First things first, how good a title for a play is Sad About The Cows? Pretty bloody good I would argue. It’s also a pretty bloody good play, as it happens.
‘Emotional impact comes from a genuinely great production’: ALL MY SONS – The Old Vic
All My Sons may not be my favourite Arthur Miller play but The Old Vic’s production of it is undeniably brilliant, especially the heavyweight and stunningly good cast.
‘An absolute masterpiece of writing’: DOWNSTATE – National Theatre
Downstate at the National Theatre is a remarkable thing. An absolute masterpiece of writing, performed so sensitively and with such bravery.
‘Just a beautiful thing’: GOING THROUGH – Bush Theatre
Overall Going Through is just a beautiful thing. Gorgeous writing, a stonkingly good production and a brilliant cast. Seventy-five minutes of humanity and joy. Highly recommended.
‘Demands to be seen’: EMILIA – West End
Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s script for Emilia at the Vaudeville Theatre is spectacularly good: funny, poignant, angry and inspiring. It’s an amazing piece of theatre, yes, but it’s also something more than that. It feels like a movement, almost.
‘Probably about as good as it could be’: ADMISSIONS – Trafalgar Studios
I’m genuinely not sure Admissions could be done much better than it’s done here. If you come expecting an entertaining comedy that will make you occasionally go ‘oh actually that’s a good point’ you won’t leave disappointed.
‘Worth your time & more so than the book’: ALYS, ALWAYS – Bridge Theatre
Look, as a piece of drama Alys, Always isn’t the best thing you’ll ever see. It’s unlikely to be troubling the Olivier nominations next year I wouldn’t think. But, actually, I sort of don’t care. It’s really good fun; sheer entertainment with a little bit of something to mentally chew over after the show.
‘Like meeting someone really cool at a party’: THE FIRST MODERN MAN – Hen & Chickens Theatre
The First Modern Man is an hour of solidly good writing, performed with honesty and commitment, and really well staged.
‘A really fascinating piece of historical storytelling’: THE AMERICAN CLOCK – The Old Vic
I really enjoyed and was really technically impressed with The American Clock. A decent play, in an amazing production by a truly visionary director, brought to life by a brilliant cast.
‘Lots of trial, not so much laughter’: TRIAL BY LAUGHTER – Touring
There’s a line in Trial By Laughter, the new touring production of Ian Hislop and Nick Newman’s play about freedom of the press, where one of the main characters says to the other: “But where are the jokes?” As neat summaries of a play in one line of dialogue go, it’s one of the best I’ve seen.