REVIEW: Swan Lake (Sadler’s Wells) ★★★★★
It’s hard to fathom that when Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake first opened in 1995, it was not loved by everyone who saw it. The idea of a male troupe of swans and a young Prince being, quite literally, taken under their wing, proved too shocking for some who branded it “the gay Swan Lake” (which […]
REVIEW: Murder For Two (The Other Palace) ★★★★
The Other Palace Studio is a cosy and intimate venue, and the perfect place to be an eyewitness for the killer musical comedy, Murder For Two. Recently a sell-out off-Broadway, Murder for Two has also been a huge success at the Watermill Theatre. When famous novelist Arthur Whitney is found dead at his birthday party, […]
REVIEW: CAROLINE OR CHANGE (Playhouse Theatre) ★★★★
Tony Kushner‘s magnificent new musical Caroline Or Change has transferred from Hampstead earlier this year (and Chichester Minerva before that) to the Playhouse Theatre, largely with the same cast intact. Some of the intimacy of those previous venues is lost in the transfer but the power of the music and the central performances still manages […]
REVIEW: Cinderella (New Victoria Theatre) ★★★★
On a cold winters night, I just wanted to cuddle up on the sofa and enjoy a cosy night in front of the fire. But in the name of true Christmas spirit, off to Woking I went, to watch Strictly Come Dancing’s (Craig Revel Horwood) in Cinderella at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking. This […]
REVIEW: THE WIZARD OF OZ (Blackpool Winter Gardens) ★★★★
Based on the Royal Shakespeare Company‘s 1987 musical, The Wizard Of Oz has landed in Blackpool this Christmas after a run last year at the Sheffield Crucible Theatre. The show follows the original film’s story of the little girl, Dorothy and her dog Toto who get swept up in a cyclone and end up in […]
REVIEW: Peter Pan (Park Theatre) ★★
What it lacks in execution, Peter Pan at the Park Theatre more than makes up for with ambition. In an attempt to prove that size isn’t everything, the 200-seat theatre has, for the first time, installed aerial technology to help its Peter and Wendy fly, but whilst the aim is admirable, the landing is a […]
REVIEW: FANATICAL (Playground Theatre) ★★★
Proving you really can make a musical about anything, the sci-fi-themed “Fanatical” opened recently at the Playground Theatre. The musical introduces us to ‘Angel 8’, a sci-fi television series with a strong and loyal fanbase despite it having slightly dodgy dialogue, iffy costumes and generally a bit wobbly in a ‘Flash Gordon’ kind of way. […]
REVIEW: SNOW WHITE (London Palladium) ★★★★
In the last two years, the London Palladium has staged spectacular pantomimes which really pushed the boat out in both casting and staging. Last year’s Dick Whittington won GB Pantomime Awards Pantomime of the Year (1500 seats or more) and an Olivier for best Entertainment and Family Show. It featured an amazing self parody by […]
REVIEW: Nine Night (Trafalgar Studios) ★★★★★
Natasha Gordon’s first play as a writer has transferred after a short run at The National Theatre to the Trafalgar Studios. Focusing on the death of a Jamaican matriarch Gloria, the subsequent mourning period (the “nine night” of the title) and the fragility of family bonds it exposes, this is a stunning piece of theatre. […]
REVIEW: ALADDIN (Hackney Empire) ★★★
For many, pantomime season signals the official beginning of Christmas and all the magic it has to offer. Panto is no longer limited to the traditional; you can find purely ‘adult’ ones and some very alternative takes on the classic formula, and this production at the much-loved Hackney Empire is no different. We find ourselves […]