‘Constantly confusing, delighting, and scandalising’ With Arthur Miller’s The Crucible popping up like a perineal plague (the Gielgud in June if you’re interested) Britain’s obsession with witches, misogynism and singeing is alive and well. But what if we turned all that on its head? Well…. Let’s pull things back, to the very country the Puritans of Salem were fleeing. 1640, Charles the ...
‘Lacking emotional groundwork’ The theatrical version of ‘does what it says on the tin’, Anders Lustgarten’s new state of the nation play focuses on the north/south divide and the rise of the alt-right. City vs town, left vs right, community vs self, you get the idea… Anders Lustgarten exploded onto the scene in 2007 with commissions from the National and Soho ...
‘Little mistakes puncture a layered tapestry’ With discussions and support for mental health reaching a historic high, a play about a precipitous spiral into instability might seem an easy win. But Director Rebecca Frecknall has a difficult task on her hands, trading in the worn-out sequins of Cabaret (her most recent coup) for something much darker and arguably more complex. One of Tennessee ...
‘Skewered by their own success’ Starting a review with a dramatic statement is a writer’s right. Shock, explain, and recapitulate. It works very well. So well it has almost become cliché…. But will I do it again? Punchdrunk’s extension of the run of The Burnt City until September 2024 rather forces me doesn’t it? I hate immersive theatre. This isn’t ...
‘Experience a large fraction of the wonder of London’s Theatreland’ January is dull, drab, and depressing, isn’t it? How about bringing the sunshine with a dose of musicals? Performed by drag queens? Topple down to the Soho Theatre and see Le Gateau Chocolat (George Ikediashi) and Jonny Woo (Jonathan Wooster) mutilate the popular genre, in the best way possible. Preaching ...
‘Awkward, unhinged and unimaginably good’ On an ice-laminated night, when the world – or at least the London transport system – is in full freefall, we trundled our way to Hackney Wick to be warmed by the princess of the experimental theatre world, Lucy McCormick. I say warmed, but I think we were boiled like the apocryphal frog blissfully smiling ...
‘The girls run through various covers, interject with blue humour and plenty of crotch grabbing’ This excellent show will grab you by the….vocal cords, and swing on till Christmas! These queens have been everywhere; locally gracing the Udderbelly Festival in the summer, now settling in to the Arts Theatre for a three night residency. They’re like Britney or Gaga in Vegas – only ...
‘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 ...
‘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 ...
‘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 ...