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

Terence RattiganDirected by Trevor Nunn ★★★★ Courtesy of Theatre Royal Haymarket “I was very moved by this play. It is a masterpiece of understatement. But we are rather good at that, aren’t we?” Winston Churchill said to the cast of the original production of Flare Path on a winter’s night in January 1943. Britain was still reeling from the Blitz and the Battle of Britain, and the German forces were at their zenith. In many ways, early 1943 was Britain’s ...

Terence Rattigan It would be easy to miss, were you not looking out for it, but 2011 marks a celebration in the arts, that of the 100th birthday of playwright and screenplay writer Terence Rattigan. In the West End, two theatres are currently staging his plays: The Old Vic, with its production of the courtroom drama Cause Célèbre, directed by Thea Sharrock, and the Theatre Royal Haymarket, with its revival of Flare Path, starring Sienna Miller and directed by Sir ...

Richard Bean, based on The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni Directed by Nicholas Hytner ★★★★★ Courtesy of National Theatre Richard Bean’s One Man, Two Guvnors, based on Carlo Goldoni’s Commedia dell’arte classic of The Servant of Two Masters, has been one of the most eagerly anticipated productions of the National’s current season. It reunites Nicholas Hytner with James Corden for the first time since Hytner’s outrageously successful production of Alan Bennett’s The History Boys catapulted Corden into the ...

Anton Chekhov (translation by Andrew Upton)  Directed by Howard Davies ★★★ Courtesy of National Theatre Last year saw a huge revival of Chekhov productions to mark 150 years since the author’s birth. A highly influential, but notoriously difficult-to-read author, Chekhov is a polarising figure, especially in Theatre. While some praise his depictions of life in his works (his ‘theatre of mood’) others are frustrated by his lengthy and heavy plays. With this in mind, staging a Chekhov at the National ...

Ryan Craig Directed by Laurie Sansom ★★★★ Courtesy of National Theatre It is interesting to see what the National Theatre has on offer in the Cottesloe, their most intimate and flexible space. The Holy Rosenbergs is a new play, by a new author, in a small venue known for housing more experimental pieces. In addition the plot touches on another heavily politicised issue, the Israel-Palestine conflict, which raised fears that it may be a repeat of the political preaching dished ...

Terence Rattigan Directed by Thea Sharrock ★★★★ Courtesy of The Old Vic Going to see a show at The Old Vic is always a treat. While the National is a space where new, ambitious and risky shows are staged, The Old Vic has focused on delivering more conservative, but no less masterfully fine-tuned productions. No outrageous set, no dazzling special effects – but honest, high quality performances and direction. In the last year, The Old Vic has done this remarkably well ...