William Shakespeare A Transport Production Directed by Douglas Rintoul ★★ Pros: This is a different take on a classic Shakespeare comedy. Certainly good for those who know the story well and like to see a new perspective on the play and the world we live in Cons: Sometimes difficult to follow, this is not recommended for your first venture into the land of the Forest of Arden. Our Verdict: This production is not going to be for everyone but is ...

William Shakespeare Directed by Jon Gunnar Thor ★★★ Pros: An unorthodox approach to the Scottish play. Big on atmosphere. Cons: Stage smoke billowed into the audience in ever-increasing quantities during the latter half of the show! Our Verdict: An interesting curio that doesn’t quite live up to its full potential. Credit: Jon Thorgeir Kristjansson I must confess that I have seen two other productions of Macbeth in the past 12 months, but when I heard of Macbeth of Fire and ...

William Shakespeare Directed by Zoé Ford  ★★★★ Pros: A bold production bursting with energy.  Cons: At times, amidst the shouting, the actors’ words were lost. Our Verdict: A visceral experience that will stay with you forever.  Credit: Adam Trigg The play Titus Andronicus hasn’t always been revered by the critics and public. Arguably the first play that Shakespeare wrote, it followed the fashion of the time of revenge plays with violence and high body counts. You could say that Shakespeare ...

William ShakespeareDirected by Nick Hastings★★★ Pros: The technical elements, including the music, sound effects, lighting and use of film are well crafted, and perfectly managed. Cons: Some of the cast sound like they are reciting lines, and not performing them. There is also an overuse of actions and hand gestures to try and convey meaning of the words. Our Verdict: This interpretation of Macbeth is very clear, and is intelligently applied to the story. However, it is questionable whether such ...

William Shakespeare Directed by Jessica Ruano ★★★★ Pros: Great rendition of Shakespeare’s comedy classic. Enthusiastic performances and superb direction. Cons: I would have liked the cast to perform the entire play instead of this abridged version. Our verdict: Shakespeare fans and newbies alike will very much enjoy this bite-sized version of As You Like It. A truly wonderful rendition that leaves you yearning for more. Courtesy of The Rose This was my first visit to the historic Rose Theatre in ...

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 ...

William ShakespeareDirected by Michael Grandage ★★★★★  Pros: A lavish, contemporary, comical production with an outstanding cast. The relatable interpretation succeeded in bringing this play full of fairies and spells to a wide and appreciative audience. Cons: I’m grasping at straws, but Padraic Delaney as Oberon/Theseus is a little less commanding than I expected from the king of the fairies/Duke of Athens. Our Verdict: Grandage’s interpretation proves the timelessnes of Shakespeare’s writing. Don’t be put off if you are not a ...

Written, directed and music by GQ and JQ Developed with Rick Boynton ★★★★ Pros: Fun, invigorating storytelling. Quite simply, ya gotta go! Cons: May be difficult for those who are cynical about adapting Shakespeare.  Our Verdict: Kick that cynicism out the door. Shakespeare would want you to. Credit: Michael  Brosilow Those theatre snobs who deem it sacrilege to stray from good ol’ Will’s classic text would do well to remember that Shakespeare based his famous tragedy on the Italian writer ...

William Shakespeare Directed by Scott Ellis ★★★ Pros: A mesmerising performance from Simon Grujich in the title role, a fast-paced evening, and a refreshingly clear and back-to-basics approach to the most well-known play in the English language. Cons: I felt that the final scene was not as moving as it should have been and that the supporting cast were outshone by Grujich’s performance.  Our Verdict: This is a solid production that uses simple and effective staging to foreground Shakespeare’s text, ...

William Shakespeare Directed by Pamela Schermann ★★★★★ Pros: A fantastic adaptation of Shakespeare with a very poignant modern twist and a wonderful cast! Cons: There are a lot of physical limitations to the venue, including a lack of toilets. Our Verdict: A very interesting take on how something written so long ago still has devastating impact when considered in today’s society. Credit: Robert Piwko Pamela Schermann’s The Taming of The Shrew presents an interesting idea. Take the classic Shakespeare play ...