Children’s TV performer Fred Rogers once said: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping’.” Though horrific events drive Joel Tan’s eon-spanning play No Particular Order celebrates those who get us through the worst of times.
‘There are death-defying close calls’: LA CLIQUE – Underbelly Festival Cavendish Square
Suffice to say, this is probably one of the strongest line-ups in the La Clique show over the last few years, and it is thoroughly enjoyable throughout.
’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.
‘Utterly soul-nourishing’: For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy – Royal Court Theatre
Frank Ocean fills the air, and audience members tap their feet and nod their heads in time. I jokingly ask my mum if she recognises the song as I recall how I wailed and begged about 10 years ago for her to download his album onto her iPod.
‘An explosive new dark comedy about postpartum psychosis’: AFTER BIRTH – Touring
The NHS estimates that postpartum psychosis affects around 1 in 500 mothers shortly after giving birth. Zena Forster’s explosive new dark comedy looks at this, whilst being a real crowd-pleaser.
‘Ibsen’s play is infused with poetry & poetic technique’: WHEN WE DEAD AWAKEN – Coronet Theatre
Ibsen’s play is infused with poetry and poetic technique. It is a sort of dirge to lives lived as waking death, while still retaining some hope of their resurrection.
‘Writer & performer Hannah Kumari shows she’s got real balls’: ENG-ER-LAND – Touring
She shoots, she scores with this one. Waiting to watch Coventry FC live, teenager Lizzie takes us on a nostalgic stroll down memory lane to the mid-1990s.
‘A unique blend of spoken word, choral work & music’: QUEENS OF SHEBA – Soho Theatre
This is a triumphant return of Queens of Sheba after a successful run at Soho Theatre in 2021 and Edinburgh Fringe in 2018. Expertly directed, these ladies burst onto the stage with such energy and so many vibes it’s infectious and everyone in the audience feels it.
‘Richly layered with big ideas about good & evil’: THE GLOW – Royal Court Theatre
Though a master of testing the theatrical limits of space and time, the first half of Alistair McDowall’s latest play unfolds like a straightforward Gothic thriller.
‘A frenetic & highly entertaining performance’: POTTED PANTO – West End
Panto, as most British traditions, is a deeply weird thing but entertains many families over the Christmas period.
‘The performers ring true throughout’: FAIR PLAY – Bush Theatre
Sophie has been running competitively since she was nine. Now on the threshold of adulthood, she’s training hard with an unwavering focused on major international competitions.
‘Leaves you with a fuzzy, festive feeling of joy’: THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT – Stratford-upon-Avon (RSC)
Everyone deserves a happy ending, and as we head towards the festive season, messages of hope and forgiveness start to provide us with a real sense of magic.
‘A wonderful insight into how culturally diverse London is’: A PLACE FOR WE – Park Theatre
Through the decades, three families try to navigate their way through an ever-changing environment for Talawa Theatre in Archie Maddocks’ new play.
‘This is one of the best comedies running in the West End’: RELATIVELY SPEAKING — Jermyn Street Theatre
This is the first show in the Jermyn Street Theatre’s Encounters season, and they have certainly started it off on a high note. This is a production of one of Alan Ayckbourn’s first plays from 1965, a comedy and farce set around the misunderstandings between two couples.
‘The cast contrast & balance each other’: SMALL CHANGE – Omnibus Theatre
Both Barrels Theatre’s revival of Peter Gill’s 1976 Small Changes looks back to postwar Cardiff through the eyes of two Catholic, working-class families.
‘Growing up in north London as a Black, gay man’: Behind the scenes of Passion Fruit at The Glory
Despite the best of intentions, working with friends doesn’t always turn out well. It can lead to crossed boundaries, arguments, and environments that make others uncomfortable.
‘Consistently holds the audience’s attention’: MAY QUEEN – Paines Plough Roundabout
Leigh’s doing her GCSEs but all she and the girls at school can talk about is the upcoming May Day event, where Leigh’s playing the May Queen.
‘Leaves an uplifting note embracing some serious girl power’: LOVEFOOL – Edinburgh Fringe
Written and performed by Rachel E. Thorn, Lovefool makes nostalgia a fun treat for those who can take hints involving pop music lyrics and a magazine’s cringe sections. If that’s you, this show will tell you what you want, what you really really want.
‘A place of comedy & heart-warming friendship’: MADHOUSE – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Welcome to the Madhouse, a place of chaos and confusion, typical of student house-sharing. A group of six friends gives a bittersweet glimpse of early adulthood, a path as messy as the kitchen table around which they party, study, and share their stories.
‘Moving & enticing’: HJEM – Greenhouse Theatre
Hjem at the Greenhouse Theatre is suffused with tenderness and has the potential to magnify the characters and their songs to embark on a more extensive, profound journey.