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Yearly Archives: 2012

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lion and Unicorn Theatre

William Shakespeare Presented by the Grassroots Shakespeare Company London ★★★★ Pros: Tremendously funny, great use of language and an engaging, vibrant cast. Cons: Despite cuts, it’s still a bit long. Our Verdict: An incredibly approachable, tasteful, and uproarious Shakespeare production. Courtesy of Grassroots Shakespeare My main complaint about productions of Shakespeare’s plays is always that they either tend to be tired, unoriginal and stale, or that they try too hard to be original and lose all the sense and beauty ...

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Seasonal, Old Red Lion Theatre

Presented by BackHere! Theatre Company★★★ Pros: A really diverse mix of Christmas stories with a lot of interest and cleverly written twists. Excellent stage direction and use of the space and minimal set throughout, with some notably good performances. Cons: Not all of the writing is witty or tight enough to make these dramas about the nuances of everyday situations interesting and punchy; at times there are some slow moments therefore. Some of the acting is a little forced and ...

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The Tempest, Lion and Unicorn Theatre

William Shakespeare Presented by the Grassroots Shakespeare Company London★★★★ Pros: A wonderfully modern, high energy production filled with great jokes, lovely acting and lots of amusing pop culture references. Cons: If you’re a serious Shakespearean scholar you might find this production a bit silly and it felt a teensy bit too long overall. Our Verdict: A fun and unpretentious production from a great theatre company. This show is perfect for anyone seeking a fun night out and it is also ...

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Privates on Parade, Noel Coward Theatre

Peter NicholsDirected by Michael Grandage★★★★ Pros: A high-quality West End production with lots of laughs from a camped up, top-drawer cast. A play with lots of interest, an abundance of back stories and a layer of fun. Cons: Though it is not billed as one, it’s more of a musical than a play. Desperation, loneliness and violence are made light of by jolly song and dance (fine if you enjoy that feel good musical theme). The ticket prices may break ...

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A Thornton Wilder Christmas, King’s Head Theatre

The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden and The Long Christmas DinnerThornton WilderDirected by Tim Sullivan★★★ Pros: A brilliant script filled with excellent characters, lots of laughs and some very good acting. Cons: The first act seemed to labour in places and some of the performances were a bit unpolished at times. Our Verdict: Well worth a look. The show is Christmassy without being nauseating. Courtesy of Saviour Theatre Company Thornton Wilder is a multi-award-winning American author and playwright, probably ...

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Midnight’s Pumpkin, Battersea Arts Centre

Adapted and directed by Emma Rice★★★★★ Pros: Energetic, hilarious, and absolutely stunning. Cons: You might get a bit overwhelmed – every element takes centre stage here, nothing is allowed to fade into the background.Our Verdict: Clever, terrifically joyful, and absolutely the most fun you’ll have at the theatre during this festive season! Courtesy of The Telegraph We go to the theatre to be entertained, but we often go with such stringent expectations and critical attitudes that we forget the joy ...

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Salomé, The Old Cholmeley Boys’ Club

Oscar WildeDirected by Anastasia Revi★★★ Pros: The Old Cholmeley Boys’ Club – a dilapidated church like building on the outside, and a lavish looking dining hall on the inside – is perfectly suited to the luxurious circumstances and persistent ominous-ness of the piece. The costumes by Valentina Sanna are exquisite. Cons: While the script itself definitely calls for heightened emotion, I found this to be over dramatised in many instances – a greater variety in delivery would have been welcome. ...

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Dead Static, Hen and Chickens Theatre

Written and directed by Steve Jordan★★★ Pros: A witty script written by a clearly talented and intelligent writer. Cons: The characters seemed a bit one dimensional; Tyler very angry, Gary very dim. Not even the more personal moments or the very end made me fully believe in the characters. Our Verdict: A quite clever and amusing script is performed relatively well in this production. Courtesy of ManMoth Productions Imagine you’re in a post-apocalyptic future where earth has been burnt asunder ...

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Julius Caesar, Donmar Warehouse

William ShakespeareDirected by Phyllida Lloyd★★★★★ Pros: The fantastic stage setting, ingenious direction, innovative lighting, creative sound, intelligent interpretation of a classic tragedy…. They are all just an amazing backdrop for this first class all-female cast. Cons: None whatsoever. It’s a great script, an amazing cast and a sensational set. Our Verdict: There are so many reasons to see this production: the extraordinary dynamic of the all-female, top drawer cast; the representation of power, loyalty and conspiracy; the fantastic detail in ...

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Unbroken Line, Ovalhouse Theatre

Jamie ZubairiDirected by Kath Burlinson★★★ Pros: A fantastic and engaging one-man performance, funny and poignant. Cons: Some higher stakes would have really sealed the deal for this piece. The incorporation of visual art into the performance was perhaps overstated somewhat. Our Verdict: An entertaining and thoughtful exploration of personal and artistic identity. Courtesy of the Ovalhouse Jamie Zubairi is a writer, painter, actor, and dancer, and in the Ovalhouse Theatre’s current upstairs production, Unbroken Line, he showcases all of his ...

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