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NEWS: Gypsy, Kinky Boots & Dench among big #OlivierAwards winners

In Awards, London theatre, Musicals, Native, News, Plays, Press Releases by Press ReleasesLeave a Comment

Dame Judi Dench wins record eighth award – receiving more Olivier Awards for acting than any other performer Chichester Festival Theatre’s transfer of Gypsy wins the most awards this year for a single production, including Best Actress in a Musical for Imelda Staunton and Best Musical Revival Kenneth Cranham and Denise Gough win Best Actor and Best Actress National Theatre …

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TICKETS: Mark’s Top Ten recommendations + this week’s openings (15 Feb)

In Features, London theatre, Musicals, Native, News, Opinion, Plays, Reviews by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

A Broadway comedy and two British created musicals arrive in the West End this week – one from last summer’s season at Bath’s Theatre Royal, the other after a long stage life of touring regionally and internationally for the last eight years. Will any of them make it to next week’s Top 10 list? This week’s main openings In London: …

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NEWS: Hangmen, Bend It Like Beckham, The Father & other Critics’ Circle Award winners, tickets on sale

In Awards, London theatre, Musicals, Native, News, Plays, Press Releases by Press ReleasesLeave a Comment

Kenneth Cranham awarded Best Actor for “the role of a lifetime” Denise Gough awarded Best Actress only three years after winning Most Promising Newcomer Bend It Like Beckham wins Best Musical Robert Icke awarded Best Director for Oresteia  The Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards 2015 were hosted today, Tuesday 26th January 2016, by the Critics’ Circle Drama Section Chairman (and My Theatre …

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Critics’ Circle Award winners include Judi Dench: Are they the only ones that make sense anymore?

In Features, London theatre, Musicals, News, Opinion, Plays, Reviews by Terri PaddockLeave a Comment

Hangmen, Judi Dench, Bend It Like Beckham, Oresteia are among the winners… The annual best of lists are always a good indication of who’s likely to triumph at the Critics’ Circle Awards, which were presented this afternoon at the Delfont Room in the West End’s Prince of Wales Theatre. Understandably so as it’s critics who, by and large, draw up those lists and critics only – voting by secret, first-past-the-post ballot – who determine the Critics’ Circle Awards.

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Year in Review: The best of the best of #theatre2015 round-ups

In Features, Festivals, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Plays, Regional theatre, Reviews, Scotland, Touring by Terri PaddockLeave a Comment

After my two-week Christmas roadtrip in the US, I’m finally back at my desk and able to catch up on all the 2015 UK theatrical year round. Have you been keeping up in my absence? Fear not either way, because once again, I’ve rounded up the round-ups to give you an essential overview.

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Feature extracts of the week: Jamie Parker, David Morrissey, Johnny Flynn, Derren Brown, Christopher Hampton

In Features, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Plays by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

A lot is written about the theatre every week — not just reviews, of course, but also preview features, interviews and “think” pieces. Keeping track of them all is a hard task. I try to tweet links to features that particularly catch my eye. Here is my weekly feature linking to some of the best ones from both sides of the pond.

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HANGMEN – West End

In London theatre, Plays, Reviews by Johnny FoxLeave a Comment

Let’s get it off our chests now: it will have you ‘in suspense’, it ‘goes with a swing’ there’s plenty of ‘gallows humour’, it’s a plot that ‘leaves you dangling’, jerking with ‘twists and turns’ and ‘a play with legs’ that moves at ‘breakneck’ speed and would be ‘criminal’ if you missed it …