fine storytelling of Macbeth” Shakespeare in the Squares, well-known for its summer seasons of outdoor theatre, presents its first indoor Winter season performing at a selection of London churches. Director Sioned Jones writes in
GWYNETH GOES SKIING★★★★UK Tour
GWYNETH GOES SKIING at Live Theatre ★★★★ “a masterfully silly and creative show” ‘Gwyneth Goes Skiing’ by Linus Karp and Joseph Martin is an inviting, fun, and creative dive into the oddities of a 2023 court case between actress Gwyneth Paltrow and optician…I mean, optometrist Terry Sanderson over a ski
DISTANT MEMORIES OF THE NEAR FUTURE★★★Arcola Theatre
DISTANT MEMORIES OF THE NEAR FUTURE at the Arcola Theatre ★★★ “a bold and fresh idea” Set in a near future Britain where advertising is king, and data harvesting unnervingly personalised, love prevails against all algorithmic probabilities. Multiple stories, multiple romances, all entangled within this technological dystopia. A tech entrepreneur
LA CLIQUE★★★★Christmas in Leicester Square
LA CLIQUE at Christmas in Leicester Square ★★★★ “the perfect Christmas treat” It was twenty years ago today (well, give or take a couple of months) that David Bates unveiled his alternative cabaret show at the Edinburgh Festival. Although it has grown in stature and reputation over the years it
GOING FOR GOLD★★★★Park Theatre
GOING FOR GOLD at Park Theatre ★★★★ “A gripping and heartfelt true story” Based on a true story, Going for Gold is a moving retrospective about a British boxing champion’s greatest triumphs and losses, told from the ringside perspective of the woman who loved him. Yes, there is boxing onstage
UNTIL SHE SLEEPS★★★White Bear Theatre
UNTIL SHE SLEEPS at the White Bear Theatre ★★★ “There are many complicated strands to the play – probably too many – which dampens the suspense.” Edward and Henrietta Dunbar are all surface. In public – especially down at the golf club – their silky, satin finish hides a variety
CAN’T WAIT TO LEAVE★★★½Jack Studio Theatre
CAN’T WAIT TO LEAVE at Jack Studio Theatre ★★★½ “grazes idly and widely on ideas it can never properly explore” There’s something wrong with Ryan. You can tell by his haunted expression, his furious contempt and his presence at A&E. He’s having a bad night. There’s an empty box on
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON ★★★★★Ambassadors Theatre
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON at the Ambassadors Theatre ★★★★★ “every member of the ensemble cast is a vital cog in the intricate mechanism of this fine piece of theatre” Five years ago, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” unveiled itself to little fanfare at Southwark Playhouse. Jethro Compton’s
THE LUMINOUS★★★Greenwich Theatre
THE LUMINOUS at Greenwich Theatre ★★★ “the actors play determined everywomen with plenty of brio, empathy and skill.” What do all these have in common? The matchgirls’ strike of 1888, modern hospital regeneration, the Greenham Common peace camps of the 1980s, a sleepless half-twin, and a lady in a brown
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE★★★★UK Tour
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE at Wilton’s Music Hall ★★★★ “A new and mostly fresh-faced cast give their all to this hugely enjoyable show” At the highpoint of the Victorian era, WS Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan collaborated on 14 hugely successful comic operas, thanks to their being brought together by
ΑΓΡΙΜΙ (FAUVE)★★★Lilian Baylis Studio
ΑΓΡΙΜΙ (FAUVE) at the Lilian Baylis Studio ★★★ “Deeply visceral and undeniably blunt” The concept of Αγρίμι (Fauve) is simple, yet primitive: humans and animals, coexisting, changing, merging in the wild and unexplored corners of the forest. It’s not new or groundbreaking, but its focus on the constant transformation and
THE BUSINESS OF MURDER★★★Theatre at the Tabard
THE BUSINESS OF MURDER at Theatre at the Tabard ★★★ “interesting and witty” The Business of Murder by Richard Harris returns to the stage at the Theatre at The Tabard this month. A play in which the genre could be described as a murder mystery or more like an ‘is
KARINA CANELLAKIS CONDUCTS SCHUMANN & BRUCKNER★★★★Royal Festival Hall
KARINA CANELLAKIS CONDUCTS SCHUMANN & BRUCKNER at the Royal Festival Hall ★★★★ “An exhilarating central Scherzo is the highlight of the work” The symphony orchestra is the apotheosis of classical music. A large number of first-class musicians in their own right – the London Philharmonic Orchestra – unite together to
THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA ★★★★Barbican
THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA at the Barbican ★★★★ “a high-spirited, multi-coloured and absolutely joyous interpretation” Written thirty years ago and set half a century ago, Hanif Kureishi’s “The Buddha of Suburbia” still contains a lot that is still true about Britain today. In Emma Rice’s adaptation (co-adapted by Kureishi) the
BARCELONA★★★★Duke of York’s Theatre
BARCELONA at the Duke of York’s Theatre ★★★★ “The performances are exceptionally strong. Collins is impressive as the loose cannon, unpredictable and unsure of herself.” Two characters, a world apart, are thrown together in Bess Wohl’s play, “Barcelona”. The cultural divide is as gaping as you can get but our
“Once glanced at by someone moderately famous”