The title of this winner of Theatre 503’s 2023 International Playwriting Award by Roxy Cook may seem like the set-up to a joke, but the narrative that unspools is instead an affectionate, gently barbed and at base quite sobering portrait of three ordinary souls (and one restless feline) adrift in modern Moscow. There is much … More A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503
The Old Vic’s A Christmas Carol is in its 7th year, with a host of famous faces having stepped into the infamous role of Ebenezer Scrooge, this year it’s Christopher Eccleston. The script, adapted by Jack Thorne, is an exciting, dramatic staging of the classic. Some may ask why a play written 180 years ago … More A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – THE OLD VIC
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) is a brand-new musical by Jim Barne & Kit Buchan. The production centres around Dougal (Sam Tutty), a young man who has flown to New York City for his father’s wedding, the father he has never met, and Robin (Dujonna Gift) the sister of the bride-to-be, who has … More TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK) – REVIEW – KILN THEATRE
Drag sensations BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon are an iconic duo with reputations which have surpassed their RuPaul’s Drag Race seasons. Jinkx and Dela are known for their holiday shows and the latest rendition is an absolute success! Jinkx and Dela poke immediate fun at all the different Christmas parodies and storylines they’ve already used in previous … More THE JINKX & DELA HOLIDAY SHOW – REVIEW – LONDON PALLADIUM
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
‘[A]ll I could see was this generation of baby boomers who had the opportunity of going to university, did so, and then never came home’. So writes playwright Richard Bean, talking about the premise of To Have and to Hold, a play about Rob, a London-based writer, and Tina, a Somerset-based businesswoman, returning to see … More TO HAVE AND TO HOLD – REVIEW – HAMPSTEAD THEATRE
A near-perfect production that is electrifying, fun, and modern. Romeo & Juliet is director Nicholai La Barrie’s Royal Exchange debut, and it is a daunting venture. With Shakespeare, the difficulty is freshening the text and its themes; any Shakespearean production must justify its revival. While many people cite universal themes, exemplary dramatic narratives, and heritage … More ROMEO & JULIET – REVIEW – ROYAL EXCHANGE THEATRE
The party’s in full-swing at Ben’s flat, fuelled & sustained by a potent cocktail mix of chemical friends G (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), T(crystal meth) & MKat. The bed is central and the sex is unmitigated, a roundelay of partners & positions. The mandate is to prolong the blowout indefinitely, gratification paramount. PrEP (as a protectant against HIV) … More JOCK NIGHT – REVIEW – SEVEN DIALS PLAYHOUSE
It has been seven years since Flowers for Mrs Harris opened in Sheffield in 2016, but it has finally come to London in Bronagh Lagan’s production for Riverside Studios, this time with Jenna Russell in the title role. It is a musical which has built up a lot of love in the last seven years, … More FLOWERS FOR MRS HARRIS – REVIEW – RIVERSIDE STUDIOS
Stephen Sondheim passed away almost 2 years ago, yet his legacy will live on for generations to come. One of the most important people in 20th-century musical theatre, the composer and lyricist has created some of the most iconic productions including Company, Into the Woods, and Gypsy. Old Friends was first staged last year in … More STEPHEN SONDHEIM’S OLD FRIENDS – REVIEW – GIELGUD THEATRE
Gandhari: The Mother Who Chose Not To See is presented by MythologyWorkshop at The Etcetera Theatre in Camden. Written and performed by Vaishali Chakraavarty, with additional writing by Tom Kane and direction by Katie Georgiou, Gandhari tells the legendary myth of the powerful matriarch of the Mahabharata. Chakraavarty brings a strong start to the show … More GANDHARI – REVIEW – ETCETERA THEATRE
The debut show from Dawn Train Theatre Company, Breast Baring explores identity, relationships and the life of queer 1700s pirate, Anne Bonny. Co-founded by Jacob Newton and Anna Francis, Dawn Train succeeds in centring female and queer narratives, showcasing collaboration between artists of multiple disciplines. Set in a cafe, the reserved Annabel (Francis) is a wallflower crushing on co worker Mary (Alice Wolff-Whitehouse) and … More BREAST BARING – REVIEW – LION AND UNICORN THEATRE
Filled with surprises and twists at every turn, whatever expectations you have of Unbelievable are guaranteed to be subverted. Unbelievable is a co-production of The Mercury Theatre Colchester – where the show opened before its journey to Criterion Theatre. The show is also co-produced by Derren Brown, Andrew O’Connor, Michael Vine, Paul Sandler and Kenny … More UNBELIEVABLE – REVIEW – CRITERION THEATRE
When Stephen Sondheim first saw A Chorus Line, he claimed that it suffered from one dramatic problem; with a line of characters all outlining their personal stories one by one, the audience begins to keep count and falls into boredom. This risk is even more paramount in Lynn Nottage’s Mlima’s Tale, where each scene follows a different … More MLIMA’S TALE – REVIEW – KILN THEATRE
“History thrives on the arrogance of hindsight.” This quote forced me to take a step back and reflect, which I found myself doing frequently watching Alan Brody’s play Operation Epsilon at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant. Directed by Andy Sandberg, Operation Epsilon tells the true story of the detainment of Germany’s most important nuclear scientists in Farm Hall, an … More OPERATION EPSILON – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE ELEPHANT
Happy to coast along on its plentiful surface charms, Seb Kainth’s sparkling script for Freaky Geese Productions provides its cast with endless verbal and situational opportunity, a farcical spirit coiling underneath an oh-so-fraught comedy of barely-managed civility. It quickly assumes the dimensions of an expert comic grotesque. Couple Kevin and Lisa, whose marriage has devolved … More TABLE MANNERS – REVIEW – DRAYTON ARMS THEATRE
Pygmalion has had many adaptations (see My Fair Lady, Pretty Woman, She’s All That), which may suggest it is a tired story. Yet, this performance somehow manages to keep this relatively old play fresh with outstanding acting, comic relief, and relevant commentary. Originally written by George Bernard Shaw, with this production superbly directed by Richard … More PYGMALION – REVIEW – OLD VIC
On July 18th, 2009, 17-year-old Henry Fraser severely crushed his spinal cord in a freak accident which left him paralysed from the waist down; “I know what you’re thinking, a terrible idea for a show, right?” declares Fraser to the audience at the start of the show. It is a clever aside, but we never … More THE LITTLE BIG THINGS – REVIEW – @SOHOPLACE
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
God of Carnage was originally a French play titled, Le Dieu du Carnage by Yasmina Reza, the script was translated in 2008 by Christopher Hampton. Centred around two couples, Veronica and Michael (Freema Agyeman and Martin Hutson) and Annette and Alan (Dinita Gohil and Ariyon Bakare), who meet to discuss a playground incident between their … More GOD OF CARNAGE – REVIEW – LYRIC HAMMERSMITH
