As You Like It review
The relationship between the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Barbican goes back a long way, so it is good to see it thrive with the arrival of their three summer Stratford productions in London, performed in rep by a diverse company of 27. First up is Kimberley Sykes’ effusive take on As You...
Lungs review
It’s the Queen and Prince Philip, but not as we know them... As we await the third series of The Crown with Olivia Colman now taking the throne, a wonderful opportunity to see its outgoing stars Claire Foy (W) and Matt Smith (M) now presents itself at the Old Vic Theatre in Duncan Macmillan’s...
The Girl Who Fell review
Sarah Rutherford's new production starts with teenage twins Lenny and Billie teasing one another - him carrying his sax, her rolling around on her wheelie shoes. Although jokey in tone, their discussion soon turns to death - the theme that drives The Girl Who Fell's plot. Sam's suicide, seemingly...
Ghost Stories review
It’s close to Halloween, and Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson’s Ghost Stories is scaring audiences all over again at the Ambassadors Theatre in time for the spooky season. The creepy show first played to tense audiences almost ten years ago, and since then has toured the world and has also been...
The Man in the White Suit review
It’s a bit of a peculiar subject matter – a selfless scientist develops an indestructible fabric that repels dirt in order to help humanity, whilst big business tries to suppress it. Yet The Man in the White Suit is strangely relatable and insightful. Based on the iconic 1951 movie of the same...
Noises Off review
It’s almost forty years old, yet the comedic farce Noises Off by Michael Frayn still manages to pack in deafening laughs from giddy audiences. Originally staged at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith in 1982 where it has been recently revived, this hilarious play-within-a-play is now showing at the...
A Day in the Death of Joe Egg review
In the intimate setting of Trafalgar Studios, with a fourth wall so thoroughly dismantled by the script and production, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg makes for uncomfortable viewing. Compellingly so. Strong central performances and a subject matter as raw now as it was in 1967 create an evening of...
Groan Ups review
It can be irritating watching grown men and women portraying little children, and the latest offering from Mischief Theatre is unfortunately no exception. The company that brought us hilarious gems such as The Play That Goes Wrong and The Comedy about a Bank Robbery are back with a residency at...
BIG the Musical review
Following a trend that is becoming all too familiar on the West End, Big: The Musical is the latest ‘based-on-a-film’ show to come along, dredge up some nostalgia for a pop-culture artefact, then promptly sour its memory with a by-the-numbers production that even its performers seem slightly...
Come From Away review
A theatre production about 9/11? It’s hard to imagine that it could be anything other than utterly depressing. But that’s precisely what Come From Away is not. That’s because it tells another, much lesser-known, and far more uplifting story from that tragic day. It’s the story of the...
