Mood Music is a timely piece of writing highlighting, as it does, questions of creativity, control, ownership, capitalism and personal well-being.
‘I can’t wait until they are able to perform live again’: OEDIPUSSY – Spymonkey
Like the virus, Spymonkey’s brand of comedy in shows like Oedipussy has proved highly infectious over the last couple of months but at the same time it has also become a regular weekly vaccine against the blues.
‘Foy & Smith seem to have found a new way of interacting at a distance’: LUNGS – Old Vic (Online review)
This was the production of Lungs live streamed from the actual stage of the Old Vic with real actors in real time as part of its In Camera project.
How important is theatre photography to the success of a show?
Theatre photography is one of the most important ways to promote a new production and simultaneously one of the elements audiences – and probably most creatives – actively think least about.
Book Review: Twenty Theatres to See Before You Die by Amber Massie-Blomfield
In the treasure hunt for the most magical theatres in the country, Amber Massie-Blomfield provides a compilation of bite-sized chunks of captivating theatrical history…
‘Each piece is bold in its message, brave in its execution & a thrill to watch’: BETTER IN PERSON – Burn Bright (Online review)
‘There is no doubt that this is the first of many events from the Burn Bright family. A family that has staked it very existence on the fact that we need a seismic shift in the way we create, present and support theatre.’
‘A spectacular show which treats its subjects with respect’: ONLY THE BRAVE – Wales Millennium Centre (Online review)
After the 75th anniversary weekend of VE Day, the musical Only The Brave drew my attention as a perfect way to spend an afternoon.
‘Ralph Fiennes & Sophie Okonedo are well matched’: ANTONY & CLEOPATRA – National Theatre (Online review)
I’ve always found Antony and Cleopatra a bit of a slog. There, I’ve said it. Too many scenes which flit about all over the place, too many minor inconsequential characters, deaths which seem interminable.
‘A kind of strange hybrid form’: THIRTY MILLION MINUTES (Online review)
A life distilled to its essentials: 30 Million Minutes indicates the rough length of time that Dawn French had been alive at the time of her solo show recorded in its final incarnation in 2016.
Frankenstein vs Frankenstein: Was role swapping any more than a gimmick?
This is the theatre at its very best and on screen, both productions are gripping, using the camera work to richly convey the abstract shapes and grand vision of its boldly beautiful staging, while allowing the connection between the lead actors to shine.
‘I’m glad this version has helped me to appreciate the play more’: The Show Must Go Online’s Titus Andronicus (Online review)
Last week was Shakespeare’s birthday, so The Show Must Go Online went all out with their latest production, holding a Titus Andronicus party in the Bard’s honour.
‘This is a defiantly feminist reading of the text’: JANE EYRE – National Theatre (Online review)
The problem with staging a classic novel is that everyone has a slightly different view of how it should be done – many have tried and few have fully succeeded.
‘A superb choice to lift a nation’s spirits’: ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS – National Theatre (Online review)
The first show in the National Theatre at Home programme was the 2011 smash-hit One Man, Two Guvnors, one of the great success stories of the Nicholas Hytner era, a cheeky farce written by Richard Bean and starring National Theatre favourites James Corden and Oliver Chris.
‘Given the success of TED Talks, lecture-performance seems particularly suitable to on-screen viewing’: Thinking Bigly (Online review)
Between Ben Yeoh and David Finnegan, there’s an impressive array of interests, knowledge and skills. Theatre, economics and climate change are among them.
‘Let the debate commence’: BUBBLE – Theatre Uncut (Online Review)
Kieran Hurley explores free speech and the nature of online debate in Bubble.
FEATURED SHOW: Have you seen the brilliant responses Giving Up Marty has received from audiences and critics?
“Purposeful and heart wrenching,” “emotionally charged,” “food for the soul” – audiences at VAULT Festival have been quick to praise Karen Bartholomew’s drama about the realities of adoption reunion, Giving Up Marty. Take a look at what they’re saying then book your tickets!
‘A snapshot of a past that recently bled into the present’: NOT QUITE JERUSALEM – Finborough Theatre
What makes Not Quite Jerusalem such a vivid and enjoyable play, is the nuanced and recognisable characters – backed here by exemplary performances from a talented cast.
‘What we see on the news about Palestine is not this story’: VISIT BETHLEHEM – Vault Festival
Visit Bethlehem is a short, sharp, site-specific show which imaginatively blends fun into a personal tale about the brutal reality of living under military occupation.
‘Heart-breaking, wonderfully crafted piece’: LÒNG MẸ – Vault Festival
As a child of an immigrant mother, the double-bill is Lòng Mẹ like a beloved jumper that’s scratchy but warm, you embrace the small pains because the comfort and love is so much stronger.
‘Sparky & compelling story’: MEAT – Theatre 503
Writer Gillian Greer confidently addresses nuances and problems around sex and consent in Meat at Theatre 503 and director Lucy Jane Atkinson ensures tensions consistently run high.