‘Flashy and spirited’ But adds little depth to Shakespeare’s famously raucous comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream can produce peals of laughter or full-body groans of despair. Steeped in myth and set in antiquity, it is fitting that Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie should join the cast as queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, and queen of the fairies, Titania. Double queening – impressive! ...
‘The flexibility of theatre on show’ Matthew Bourne Have you ever wanted to watch classically trained ballet dancers spinning around in their gardens to sumptuous music? Well, you’re in luck sonny Jim! Having reviewed this show in the good old days of physical theatre (and hope), I jumped at the chance to catch this celebration of the show and the dancers and ...
‘This story has never felt more relevant’ This 2019 stage adaptation of Small Island, courtesy of Helen Edmundson, is the final evolution of Andrea Levy’s award-winning, deeply affecting novel – unless we get a ballet, which would be wonderful, or a video game, which would not. But how does it fare when compared to the book or the popular 2009 BBC ...
‘Hamilton’s less musical British cousin’ Alan Bennett’s royal romp, performed at the Nottingham Playhouse, quickly deep-dives into the tortured mind of 18th-century ruler King George III. There may be ruffles and tights aplenty but this is far from your classic period affair. Following in the footsteps of Nigel Hawthorne and David Haig, the title role is a big crown to ...
‘Famous actors, punchy action and political turmoil’ Neither regularly staged nor loved by many (apart from T. S. Eliot apparently), Coriolanus is the ugly duckling of Shakespeare’s history plays. No matter how much imagination you pour into the vessel, the cracks are almost always visible. Unless you’re a fan of the minutiae of 5th-century Roman politics – and I can’t say I ...
‘Emotional, complex and unique’ Wilkie Branson It’s great that big theatres are releasing their back catalogues during lockdown like ageing music stars – and believe me, I’m grateful – but these are often from way back when. Like Creation Theatre’s production of The Tempest, TOM is a piece crafted more recently, and as such has an important and modern message of hope for ...
‘A bumpy and glorious ride’ “Deliberate cruelty is unforgivable,” croons Blanche DuBois, but boy has Tennessee Williams got buckets of the stuff to come. The National’s 2014 production of A Streetcar Named Desire swirls onto the stage in all its southern sweetness and heart-breaking brutality. “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.” All About Eve, anyone? Arguably William’s most famous ...
‘A world torn apart by war, betrayal and egotism’ Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo grapple with one of history’s most infamous doomed love affairs (not really a spoiler) in the National’s 2018 production of Shakespeare’s classic, Antony and Cleopatra. It’s a little like Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile but with more suicide, bloodshed and war, and fewer mild-mannered English tourists and rotund ...
“Isolating but not isolated! We still connect, and we’re still creative. Social diss dancing will attract attention. So let’s start Breakin’ Convention,” says Jonzi D And with that, the 15th annual hip-hop festival kicks off – virtually, on YouTube. Narrated as always by Jonzi D, MC, dancer, spoken word artist, and director (this time from his balcony), this festival champions ...
‘Utter transformation’ Like with chocolate, cocktails or puppies, two for the price of one is a wonderful concept. When both are free it loses none of its magic. Thus the Wilding clan settles down for two nights of the haunting 2011 production of Frankenstein, which saw Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller switch between the roles of monster and creator on ...