REVIEW: THE COLLECTOR (The Vaults) ★★★★
For most women, being the house-guest of a lottery winner who brings you breakfast in bed, buys you artwork and jewellery, and answers to your every need, would be a dream come true. In Miranda Grey’s case, it may just be her worst nightmare. Entomologist Frederick Clegg is unequivocally in love with Miranda, and she has no […]
REVIEW: Young Chekhov Trilogy (National Theatre) ★★★★★
The Young Chekhov is a trilogy of Anton Chekhov’s earliest plays, comprising Platonov (1880) which was written when he was only twenty years old, Ivanov (1887) and The Seagull (1896), performed at the Olivier Theatre on London’s Southbank. These plays are new versions, adapted by the brilliant David Hare, which were originally performed at the […]
REVIEW: FUNNY GIRL (Original London Cast Recording) ★★★★
I’m a lover of high stakes – and as the original cast recording of Funny Girl was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004 – I’m sure the revival cast, led by Sheridan Smith, worked tirelessly to create this original London cast recording of Funny Girl. The sell-out musical is based on the […]
REVIEW: WICKED International Tour (Alhambra Theatre) ★★★★★
The International Tour of WICKED kicked off this month at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford (20 minutes away from Leeds) where it plays until 21 August before it sets off around the world starting in Singapore, Hong Kong and Manila. I couldn’t miss the opportunity to see the show at its only UK stop on […]
REVIEW: An Evening With Cock and Fanny (Hen and Chickens Theatre) ★★
An Evening With Cock and Fanny sees Matthew ‘THE COCK’ Howell and Lauren ‘THE FANNY’ Taylor, a new comedy duo, giving us approximately 40 minutes of sketch comedy. I should start by saying that I am an avid supporter of Fringe theatre, its goals and the opportunities it provides for performers and producers alike. Howell […]
REVIEW: Treasure Island (St Paul’s Church) ★★★★
“You’re a pirate. Here’s your armband.” Err, no I think you’ll find it’s a bandana. With my aaaarmband (sorry) firmly tied around my head, as befitting a fierce pirate I was ready for action. Iris Theatre is always a treat for the senses and Treasure Island brought its audience something slightly different – an immersive […]
REVIEW: Desert Rats (Above the Arts Theatre) ★★★
Nate Rufus Edelman wrote the first draft of his play in a damp, mouldy and windowless basement apartment in New York City. If it was mouldy, it must have been cool. The theatre was hot – “Africa hot” as one of the characters in Edelman’s play describes the motel room where most of the action […]
Human Emotional Process (Above the Arts Theatre) ★★★
José Rivera, the writer of this new play, is a recipient of two Obie Awards for Marisol and References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, both produced by The Public Theatre, New York. His screenplay The Motorcycle Diaries was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005 as well as for a BAFTA and a Writers […]
REVIEW: Richard III (Almeida Theatre) ★★★★★
It is no secret that Richard III was not a nice person. He had a certain superficial charm but his penchant for murdering relatives and friends made him difficult to love. He became King after murdering many friends and relatives who got in his way, and then went to war to unsuccessfully retain his throne […]
REVIEW: EXPOSURE THE MUSICAL (St James Theatre) ★★
With the invention of the camera phone in recent years, the subject of photography and its interest has grown and become a lot more mainstream thanks to the use of apps such as Instagram. People spend some minutes, some maybe hours fixing their face, filtering here and there, striving for perfection. Vain, self-indulgent, you might […]