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

New writing festival, various writers and directors★★★★ Pros: Great idea overall, very engaging and easy to watch and some very good pieces of new writing. Cons: Risky, there are some pieces that aren’t so good, and the theatre was too full when we were there! Our Verdict: A great evening of new writing at a charming venue, well worth a trip for the final week! Courtesy of the Old Red Lion Theatre The last time we went to Islington’s favourite pub ...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Korean, part of the Globe to Globe Festival ★★★★★ Pros: £5 yard tickets (best view in the house), eye-opener on to a whole new world of Shakespeare. Cons: I took slight offense to a member of the audience describing the performance as ‘groovy’. Our Verdict: Pick a play you know and like and then prepare to be blown away! Courtesy of Globe to Globe We Brits might not be world class at many things and ...

South DownsDavid HareDirected by Jeremy Herrin★★★ The Browning VersionTerence RattiganDirected by Angus Jackson★★★★ Pros: Strong performances, great set, excellent lighting. The Browning Version in particular is a true masterpiece from one of the greatest playwrights of all time. Cons: South Downs is a slightly less meaty script, and may leave you wondering what exactly happened towards the end. Our Verdict: An engaging introduction to the evening with South Downs followed by a flawless performance of The Browning Version. Courtesy of ...

Written and Directed by Enda Walsh★★★★ Pros: Powerful acting supports a complex, beautiful and well-constructed story in a intricately devised setting. Cons: Desperately sad. Our Verdict: An unsettling experience but an incredible night of theatre. Courtesy of the Daily Telegraph There aren’t many shows in life that can genuinely make you feel something deep beneath your skin. Misterman achieves that, if for no other reason than bestowing you with the sincere desire to take a shower. The production is probably the ...

Written and directed by Melanie Wilson★★★  Pros: An enchanting lighting design and equally great sound for such a modest venue. Offers a compelling perspective on the important issue of dementia. Cons: A little wordy and lengthy in places, didn’t quite hold my attention throughout. Not suitable for those who don’t like ‘artsy’ drama. Our Verdict: If you’re looking for serious fringe theatre, look no further. To be honest, you should go just for the pleasure of the lighting design alone!  ...

Errol JohnDirected by Michael Buffong★★★★ Pros: Strong performances, great script, funny and moving. Cons: The Cottesloe is an amazing space where designers can run wild… perhaps more could have been made of this. Our Verdict: A great night of quality theatre. Courtesy of Tristram Kenton for the Guardian If there is one thing I hate, it’s a badly behaved audience member. For those who have had the pleasure of never encountering such beasts, let me give you a brief overview. ...

Those of you who actually read out reviews will know that we rather enjoyed The King’s Speech at the Wyndham’s Theatre. In fact, we gave it a meaty four stars in our recent review. It is a tad close to the film, but in reality you have to be pretty petty to see that as a problem – why shouldn’t it be close to a film that won universal acclaim and four Oscars?! So we’re delighted to be able to ...

Oliver GoldsmithDirected by Jamie Lloyd★★★★ Pros: A delightful variety of hilarious characters and a brilliant plot. Cons: I honestly don’t think anyone stopped laughing for long enough to think of any. Our Verdict: If you’ve been fortunate enough to catch it, you are to be congratulated, and if not don’t be too harsh on yourself – just know that you have made a grave mistake. Courtesy of Alastair Muir for the Daily Telegraph In an unforgivable act of negligence, we ...

Written & Directed by David Byrne ★★★★ Pros: An excellent adaptation, some great performances and fantastic direction make this a cohesive and slick piece of work. Cons: Slightly variable individual performances in places, but this is a minor gripe. Our Verdict: A fantastic show from a superb creative team. Definitely worth seeking out, better than many things on the West End and cheaper by miles. Courtesy of Richard Davenport After the success of our last outing to the New Diorama ...

Jon CooperDirected by Samantha German ★★★ Pros: Fantastic performances, great performance venue and good to see daring pieces of writing being aired. Cons: The script is rather indulgent and it’s a bit too long.  Our Verdict: A very good production of a script that needs a bit more work. Courtesy of Sheer Drop Theatre Company Over the last few months we’ve started to properly branch out into the world of fringe theatre. As a result we’ve discovered some absolute gems, ...