REVIEW: What the Dolls Saw (Pleasance Theatre) ★★★★★
“Not for people with a fear of dolls…or feminism”, reads one tagline for the comedy thriller What the Dolls Saw which is part of the Pleasance Theatre‘s London Horror Festival which festival runs from 8 – 25 October; unfortunately What the Dolls Saw only played three performances but here’s to hoping it will soon be making its […]
REVIEW: Out of Order (Southbank Centre) ★★★★
A large, well-lit stage: 10 chairs, 1 large table. 6 clowns, dressed identically in checked suits, stroll in and take a seat, staring at one another. Silence. Then, jovial music begins to play, and lyrics about “starting a fight” echo throughout the theatre. It wouldn’t be right to ruin what happens next – but the […]
REVIEW: Prism (Richmond Theatre) ★★★★★
Beautifully written, brilliantly staged and superbly acted; Prism is a gorgeous piece of theatre. Prism is inspired by the life of Jack Cardiff, a British man, born to vaudevillian parents who went on to become one of the most celebrated cinematographers in film history. He worked on some of the most iconic films of the […]
REVIEW: Amatory Asylum (The Wellington Members Club) ★★★
House of Kittens is a theatre company committed to the art of erotic storytelling, with their newest intrigue called the Amatory Asylum, which promises to ignite the senses with a series of conceptual, theatrical vignettes. Dr Lili La Fleur, presiding physician as Head of Sexual Psychological Studies at the Asylum, presents a portfolio of patients […]
REVIEW: A Taste of Honey (Curve) ★★★
The National Theatre‘s production of Shelagh Delaney‘s A Taste of Honey centres on the relationship between a mother, Helen, and her daughter, Jo, as they both fight their way through the harsh realities of poverty and desperate escapism. While Helen finds her escape route in the form of a car salesman (or his wallet), her […]
REVIEW: AGES OF THE MOON (Vaults) ★★★★
Sam Shepard, who died in 2017, left a fascinating and challenging set of American plays written between 1963 and 2012, which collected many awards including Buried Child and Fool For Love. Ages Of The Moon from late in his career makes its UK debut at the inelegant Vaults at Waterloo. The theatre’s decrepit feel is as […]
REVIEW: BERYL (Arcola Theatre) ★★★★
Beryl, written by Maxine Peake, gets a London transfer from East Riding Theatre to Arcola Theatre in Dalston. Starting life as a radio play in 2012, the stage version was commissioned as part of the celebration of the Tour of France’s visit to Yorkshire in 2014. The star of the title is Beryl Burton, the […]
REVIEW: Sinatra: Raw (Wilton’s Music Hall) ★★★★
This was my first visit to Wilton’s Music Hall and I have to say it is a beautiful venue. The main auditorium is like a small Cadogan Hall, with balcony seating which afforded a great view of the stage. The show is performed by Richard Shelton, a British actor who now resides in America, who […]
REVIEW: TOAST (Richmond Theatre) ★★★
Nigel Slater‘s 2003 book Toast: The Story of a Boy’s Hunger was converted into a stage play by Henry Filloux-Bennett in 2018 and is now halfway through a UK tour which runs until 7 December 2019 . This week it is at the wonderful Richmond Theatre (although the raised false stage set behind the proscenium arch […]
REVIEW: Dissociated (Etcetera Theatre) ★★★
One doesn’t attend performances at tiny above pub venues like the Etcetera Theatre expecting to see polished and ready for the west end shows and Dissociated is certainly no exception. However, it has a nugget of what could be a truly beautiful, courageous and successful show. Alex played by Eloise Jones is a twenty-seven year […]