Lizzie Borden was tried and acquitted for the axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts in 1892 – no one else was ever charged with the murders. The case garnered widespread media attention at the time, and remains a topic of popular culture today, with a large number of films, theatre … More LIZZIE THE MUSICAL – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE ELEPHANT
“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
The National Youth Music Theatre revives a Sondheim classic, showcasing their boundless talent and energy; this young cast does an excellent job of tackling this notoriously difficult musical. Merrily We Roll Along tells the story of three friends as they grow up together and subsequently grow apart. The audience meets the characters at the end … More MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
Ride it equal parts charming, inspiring, and heartbreaking – a perfect reflection of Annie Londonderry’s story. Ride is a new musical written by Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams, and directed by Sarah Meadows. It tells the story of Annie Londonderry, the first female cyclist to cycle around the globe, which she managed to do … More RIDE – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE ELEPHANT
“Fine might be the worst word in the English language.” Then, Now & Next delivers the perfect balance of emotion and humour. We see scattered snippets of Alex’s (Alice Fearn) life as she is in a state of reflection, attempting to take steps forward but being held back by her past. This is a nonlinear … More THEN, NOW & NEXT – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, was previously adapted into a feature-length film starring Brad Pitt in 2008, and then in 2019 Jethro Compton and Darren Clark created a musical, which premiered at Southwark Playhouse. Four years on, the show is once again running at Southwark Playhouse, but this time … More THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
An ambitious historical drama that shines an unflinching light on women’s experiences of war, only occasionally struggling to carry the weight of its subject matter. There’s a huge amount at play in Clarisse Makundul’s visceral and dramatic account of the mid-1950s ‘Hidden’ Cameroonian War of Independence, that weaves the personal with the political to uncover … More UNDER THE KUNDÈ TREE – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
For a musical which won both the Tony award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for drama when it arrived on Broadway in 1961, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying doesn’t get revived much. It has never had a West End revival since its run here between 1963 and 1964, and whilst … More HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
‘I love my country, and it’s really important to me that you do too’. At the beginning of summer last year, Roe v Wade was overturned in the USA, and just over a month later Marta Vella and Davinia Hamilton took their show which speaks with urgency about abortion rights in Malta, to the Edinburgh … More BLANKET BAN – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
Having first premiered in an acclaimed run at the 2020 VAULT Festival, Sugar Coat is finally back, this time at Southwark Playhouse. Joel Samuels and Lilly Pollard’s gig theatre show follows one woman’s journey of self-discovery, beginning with her as a teenager in her first relationship, and then following the eight years after this. The … More SUGAR COAT – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE BOROUGH
Flabbergast Theatre’s Macbeth is a visceral, crawling, clawing, earthy interpretation of the story of ambition, murder, and the power of suggestion. The audience arrives whilst the ensemble moves around the floor, screaming, laughing, and moving animalistically, while being interrupted by gongs. They are covered in clay and dust and are dripping – it certainly creates … More MACBETH – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
If Industry and The Lehman Trilogy reveal the human stories behind the city’s financial megaliths, Joseph Charlton’s slick and capacious telling of the rise and partial fall of Uber’s empire gives us a similar window into the world of corporate tech startups. A dextrous, fast-paced writing style, rich medley of themes, and three standout performances … More BRILLIANT JERKS – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
Nicky Allpress’ revival of Enda Walsh’s layered Irish farce cuts a perplexing scene, struggling to make sense of this dark and very difficult play. Opening Southwark Playhouse’s new space in Elephant, the choice to take on a script as formally ambitious as this is a risky move — seemingly justified more by its name and … More THE WALWORTH FARCE – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE ELEPHANT
What would you do if you won the lottery? When asked this question, quitting the job is among the top answers of the majority of people, followed by buying the dream home, the dream car, and the dream life. But are lottery millionaires really living the dream? Or is it true that money ruins character? … More WINDFALL – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE BOROUGH
‘‘Twas the season of the greyest of sweatpants, when sat in a circle nine young folks meet to… talk.’ This production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet is truly one that explores the text and takes a completely new angle. The captivating opening scene is just one of the many surprises that made me love artistic director Ricky … More HAMLET – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
We all know and love Dr Seuss’ classic story, How The Grinch Stole Christmas. But have you ever wondered what happened to Cindy Lou Who and The Grinch? And what became of the people of Whoville? Well, Matthew Lombardo has written the next part of the story for us. A (definitely!) adults-only comedy starring Miz … More REVIEW – WHO’S HOLIDAY – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
An Oscar Wilde ghost story? I’m already sold! But it’s what they’ve done with it that really counts. Tall Stories’ revamped production of The Canterville Ghost is a spectacular homage to illusion and stage magic that carries the spirit of Wilde’s humour through a charming and enchanting series of tricks, gags, and songs. It’s a … More REVIEW – THE CANTERVILLE GHOST – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
Christopher Marlowe wrote Doctor Faustus in the 1590s, since then the play has had countless retellings, including a West End run in 2016 starring Kit Harrington. Lazurus Theatre Company’s production is currently residing in The Little of Southwark Playhouse. As soon as you enter the space your eyes are immediately drawn to the back wall … More REVIEW – DOCTOR FAUSTUS – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
Southwark Playhouse has transformed into a wine bar to host a brand new musical, Tasting Notes. This original musical devised by Charlie Ryall (book) and Richard Baker (score), with both contributing to lyrics, spins through 24 hours in the lives of five staff members and one very troubled customer of a boutique, industrial-chic wine bar. … More REVIEW – TASTING NOTES – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
The small seaside town of Walton-on-the-Naze gains a new resident in the form of Sandra (Nicola Harrison). Having responded to an advert placed by Jeanne (Rula Lenska), an older woman living in a retirement community, Sandra finds a new place to live on the condition that she lie about being Jeanne’s goddaughter. We quickly learn … More REVIEW – EVELYN – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
