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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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“Once glanced at by someone moderately famous”