Ought To Be Clowns’ 10 favourite shows of 2019
Ought To Be Clowns barely saw 250 shows this year, quiet by his standards. And as is the way of these things, here’s a rundown of some of the productions that moved me most…
‘Wants for nothing in terms of spectacle or budget’: THE LION KING – Touring ★★★★
Visually arresting, the touring production of The Lion King which is booked into the Playhouse until March 2020, wants for nothing in terms of spectacle or budget.
FEATURED SHOW: Take a look at the ★★★★ reviews for one-man drama Impact
“Stunningly intelligent,” “captivating and compelling”, “stunningly original” – Check out the reviews from an ealier run of solo drama Impact, which comes to London’s Hen & Chickens theatre this week, then book your tickets now.
‘Deserves to be remembered for years to come’: THE KING & I – Touring ★★★★★
The collective charisma of the cast in a stunning production of The King and I earns a well-deserved standing ovation.
‘As finely-tuned a theatrical machine as you are likely to see’: BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES – Touring ★★★★
There is a winning combination of the playful and the profound in Barber Shop Chronicles which allies serious stagecraft and knowledge to sheer enjoyability.
‘Little in the way of pre-Halloween excitement’: FRANKENSTEIN – Touring
Confused in its execution, this touring version of Frankenstein has high production values but offers a rushed retelling of the story that fails to work in practice.
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.
‘Class act from start to end’: WHAT’S IN A NAME? – Touring
Jeremy Sams’ translation of Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de la Patellière’s 2010 play Le Prénom, What’s in a Name? proves to be a class act from start to end.
‘I always take the motherly role in whatever cast I’m a part of’: Amanda Bailey on treacle tarts & reprising her role in The Good Scout
Glenn Chandler’s latest Edinburgh Festival hit The Good Scout now transfers to London’s Above the Stag Theatre, and Amanda Bailey is once again relishing being the only woman in the cast and reprising her acclaimed performance as “the epitome of an English mum”. Time to get booking!
‘Remains a vital piece of theatre’: A TASTE OF HONEY – Touring ★★★
Some outstanding performances overcome a series of gimmicky directorial choices in the UK National Theatre’s touring production of A Taste of Honey at the King’s.
‘How can you resist it?’: MAMMA MIA! – Touring ★★★★
It’s not just one of us who was pleased to have Mamma Mia! back on the Edinburgh Playhouse stage – an air of expectation and excitement filled the entire auditorium for the show.
‘Sufficient scares to get the blood pumping’: THE EXORCIST – Touring
The Exorcist is a little flabby, even at a short 100 minute running time, and it never matches the nerve-shredding tension of the movie version, but there are sufficient scares to get the blood pumping.
NEWS: Cast announced for the London transfer of Glenn Chandler’s The Good Scout
Casting is now confirmed for the London transfer of The Good Scout, the latest Glenn Chandler Edinburgh Festival hit to transfer to London’s Above the Stag Theatre. Time to get booking!
‘Provides some moments of genuine theatrical magnetism’: SOLARIS – Edinburgh ★★★★
Dealing with troubling questions about human interaction, the Lyceum’s adaptation of Solaris is – like all the best science fiction – not really about alien planets but about our own world.
‘Characters create an interesting dynamic’: MADAME GEORGE – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★
Madame George, by award-winning playwright Keir McAllister at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose on Chambers Street is a dark comedy filled with easy laughs that are tinged with a great sadness.
‘Captivating, thrilling & spellbinding’: BLACK IS THE COLOR OF MY VOICE – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★
Apphia Campbell triumphs in Black is the Color of My Voice at Gilded Balloon Teviot. A riveting show inspired by the life and music of Nina Simone and featuring songs such as ‘I Put a Spell On You’ and ‘Feeling Good’.
‘A deeply alarming message’: SEA SICK – Edinburgh Fringe
In Sea Sick Alana Mitchell tells, in an engaging lecture, the story of how she, as a journalist, came to be investigating this little known, devastating climate change phenomenon.
‘One of the most lovely & intimate shows going on at the festival’: THE WILD UNFEELING WORLD – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★★
The Wild Unfeeling World is a wonderful, warm and emotive tale that personifies how it feels to be battling depression and the truth around mental health in young people in the UK.
‘Definitely good for a giggle’: FRIENDSICAL – Edinburgh Fringe & Touring ★★★★
Friendsical is a light-hearted musical take on one of the most popular TV comedies of recent times – good for a laugh for Friends fans.