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Ballet Nights

Ballet Nights

★★★★

Lanterns Studio Theatre

BALLET NIGHTS at the Lanterns Studio Theatre ★★★★ “It’s a privilege to be this up close and personal to such exceptional dance talent” In London’s docklands, nestled between high rise blocks of flats, is a rather unremarkable building, only conspicuous for its brick exterior next to the glass and chrome

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Trompe L’Oeil

Trompe L’Oeil

★★★

The Other Palace

TROMPE L’OEIL at the The Other Palace ★★★ “an intriguing concept and one that will probably divide audiences, and lead to some interesting discussions” It’s a tall order to expect an audience, while listening to a show’s musical number, to appreciate that certain lyrics are anagrams of the following line.

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Pygmalion

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

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The Yellow Wallpaper

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

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COMPOSITOR E

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

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Strangers in Between

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

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The Threepenny Opera

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

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Sunsets

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

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Edging

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

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It's Headed Straight Towards Us

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

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This is Normal

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,

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Anthropology

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,

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Rebecca

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

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Feast

Feast

★★★½

Wilton’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

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The Little Big Things

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

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