A tour de force for Clary in a superb role Ronald Harwood’ 1980 classic play has been taken on by many of Britain’s cream of acting talent, including Tom Courtenay, Albert Finney, Sarah Lancashire and Eileen Atkins. It is special for this production to add to this canon in the settings of real provincial theatres, […]
Witness for the Prosecution – Review – County Hall, London Southbank
Lucy Bailey summons you to watch Agatha Christie’s courtroom drama Tensions run high as the opening scene of Witness for the Prosecution begins with a highly distressed Leonard Vole being dragged by the police into the courtroom where Mr Justice Wainwright hands him a ‘guilty’ murder conviction leading to his execution by hanging. Is this […]
Declan
Fundraising for The Actors Centre – Declan A silver lining of lockdown has been catching up with some of the theatre productions I have missed over the years and that have been shown free on various platforms. Sitting on my sofa of an evening with a wonderful play on my TV has seen me through […]
Faustus: That Damned Woman – Lyric Hammersmith – Review
A legendary myth transforms into a vivid feminist tale. Headlong and the Lyric Hammersmith’s powerful co-production of Faustus: That Damned Woman turns the legendary myth into a vivid feminist tale. Chris Bush’s cleverly written retelling of Christopher Marlowe’s renaissance play gender swaps the iconic role of Faustus to dramatic effect. It takes you on a […]
The Boy In The Dress at The RSC Stratford-upon-Avon – Review
David Walliams ‘The Boy in the Dress’ comes alive on stage. The RSC’s new musical The Boy In The Dress has recently opened at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre and so we took the opportunity to whizz along the M40 to Stratford-upon-Avon (2 hours or so from London) and review. Adapted by ‘Shopping and F**king’ playwright Mark […]
Noises Off at the Garrick, London West End
Michael Frayn’s unbeatable comedy at the Garrick Theatre Bursting back on to West End stage with all the fizz of a Barrett’s sherbet fountain the Lyric Hammersmith’s sellout revival of Noises Off, Michael Frayn’s classic farce, is the perfect antidote to political gloom and damp autumn evenings. First premiering at the Lyric in 1982, Jeremy […]
Yamato at The Peacock Theatre- Review
Japanese Taiko Drumming in London – Yamato: Even if you don’t know the name, you’ve probably all heard Japanese taiko drumming. It’s that massive hollow drum sound used in fantasy film soundtracks when the ‘final battle’ is about to commence. Of course in the movies, the drums have actually been played by orchestral percussionists called […]
Pinter 5 at the Harold Pinter Theatre
Pinter Wonderland… Pinter at the Pinter is a unique theatrical event, presenting together – for the first time ever – all his 20 one-act plays. Harold Pinter is vintage; an evergreen, 20th Century classic. Born in Hackney, London, in 1930, he lived with Antonia Fraser from 1975 until his death on Christmas Eve 2008. He […]
Caroline, or Change at London’s Playhouse Theatre
Caroline, or Change comes to London’s West End… Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori’s 2003 musical has been on my must-see list for some time. Michael Longhurst’s production started life at Hampstead Theatre, moving to Chichester and now making a very welcome transfer to the Playhouse in London’s West End. This wonderfully original and quirky production takes […]
The Merry Wives of Windsor – RSC
RSC at the Barbican – The Merry Wives of Windsor: The Merry Wives of Windsor is one of Shakespeare’s less frequently performed comedies and was my first viewing of this play. But even if I had seen it before, I would not have been prepared for the RSC’s wonderfully uplifting and hilarious production, directed by […]