Going in, it’s hard to know if the technical aspects of Douglas Baker’s production of Ten Days In A Madhouse at Jack Studio Theatre will feel gimmicky, but it quickly becomes evident that there’s no such danger; every part of the play has obviously been well thought through and when put together it all works extremely well.
Mates blogger: Liz Dyer
Liz Dyer is one of over 45 theatre bloggers who are part of the MyTheatreMates collective. This page features Liz'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.
A lifelong fan who's always been far more comfortable watching theatre than making it, Liz Dyer fell into blogging very much by accident after joining the blog team at London Theatre Direct. From there, she began reviewing regularly for LondonTheatre1.com and (fellow Mate) Carn's Theatre Passion, before setting up her own site Theatre Things in 2015 to cover shows across London and Kent. She tweets from her blog at @theatrethingsuk and personally at @lizzid82.
The latest from Liz on MyTheatreMates
‘A story about regular people finding their way in life’: ANOTHER AMERICA – Park Theatre
Bill Rosenfield’s Another America is not quite what I expected – which, it turns out, is the whole point. Inspired by the 1999 documentary film True Fans by Dan Austin, it’s not explicitly billed as a political play.
At Brockley Jack, Arrows & Traps ‘bring to the stage not one but two inspiring real-life stories’
Returning to live performance for the first time in two years, Arrows & Traps prove they’ve lost none of their ambition as they bring to the stage not one but two inspiring real-life stories.
‘Gently makes us aware of our own ignorance’: THE 4th COUNTRY – Park Theatre
Female-led theatre company Plain Heroines “make funny plays about difficult subjects”. That’s an apt description of Kate Reid’s The 4th Country.
‘Expect very bad language, naughty jokes & drunken celebration’: A PISSEDMAS CAROL – Leicester Square Theatre
What if you fancy a festive show but you’re not in the mood for Dickensian drama? Shitfaced Showtime is the answer.
BOOK REVIEW: My Name Is Not Wigs! by Angela Cobbin
How many of us theatre lovers, hand on heart, could name the wig designer working on our favourite productions?
‘A great night out thanks to two strong performances’: LOVE DANCE – Chiswick Playhouse
Rose is a career woman who wants a baby but not a relationship. Adam’s a deadbeat musician who had a bad childhood and has zero interest in procreating.
‘Tackles dark subjects with a deft comedic touch’: HEATHERS THE MUSICAL – Touring
Like the 1989 movie on which it’s based, Heathers the Musical has gained an enthusiastic cult following since the UK production first opened at The Other Palace in 2018.
‘A clever & joyously silly celebration’: DOING SHAKESPEARE – Bridewell Theatre
Northern Comedy Theatre return to the stage with Doing Shakespeare, a clever and joyously silly play celebrating Shakespeare in all his occasionally incomprehensible glory.
‘This is a tale of extraordinary injustice’: TOKYO ROSE – Southwark Playhouse & touring
Based on a true story, new musical Tokyo Rose follows the life of Iva Toguri, an American woman who was wrongly convicted of treason in 1949.
INTERVIEW: Matthew Seager talks about the new filmed version of his 2017 play In Other Words
In Other Words was inspired by writer and performer Matthew Seager’s experiences volunteering in a care home before the pandemic. First performed in 2017 (when Theatre Things reviewed it during its run at The Hope Theatre), the critically acclaimed two-hander now returns in a new filmed version which is available to watch online from today.
‘Relevant and hard-hitting’: PENETRATION — Cockpit Theatre
As a piece of theatre, Carolyn Lloyd-Davies’ consent drama Penetration left me feeling vaguely unsatisfied – but hear me out, because that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
‘Beautifully written & emotionally devastating’: Anything Is Possible If You Think About It Hard Enough – Southwark Playhouse
Beautifully written and emotionally devastating, Cordelia O’Neill’s two-hander Anything Is Possible If You Think About It Hard Enough sensitively explores the impact of losing a child to stillbirth for a young couple.
‘Writing, direction & performances of the highest quality’: LATELY – Lion & Unicorn Theatre
Proforça Theatre’s Lately doesn’t directly address the pandemic, but the emotions it portrays – loneliness, loss and a longing for escape – are feelings audiences will relate to perhaps even more powerfully given the extraordinary events of the past eighteen months.
‘You’ll walk away feeling uplifted’: DON’T SEND FLOWERS – White Bear Theatre
Don’t Send Flowers at the White Bear Theatre is a really thoughtful and enjoyable piece of new writing from My Theatre Mates’ Emily Garside, sensitively presented by a talented team.
‘Not just great entertainment but also incredibly relatable’: FROM HERE – Chiswick Playhouse
The impossible “five years” question is posed to each of the characters in Ben Barrow and Lucy Ireland’s excellent new musical From Here – and each has a different answer.
‘It’s a lack of action that makes the play interesting’: WOLVES ARE COMING FOR YOU – Jack Studio Theatre
The first in-house production at the Jack Studio since The Invisible Man back in late 2019, Wolves Are Coming From You by Joel Horwood is a story about a small community forced to pull together against an invisible but potentially deadly threat – makin…
‘Truly enchanting’: QUEEN MAB – Actors’ Church
Since last March, going to the theatre – like, actually going to the theatre – has become a rare and magical experience. But even by that standard, there’s something truly enchanting about Queen Mab, the first show in Iris Theatre’s 2021 Summer Festival.
‘Throws us straight into the heart of the story’: DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE – Brighton Fringe (Online review)
Written, rehearsed and filmed in lockdown, Marcia Kelson’s Devil’s Food Cake sensitively shines a light on the impact of an eating disorder on one ordinary family.
‘Powerful, personal & poignant’: TALKING GODS – Arrows & Traps (Online review)
You wait all year for an Arrows & Traps production… and then five come along at once. Unable to return to the stage just yet, Arrows have instead taken to the screen – and given the often cinematic style of writer and director Ross McGregor’s work, it should come as no particular surprise that the transition works pretty seamlessly.