4 Star Shows

Villain, Interrupted

The very best shows always leave you either unsettled or with an inexplicable high that lasts until you fully process what you saw onstage.

Ten Days

Matthew Jameson embarked on a major project ten years ago.

The Emperor's New Clothes

What a joy to see a very simple and equally silly story adapted for the stage and turned into an hour of light-hearted frivolity, full of humour and ingenuity.

The Nutcracker

Usually The Nutcracker means it is the Christmas season but here we are in March.

Bonnie & Clyde

After a strong run at the Arts Theatre last year, the hellraisers are back in Nick Winston’s Bonnie and Clyde as it finally finds a home in the West End at the Garrick Theate.

Giselle

Giselle, the Gothic-Romantic iconic classical ballet of love, betrayal and forgiveness is one of the few ballets to have come down to us from the 19th century.

Rambert Peaky Blinders The Redemption of Thomas Shelby

Ballet Rambert’s Peaky Blinders: the Redemption of Thomas Shelby is male swagger, jaw-dropping, edge of your seat dance as pyrotechnics with all the cool of the TV gangster drama…

The Long Run

Review
★★★★
Richard Beck
Vault Festival
Pit
4th Mar, 2023

There are situations and circumstances in which if you didn’t laugh you’d cry or perhaps in Katie Arnstein’s case just freeze.

Grace Campbell: A Show About Me(n)

Review
★★★★
Katerina Partolina Schwartz
West End
Alexandra Palace / Leicester Square Theatre
14th Mar, 2023

Grace Campbell has been called a multitude of things, but after her most recent comedy set A Show About Me(n) she can add electrifying, iconic and all around spectacular to the lis…

Happy Meal

I was invited to see Tabby Lamb’s Happy Meal at Brixton House and made it quite clear that it wasn’t my sort of thing, that I would go in order to be supportive, that I almost …

The Walworth Farce

What could be more appropriate to mark the opening of the Southwark Playhouse Elephant than Enda Walsh’s The Walworth Farce.

Passion

A heteronormative upbringing fights homosexual desire on a battleground that moves from a playful and sometimes argumentative bedroom to the secluded cell of a conversion therapy u…

I Found My Horn

A man is going through almost a lifetime’s accumulation of important junk in his attic.

How Not To Drown

The debate surrounding refugees, migrants and asylum seekers has dominated the political scene both internationally and domestically for decades.

The Lehman Trilogy

The National Theatre’s production of the The Lehman Trilogy has now opened at the spacious Gillian Lynne Theatre where it looks set for another sell-out season.

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…

Erika Ehler: Femcel

In one word, Erika Ehler: Femcel is unexpected.

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.

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…

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.

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.

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 …

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…

Wasted

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

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.

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…

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…

Here

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

Grease the Musical

From hand-jiving to slicked hair, Nikolai Foster’s Grease at the Dominion Theatre is a sprint down memory lane with extra twists.

Paddy goes to Petra

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

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…

Tammy Faye

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

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.

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.

Good

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

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.

The Mirror Crack'd

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

Rehab: The Musical

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

Grace Campbell: A Show About Me(n)

Grace Campbell is a one-woman manifesto for body, sex and mental health positivity.

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.

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…

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 …

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…

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…

Wonderville

Central London has been deprived of a venue that regularly hosts nights filled with Cabaret and Magic for some time.

Persephone

Wow, just wow.

Appraisal

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

Tempus Fugit: Troy and Us

The Greeks knew a lot about war and told great tales of heroism, victory and defeat.

Ghost Quartet by Dave Malloy

Smashing Cabinets Theatre’s adaptation of Dave Malloy’s Ghost Quartet is ghost-like and haunting, confusing at times, but generally falls somewhere between the mysteriousness o…

Horsepower

Not all shows have clarity of meaning or purpose yet they still retain a certain charm.

Beautiful Nothing

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

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 …

A Wilde Life

Chevron Theatre’s A Wilde Life is absolutely hypnotic, hinting at a time of debauchery and a glamour that has long since passed.

Artorigus

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

Matilda Jr the Musical

Based on Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s novel, Matilda tells the story of a precocious five-year-old girl who loves books, hates bullies, and is revealed to have telekinetic p…

DNA by Dennis Kelly

The Year 12 girls from Wycombe Abbey school in High Wycombe under the direction of Phoebe Francis have created a fine production of DNA by Dennis Kelly.

Drag Queen Wine Tasting

As I take my seat in Mono Restaurant for Drag Queen Wine Tasting, I’m immediately struck by how professional everything looks.

Splinters

Judy Seall’s Splinters is a strangely warm gothic Victorian tale, a warmth that emanates from the bonds between the members of the cast.

Jazz Emu: You Shouldn't Have

Have you ever considered how much easier it would be to stop trying to be a nice person and just be a dick to everyone? You will after watching this show.

Polly Peculiar

Polly Peculiar, at Greenside Nicholson Square, is a joy from beginning to end: the sort of play that under normal circumstances you might not be tempted to see.

Green Knight

Where are the knights of yesteryear? A masterclass in barebones storytelling, Debbie Cannon’s one-woman Green Knight has us spellbound.

Exodus

As we come into nearly eight years of rule of the UK Government by the Conservative Party – or 12 Years depending on your feelings for the Liberal Democrats – we have seen a ri…

The Richard Osman Fan Club

After airing nearly 2,000 episodes since it was first broadcast in 2009, Pointless has become a regular family favourite and made a nationwide star out of its intelligent and amiab…

Rebel

Two contrasting elements combine to make Rebel into a spectacular show ideally suited to the vast tent that is Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows.

Starship Improvise

Combining the improvisation talents of Mischief Comedy, Austentatious, and Showstopper!, Starship Improvise is a blast out of this world, filled with moments of hilarity and creati…

The Little Iceberg Musical

Before audiences step foot into the SpaceUK’s Annexe, a tune from a nearby keyboard drifts out of the theatre and floats down the hall to greet the audience.

Heroin to Hero

There are many rags-to-riches stories around but probably not another that follows a young heroin addict’s journey from death’s door to the gates of Buckingham Palace.

Runners

“You can disappear into the timelessness of motion.

Disenchanted: A Cabaret of Twisted Fairy Tales

There’s always two sides to every story, even fairy tales.

Late Bloomers' Tales: Chasing Time Through Songs

I think I’ve fallen in love.

Little Women

Broadway, here we come! The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s production of Little Women is astonishingly professional, from the high quality costumes and stage setting to the ph…

End without Days

Cool with underlying passion and deceptively simple choreography by New Yorker/San Franciscan Stephen Pelton, End Without Days gets under your skin.

Little Parts Hunts a Baby-Daddy

How do clowns get pregnant? There is no obvious punch line for Little Parts, a clown who has always been pregnant, yet who is not sure if she’ll ever give birth.

ASSISTED

Intellectual writing, well elaborated characters and compelling themes of control in human and non-human relationships make Assisted at Surgeons' Hall a rewarding and entertain…

Aidan Goatley: Tenacious

Aidan Goatley is not jealous of Romesh Ranganathan.

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.

Taiwan Season: See You

See You is must see.

Manhood

Let me tell you about Ryan.

The Zoo Story by Edward Albee

A simple concept: Peter reading on his usual park bench is approached by Jerry, a bizarre young man full of questions and stories.

Arthur Smith: My 75 Years at the Edinburgh Fringe

There are some things as regular at the Fringe as Biblical downpours and overpriced street food.

Sugar

After a year away, Mabel Thomas brings her acclaimed show Sugar back to the Fringe, this time in person.

Unseen Shepard

What if the characters you created in your plays were to come to life and challenge the lives and circumstances you created for them?Unseen Shepard finds Pulitzer Prize-winning pla…

Playing God

Many of us will have known someone like Meg.

Trudy Carmichael Presents: The Improvised One-Woman Show!

Listing
Edinburgh Fringe
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall
5th - 27th Aug 2022

Forget your troubles and let Las Vegas lounge legend Trudy Carmichael (along with her astounding accompanist) entertain you in her daring one-of-a-kind immersive musical event! Eve…

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