REVIEW: V FOR VICTORY (Stockwell Playhouse) ★★★★
D-Day, the Blitz, Churchill, and the bombing of the East End of London; everything you might expect from a new musical set during the Second World War. ‘V for Victory’, delivers up something different, instead telling the less recanted story of the Nazi invasion of a British territory, the Channel Islands, and in particular, the […]
REVIEW: CRAZY FOR YOU (Milton Keynes Theatre) ★★★
There seems to be a craze currently for churning out the old musicals; some like Half a Sixpence get a bit of an update and become just as popular, if not more so than the original. Others just don’t quite seem to hit the spot. Crazy For You originally opened on Broadway in 1930 under […]
REVIEW: THE SERVICE (Cafe de Paris) ★★★★
‘The Service’ at Café de Paris celebrates the storied history of this famous Leicester Square night spot. Opened in 1924, the night club and burlesque venue has played host to almost every luminary imaginable, from Noel Coward to Kylie Minogue. A burlesque and cabaret show in two acts, ‘The Service’ introduces us to several theatrical […]
REVIEW: THE BEST MAN (Playhouse Theatre) ★★
In this time of political turmoil, asking yourself if those in charge of governments are the best person for the job becomes an almost daily occurrence. This is perhaps why Gore Vidal‘s The Best Man is still relevant today. Despite being written in 1960, the fact that the author was heavily involved in American politics […]
REVIEW: SOLDIER ON (Playground Theatre) ★★★★★
Solider On is a new play by Jonathan Lewis, currently on a small tour of the UK (next stops: Oxford and York). But, it is so much more than ‘another new play with a message’ – it is a masterpiece and a sure-fire box office hit. An extended run, a West End residence, even a […]
REVIEW: JERSEY BOYS (Sunderland Empire) ★★★★★
New Jersey, the 4th smallest state by area but possibly the greatest for musical influence, has spawned some of the world’s most iconic performers – Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Count Basie, Debbie Harry, Jon Bon Jovi, Dionne Warwick and Whitney Houston all hail from this, the US’s most densely populated province, but it is perhaps […]
REVIEW: ASSASSINS (Pleasance Theatre) ★★★★
Having never seen Assassins and with a penchant for all things ‘murder’ and an appetite for true crime, I rocked up to the Press Night of this production full of anticipation and I wasn’t disappointed. The Pleasance Theatre (once you get used to its out of comfort zone location) is warm and welcoming and the perfect […]
REVIEW: DOLLYWOULD (Soho Theatre) ★★★
DollyWould, the latest show from Sh!t Theatre, is a funny and timely reminder that it’s okay for theatre to be silly, and it’s okay for audiences to expect silly theatre to be created and performed to a high standard. Becca and Louise wanted to make a show about something they love. So they made a show about […]
REVIEW: LOVE?! (Old Red Lion Theatre) ★★★
‘Love?! A Catastrophic 21st Century Guide on Relationships’ is certainly one the longest titles for any play I have seen recently. The play itself, by Chloé Wipraechtiger, is short, unsatisfyingly so, and I would have liked more time to allow further character development, which could have better evolved the intertwined mini-playlets into a rounded piece. […]
REVIEW: THE RAT PACK (Sunderland Empire) ★★★★
It will be 20 years ago in May that the world lost one its most beloved and revered entertainers – Frank Sinatra is instantly recognisable, not only for his super smooth voice but his style and stage presence. Fans of Frank are some of the most loyal and vociferous in the world so any production […]