In a mighty coup for Melbourne, world-conquering tenor Jonas Kaufmann graces the ranks of Opera Australia for a fully-staged production of Wagner gem Lohengrin.
‘It is refreshing to see a play like this’: THE MINISTRY OF LESBIAN AFFAIRS – Soho Theatre ★★★★★
The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs at the Soho Theatre is one of those plays that unashamedly bursts off the stage, much like the lesbian choir around which the story revolves.
REVIEW ROUND-UP: A Strange Loop in New York
Broadway’s latest musical by Michael R Jackson has been nominated for an impressive 11 Tony Awards. But what have critics had to say about it?
‘Grab your inflatable banana & you’ll have a ball’: ALRIGHT BITCHES! – Above the Stag Theatre
We’re in Gran Canaria, where the paint is peeling on the chalets over at Los Hombres. Chatty guide Thabian (Kane Verrall) tells us over the tannoy we’re there to have a good time. This is the world of Alright Bitches!, written by Martin Blackburn.
‘Judged just right’: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING – Globe Theatre
The Globe’s main, outdoor theatre has not staged shows with a full audience since the summer of 2019, so the opening of its summer season with Lucy Bailey’s production of Much Ado About Nothing feels like an occasion.
‘The only person who transforms Eliza is Eliza herself’: MY FAIR LADY – London Coliseum
If you want to see a My Fair Lady that feels like a scene for scene remake of the film, then this production at the London Coliseum will not disappoint, but equally for anyone looking for a more contemporary resonance beneath the surface, then that is certainly here as well.
‘The storytelling is undeniably compelling’: Five Characters In Search Of A Good Night’s Sleep – Southwark Playhouse ★★★
Five Characters In Search Of A Good Night’s Sleep tells you pretty much what you’re going to get as a quintet of older people mull over their lives while courting elusive sleep in a series of monologues ranging from the mundane to the deeply moving.
‘A high energy, fun night out’: GREASE THE MUSICAL – Dominion Theatre ★★★
It’s a cult classic that’s got the word, got the groove, it’s got meaning, and in its current West End run at the Dominion Theatre, Grease provides a high energy, fun night out that’ll have you feeling good and tapping your toes.
‘There’s a big rush of energy any time the quartet of actors enter the space’: THE DWARFS – White Bear Theatre
Harold Pinter’s The Dwarfs is a fascinating glimpse into the development of one of the major playwrights of the 20th century and this production does it full credit.
‘This is an Orlando any Woolf would gobble up’: ORLANDO – Jermyn Street Theatre ★★★★★
This jolly adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando by Sarah Ruhl, directed con brio by Stella Powell-Jones, is a 90-minute treat and holiday too.
‘The cast constantly succeeds in keeping the momentum going’: CLUEDO – Touring ★★★
The touring Cluedo at the King’s is billed as a ‘brand new play’ and ‘an exciting comedy thriller’. It is certainly possible to quibble with those descriptions as there is little excitement, few thrills and nothing new. However, it does have considerable comic value.
‘A slow burn’: THE BREACH – Hampstead Theatre ★★★
There is a stillness that descends over a theatre audience when they are gripped and fidgeting when they aren’t. In the first half of The Breach at Hampstead Theatre, the audience was fidgeting.
’An evening of pure entertainment’: BARRY HUMPHRIES: THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK – Touring
Barry Humphries’ show The Man Behind the Mask is an exploration of his life and career, and what influenced and prompted him to ultimately become an international star selling out theatres in the West End and on Broadway.
‘Likely to infuriate as many people as it enchants’: OKLAHOMA! – Young Vic Theatre ★★★
Daniel Fish’s sexed-up, pared-down version of Oklahoma! at the Young Vic Theatre (co-directed for London by Jordan Fein) is less a revival and more a full blown deconstruction of the original material.
‘Remains an unstoppable sensation’: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG – Touring
Now a global hit and having spawned a BBC series and other Goes Wrong spin offs, this latest tour of The Play that Goes Wrong maintains its breathless energy.
‘A watercolour on the landing of middle life’: MIDDLE – National Theatre ★★★
David Eldridge’s play Middle at the National Theatre’s Dorfman space is a sketch, a watercolour on the landing of middle life: sensitive, accomplished but not likely to stop you in your tracks.
‘Full of suspense’: THE END OF THE NIGHT – Park Theatre ★★★★★
Based on the incredible true story, The End of the Night takes place in the house of Felix Kirsten (Michael Lumsden), who has invited Nazi Heinrich Himmler (Richard Clothier) to meet with Jewish man Norbert Masur (Ben Caplan) who serves as a representative of the Jewish people.
’It runs like clockwork’: ANYTHING GOES – Touring ★★★★★
The West End hits central Edinburgh this week, as Cole Porter’s seaborne musical Anything Goes sails into the Festival Theatre for a very limited run until this Sunday.
FROM DOWN UNDER: Girl From the North Country in Melbourne & Touring
Artfully conceived and oh so lovingly crafted, Girl From the North Country tempers a heart-rending narrative with the heart soothing balm of more than 20 exquisitely arranged Bob Dylan songs.
‘A reminder of what a powerful actor Mark Rylance can be’: JERUSALEM – Apollo Theatre
As Jez Butterworth’s production returns to the West End, with original cast members Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook, it is interesting to reflect on how well-anointed modern classics fare more than a decade after they were originally feted.