‘Newer doesn’t necessarily mean better’ If Carlos Acosta guarantees us Londoners an “extraordinary” triple bill, rushing down from his midland powerhouse, we sit up and listen. The mere whisper of this most hallowed director soars ticket sales and promises bums on seats. Add name-dropping of the likes of Jiří Kylián, Benjamin Britten, Uwe Scholz, and Ludwig van Beethoven plus the ...

‘Exploding with vibrating power’ Hofesh Shechter II Shechter II’s dazzling show is proof that the youth wing of the famous company is as dexterous as its progenitor. Hofesh Shechter gifted the world with his eponymous company in 2008, enrapturing the dance scene. Since then, he has dazed audiences and yours truly. Now he turns his impassioned eye to the youth (how sweet) with Shechter ...

‘Battling through the sentimental quicksand’ Amidst the sparkling heart of the rich’s newest playground, Battersea Power Station, busy not with pollution but with people, returns the musical But I’m a Cheerleader. Based on the iconic 1999 film that thrust Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall into stardom, Bill Augustin and Andrew Abrams’ musical aims to tread the line between the film’s ...

‘Searing dissection of wealth’ From the devilishly demented mind of Ruben Östlund comes a satirical masterpiece. Float away into a world of dark comedy, delightful details, and so much vomit. Turning his razor-sharp gaze away from the art world – the focus of his 2017 Palme d’Or winner The Square – Östlund sidles up to the uber-rich. Here are the beautiful people, ...

‘Germinating, blossoming, unfurling delight, filled with subtle environmental and social commentary’ Innocence. A fleeting thing, silverly like moonlight and in short supply at times like these. Improbable theatre company headed by director Phelim McDermott in partnership with original Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi has done the…well improbable (hahaha). Turning Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 animation into a glorious theatre reality, bringing to ...

‘Real meat, real flames, and really good service’ What to you, is sexy? No don’t worry I am not trying my hand at agony-aunt-ing, but the concept of sexiness and food have always danced an ancient jig. What can warm the cold wet streets, and the colder wetter hearts of these misted isles? Fire and death are Temper’s answer! So, if your ...

‘Constantly changing visual wizardry’ Alexander Whitley Dance Company A fresh new work by Alexander Whitley and his company is always something to get the blood pumping of dance aficionados. A premiere, in the Lilian Baylis Studio, exploring technology’s distant future and transhumanism promises to bring that blood to a boil. So, the huddled masses of ballet’s vanguard march into the ...

‘Blending of cultural concepts feels more clash than consummation’ Calling oneself a British enthusiast nowadays has lost a lot of its glitz and glamour. Xenophobia, the grit in our country’s Vaseline along with grinding austerity has diminished that star. Yet Hideki Noda proclaims it to the world (or those lucky enough to be gifted with a program) as his 2019 ...

‘The play never quite gets into orbit’ (In my best Captain kirk voice) “Space; the final frontier”. But a frontier that theatre generally sticks clear off due to budget and practical constraints. It’s a tall task, but a task that Vinay Patel’s new reimagining of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard laughs in the face of, perhaps foolhardily. Written originally in 1904, the ...

‘Joyfully impish’ Dance Consortium Ballet is not known for its humour (mores the pity). The stiff faces, rigid movements, and rules on rules on rules. The land of daily repetition is not a breeding ground for the brawling baby called comedy. Matthew Bourne and William Forsythe inject intellectual irony into their work, but a burst of laughter would still be out of place ...