William Shakespeare Directed by Nicholas Hytner ★★★★ Pros: One of the clearest productions of Othello I have seen. Had the whole audience on the edge of their seat for the whole 3 hours and 15 minutes. Cons: Rory Kinnear plays Iago with an accent that doesn’t sit well for some reason. Our Verdict: Shakespeare’s finest characters played by Britain’s finest actors and helmed by one of theatre’s finest directors. Courtesy of The Independent We at Everything Theatre have seen quite ...

James Baldwin Directed by Rufus Norris  ★★★★★  Pros: A unique and remarkable script, exceptional performances and gorgeous costumes with the best live jazz you’ll find in London town. Cons: Literally nothing. Our Verdict: We love the National and yet this production surpasses even its own high standards. This is an unforgettable evening of first class theatre. Courtesy of The National Theatre ‘Some of the congregation are sick in the body, some are sick in the soul.’ The Amen Corner has already ...

Arthur Wing PineroDirected by Timothy Sheader ★★★★ Pros: Well-directed with excellent performances, a great set and some big laugh out loud moments. A great production in every respect. Cons: None really, but it’s not ground-breaking and it’s not the best farce I’ve ever seen. Doesn’t mean it’s not very good though! Our Verdict: Great fun, easy to watch and a good way to spend your time and money if you fancy some decent laughs! Courtesy of Tristram Kenton for The Guardian Everyone knows that ...

everything theatre originally reviewed this production in the Cottesloe Theatre at the National. It will transfer into the Olivier Theatre at the National on 23rd February 2013, where it is currently booking until 15th May 2013: http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/this-house James GrahamDirected by Jeremy Herrin★★★★ Pros: A cracking script, scintillating performances, and a great overall concept. Cons: Few and far between, but I didn’t think some of the musical interludes were fitting. Our Verdict: A brilliant piece of new writing, and a high quality ...

Tirso de Molina, in a new version by Frank McGuinnessDirected by Bijan Sheibani★★★ Pros: Spectacular design, interesting concept, and excellent performances, particularly in moments of humor. Cons: The content was a bit dense – made all the more complicated by the inconsistent attempt to update the era and language. Our Verdict: An interesting and unique work, but the production fails to revitalize this Spanish classic for a contemporary audience. Courtesy of the Evening Standard When you first enter the Olivier ...

William ShakespeareDirected by Nicholas Hytner★★★★ Pros: Simon Russell-Beale’s superb performance in a superbly adapted play. Cons: Hardly any, slightly dragged towards the end of the second half. Our Verdict: Top-notch stuff from the National, and definitely worth seeing despite the fact that you may never have heard of it! Courtesy of Time  These days, I don’t look at the descriptions for the National’s shows before I book my tickets; I just assume that they are all going to be worth ...

Sophocles, in a new version by Don TaylorDirected by Polly Findlay★★★★ Pros: great performances, short, snappy staging. Cons: Greek tragedies aren’t everyone’s cup of tea – they are by definition depressing! Our Verdict: an engaging and worthwhile rendition of a Greek classic. Courtesy of the Daily Telegraph Re-imagining ancient Greek tragedies is always a difficult task. It seems that, because these plays have been around for literally thousands of years, any conceivable adaptation has already been done. It can therefore ...

Oliver GoldsmithDirected by Jamie Lloyd★★★★ Pros: A delightful variety of hilarious characters and a brilliant plot. Cons: I honestly don’t think anyone stopped laughing for long enough to think of any. Our Verdict: If you’ve been fortunate enough to catch it, you are to be congratulated, and if not don’t be too harsh on yourself – just know that you have made a grave mistake. Courtesy of Alastair Muir for the Daily Telegraph In an unforgivable act of negligence, we ...

William ShakespeareDirected by Dominic Cooke★★★★ Pros: A wonderful cast and a fun, modern staging. Surprisingly emotional ending.  Cons: Not the funniest ever staging of the play, the set definitely dominates at times. Our Verdict: Plenty of laughs and plenty of reasons to go see it beyond the appeal of seeing Lenny Henry. Courtesy of Johan Persson for the Daily Telegraph It has been a while since I last queued at 7.30am for National Theatre tickets and I had almost forgotten ...

Mike BartlettDirected by Thea Sharrock★★★  I was persuaded, just in the nick of time, to give Mike Bartlett another go after I, like many others, left Earthquakes in London feeling disappointed. However, I was determined to go into it with an open-mind and this was helped by the fact that I was walking into the Olivier, which brings with it all the anticipation of encountering a mind-blowing set.  Productions staged in this theatre have each given different answers to the ...