REVIEW: HEDDA GABLER (National Theatre) ★★★
Today, it is more difficult to choose a play and perform it in its traditional setting, rather than taking a contemporary angle. Ivo van Hove, a true example of this, chooses to take Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler from 1891 for his National Theatre debut. Hedda is a female character in literature that readers and audiences have […]
REVIEW: PETER PAN (National Theatre) ★★★★
After a sell out run at the Bristol Old Vic, Sally Cookson bring her version of PETER PAN to the National Theatre this Christmas. This isn’t a pantomime, there are no pop songs or clipboard holding celebrities, but a serious retelling of this much loved JM Barrie childrens classic. In return for helping him find […]
REVIEW: ME… (Little Angel Theatre) ★★★★
Me… is a new production of the children’s story by Emma Dodd, adapted into a puppet show by the team at Little Angel Theatre. The theatre is a centre of excellence for puppetry, consistently offering high quality productions with beautiful puppets supporting wonderful story telling for a younger audience. Inspired by the love between parent […]
REVIEW: SINBAD THE SAILOR (Theatre Royal Stratford East) ★★★
This year, the intrepid panto crew of Stratford East’s Theatre Royal set sail for distant lands in search of adventure with their show, Sinbad the Sailor. As always, Director Kerry Michael gives us the best bits of this lovely old genre of theatre: real actors who can multi task, just enough audience participation and a […]
REVIEW: ALADDIN (The Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts) ★★★
It’s coming up to Christmas so for many places such as The Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts, that means it’s panto season.This year’s panto is ALADDIN: written, directed and starring Peter Dunan (Abanazer), alongside Max Bowden (Aladdin). Sapphire Elia (Princess XiaoXue) and Adam Price (Widow Twankey). Filled with upbeat songs such as Can’t Stop […]
REVIEW: SLEEPING BEAUTY (Sunderland Empire) ★★★
Empire Theatre Sunderland’s annual pantomime, this year, comes from the reliable UK Productions stable providing all the traditional ingredients such a glitzy show should offer. Sleeping Beauty was warmly received by a packed auditorium of excited youngsters on press night. Sleeping Beauty tells the well-known story of a Princess (Amy-Leigh Hickman) who is cursed by […]
REVIEW: BENIGHTED (Old Red Lion Theatre) ★★★★★
Almost 90 years after it was originally written, J. B. Priestley’s Benighted descends on London this winter for its world stage premiere. This story, adapted from the original novel, inspired countless other tales of stranded travellers, most notably The Rocky Horror Show and set a precedent for many B-movies. Nestled in the suitably shadowy attic […]
REVIEW: SHE LOVES ME (Menier Chocolate Factory) ★★★★
In these troubled and dark times, all we need is some festive delight to wind things up. A seasonal confection if you will. And whilst there are many holiday silver screen classics and countless replays of Love Actually to watch on TV, this is a theatre version of a festive romantic-comedy. Who’d have thought a […]
REVIEW: DIRTY DANCING (Phoenix Theatre) ★★
The summer of 1963, when teenagers were still affectionately known as kids and happy to holiday with their parents. For Baby Houseman (Katie Hartland), this summer is one of ambition, dancing and first love. I’m not sure what it is about Dirty Dancing, but it’s become one of the most iconic films of the last […]
REVIEW: CHARMING DICK (Cockpit Theatre) ★★★★★
CHARMING DICK opened this week at the aptly named Cockpit Theatre in Marylebone, after enjoying a festive season last year at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Brilliantly directed, once again, by Tim McArthur, the actors play to every corner of the room, making every seat a great view. As well as directing the show, Tim McArthur takes […]