Latest Reviews

The Unfriend

The need to willingly suspend disbelief in order to fully enter into the spirit of a play is sometimes an essential requirement if the potential for enjoyment is not to be lost alt…

The Elephant Song

Although written in 2004 this production of The Elephant Song at The Park Theatre is the UK premiere of Canadian playwright Nicolas Billon’s captivating psychological thriller, o…

And Then the Rodeo Burned Down

Russian Doll meets clowns in And Then the Rodeo Burned Down, a circular metaphysical piece that combines elements of dance, comedy and mystery to form a labyrinth equivalent of a s…

Moulin Rouge! The Musical

Based on Baz Luhrmann’s epic love story, Moulin Rouge is a larger-than-life electrifying musical.

George Takei's Allegiance

There are many stories that are lost or hidden from view, and George Takei’s Allegiance takes one of the shameful moments in American history - the incarceration of Japanese-Amer…

Erika Ehler: Femcel

In one word, Erika Ehler: Femcel is unexpected.

Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens' beloved classic A Christmas Carol takes on a musical country twist as it line dances its way into the Southbank Centre with Dolly Parton’s rendition: Smoky M…

Handel’s Messiah: The Live Experience

Being dead, the great maestro of late baroque composition has the hope of being raised incorruptible.

Bugsy Malone The Musical

Bugsy Malone, the 1976 film by Alan Parker charlestons into Alexandra Palace theatre with a tremendous firing of custard pies! The cult classic of the spoof gangster movie reminds …

Kerry Jackson

Review
★
Simon Ximenez
West End
Dorfman Theatre
11th Dec, 2022

Many years ago, I employed Fay Ripley to do a voiceover for a TV ad.

Newsies

Carrying the banner call of Strike!, Alan Menken and Jack Feldman’s Newsies becomes the call to action that we need to hear.

Harry's Christmas

For many, Christmas is a time of togetherness and a celebration with loved ones, friends and family; yet for others it can be a seriously un-comforting occasion.

Lauren Pattison: It Is What It Is

Everybody loves a comeback story, and Lauren Pattison’s It Is What It Is, is an up-beat in-depth look at the ups and downs of life.

Fin Taylor: Daddy Self-Care

Fin Taylor is not afraid to speak his mind, and his recent set Daddy Self-Care is proof of that.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Westcliff High School for Boys’ drama club under the direction of Ben Jeffreys, who otherwise teaches history, first came to our atttention at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 20…

Hex

Review
★★
Simon Ximenez
West End
Olivier Theatre
8th Dec, 2022

When you’re a child, Christmas is all about that one big day.

Wickies: The Vanishing Men of Eilean Mor

The creative team behind Wickies: The Vanishing Men of Eilean Mor at the Park Theatre have done an outstanding job on this production.

QUEENZ: The Show with BALLS!

Straight off the runway and onto the West End stage, the cast of Queenz: The Show with Ballz, strut their way into the Arts Theatre for a night of gender-bending, show-stopping gla…

GHOSTED – Another F***ing Christmas Carol

When Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, I am sure he didn’t realise the power his novel would have in the centuries that followed.

Othello

Do you need to know a play before you see a play?The question came to mind at the opening of what we’re told is a “landmark production” of Othello, now playing at the Nationa…

Keeper Of The Flame

Two main strands run through Keeper of the Flame, written and performed by Rob Adams, a play that fits neatly into the confines of the delightful Bridge House Theatre.

ELF the Musical

Buddy the Elf discovers he is an adopted 'human' baby from New York City and sets off on an adventure to find his biological father who has no idea of his son’s existence…

The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary!

Everything about John Nicholson’s adaptation of Gustave Flaubert’s The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary! at Jermyn Street Theatre has an element of irony to it, but whether tha…

Wasted

Kae Tempest’s credentials as a poet and lyricist shine through in Wasted at the Jack Studio.

Top Hat

The fabulous Mill at Sonning has revived last year’s Christmas success for another run over the festive season, It’s hard to believe that a full-scale musical like Top Hat, wit…

It's a Wonderful Life - English National Opera

Review
★★
Gareth Williams
West End
London Coliseum
27th Nov, 2022

Opening the London Coliseum festive season is the UK premier of It’s a Wonderful Life, based on the classic 1946 Frank Capra movie.

Arms and the Man

There’s a delightful anecdote about George Bernard Shaw at one of the early performances of Arms and the Man.

Scottish Ballet - The Snow Queen

Review
★★★★
Stephanie Green
Edinburgh
Multiple Venues
26th Nov, 2022

Magic, glitter, snowflake fairies, Jack Frosts, snow wolves and innocent love winning out, what more could you want? Circus acts, Romani travellers? A revival of its 2019 productio…

The Rocky Horror Show

In this science fiction double feature, Christopher Luscombe’s adaptation of Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show is a fun, mischievous celebration of the cult classic.

Tom Stade: The High Road

From the bright lights of Live at the Apollo to the chaotic evenings of Edinburgh’s International Fringe Festival, we now see Tom Stade take on his epic stand-up comedy tour arou…

Oh Yes I Am!

Oh Yes I Am, at the Bread and Roses Theatre, is a musical comedyset in a retirement home for actors.

MSND

We’ll never know what, if anything, Shakespeare was on when he wrote AMidsummer Night’s Dream, but the team at Intermission Youth Theatre have based their ‘Shakespeare Remix�…

Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story

The royal affair that is Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story, is the most unhinged piece of theatre in existence.

The Yeomen of the Guard

There was a more than usual buzz in the air at the Coliseum in anticipation of ENO’s latest foray into the world of Gilbert & Sullivan with The Yeoman of the Guard.

Here

Clive Judd’s fascinating debut play HERE won the 2022 Papatango New Writing Prize from a record 1,553 submissions.

From Here To Eternity

Whilst the boys of G Company may be experiencing monotony in Hawaii, this word cannot be applied to the long-anticipated revival of Tim Rice’s and Stuart Brayson’s From Here to…

Innovations Contemporary Dance Platform Autumn 2022

Review
★★★
Stephanie Green
Edinburgh
The Studio
12th Nov, 2022

One of the excitements for an audience is to spot future stars.

Cheer Up Slug

Jamie Patterson (Will) and Charis Murray (Bean) give delightful performances in Cheer Up Slug by Tamsin Rees, the debut production for their company, Shot in the Dark Theatre, at t…

Hannah Fairweather: Just a Normal Girl Who Enjoys Revenge

Review
★★★★
Katerina Partolina Schwartz
Edinburgh Fringe
Just The Tonic at the Caves / The Pleasance Theatre Trust
9th Nov, 2022

From exes to golf coaches, Just a Normal Girl Who Enjoys Revenge is an eloquent, biting and well-structured analysis of situations when Hannah Fairweather was right and when she wa…

A Butcher of Distinction

When the setting for your play is the basement of a London pub, where better to perform than at Barons Court Theatre which is located in the basement of the west London pub aptly n…

The Drought

When the waters of the world dry up, who will be left victorious in the aftermath?It has been three months since the water dried up; three months or what seems like a lifetime for …

Paddy goes to Petra

Paddy (Brendan Dunlea) leads a traditional life in rural Ireland.

Elf Lyons; Raven

Mundane is not a word that could be used to describe Elf Lyons’ Raven.

A Thousand Sons

Jamie Sefton delivers a passionate, comprehensive and incredibly well researched performance in A Thousand Sons.

Mary

Douglas Henshall has wasted no time in returning to the stage after his years in Shetland.

Tammy Faye

With music and lyrics by Elton John and Jake Shears, Tammy Faye is as iconic as the woman it is about.

The Caucasian Chalk Circle

The proverb blood is thicker than water is often used to prioritise family bonds over all else.

But I’m A Cheerleader

Whilst productions do as much as they can to immerse audiences in the aesthetic of shows from the start, nothing can compare to the auditory and visual sensation of pastel that kic…

My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?)

If you have a spare hour, thirty quid, and can travel to London’s West End, I urge you to get a ticket for My Son’s a Queer (but what can you do?).

Christian Brighty: Playboy

As far as shows set during the Regency era go, Christian Brighty’s Playboy is not only the most ambitious, but also the best representation of dramas set in this period.

Navy Blue

Navy Blue, the colour of workers’ overalls is an existential cry of protest, a dance/voice-over/visual performance choreographed by Oona Doherty and cast to Rachmaninov’s Piano…

The Poltergeist

The frantic moto perpetuo of Philip Glass’s Rubric fills the auditorium as an overture to Philip Ridley’s breathtaking work, The Poltergeist, at the Arcola Theatre.

Something in the Air

A note on the back cover of Peter Gill’s latest play, Something in the Air, at Jermyn Street Theatre, claims that the stories of the two old protagonists “flow like mist down t…

Noises Off

Sardines, Telephones, Tax Avoiders, Axes, Whiskey, Flowers and more Sardines.

The Canterville Ghost

Olivia Jacobs and Toby Mitchell’s adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost gives little away to begin with, making it difficult to know what to expect.

Mark Watson: This Can't Be It

Mark Watson is one of those people who you stop and listen to when they start speaking, whether it is from the middle of an audience, or from a stage.

Last Sales Conference Of The Apocalypse

Mixing survivalism with psychoanalysis, Dave Bain’s Last Sales Conference of the Apocalypse is a fractured and confused trip that leaves us with more questions than answers.

Antigone

It’s a classic David and Goliath, if by the end, rooting for Goliath seemed like a reasonable thing to do.

Good

Dominic Cooke’s new production of Good was due to arrive in October 2020 but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dmitry

In marked contrast to the UK’s recent smooth transition from one monarch to another, the story of Dmitry (Tom Byrne), at the new Marylebone Theatre, tells a woeful tale of power-…

Blues for an Alabama Sky

Are dreams supposed to be ambitions we strive to realise? Or simply ideals meant to be unattainable, existing to help us get through our mundane everyday lives?This seems to be the…

Helen Bauer: Madam Good Tit

Helen Bauer’s Madam Good Tit is a not-so-wholesome coming-of-age set that provides a deep dive into everything from Bauer’s various high school personalities to deeply problema…

The Crucible

It’s rare for a play’s allegory to be as widely known as its actual story.

Only An Octave Apart

It is not easy for two performers to keep an audience engaged and enthusiastic throughout a 90+ minute show with no interval.

Help! We Are Still Alive

There’s an upbeat charm that hangs over Grey Area Theatre’s Help! We Are Still Alive.

Rhys Nicholson - Rhys! Rhys! Rhys!

Rhys Nicholson must have been pushing down the material in Rhys! Rhys! Rhys! for a long time, for this show is certainly a diamond.

The Mirror Crack'd

Years may pass and tastes may change, but Agatha Christie remains as fashionable as ever.

Everybody Wants To Rule The World

Like most dystopian stories, Simon Perrott’s Everybody Wants to Rule the World has a basis in reality which forces us to reflect on the issues of today.

Rehab: The Musical

Grant Black and Murray Lachlan Young’s Rehab is an entertaining musical that is full of potential.

Javelin

Taking self-deprecating humour to another level, Tom Walker’s Javelin is a rather eclectic series of observations and character-based narratives, through which runs a relatively …

Ride

Few will perhaps have heard of Annie Londonderry, but after seeing Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams’ Ride, it will be practically impossible to forget the name.

Cruise

Electric, animated, compelling.

Viva Your Vulva: The Hole Story

As the crescendo of complaints and controversy was rising over the comedy circuit I was persuaded to abandon the safe confines of the theatre category and go in at the deep end, so…

Are You Being Murdered?

People can be sensitive about how they are described.

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World

Chris Bush, Miranda Cooper and Jennifer Decilveo’s Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World is in one word, a celebration.

Alright?

Patrick Withey gives a delightfully engaging and endearing performance as the troubled 15-year-old in Black Hound Productions’ Alright!, which has absolutely nothing to do with C…

Second Summer of Love

Yummy Mummy (and Headmaster’s wife, just for extra grown-up points) Louise runs the school choir and helps her teenaged daughter with her homework.

Tom Ward: Anthem

It’s a loud and rowdy Saturday night at Monkey Barrel.

The Last Romantic

This show revolves around a fairly well-trodden premise: idealistic young creative seeks similar to make beautiful art with.

The Funny Thing About Death

There are very few taboo subjects left these days, but the one that will eventually come to us all still leaves many people uncomfortable.

Surfing the Holyland

Erin Hunter’s Surfing the Holyland is a dynamic and fast-paced one-woman show in which she tells the autobiographical story of her year living in Tel Aviv, the colourful cast of …

Railed

Railed is the newest offering from fringe-circuit regulars, the Head First Acrobats hailing from Australia.

Boy: Looking for Friends

Award-winning Polish performer Piotr Sikora has created a beautiful hour of family storytelling which uses clowning, mime, ukulele and audience participation to paint the journey o…

Artorigus

There is a distinctly medieval feel to Ross Stephenson’s Artorigus from the start, despite its modern trappings.

Fern Brady: Autistic Bikini Queen

Fern Brady is here to speak for autistic women who happen to be hot – selflessly giving a voice to the voiceless (or just a very specific group that might not have thought to ide…

Angela Barnes: Hot Mess

There is something comforting about Angela Barnes’ Hot Mess.

Battle: A Modern Mystery Play

Battle describes itself as a modern mystery play, and takes the audience on an intricately-plotted historical journey from 1066 to the present day: exploring how women just gather …

What Broke David Lynch?

It is difficult to work out exactly who this play is for.

Hungry

The Fringe is nearing its close, but do you have space for more? Chris Bush’s bittersweet Hungry is serving up a Fringe hit.

Spit Me Out

Slap ‘N’ Tickle Theatre Company, founded in 2020 by East 15 Acting School alumni, has created a fabulously entertaining piece of devised theatre that explores sensitive issues …

Jungle Book reimagined

Breathtaking projections of animation by YeastCulture steal this show and a set which is largely conveyed by lighting.

Truth/Reconciliation

When flyered for Matthew Gouldesbrough’s new play Truth / Reconciliation, I was told I could expect “serious theatre” from the Elegy group.

Boris the Third

‘They all knew the person I was when they gave me the part,’ Harry Kershaw complains, words that ring hollow and true, in a prophetic sort of manner, a common feeling that we …

Beautiful Nothing

All that glitters is not gold, a message that is incredibly clear in Em Oliver’s Beautiful Nothing.

Appraisal

We’ve all been there! That sense of recognition permeates the room during Tim Marriott’s latest play Appraisal.

Two Hearts: We're Pregnant and the Baby is Music

As we all know, COVID was invented to stop people from enjoying live music, but now Two Hearts are here to help us recover from two years of silence.

Please, Feel Free to Share

Alex Dawson (Róisin Bevan) is a successful social media guru.

Long Nights in Paradise

There’s a lot packed in to Long Nights in Paradise, probably too much, but it still makes for an interesting story that explores the ups and downs of life, the building and disin…

Earwig

Earwig is an engaging and classy piece which tells the story of entomologist Marigold Webb, trapped in a loveless marriage and a society as uncomfortable with her deafness as it is…

2 Guys, 3 Drams: The Ultimate Live Blues and Whisky Experience

Felipe Schrieberg and Paul Archibald return to the Fringe this year in an act that delivers a whisky-soaked night of tremolo and bass that walks through the annals of blues classic…

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