Streaming in two versions, a concept album at two hours available for free, and a four hour one for purchase, Kisses on a Postcard is an episodic piece which can be enjoyed in short bursts between 20 and 40 minutes each.
‘A fingernail under the surface of a world which only exists online’: THE COLLAB – The Space (Online Show) ★★★★
In The Collab writer Lauren Morley has created a piece totally on the pulse of the young people who live by their likes and engagements. Ella seeks that million followers and the validation that comes with it.
‘Fluid, flowing & fierce’: PRACTICE OF ZEN – Brighton Fringe (Online Show)
Practice of Zen considers the traditions, practicality, sensuality and strength of swordplay and resilience. Performed in Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles, this piece by Theatre Ronin of Hong Kong brings back the spirit of Wuxia through folklore and emotional connection.
‘Chatty, open & brave’: SHATTERED – Brighton Fringe (Online Show) ★★★★
Diana Varco brings her own experiences to this one-woman show, now streaming at the Brighton Fringe. The topics of abuse and sexual assault may not be an obvious choice for comedy, but Varco delivers her story in the form of a stand-up routine across 54 minutes.
‘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.
‘Intimate & immediate’: LA BOHEME – King’s Head Theatre ★★★
Mark Ravenhill’s production of La Boheme is pared down to 90 minutes and four on-stage characters, with a piano taking the place of an orchestra. This makes it intimate and immediate.
‘An intriguing piece of historical drama set in the wilds of Scotland’: THE STRAW CHAIR – Finborough Theatre
Sue Glover’s play is set on Hirta, the largest island on St Kilda, and takes inspiration from the story of Rachel Erskine, Lady Grange, in the eighteenth century.
‘A little cheesy, a little heart-rending, a little bit spectacular, but always fun’: BONNIE & CLYDE – Arts Theatre
Composed by Frank Wildhorn with lyrics by Don Black, the story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow’s road to infamy is perhaps best known from Arthur Penn’s classic 1967 film.
Composed by Frank Wildhorn with lyrics by Don Black, the story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow’s road …
‘Everything is heightened’: ANYONE CAN WHISTLE – Southwark Playhouse ★★★★
Even a minor Sondheim has something to recommend it, and ticking this one off leaves just two of his shows left for me to see live.
My knowledge of Anyone Can Whistle was confined to the three numbers included in the Side by Side revue, so clearly …
‘Who is the user & who is being used?’: DIRTY HEARTS – Old Red Lion Theatre
Dirty Hearts, a new play by Paul Murphy, looks at relationships, friendships, ethics, secrets and morals close to home.
‘What makes this a really good show is its ability to connect with its audience without taking itself too seriously’: &JULIET – West End
My first visit to this flashy jukebox musical inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was in December 2019, so it was great fun to revisit recently.
‘A heartfelt piece of drama with a magical realism frost’: FRIDGE – Hope Theatre
Emma Zadow’s new play, Fridge, is a three-hander set in 21st century rural Norfolk as two sisters and a schoolfriend reunite seven years after a catastrophic event.
‘A bottle & two men, but also much more’: THE RED – Original Theatre (Online show)
A father and son meet in a wine cellar. The son is a recovering alcoholic, and his dad (a ghost, who left the son a nice bottle of red wine in his will) doesn’t seem to understand the harm a glass of booze will do.
The Red – the newest digital produ…
‘Perplexing but with enough intrigue to keep you wanting to know more’: GHOSTS OF THE TITANIC – Park Theatre
Ghosts of the Titanic is set in the time following the disaster – near enough for it to be in the immediate memory, far enough for people to have moved on, hungry for other stories.
‘Fizzes with energy from the moment the lights go down’: PASSION FRUIT – New Diorama Theatre
We watch Romeo’s journey from the age of five (with his mum painting his nails) to eighteen, always knowing he was gay but dealing with the expectations of his peers as a young black man.
‘An interesting piece of theatre that holds its meaning just out of reach’: THE FOREST – Hampstead Theatre
Florian Zeller’s puzzles of the mind (The Father, The Mother, The Son, The Height of the Storm) continue to baffle audiences in his new play, The Forest, now in residence at Hampstead’s main house.
‘It’s flashy, frank & fabulous’: STEVE – Seven Dials Playhouse
Steven (a demonstrative David Ames) is celebrating his 47th birthday at the Manhattan branch of Joe Allen’s, where posters from little-remembered shows line the walls.
‘A well-written & thoughtful piece, curiously understated at times’: TELL ME STRAIGHT – Chiswick Playhouse
Paul Bradshaw stars in his own coming-of-age comedy drama as Him, a young gay man finding his way through casual romance in London.
With George Greenland utilising a coat stand and table of props to embody a range of supporting characters, we follow…
‘This is no mere imitation or hagiography’: AN EVENING WITHOUT KATE BUSH – Soho Theatre
I wouldn’t call myself a Kate Bush fan, one of the shoal of ‘fish people’ who revere her, yet her songs have soundtracked my formative years. So she’s always been there in spirit.
Sarah-Louise Young, a fellow 70s baby with boundless energy, perform…
‘Treats its characters & subjects with respect & dignity’: RIOT ACT – Stream Theatre (Online review)
Alexis Gregory’s one-man show is a passionate and engrossing piece of theatre, created and assembled from verbatim accounts from gay men who have encountered key points in queer history.