REVIEW: & JULIET (Shaftesbury Theatre) ★★★★
& Juliet tells the story of what may have happened had Juliet not died on that fateful night in Verona. Narrated from the view point of William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway who is concerned that all his plays end in tragedy so suggests an alternative happy ending which she also writes herself into. […]
REVIEW: Frankenstein (Richmond Theatre) ★★★
Having recently very successfully adapted the epic Greek tale Captain Corelli’s Mandolin for the stage, Rona Munro has now taken the more famous Mary Shelley gothic story (written in 1818) Frankenstein to the stage, for an extensive UK tour. Her take on one of the original horror stories is imaginative and interesting as she examines […]
REVIEW: FUNNY GIRL (Théâtre Marigny, Paris) ★★★★★
Stephen Mear directs and choreographs a new production of the Barbra Striesand classic Funny Girl in Paris this winter, starring actress Christina Bianco, who truly is the greatest star. Funny Girl tells the story of Fanny Brice – the girl who wants to be a star but is repeatedly told she doesn’t have the right […]
REVIEW: DEAR EVAN HANSEN (Noel Coward Theatre) ★★★★
During a snowy blizzard in 2017, I went to see Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway, with the original cast including Ben Platt and it was so emotional and wonderful that I couldn’t wait for it to come to the West End. And now, finally it is here at the Noel Coward Theatre. Dear Evan Hansen […]
REVIEW: STRAY DOGS (Park Theatre) ★★★★
Producers Dead Letter Perfect say they want to produce “good stories, well told” and that character “lies at the heart of good stories”. Their latest offering at Park 90, Stray Dogs, certainly fits that description with three very strong conflicting characters battling it out over the power of language. The story is set in Leningrad, around […]
REVIEW: The Bodyguard (Sunderland Empire) ★★★★
The Bodyguard quite literally arrived in Sunderland with a bang!!! Based on the 1992 film, starring the late Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard tells the story of Rachel Marron, a famous singer who has uncompromising ex-secret service agent, Frank Farmer, hired for her to protect her from an obsessed stalker. Unlike the film, this is a […]
REVIEW: 9 to 5 the Musical (Sunderland Empire) ★★★★
9 to 5 arrived in Sunderland as part of its UK tour. Unusually, the tour is sharing cast members from the current West End production and audiences at the Empire got to enjoy Amber Davies in the role of Judy. Equality for women is sadly still an issue in today’s society but thankfully times have […]
REVIEW: Death of a Salesman (Piccadilly Theatre) ★★★★
Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman has shifted down the road and entered a new run at the Piccadilly Theatre, with a fresh tone from directors Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell. Willy Loman is a travelling salesman, practically part of the furniture at his company, who he has served faithfully for three decades. He’s […]
REVIEW: The Taming of the Shrew (Barbican) ★★★★★
The Barbican is in the middle of a jam-packed Winter season of Shakespeare classics, performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, with As You Like It, Measure For Measure and of course, The Taming of the Shrew, captivating London audiences. The RSC’s latest production of The Taming of the Shrew (which, if you’ve seen 10 Things I […]
REVIEW: SPIDERFLY (Theatre 503) ★★★★
Theatre 503 presents John Webber’s first full play, a taut, psychological drama, that builds to an emotional and impressive climax. Esther (Lia Burge) is a couple’s counsellor but is herself in emotional turmoil, dealing with bereavement, divorce and a troubled childhood. She seeks solace in two very different male characters, Keith and Chris, both played by […]