If you’re looking for light entertainment with a bit of royal glamour this winter, Backstairs Billy has you covered. The new comedy written by Marcelo Dos Santos paints the picture of an unusual friendship in bright aquarelles. A little too colourful, perhaps, but nice to look at, nonetheless. Billy dances on a tightrope like a circus clown, … More BACKSTAIRS BILLY – REVIEW – DUKE OF YORK’S THEATRE
Cheese seizing is a beloved tradition held on the spring bank holiday, when a 7 to 9-pound Double Gloucester is rolled down Cooper’s Hill for participants to follow. Good fun! When I saw Seize the Cheese! being presented at a Wine and Cheese tasting event earlier this year, I got excited, but unfortunately, this cheese was not … More SEIZE THE CHEESE! – REVIEW – NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE
Kenneth Branagh’s King Lear succeeds in dressing a classic piece of theatre in a modern guise without losing its character. Many Lears have kept us on the edge of our seats over the years, each with their unique approach; Branagh’s take is sensitive, a slow decline into madness that threatens to break the viewer’s heart. He brings … More KING LEAR – REVIEW – WYNDHAM’S THEATRE
More than one critically acclaimed book has recently been brought to the stage, some with great success, others with lesser success. So it is safe to say that the stage adaptation of Eliza Clark’s debut novel Boy Parts was eagerly awaited, and it does not disappoint. The production at the Soho Theatre shows not only a fascinatingly … More BOY PARTS – REVIEW -SOHO THEATRE
It is amazing how little the world knows about one of its most famous writers. There are countless books and films about the secret, everyday life of William Shakespeare. With Hamnet, the Royal Shakespeare Company tells the domestic part of the story; it is a story about love, trust, loss, and all the little aspects that … More HAMNET – REVIEW – GARRICK THEATRE
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is as deep as the sea; so rich in emotions that it is easy to get swept away by the tidal waves in this stage adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s book. It truly is a theatrical masterpiece, I have not seen anything like it in recent years. The Ocean at … More THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE – REVIEW – NOEL COWARD THEATRE
A cosy fireplace, a table with gorgeous farm chairs, and a hard cake await the family to sit down and have a good cup of tea. Alas, T.C. Murray’s Birthright is a tragedy rather than a wholesome family portrait in a romanticised Ireland, and we watch family ties unravel over ancient traditions. The play is set in … More BIRTHRIGHT – REVIEW – FINBOROUGH THEATRE
Have your tickets ready. The Express G&S is taking you on a journey through your favourite Gilbert & Sullivan Operas. And we are taking the scenic route! But don’t you worry! Even if you are not a die-hard fan of Gilbert & Sullivan, you will enjoy this musical murder mystery. When the detective (who looks and feels … More EXPRESS G&S – REVIEW – WILTON’S MUSIC HALL
What do an ambitious and successful-looking banker and a homeless young man have in common? If you thought nothing, then Love is Blue is here to show you that underneath the surface – the glamour and glitz as well as the dust of the streets – we all may face similar issues. When investment banker … More LOVE IS BLUE – REVIEW – DRAYTON ARMS THEATRE
Love me for who I am! Boys in the Buff is a diverting piece that explores body acceptance in all its shapes and sizes. It is 2023 and one would hope that we would not need a play like this; but, whenever you leave the house, go to the movies or – God forbid – … More BOYS IN THE BUFF – REVIEW – DRAYTON ARMS THEATRE
Memories are a curious thing, they are always there, lurking beneath the surface, ready to spring upon you in the most peculiar of moments, and rarely in chronological order. Watching Kieron Barry’s new play Spy for Spy reminds me of this phenomenon; it brilliantly uses the concept of shuffling, a most beloved feature in our music streaming … More SPY FOR SPY – REVIEW – RIVERSIDE STUDIOS
Glamour, glitz, and jazz hands! 42nd Street at Sadler’s Wells Theatre takes you on a fantastically colourful journey through every stagey person’s dreams: being that lucky one-in-a-million talent to have a big Broadway breakthrough. The story is certainly not a new one, given that the book and original movie adaptation are from the 1930s, but it … More 42ND STREET – REVIEW – SADLERS WELLS
Star-crossed lovers, the heavy weight of war, and post-war times and always a wish for reconciliation. One Day When We Were Young by Nick Payne is a heartfelt telling of a story that many of the World War II generation must have experienced and lived through. It takes a clever look at what might have … More ONE DAY WHEN WE WERE YOUNG – REVIEW – BARONS COURT THEATRE
Musicals by Candlelight is an experience guaranteed to give you goosebumps and leave you with a smile. From the choice of show tunes to the venue, it is a well-planned and fantastically curated endeavour, one I was very happy to embark on it. Walking into the iconic Actors’ Church (St. Paul’s) in Covent Garden, a … More MUSICALS BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – ACTORS’ CHURCH
Sweeney Todd – The Victorian Melodrama is half comedy, half panto, and all unexpected; as the Opera della Luna uses the original stage adaption of the story (first published as a ‘penny dreadful’ series, titled, The Strings of Pearls), rather than the Sondheim musical the majority of us are familiar with. For those of you who … More SWEENEY TODD – THE VICTORIAN MELODRAMA – REVIEW – WILTON’s MUSICAL HALL
Family Tree, written by Mojisola Adebayo, is a quintessential and powerful performance, somewhere between a wonderfully classical poem and a contemporary play that celebrates Black women throughout history. It lifts the veil of forgotten heroines who have contributed to modern medicine achievements in more than one way and teaches an uncomfortable but important lesson about … More FAMILY TREE – REVIEW – BRIXTON HOUSE
Vardy V Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial is like watching all your favourite trash tv programmes live on stage. It is escapism par excellence and will have you laughing all throughout the 105 minutes. Yes, yes, we know, the first 90 minutes are the most important ones, but the added time is just as exciting! … More VARDY V ROONEY: THE WAGATHA CHRISTIE TRIAL – REVIEW – AMBASSADORS THEATRE
What makes a war honourable? What makes it dishonourable? And is there such thing as an ‘honourable war’ or is the fact that countless lives are wasted something that makes the words honour and war mutually exclusive? And how are those who have fought wars and left physically and mentally scarred, ashamed, and with a … More LEAVING VIETNAM – REVIEW – PARK THEATRE
Oh, how I love a good preview. Upon entering The Flair Ground, you find yourself in a typical cabaret environment. There is the bar with a ‘one night only’ opportunity to ‘make it spritz’, sweet mix-and-match tables and chairs and more traditional seating. The stage is simple, clean, and glittering with disco balls. I found … More ACID’S REIGN – REVIEW – VAULT FESTIVAL
This is probably one of the most emotional reviews I have ever written. It is 2023, International Women’s Day was just three days ago, and I was making a trip to The Vaults. The show I was about to see, Honour-Bound, is a solo-show by Zahra Jassi that explores honour-based violence (HBV) and anti-Blackness in … More HONOUR-BOUND – REVIEW – VAULT FESTIVAL
