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★★★★Wilton’s Music Hall
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
16 POSTCODES★★★Pleasance Theatre
16 POSTCODES at the Pleasance Theatre ★★★ “Regan clearly has a talent for light-hearted comedy and storytelling” 16 Postcodes is a series of short, autobiographic stories told by actor Jessica Regan about her experiences living in London. An audience member is invited up on stage to pick a postcode (written
DR. STRANGELOVE★★★½ Noël Coward Theatre
DR. STRANGELOVE at the Noël Coward Theatre ★★★½ “part broad farce, part skewering satire, a little bit of ’Allo ’Allo, some Airplane, some Partridge” You have to laugh, don’t you, faced with this confluence of existential crises. War in Europe and the Americans tempted by the charms of a bloviated
HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR MOTHER★★★King’s Head Theatre
HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR MOTHER at the King’s Head Theatre ★★★ “there are some lovely moments, and some laudable dialogue between Maitland and his wife” How to Survive Your Mother is the newest play from playwright and former journalist Jonathan Maitland, dramatising the work of his 2007 memoir of the
THE UNGODLY★★★Southwark Playhouse Borough
THE UNGODLY at Southwark Playhouse Borough ★★★ “well worth a jaunt back 400 years, if only to take a peek at ourselves” “All is God’s will,” declares Puritan father Richard Edwards, trying to find comfort in his serial bereavement. The Almighty’s works appear particularly capricious and cruel in writer/director Joanna
SEVEN DAYS IN THE LIFE OF SIMON LABROSSE★★★½White Bear Theatre
SEVEN DAYS IN THE LIFE OF SIMON LABROSSE at the White Bear Theatre ★★★½ “an engrossing and innovative watch” This new revival of French-Canadian playwright Carole Fréchette’s 2002 work, Seven Days in the Life of Simon Labrosse is a compelling piece of metatheatre that plays with the boundaries between the
STORIES – THE TAP DANCE SENSATION★★★★★Peacock Theatre
STORIES – THE TAP DANCE SENSATION at the Peacock Theatre ★★★★★ “the chemistry between the dancers is electrifying, the aftershocks of which crackle through our veins” Writer, composer, director, choreographer and producer, Romain Rachline Borgeaud is the force behind RB Dance Company. Formed in 2018, the aim was to mix
1984★★★★UK Tour
1984 at Cambridge Arts Theatre ★★★★ “As he twitches and screams, the audience responds with a petrified silence at the horror. It is a deserving accolade for Quartley’s stunning performance” Marking seventy-five years since the first publication of George Orwell’s sensational dystopian novel, Ryan Craig newly adapts the work for
THE FLEA★★★★★Yard Theatre
THE FLEA at the Yard Theatre ★★★★★ “bold, innovative, interesting and risk-taking theatre” James Fritz’ ‘The Flea’ is a pleasurably innovative, hilarious and touching piece of theatre. It explores themes of systemic homophobia, the marginalisation of the working classes and the issues of criminalisation of sex workers, all within the
HIJINKS & CAVIAR★★New Wimbledon Theatre
HIJINKS & CAVIAR at the New Wimbledon Theatre ★★ “In defence of the actors, they lacked nothing in energy and commitment, which they maintained throughout” The best way, perhaps, to understand Hijinks and Caviar – a piece of new writing from duo Moody & Moody of Fluffy TOP Productions –
BRIDGE COMMAND★★★Bridge Command
BRIDGE COMMAND at the Bridge Command ★★★ “complex and polished enough to build a community and keep them coming back for more” Bridge Command is part escape room part video game, where participants must work as a team to captain a space ship and complete a fully immersive sci-fi mission.
THE FORSYTE SAGA★★★★★Park Theatre
THE FORSYTE SAGA at Park Theatre ★★★★★ “flawlessly executed under Josh Roche’s stylish direction that adds a unique clarity to the sweeping story” John Galsworthy’s “The Forsyte Saga” earned him the Nobel Prize for literature. Its epic chronicle of the leading members of an extended upper-middle-class Victorian family has understandably
AUTUMN★★½Park Theatre
AUTUMN at Park Theatre ★★½ “Harry McDonald’s dialogue is snappy and Charlotte Vickers’ direction energetic, but little can save the meandering aimlessness of this story” This new adaptation brings Ali Smith’s 2016 novel, which is widely viewed as ‘the first post-Brexit novel’ to the stage. Across two timelines we follow
1984★★★Hackney Town Hall
1984 at Hackney Town Hall ★★★ “thumpingly well executed and fervently pursued” “The enemy within.” Has a ring to it, no? Or what about this? “See It. Say It. Sorted.” Another hoary command broadcast by The Party and also by TfL on the way home. That’s immersive for you. The
“Once glanced at by someone moderately famous”