Everything Theatre Reviews, interviews and news for theatre lovers, London and beyond

Writer’s BlockWilliam Alexander WoodDirected by William Wood MisanthropyLouise HartDirected by Steve Fitzgerald ★★★ Pros: A strong characterization by Paul Linghorn of the sarcastic and disillusioned writer Leo. Cons: The noise level from the pub was distracting and the sound used for the productions was turned up too high. Our Verdict: Two pieces of new writing that demonstrate the breadth of ideas and concerns of young, contemporary playwrights. Courtesy of Etcetera Theatre On a small stage above a busy Camden pub, ...

Sarah Hehir Directed by Suzette Coon★★★ Pros: Bold choice of subject matter. The story has a good focus and is clear in its delivery. The dialogue is strong and, even within a rehearsed reading, the performances are excellent. Cons: Despite good character development, this play is missing a message and is too sensitive in its approach, leaving little impact on the audience. Furthermore, I felt the narrative verses between the scenes did little to enhance the story. Our Verdict: If ...

Written and performed by Rosie Wilby ★★★ Pros: A charming show presenting the soft face of feminism. Cons: It was very light and gentle. It felt as though it could have been more penetrating with more social context. Our Verdict: A very pleasant, one woman performance that is gently entertaining and bemusing with interesting subject matter, although lacked oomph. Courtesy of Camden People’s Theatre Rosie Wilby presents what I can only describe as an oral history of her experiences as part ...

La Voix Humaine Jean Cocteau and Francis Poulenc Directed by Nikolas Sodiant Folie à Deux Jean Genet  Adapted by Two Tongue Theatre ★★★★ Pros: Two great performances, displaying a wide array of skills from both companies. Cons: Few to speak of. The interval between the plays could have been a little shorter. Our Verdict: A great double bill, accessible to French and English speakers alike. Great stuff from the Voilà! Festival. Courtesy of The Cockpit Voilà! is an annual French-language ...

KDC theatre cast and creatives★★ Pros: Some excellent characterisation in places. Cons: Inconsistent direction and a distinct lack of spooky atmosphere for ghostly tales; I only jumped once! Our Verdict: A piece that demonstrates some great potential from its cast and creatives but needs more work. Courtesy of The Lion & Unicorn theatre It’s always good to see some spooky theatricals around Halloween, so KDC theatre’s decision to showcase of a selection of Victorian ghost stories sounded promising. Unfortunately the ...

Through Daddy’s EyesDevised and directed by Ain Rashida Sykes The Inner Life of Sophie TaylorRoisin RaeDirected by Anna Ehnoid-Danailov ★★ Pros: Good subject choices with the potential to inspire strong emotional responses from an audience. Cons: More work is needed to do justice to the complexities of parenthood as experienced by both genders. Our Verdict: Both pieces felt like works in progress, but the subject matter is definitely worthy of more attention to bring them to fruition. Courtesy of Prams ...

Luke Owen Directed by Justin Audibert ★★★ Pros: Good acting, a clever set and a memorable look and feel. Cons: Lacked a compelling enough storyline. Our Verdict: A slick and eye-catching production about a sensitive subject, but too predictable in its emotional devices and story arc. Credit: Richard Davenport I watched a film recently where the opening shot is of a pig being led out into a farmyard. It’s squealing as the farmer drags it by the collar. The farmer ...

Amy Bird, Andy Marchant, Carl Fletcher, Frances Bushe, Jimi O’Dell, Julia Collier, Kathy Petrakis and Mary Groom Directed by Andy Marchant, Jacqui Adams and Kim Morrison ★★ Pros: Enthusiastic performances. Some individual pieces were well written and original. Cons: Way too long. Uneven writing and performances and no strong, connecting through line.  Our Verdict: Some of the individual pieces are worth seeing. However, these are poorly served by being amalgamated into an overly long whole.  Courtesy of the Lion and ...

Juan Radrigan Translated and directed by Robert Shaw ★★★★ Pros: The beautifully constructed, sweet characters you get to know throughout the performance. Cons: Not a play I’d recommend for a light-hearted evening at the theatre. Our Verdict: Culturally relevant and heartbreaking, with topics that open eyes and chill spines. Courtesy of Inside Intelligence Children of Fate (Hechos Consumados), written by Chilean playwright Juan Radrigan is currently running at the CLF Art Café in Peckham. Something of a hidden venue right ...

IJAD Dance CompanyArtistic Director Joumana Mourad★★★★ Pros: Fearless, approachable experimental performance infused with fun and innovation. Collaboration between the dancers and beatboxer/vocal sculptor Jason Singh, who scores the show live on stage, is quite extraordinary. Cons: Site lines from all angles in the space are not perfect and action is blocked from certain places. There is sometimes too much happening at once while the stage is not always used to its fullest. Our Verdict: IJAD Dance Company have found a ...