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

Joe PenhallDirected by Roger Michell★★★ Pros: Trustworthy actors perform a compact piece with big laughs at the expense of gender stereotypes. Cons: Slightly unclear what Penhall’s point (if there is one) is! Our Verdict: A play which hopes to question the roles in childbirth, it’ll make the audience think but not too hard. An overall positive experience! Courtesy of Alastair Muir for the Daily Telegraph The Royal Court is a brilliant theatre. Situated on Sloane Square, it is well known ...

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 ...

A great piece of work from Iris Theatre Company - pick your day carefully and it's well worth the money.

Frank Wedekind, translated by F.J. ZieglerDirected by John Fricker★★★★ Pros: A well-designed and well-performed production of a show with a strong message. Cons: A little long at 2 hours 30 mins. Our Verdict: A great show from a young theatre company; we hope to see more of them soon. Courtesy of OutFox Productions Spring Awakening – a title which many will remember from the short-lived, but ultimately well-received Rock Musical which swooped into the West End in 2009. It can ...

everything theatre originally reviewed this production at the Trafalgar Studios. It is currently on a national tour until June 2013: http://www.yesprimeminister.co.uk/tour-dates/Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn Directed by Jonathan Lynn ★★★ Pros: A very witty script and a batch of good performances. Cons: Lacks that special something that allows you to really engage with it. Our Verdict: It’s an enjoyable evening, but it left me with a slight feeling of anti-climax and disappointment. It’s a brave decision to revive a classic, especially ...

William ShakespeareDirected by Edward Hall★★★★ Pros: Energetic production, executed with surgical precision by a talented all-male cast. Cons: The plot is fairly convoluted, and involves an unresolved resuscitation. Could be a little shorter. Our Verdict: A standout production which deserves to be watched and enjoyed. Courtesy of Manuel Harlan for Exeunt Magazine The Winter’s Tale was written towards the end of Shakespeare’s career. With a tragic, heartbreaking first half, and a light-hearted, pastoral and comedic second half, it is sometimes ...

Claire DowieDirected by Lauren Bracewell★★★★ Pros: A brilliant script and a superb performance from Joanna Griffin. Cons: Not necessarily ground-breaking, but who cares when it’s just very good theatre?! Our Verdict: A top show, certainly advisable that you get your tickets for their next performances! Courtesy of Local Girl Productions I must confess to not being particularly familiar to Claire Dowie’s work, much to the annoyance of one of my fellow bloggers! Our latest outing to the Tristan Bates was ...

Laura WadeDirected by Lyndsey Turner★★★ Pros: Funny, angry and well performed. Audience unlikely to be populated by Tories… Cons: Don’t feel it is entirely sure what it is trying to say in places… Our Verdict: A fun production, especially for those seeking an outlet for their vitriol. Courtesy of Alastair Muir for the Daily Telegraph I walked past George Osborne at the National fairly recently. I’d just come out of The Comedy of Errors, I think, and there he was. ...

Conceived and devised by Forced EntertainmentDirected by Tim Etchells★★★ Pros: A good concept and a magnificent venue. Cons: The execution leaves something to be desired, and makes for a rather dull show. Our Verdict: Not the best we’ve seen, but an interesting idea worth developing into something more interesting. Courtesy of Hugo Glendinning Another guilty secret of ours is that, until last week, we had never visited the famous Battersea Arts Centre, described by Lyn Gardner as being ‘one of ...

William ShakespeareDirected by Dominic Dromgoole★★★★ Pros: Moving central performance heading a great cast in a well-paced and effective production. Cons: My poor legs! Always with the painful legs at the Globe… Our Verdict: Great production – rousing central performance, great supporting cast, far funnier than you’d expect. Courtesy of Alastair Muir for the Daily Telegraph When the sun is shining and the crowd is enthralled, I challenge anyone to deny that The Globe is one of the most glorious places ...