There is nothing wrong with having two periods onstage at once, and the fine cast does its best with the infuriatingly threadbare drawing of relationships, but The RSC’s A Museum in Baghdad feel like a bit of a mess.
‘Looks at the big picture through the small detail’: THE GIRL WHO FELL – Trafalgar Studios ★★★★
Trafalgar Studios, London – until 23 November 2019 We can only judge the dead through the narratives of others. When those narratives contain a level of both culpability and finger-pointing, who are we to believe? And should it matter when the dead girl at the heart of their concerns is a 15-year-old who committed suicide by jumping from a road …
‘Its emotional integrity shines through the writing at every point’: OUT OF SORTS – Theatre 503
Winner of this venue’s 2018 International Playwriting Award, Out Of Sorts is a movingly-written and deeply felt drama.
REVIEW ROUND-UP: Lungs at Old Vic Theatre
Love London Love Culture rounds up the reviews for Lungs, starring Matt Smith and Claire Foy.
WATCH Groan Ups Q&A video: What’s the secret of Mischief Theatre’s success?
As part of an ongoing series, I’ve chaired post-show talks with various Mischief Theatre casts this year, all of whom waxed lyrical about the brilliance of the company founders. Last week, I had a chance to pose questions to those original mischief-makers themselves at their brand-new comedy Groan Ups.
‘Deserves to be seen in a full-scale production’: CINDERELLA – Cadogan Hall ★★★★★
Warmhearted and sincere, Jonathan O’Boyle’s concert production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical take on Cinderella is gorgeous to watch and listen to from start to finish.
Text of the Day: A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
‘A triumph in so many ways’: [BLANK] – Donmar Warehouse ★★★★
Jemima Rooper, Kate O’Flynn, Zainab Hasan and Joanna Horton carry a lion’s share delivering the vitriol, pain and helplessness of struggling women in [Blank].
FEATURED SHOW: More ★★★★ reviews & an Offies nomination for The Good Scout in London
After its rave reviews and New Writing award at Edinburgh Fringe, Glenn Chandler’s new play The Good Scout has won another round of plaudits and an OffWestEnd.com nomination on its London transfer to Above the Stag Theatre, where it continues until 2 November. We’ve rounded up the review highlights. Time to get booking!
‘Wonderful connection between Foy & Smith adds an extra dimension’: LUNGS – The Old Vic
Part of the success of Lungs is that it is not the uber-liberal, finger-wagging climate change play you expect it to be, plus both the production’s stars are superb and entirely believable as the central couple.
The Girl Who Fell Q&A video: How is social media damaging our children?
I feel like I’ve known writer Sarah Rutherford for years… that’s one of the positives of social media. (We follow each other on Twitter.) The irony is it’s her new play, The Girl Who Fell, about some of the negatives of social media that finally precipitated my meeting her in person.
FEATURED SHOW: Last week to catch ★★★★★ ‘ingenious’ Islander musical
It’s the final week to see Musical Theatre Review award-winning and Offies-nominated new musical Islander. And, after its premiere at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, it’s racked another wave of critical raves in its London transfer to Southwark Playhouse.
FEATURED SHOW: ★★★★ reviews are in for Sarah Rutherford’s ‘refreshingly original’ The Girl Who Fell
Stage Traffic’s premiere of Sarah Rutherford’s darkly funny new play The Girl Who Fell has impressed critics for its warmth, quirkiness and offbeat sensitivity. We’ve rounded up review highlights. Time get booking!
‘Beautifully imagined & flawlessly executed’: LES MISERABLES – Touring
We’re in a venue that certainly gives a grand old-school sense of occasion, and Les Misérables is nothing if not ultimate theatre.
‘Thoroughly modern, soul searching & hilarious play’: THE GIRL WHO FELL – Trafalgar Studios ★★★★
The aftermath of a teenager’s death really shouldn’t be this funny, but Sarah Rutherford has created a thoroughly modern, soul-searching and hilarious play.
‘Spine-tingling moments linger in the mind’: THE LION KING – West End ★★★★★
It really is no wonder why The Lion King has lasted in the West End as long as it has. It is still as powerfully moving and beautiful to watch and feels as though it only opened in London for the first time yesterday.
‘Little thought is left for the content’: [BLANK] – Donmar Warehouse
Alice Birch’s experimental new play [Blank] prioritises form over content and is at heart depressingly reactionary.
Best of the Blogs: The Mates give their verdicts on Noises Off, Translations, [Blank], The Girl Who Fell, Tickle The Musical & more
In our continuing series, our editor Lisa Martland picks out some of her Top Picks from the last week of theatre (to 20 October 2019), ranging from Olivia Mitchell’s thigh-slapping joy on seeing Noises Off to Libby Purves’ plea that we listen to the story being told in [Blank] at the Donmar Warehouse.
Q&A video: What would Ionesco & Sally Challen think of absurdist drama Mites?
A philosophising cat, a famished dog and a family of mites all make appearances – and strong impressions – in Mites, a new play by up-and-coming young British playwright James Mannion, written in the best traditions of the Theatre of the Absurd.
‘Robert Lindsay is mesmerising’: PRISM – Touring ★★★★
Prism, written and directed by the acclaimed playwright Terry Johnson, tells the story of cinematographer Jack Cardiff in the latter years of his life.