Duet For One is phenomenal, and filled with such raw emotion and moments of intense vulnerability for both characters. Not to mention the absolutely beautiful music performed on the violin during each transition at the Orange Tree Theatre (Gabriela Opacka-Boccadoro).
‘It’s hard to take your eyes off Cush Jumbo’: HAMLET – Young Vic Theatre
Cush Jumbo’s Hamlet has been a long time in the making. In fact, what with the pandemic and the Young Vic’s long lead times for shows (which allow for some serious forward planning), I booked my tickets around three years ago.
‘A truly affecting and effectual performance’: HAMLET — Young Vic
Cush Jumbo is excellent, and there’s a great Ophelia, but do we really need another Hamlet? Three hours plus at the Young Vic will soon tell you
REVIEW ROUND-UP: Women Beware Women at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Love London Love Culture rounds up the reviews for Thomas Middleton’s Jacobean drama, Women Beware Women.
‘Robert Lindsay is mesmerising’: PRISM – Touring ★★★★
Prism, written and directed by the acclaimed playwright Terry Johnson, tells the story of cinematographer Jack Cardiff in the latter years of his life.
‘Fails to offer any notable or really new insight’: SHIPWRECK – Almeida Theatre
Shipwreck has its moments and the cast are uniformly excellent, but without strong character investment it dwindles to little more than a few well-hashed arguments we’ve all heard before.
NEWS: Full cast is announced for world premiere of Anne Washburn’s Trump comedy Shipwreck at the Almeida
The Almeida Theatre has announced the full cast for the world premiere of Shipwreck by Anne Washburn (The Twilight Zone, Mr Burns), directed by the venue’s artistic director Rupert Goold, running from 12 February to 30 March 2019 (press night is 19 February).
‘Profoundly moving & tragic semi-autobiographical play’: IN PRAISE OF LOVE – Bath ★★★★
Terence Rattigan was understandably consumed with thoughts of love and death – and the right way to die – when he wrote his last great play, In Praise Of Love. Dying himself from leukaemia – after an earlier false diagnosis – the writer poured his feelings into this profoundly moving and tragic semi-autobiographical play.
NEWS: Elizabeth McGovern Robert Lindsay, Amanda Abbington & Tara Fitzgerald line up for Bath Theatre Royal’s summer season
Jonathan Church, artistic director of Theatre Royal Bath, has announced the theatre’s full 2018 summer season programme. Some of the country’s most prolific actors will star in a selection of both UK premieres and renowned classics in the theatre’s historic Main House and the intimate Ustinov Studio.
Mind the Advent: 24 days celebrating a year’s theatregoing > #theatre2017 #YearInReview
You know what time of year it is – so I’ve just been through my annual Mind the Advent countdown! As I’ve seen a personal best number of different shows this year, the sheer volume of actors (and performances) have really been stacking up and making my life difficult – in terms of summing up my favourites of the year, that is. So here is a bit of a sneak preview of what’s to come in my highlight posts…
THE SECRET THEATRE – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Set in the 1580s, the play shows how Walsingham’s defense of Elizabeth from Catholic plots and assassination attempts results in hunting down the Jesuit missionary Robert Southwell, the revelation of the Babington plot and the execution of Mary Queen of Scots, followed by the death of Sir Philip Sidney (Walsingham’s son-in-law) and the repulsion of the Spanish Armada.
THE SECRET THEATRE – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse ★★★★
What with the BBC’s Gunpowder Plot and now Anders Lustgarten’s spymaster drama, we really seem unable to quite slough off our fascination with those grisly times when terrorism came in Catholic terms and we were once again at daggers drawn with our European neighbours.
THE SECRET THEATRE – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse ★★★★
Patriotism, propaganda and paranoia are played out in the shadowy and thrilling tale of spies and intrigue in Anders Lustgarten’s The Secret Theatre.
NEWS: Shakespeare’s Globe announces more cast for indoor winter programme
Emma Rice’s tenure at Shakespeare’s Globe is winding to its close – the outdoor season is done but there’s still a winter’s worth of programming in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse to get through.
REVIEW ROUND-UP: Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe
Iqbal Khan directs this latest production of Shakespeare’s bloody and violent tragedy, running in repertory at the Globe until 1 October 2016. But what have critics made of it?
MACBETH – Shakespeare’s Globe
Like most of Shakespeare’s tragedies, Macbeth works best when viewed on the strength of the relationships between its characters. Sure the blood and guts murders are ways to get bum on seats but even with a literal thunderstorm overhead foreshadowing the tumultuous effects of Macbeth’s actions it all boils down to a marriage made strong by the pursuit of power.
NEWS: Meow Meow, Ray Fearon & Tara Fitzgerald star in Rice’s first Globe season
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce casting for Emma Rice’s inaugural season as Artistic Director. Singing sensation and performance artist Meow Meow will play Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, from 30 April. From 18 June, Tara Fitzgerald will play Lady Macbeth, opposite Ray Fearon in the eponymous role.
NEWS: Tara Fitzgerald stars in Victorian thriller Gaslight in Northampton
Tara Fitzgerald is to star in Royal & Derngate’s production of Patrick Hamilton’s classic Victorian thriller Gaslight, which plays on Northampton’s Royal stage from Friday 16 October 2015, with a national press night on Tuesday 20 October. As the ghostly living room gaslight flickers and the floorboards creak around her, Bella Manningham becomes convinced that she is losing her mind, …