This rare revival of The Two Character Play at Hampstead Theatre proves an interesting addition to works that reassess Tennessee Williams’ impact as a dramatist – an intellectual exercise if not an emotive one.
‘A fierce West End debut’: ANNA X – Harold Pinter Theatre
Who are we and who are the people we meet? These rather profound questions have, in one way or another, been at the heart of Sonia Friedman’s brief Re:Emerge season at the Harold Pinter Theatre which concludes with Anna X.
‘A meaningful experience’: THE DUMB WAITER – Old Vic
We may not have been able to see our fellow digital audience members but we knew they were there, making The Dumb Waiter feel like a communal event.
‘Completely irresistible’: HAIRSPRAY – London Coliseum
Fourteen months and four attempts later, Hairspray is finally back in the West End – the energy, sentiment and exhilaration of the show is completely irresistible.
‘Beautifully pitched adaptation’: UNDER MILK WOOD – National Theatre
Making Under Milk Wood a story within a story is a risk but one that pays off, adding a tender father-son connection that ties that multifaceted sprawl of Dylan Thomas’ story together.
‘A significant step forward’: In the Heights plays its part in the evolving genre of movie musicals
As a modern movie musical, In the Heights employs many of its shot, direction and choreographic techniques to create a swirling visual experience that immerses the audience in the story.
‘Fagon’s astoundingly contemporary drama feels significant’: DEATH OF A BLACK MAN – Hampstead Theatre
Alfred Fagon’s fascinating two act drama opened at the venue in 1975 and while some of its gender attitudes may have dated, so much of Death of a Black Man feels as fresh and challenging now as it did 46 years ago.
‘A West End stage is exactly where this story belongs’: CRUISE – Duchess Theatre
Duchess Theatre, London – 13 June 2021 As theatres reopen, the long influence of digital forms is already making itself felt. Jack Holden’s new play Cruise premiered online last month via Stream Theatre and last week stole a march on its digital equivalents by becoming one of the first shows to open in the West End. The opportunities afforded by …
‘A tense & gripping two-hander’: THE BARN – Turbine Theatre (Online review)
The Barn is a gripping two act piece whose perfect storm of story, tone and character will be a must-see on stage before too long.
‘Ridley excels at these forensic character studies’: TARANTULA – Southwark Playhouse (Online review)
Tarantula isn’t perfect and is certainly too long but Ridley’s latest twin works have been ideally suited to the nature of hybrid theatre, utilising the intimate and seemingly one-to-one focus that only a camera can create while building on the energy and vibrancy of live performance.
The long aftermath of trauma is the subject of Philip Ridley’s latest monologue for Southwark Playhouse building on the writer’s established relationship with the venue and the sensational The Poltergeist which premiered last November to an online …
‘Offers a faithful reading with some contemporary resonance’: THE WINTER’S TALE – RSC / BBC Lights Up Festival (Online review)
The Royal Shakespeare Company joins forces with BBC4 for the world premiere of A Winter’s Tale, a production intended for the 2020 stage and all but lost to theatre history.
‘Not all subterfuge & double jeopardy’: A SPLINTER OF ICE – Original Theatre Company (Online review)
A Splinter of Ice moves away from a basic biography by mirroring its spy subjects and never allowing the audience to be quite sure which of its many faces is the real one.
‘Manages to be inherently theatrical & a successful movie experience’: ROMEO & JULIET (National Theatre / Sky Arts)
National Theatre and Sky Arts’ hybrid theatre and film production of Romeo & Juliet has been a fascinating experiment resulting in a smart, interesting and entirely collaborative piece of art.
‘Celebrating the breadth & creativity of the theatre industry’: THE MEANING OF ZONG / AFTERPLAY – BBC Sounds
The Meaning of Zong and Afterplay showcase the power of audio drama to transport an audience’s imagination and to see the familiar a little differently.
With light at the end of the tunnel for live performance and some of our biggest institutions announcing summer programmes at their venues, the BBC’s new Lights Up Festival has arrived at a moment of optimism, not just acting as a reminder of all …
‘The creativity & visual style really impress’: ASSEMBLY – Donmar Warehouse (Online review)
Assembly, the first production from the Donmar Local company, shows a lot of promise, combining an enthusiastic group of performers with a creative team eager to explore technical boundaries in the presentation of meaningful stories.
‘A significant achievement of this third lockdown’: Late Night Staring at High Res Pixels – Finborough Theatre (Online review)
When we left 1 and A in Episode 14 of Athena Stevens’ Late Night Staring at High Res Pixels they were both in some kind of moral and emotional jeopardy, and it seemed appropriate on International Women’s Day to return to this nuanced and considered exploration of female agency, solidarity and behaviour.
‘You’ll be eager to find out what happens next’: Late Night Staring at High Res Pixels – Finborough Theatre (Online review)
Late Night Staring at High Res Pixels has already become a gripping anatomy of relationships and the attempts to manipulate two quite different women.
‘Offers very human portraits of great writers’: LITTLE WARS (Online review)
With a charitable donation for every digital ticket sold going to Women for Refugee Women, Little Wars is still an all too rare experience – a play that puts women at its centre without focusing specifically on ‘women’s issues’.
‘Engaging insights into living with & exploring the nature of disability’: Unlimited Festival – Southbank Centre (Online review)
Festivals are a vital part of the theatre ecosystem, a place to try out new material, explore form and style while giving a valuable platform to all kinds of performance. These activities have been among the hardest hit during the period of closur…
‘Will be just the kind of theatre magic we’ve all been waiting for’: SWINGIN’ THE DREAM – RSC (Online review)
The RSC, Young Vic and Theatre for a New Audience have a difficult but fascinating task ahead in re-creating lost work Swingin’ the Dream that honours the original while offering something new to modern audiences.