REVIEW: Flashdance (Sunderland Empire) ★★★
The 3rd biggest movie of 1983 (behind Return of the Jedi and Terms of Endearment) gets its leg warmers back on for a high octane dance fest filling theatres and delighting dance fans of all ages. Since Tom Hedley penned the story of a dancing welder in Pittsburgh, way back in the early 80’s the […]
REVIEW: From Dust (Gilded Balloon) ★★★★
Last year my Pick of The Fringe was Lion House’s Every Wild Beast, so I had high expectations for From Dust, Lion House’s Edinburgh Fringe Show this year. I was most definitely not disappointed. The show follows Gilly (Sullivan Brown) and Jessie (Tom Coliandris) in an unlikely and completely accidental friendship that slowly (and most […]
REVIEW: Tom Hiddleston in Hamlet at RADA’s Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre ★★★★★
Tom Hiddleston stars in Hamlet, directed by Kenneth Branagh. It is being performed for a limited three week run in a small space, with just 160 seats. Few more than 3000 bums on seats throughout it’s run, if my calculations are correct. On top of that you can not just buy a ticket, oh no, […]
REVIEW: Agent of Influence: The Secret Life of Pamela More (Drayton Arms Theatre) ★★★★★
It’s the mid 1930s, Edward VIII has unwillingly taken to the throne and England is in an uneasy time of rumours and political unrest. Amongst this clamour of uncertainty spreading throughout London is the elegantly dressed Lady Pamela More, socialite and fashionista extraordinaire. Largely disinterested by the topic of world affairs, she is content with […]
REVIEW: The Provoked Wife (Hope Theatre) ★★★
Marooned Theatre has revived Restoration comedy The Provoked Wife and set it in the modern day at a music festival somewhere in France, thronged by a gang of well-spoken, champagne-swigging reprobates. It’s the story of a woman, Lady Brute, who is bored of/abused by (it’s not made clear which) her husband Sir John Brute, and […]
REVIEW: 9 to 5 (Upstairs at the Gatehouse) ★★★★
Set in a corporate office led by the evil and corrupt Franklin Hart, Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 follows the story of three powerhouse women who are tired of “the man” putting them down. The show is incredibly uplifting. It has a real energy that runs through its core which rarely dips. The characters are […]
REVIEW: Spring Awakening (Greenside @ Royal Terrace) ★★★★
Based on the famous play, the musical Spring Awakening has been revived time and time again and there is no doubt why. The coming of age story that never gets old, the show is almost a write of passage for any musical theatre performer, and the young company from PTP’s charming production visited this years […]
REVIEW: Wait Until Dark (Richmond Theatre) ★★★★★
In my own experience, I’ve found that the horror-thriller genre is best enjoyed in the comfort of my own home, on the small screen, with a handful of friends, the remote in hand to pause the scare-spree, and a blanket to hide under when things get a bit too tense. So, Wait Until Dark at Richmond Theatre […]
REVIEW: Follies (National Theatre) ★★★★★
Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman’s masterpiece Follies opened on Broadway in 1971. Directed by Broadway legends Harold Prince and Michael Bennett, the production was a financial failure. In fact, the musical didn’t see wide-spread success until its original London run in 1987, sixteen years after it’s Broadway debut. Since then, the show has been performed […]
REVIEW: The Simon And Garfunkel Story (Lyric Theatre) ★★★
The Simon and Garfunkel Story is exactly what it says on the tin – the story of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Legends of music and songwriting, their album Bridge Over Troubled Water was the best selling album of 1970, 1971 and 1972 which is staggering especially when you think of the Elvis Presley, The […]