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

Based on the novella by Henry James Adapted by Rebecca Lenkiewicz Directed by Lindsay Posner ★★★★ Pros: A top class show with terrific production values, brilliant character development, extraordinary performances and genuinely terrifying horror effects. Cons: I have no issue with the production itself, however, the novella, written in 1898, suffers from decades of screen imitations, making a once original plot seem clichéd at times. Our Verdict: Everything about this play is top notch from the stunning set and wonderful ...

Good news theatre fans: we’re giving away some free theatre tickets again! This time, we’ve teamed up with Hiraeth Artistic Productions to give you a chance to win two tickets to see their production of Romeo and Juliet at The Gatehouse in Highgate, London. The tickets are valid for any performance between 6-10 February 2013.  As always with our competitions, there are absolutely no catches. We’re not going to sell your data to any third parties and we’re not going to ...

William Shakespeare Directed by James Williams ★★★ Pros: A high-energy, creative take on Shakespeare for the whole family. Cons: Drastic script cuts sometimes lead to confusion. Our Verdict: A family-friendly, mostly accessible version of Shakespeare with a multi-talented cast and a clever design. Courtesy of Watford Palace Theatre It’s no secret that Shakespeare can be difficult and inaccessible to modern audiences – and not just for young people who are still mastering language and poetry, but for the rest of ...

Simon StephensDirected by Marianne Elliott★★★★ Pros: A brilliantly acted performance of a gritty, interesting and rather excellent script, complete with a refreshingly optimistic ending. Cons: Very few. It dragged a tiny bit in the middle, but this is a show which very narrowly missed out on the fifth star! Our Verdict: A tip-top show from the National, and one of my favourite Lyttelton productions to date. No excuses to miss it – there are plenty of £12 tickets available! Courtesy ...

A showcase of monologues ★★ Pros: A great platform for new work, and a real mixture of different genres and tones. Cons: The four shows together make the evening quite long, and some scripts that would benefit from further workshopping. Our Verdict: A nice and worthwhile survey of different styles of theatrical work and a peek into some upcoming talent, but not fully polished and a bit lengthy. Courtesy of The Space Programme B Deirdre and Me, Rachael Halliwell  Woman ...

John Patrick Shanley Presented by Lightning Jar Theatre Company ★★★ Pros: A clever and deeply poetic script from a master playwright. Some very nice acting too. Cons: I struggled to keep focussed during the first half as the performances didn’t deliver enough energy to meet the requirements of the script. Our Verdict: This is an uneven production with a slow-moving and occasionally uninteresting first half. However, it then bursts into life after the interval, engaging the audience right to the end. Courtesy ...

Despite the cons this is unmissable, if just for the pure brilliance of it all!

Presented by Little Pieces of Gold ★★★★ Pros: This production is filled with a wonderful variety of wit and humour, clever concepts and poignancy. The writing is mostly top notch and the cast work very well together. Cons: There are a few moments that could be tightened up a tad. One of the plays lost me a little and another felt a bit flat and uninteresting compared to the energy of the others. Our Verdict: This is really worth seeing. As ...

Based on The Libation Bearers by Aeschylus Adapted by Ozlem Ozhabes Directed by Kaitlin Argeaux ★★★★ Pros: A very enjoyable, visually pleasing and strongly emotional performance driven by innovative direction and some cracking performances that leave you wanting more, even if Greek tragedy is not normally your thing. Cons: Given how well the dance and physical movements worked overall, it’s a shame that at times the pace seemed to slow down and the chorus became somewhat static, especially in the ...

Arthur Wing PineroDirected by Timothy Sheader ★★★★ Pros: Well-directed with excellent performances, a great set and some big laugh out loud moments. A great production in every respect. Cons: None really, but it’s not ground-breaking and it’s not the best farce I’ve ever seen. Doesn’t mean it’s not very good though! Our Verdict: Great fun, easy to watch and a good way to spend your time and money if you fancy some decent laughs! Courtesy of Tristram Kenton for The Guardian Everyone knows that ...