A New Who-Dun-It from One of the World’s Most Renowned Detectives Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is always a magical experience, primarily for its location in the centre of the park, but also for the high standards of its productions. With Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson living together around the corner at 221B Baker […]
Samson et Dalila at the Royal Opera House
Akhmetshina Seduces the Garden as Dalila Last night saw the first revival of Richard Jones’ resolutely non-realist production of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila. Jones avoids the temptation of slipping into contemporary geopolitics and focuses on the conflict between the ascetic spirituality of the Jews and the much jollier, if crass, materialism of the Philistines […]
Still Pointless: BalletBoyz at 25
BalletBoyz’s Much Anticipated Return to the Stage If BalletBoyz worried that a relatively long absence from the stage might have diminished their appeal, they needn’t have worried: their many supporters were out in force for the première of Pointless: BalletBoyz at 25, the show that marks the company’s 25th anniversary at Sadler’s Wells, where founder […]
Krapp’s Last Tape/Godot’s To-do List
Beckett’s Poetics of Despair Gary Oldman revisiting his old stomping ground at the Royal Court to perform Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape, a monologue for actor and reel-to-reel tape machine, is the hot ticket du jour. This production was born at the York Theatre Royal as a thank-you from the actor to the space where […]
Il Cimento dell’Armonia e dell’Inventione
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Through de Keersmaeker’s Eyes Anne Teresa de Keersmaker’s work often feels like a test of endurance for audiences. The uncompromising Belgian choreographer has stripped dance of what she considers unnecessary flummery to arrive at an abstract and geometric style of movement, deliberately unacademic and seemingly artless. De Keersmaeker’s company, Rosas, founded in […]
Kokum Cookery Class
Master the art of curry making with Kokum We spent a sunny afternoon in East Dulwich learning the ins and outs of heavy-duty Indian cooking at Kokum. Clearly, it has become a little bit of a trend for chefs and restaurants to open up their kitchens and reveal their secrets in cookery courses. A few […]
A Festival of Korean Dance
Looking Ahead to a Showcase of Korean Dance at The Place The South Korean dance scene is lively, varied and very much sui generis, and over the past nine years, London has been able to sample a small share of what it has to offer, courtesy of the Festival of Korean Dance. As in previous […]
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
A Welcome Return by the All-Male Ballet Comedy Company Every time Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, affectionately known as The Trocks, descend on London – size 11 pointe shoes, hairy armpits, beefy shoulders, terribly wigs and all – we realise how much we’ve missed them. The all-male comedy ballet troupe from New York has […]
Peter Grimes at the Royal Opera House
A Visceral First Revival of Deborah Warner’s Peter Grimes It’s always unnerving seeing a revival of a production you have loved. Will the singers be on form? Will that initial impact be reinforced or fade away to a lesser experience? Will new cast members and the conductor bring a fresh energy to the production or […]
Breakin’ Convention 2026
Sadler’s Wells Annual Hip Hop Take Over On show days, the mezzanine area of Sadler’s Wells normally hosts exclusive receptions for company and theatre patrons and guests; but during Breakin’ Convention, it devolves to the people (ticket holders, obviously) with DJs spinning their stuff at top volume, the occasional bout of beatboxing and plenty of […]