Family secrets and sibling quibbling in Ben Ockrent’s darkly funny play about the physical and emotional relics we inherit “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” is a great motivational phrase. That is, unless there is an inheritance involved…! Throw in four siblings with widely divergent ways of dealing with their family trauma and dynamics, […]
Archduke at Royal Court Theatre
A spellbinding dissection of political violence Rajiv Joseph’s Archduke premiered in Los Angeles in 2017. In the last two years, it’s been re-staged in Britain and America three times. This is no coincidence; there are few works that bite so precisely into the fault lines of strongman politics and restless masculinity. This is a historical […]
Colossus, Queen Elizabeth Hall
Australian Choreographer Stephanie Lake’s UK Debut As every dictator and cult leader knows, there’s a special dynamic to large groups of people moving in strictly coordinated unison. It never fails to have an impact: it astounds, dazzles or frightens. And for a while Colossus, Australian choreographer Stephanie Lake’s work for a massive group of well-marshalled […]
Cyrano de Bergerac – Noel Coward Theatre
A moving Cyrano with words that fly Getting an entire audience onto its feet is no mean feat in the London theatre. Yet this is how we found ourselves early in the RSC production of Cyrano de Bergerac, which has opened at the Noel Coward Theatre. In fact, the opening scenes had me wondering quite […]
The Sleeping Beauty, English National Ballet
ENB’s Signature Classic Debuts at the Royal Albert Hall ==== The Sleeping Beauty will be screened in cinemas nationwide 13 – 18 October. To find a participating cinema near you and buy tickets click here ==== Kenneth MacMillan’s The Sleeping Beauty, entrusted in the UK to English National Ballet (ENB), is a glorious spectacle full […]
Sinatra the Musical – Aldwych Theatre
Frank Sinatra Comes to Town Sinatra the Musical has just opened in the West End, following its 2023 Birmingham Rep premiere. Written by the two-time Tony Award-winning writer Joe DiPietro and directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award-winning Kathleen Marshall. This much-anticipated biographical jukebox musical depicts a pivotal period of Frank Sinatra’s life during the 40s and 50s, underpinned by […]
Phoenix Dance Theatre, Interplay
A Varied and Engaging Mixed Bill Funny, clever, engaging and thoroughly entertaining – Interplay, Phoenix Dance Theatre’s new mixed bill, brought a breath of metaphorical fresh air from its Leeds home to London’s Sadler’s Wells East (which, it’s only fair to point out, is itself delightfully air-conditioned). A mixed bill of works by international choreographers, […]
Monarchs Anonymous – The Other Palace Theatre
Immersive Royal Comedy As Therapy Session Imagine being a fly on the wall whilst some of the most notorious kings and queens from history meet for group therapy; Monarchs Anonymous returns for a second run at The Other Palace after a successful stint at the Brighton Fringe. This time-travelling regal riot started as a lockdown […]
The Truth – Apollo Theatre
Sex, lies and tennis scores Do you tell your best friend that his wife is having an affair? What if you are the man she is having an affair with? Would you tell your wife? Would your wife want to be told? These are just some of the difficult questions that The Truth explores, to […]
The Misanthrope – National Theatre
Cancel culture meets Molière’s comedy of manners The National’s Lyttelton Theatre is currently home to a new contemporary version of Molière’s The Misanthrope directed by National Theatre Director Indhu Rubasingham (The Father and the Assassin). This is not the first time that playwright Martin Crimp has rewritten Molière’s classic. His 1996 version premiered at the […]