MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING★★★★The Red Lion SW13
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at The Red Lion, SW13 ★★★★ “Nicky Diss directs but it feels collaborative and all encompassing” Coming away from one of Open Bar Theatre’s shows, you can’t suppress the feel-good spring in your step. Nor can the English drizzle dampen your spirits. Clouds, heavy with the
THE BAND BACK TOGETHER★★★★Arcola Theatre
THE BAND BACK TOGETHER at the Arcola Theatre ★★★★ “a brittle and elegaic exploration of music, melancholy and missed opportunities” When the band gets back together, there’s always going to be more to unpack than a muffled snare drum and a spare plectrum. The inventory will inevitably include revelations, regrets
THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE★★★Upstairs at the Gatehouse
THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE at Upstairs at the Gatehouse ★★★ “Stand out performance of the night goes to Enzo Benvenuti” The Boys From Syracuse playing Upstairs at the Gatehouse, is a pared down production of the 1938 hit by Rodgers and Hart, with everyone doubling up on roles. The musical
VITAMIN D★★★★Soho Theatre
VITAMIN D at Soho Theatre ★★★★ “bursts with joy and warmth” Saher Shah brings her excellent debut play back to London after its 2023 tour. Prepare to laugh, cry, and leave both dazed and dazzled. Vitamin D explores the cultural taboo of divorce within British Pakistani communities with wit and
THE GATES OF KYIV★★★★Theatre Royal Windsor
THE GATES OF KYIV at the Theatre Royal Windsor ★★★★ “Mixing storytelling, music and dance in a unique and quite fascinating way” Maria Yudina, a Soviet piano virtuoso, enjoyed notoriety as much as fame. Born in 1899 she grew up to be fiercely defiant of the repressive regime under Joseph
AN INSPECTOR CALLS★★★★Alexandra Palace Theatre
AN INSPECTOR CALLS at the Alexandra Palace Theatre ★★★★ “a magnificent spectacle of a classic play that continues to engage” J B Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’ continues its over 30 year run on tour this year, and I was lucky enough to see it played at Alexandra Palace. Like most
BALLET NIGHTS 006★★★★Cadogan Hall
BALLET NIGHTS 006 at Cadogan Hall ★★★★ “A hugely enjoyable evening with a true mix of ballet styles in one performance” As the title states this is the sixth Ballet Nights in a series that was founded last year by its Artistic Director Jamiel Devernay-Laurence, who also comperes the evening
REBUS: A GAME CALLED MALICE★★★Cambridge Arts Theatre
REBUS: A GAME CALLED MALICE at the Cambridge Arts Theatre ★★★ “Gray O’Brien with his languid movement and rugged good looks gives a towering performance” Co-writers Sir Ian Rankin and Simon Reade bring a new Rebus story to the stage. The deliberately claustrophobic-looking set (Terry Parsons) is a traditional dining
BITTER LEMONS★★★½Park Theatre
BITTER LEMONS at Park Theatre ★★★½ “The imagery is striking evoked and passionately told” Bitter Lemons follows two women’s intertwining narratives as they ready themselves for a vital moment in their careers, and a big personal decision. After a successful run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023, the show has revived
DEATH OF ENGLAND: CLOSING TIME★★★★@SohoPlace
DEATH OF ENGLAND: CLOSING TIME at @SohoPlace ★★★★ “Duncan-Brewster and Doherty are simply thrilling to watch” “Closing Time” is the third instalment of the “Death of England” trilogy of plays by Clint Dyer and Roy Williams. It has been a month since the first two – “Michael” and “Delroy”. During
MY LIFE AS A COWBOY★★★Omnibus Theatre
MY LIFE AS A COWBOY at the Omnibus Theatre ★★★ “a fun show with witty and laughable moments” My Life as a Cowboy – by Hugo Timbrell, Directed by Scott Le Crass – follows Conor (Harry Evans): a Seventeen year old lifeguard who dreams of being a Country back up
SWAN LAKE★★½London Coliseum
SWAN LAKE at the London Coliseum ★★½ “a lack-lustre production – and it should have been luscious escapism” This was the State Ballet of Georgia’s UK debut at the London Coliseum, with their production of Swan Lake, the world’s best-loved work in the classical ballet cannon, and with their artistic
LYNN FACES★★★Edinburgh Festival Fringe
LYNN FACES at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe ★★★ “a provocative piece that isn’t quite ready for primetime” Laura Horton’s new play, Lynn Faces, is a raw take on a woman who is on the verge of turning 40, and trying to escape from a coercive relationship. For protagonist Leah, this
IS THE WI-FI GOOD IN HELL?★★★★★Edinburgh Festival Fringe
IS THE WI-FI GOOD IN HELL? at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe ★★★★★ “a personal and gorgeous reflection on queerness, place, and boyhood that will leave you laughing one second and reaching for tissues the very next” Is The Wi-fi Good in Hell? is a gorgeously flawless meditation on gentrification, platonic
MY MOTHER’S FUNERAL: THE SHOW★★★★★Edinburgh Festival Fringe
MY MOTHER’S FUNERAL: THE SHOW at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe ★★★★★ “The prowess of Jones’ writing and Charlotte Bennett’s direction is unique and utterly refreshing” My Mother’s Funeral: The Show is a crucial and stunning piece on trauma mining in the arts. Based on the experience of losing a loved
THE SHOW FOR YOUNG MEN★★★★★Edinburgh Festival Fringe
THE SHOW FOR YOUNG MEN at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe ★★★★★ “an innocent, wondrous delight” The Show for Young Men will not change the world. It doesn’t have an obvious “point”, or “message”, or even structure. But none of that matters. Because in its simplicity and tenderness, it touched my
LONG DISTANCE★★★★Edinburgh Festival Fringe
LONG DISTANCE at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe ★★★★ “the dialogue is funny, elastic and fizzles with energy” Contemporary living, for most, has become inextricably intertwined with technology. It crops up in more and more places, knitting segments of our lives together. In Long Distance, the phone is the connective tissue
ASSEMBLY HALL★★★★★Edinburgh International Festival
ASSEMBLY HALL at the Edinburgh International Festival ★★★★★ “The dancers lose themselves among a host of ambiguous landscapes. It’s all mesmerizing to watch, and to listen to.” Fans of Kidd Pivot’s work will delight in Assembly Hall. This piece has all the hallmarks of choreographer Crystal Pite and playwright Jonathon
FAULT LINES★★★★Edinburgh Festival Fringe
FAULT LINES at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe ★★★★ “the choreography was extraordinarily creative, sharp and inspired throughout” Fault Lines, written by Nick Walker and performed by Lîla Dance, pulls no punches. Whilst it’s not exactly a theatre of cruelty, the immediacy of its metaphors and the emotions there within strike
THE CROW, (THE PRINCESS), AND THE SCULLERY MAID★★Edinburgh Festival Fringe
THE CROW, (THE PRINCESS), AND THE SCULLERY MAID at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe ★★ “it has the potential to be what it intended, a funny, charming short play for children who love fairy tales” I’m a big fan of children’s theatre, and always try to see at least one kid’s
“Once glanced at by someone moderately famous”