Starting rather emotionally frozen, Glass is the story of a young girl made entirely of glass, and the comic and tragic reality of her doomed love. Maybe in comparison to the older casts that follow, this younger set of performers never really get into their stride. Despite being suspended ethereally on a wooden plank in the air the piece feels rather flat. Kill is up next, following the blood-soaked stories of the curse of the house of Atreus. Exposing their ...

Best play is the blue ribbon award for the Reggies; the genre that originally gave the fringe its profile. In third place is Wipers Times at the Arts Theatre. Co-written by Ian Hislop, the play is a glorious mix of comedy, pathos and drama as the human cost of war is laid bare. In second place, Tiny Dynamite at the Old Red Lion. A play from the pen of Abi Morgan does exactly what it says on the tin. A ...

Brilliant. A thoughtful exploration of the political structure that forms our society, supported by extraordinary acting, direction, and a disturbingly animated set.

Pros: The devil is in the detail: a compassionately crafted show. Cons: Issues with the flow of each segment of the show in to the next. A piece of staging advice on the inside of the playtext of Hole reads ‘The word “Big” can mean any number of things. This might mean people who occupy their bodies in space in a way that feels radical or powerful’. If I was really feeling this Wednesday Humpday, I might leave the review ...

Pros: Excellent performances from all concerned. Cons: The fragmented style of the dialogue.  Ominous music pervades the auditorium as you enter, and the stage is filled by an opaque screen which resembles a giant TV. Shadowy figures walk up to the screen and look out at the audience before disappearing into the murky background. The piece is just over two hours, without interval, consisting of three distinct parts. Part one is a series of vignettes where most of the 16 strong ...

Dazzling effects coupled with a fine cast make this stylish production stand out even more.

Pros: British clichés and drama tropes are nailed, aided by a vast number of fun props and different music styles, from rap to community brass band tunes. The cast is a deliberate cross-section of modern Britain, with some stand-out performances. Cons: At times it feels like the weirdness factor is cranked up just for a reaction, with little relevance to the plot. A seemingly relentless war section labours its writer’s and director’s point. It must be a nightmare to clear ...

An upfront, bleakly funny piece about exploitation and control.

Brian picks runs down his pick of the year and awards the inaugural Reggies.

Eva de Valk runs down the big theatre news of 2017.