Maxine Peake struggles to make the voice of reason heard in the rather reactionary feminist history play The Welkin at the National Theatre.
Mates blogger: Aleks Sierz
Aleks Sierz is one of over 45 theatre bloggers who are part of the MyTheatreMates collective. This page features Aleks's posts on MyTheatreMates. Take a look at our full list of theatre bloggers and our aggregated feed of all our Mates' posts. We’re always looking for new theatre bloggers. Could that be you? Learn about how to join us.
Aleks Sierz FRSA is a theatre critic, and author of the seminal study of new 1990s playwrights, In-Yer-Face Theatre. His other books include Rewriting the Nation, The Theatre of Martin Crimp, John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger, The Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary British Playwrights and Modern British Playwriting. His latest book (co-authored with Lia Ghilardi) is The Time Traveller’s Guide to British Theatre. He also works as a journalist, broadcaster, and lecturer. Aleks blogs independently at www.sierz.co.uk and tweets at @alekssierz.
The latest from Aleks on MyTheatreMates
‘A gob-smacking vitality & originality’: SCENES WITH GIRLS – Royal Court Theatre
Scenes with Girls at the Royal Court is like an exciting blast of fresh air blowing through the often stale world of contemporary new writing.
‘Never really catches fire’: YOU STUPID DARKNESS! – Southwark Playhouse
A new play about optimism, You Stupid Darkness! is compassionate in conception, but repetitive and frustrating in performance.
Text of the Day: The Tyler Sisters
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
‘There is little point in denying its political punch’: LES MISÉRABLES – Sondheim Theatre
New blood courses through the veins of the West End’s longest-running musical Les Misérables.
‘A slender but quite powerful piece’: THE GIRL WITH GLITTER IN HER EYE – Bunker Theatre
The pleasures of The Girl with Glitter in Her Eye — its acting, music and shadow images especially — do make up for some of the banality of the writing.
Text of the Day: Cyrano de Bergerac
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
Text of the Day: Snowflake
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
Text of the Day: Ravens: Spassky Vs Fischer
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
‘A lovely revival’: MARTHA, JOSIE & THE CHINESE ELVIS – Park Theatre
Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis at the Park Theatre is a lively revival of Charlotte Jones’ quirky and hugely enjoyable 1999 play about parenting and life on immoral earnings.
Text of the Day: A Kind of People
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
‘Might end up unfreezing your heart’: SNOWFLAKE – Kiln Theatre
Mike Bartlett’s Christmas cracker Snowflake goes out with a bang, but it really takes a long and clumsy time to do it.
Text of the Day: Midnight Movie
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
‘You are left aching for more’: A KIND OF PEOPLE – Royal Court Theatre
The family tragedy at the heart of A Kind Of People is emotionally powerful but also oddly incomplete and unsatisfying.
Text of the Day: Philip Pullman on lying
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
‘A dazzling triumph’: CYRANO DE BERGERAC – West End
James McAvoy triumphs in Martin Crimp’s magnificent makeover of the French classic Cyrano de Bergerac: a jaw-dropping success.
‘The two central performances are compelling’: RAVENS: SPASSKY VS FISCHER – Hampstead Theatre
Ravens: Spassky Vs Fischer, an intriguing documentary drama about the chess match of the century, gets bogged down in its final half hour.
Text of the Day: Ian Kershaw on The Greatest Play in the History of the World
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
‘Oddly unengaging’: MIDNIGHT MOVIE – Royal Court Theatre
I wanted to love this Midnight Movie, but — like almost any screen experience — I couldn’t quite connect with it. Despite some disturbing passages, it feels like less than the sum of its parts.
‘You leave the theatre enriched by the experience’: THE GREATEST PLAY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD – Trafalgar Studios
Originally produced in association with Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, director Raz Shaw’s production of The Greatest Play in the History of the World is one of the most charming and dopamine-rich shows you could ever hope to see.