JOAN follows the young titular character as she strives to make her mark on the world and change it for the better.
‘The less respect you have for the Brontes before you watch this, the more you’ll enjoy it’: WASTED – Southwark Playhouse (Online review)
Wasted is about the Bronte siblings from childhood to death, as they attempt to follow their artistic – and romantic – ambitions.
‘The tragedy’s shades of light are teased out & played with, much of this owes itself to Michelle Terry’: HAMLET – Shakespeare’s Globe ★★★ (Online review)
The tragedy’s shades of light are teased out and played with, and much of this owes itself to Michelle Terry’s Hamlet.
‘Inherently intriguing’: Nuclear War / Buried / Graceland – Old Red Lion Theatre ★★★★
This triptych of plays – Nuclear War, Buried and Graceland – is a highly enjoyable and challenging evening for its audience, provoking emotion and thought through nuanced and skilled performances
‘Flamboyant & fun piece of musical theatre’: ONCE UPON A MATTRESS – Upstairs at the Gatehouse ★★★★
Once Upon A Mattress is a lively and vibrant musical based on Hans Christian Andersen’s famous Princess and the Pea.
‘Does glimmer through at points’: LIPSTICK – Southwark Playhouse
The script for Lipstick is funnier and warmer than the ponderous pace of this otherwise slick production quite allows it to be.
‘Subtle nuance in places, sledgehammer wit in others’: ALBION – Almeida Theatre ★★★★
On the surface Albion may be a play about a woman restoring a garden, but once you dig beneath the topsoil this play is about a complicated, nostalgic and divided society, struggling to reason with its national identity.
‘Struck by how completely modern this play is’: TRYST – Chiswick Playhouse ★★★★
Tryst by Karoline Leach is the final piece to be performed in the inaugural festival from the Chiswick Playhouse productions at the Tabard Theatre, returning from a sell-out run in 2017.
‘Too many worthy narratives jostling for keen examination’: THE WHIP – Swan Theatre, Stratford upon Avon ★★★
While The Whip highlights the moral complexity of the abolitionist movement, the density of the plot does not enable the emotional weight of the piece to translate to its audience.
‘Definitely a joyful & vivacious journey’: FEMFRINGE – Vault Festival ★★★
FemFringe is an ever-evolving variety show committed to showcasing a plethora of female and non-binary created art.
‘Smart & completely absorbing’: COLLAPSIBLE – Bush Theatre ★★★★
Collapsible is a one woman monologue by Margaret Perry exploring anxiety and mental health in the face of a modern and overwhelming world.
Best of the Blogs: The Sugar Syndrome, Persona, Sold & Blithe Spirit
In our continuing series, our editor Lisa Martland picks out some of her Top Picks from the last week of theatre (to 2 February 2020), ranging from Ian Foster’s praise of the Orange Tree Theatre’s fine revival of Lucy Prebble’s first play The Sugar Syndrome.
‘Undoubtedly a must-see piece of theatre’: SOLD – Vault Festival ★★★★★
Sold is an extremely powerful piece of theatre, with fantastic direction from Euton Daley and a tour de force performance from Amantha Edmead.
‘A powerful piece of writing’: Santi & Naz – Vault Festival ★★★
Santi & Naz is a powerful piece of writing. It is emotional, animated and moving, and this production is certainly a gem at Vault Festival 2020.
Best of the Blogs: Uncle Vanya, The Welkin, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie & more
In our continuing series, our editor Lisa Martland picks out some of her Top Picks from the last week of theatre including Maryam Philpott’s thoughts about Conor McPherson’s emphasis on comedy scenarios and personalities in his adaptation of Chekhov’s timeless play Uncle Vanya at the Harold Pinter Theatre
‘Heart-wrenchingly powerful narrative’: THE CANARY & THE CROW – Arcola Theatre ★★★★★
There is an urgency and an immediacy about The Canary and the Crow that will leave you thinking and questioning everything about British society long after you’ve left the theatre
‘The whole cast is impressive’: A LITTLE PRINCESS – Drayton Arms Theatre ★★★★
A Little Princess has not only been been adapted for the stage with intelligence, love, and respect but it has also been gently nudged into the 21st century too.
‘Impressive, moving & poignant’: THE LOST THING – Royal Opera House ★★★★
The Lost Thing is a great example of how to bring young people into the world of live theatre and continue to nurture their minds with acceptance and collaboration.
‘Brings back all the magical memories of the tale’: THE LITTLE PRINCE – Omnibus Theatre ★★★★
The Little Prince is a beautiful show for all ages, with a heart-warming message about friendship and love that will make anyone nostalgic for being a child.
‘Pushes the comedy to its maximum potential’: FITTER – Soho Theatre ★★★★
Ell Potter and Mary Higgins return with Fitter, their second devised show to dance their way through a interrogation of masculinity, using almost 50 interviews of cis, transidentifying men.