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

Reuben Massiah Directed by Josh Azouz  ★★★★ Pros: Top class performances and a very sweet story.  Cons: Nothing worth mentioning.  Our Verdict: An exciting production with good writing and a brilliant central performance from Seraphina Beh.  Courtesy of the Ovalhouse There have been plenty of shows about the riots in the past year which have explored stories on both sides of the coin. Some of them were hard-hitting, while others were sympathetic to the rioters. This production at the Ovalhouse ...

Maurice Maeterlinck Directed by Benji Sperring ★★★ Pros: Maeterlinck’s The Blind and The Intruder are said to have contributed to his winning the Nobel Prize. Tarquin Productions do The Intruder justice. Cons: For me Maeterlinck is a poor man’s Pinter. His ideas have been far surpassed by both Pinter and Beckett. Our Verdict: Possibly worth seeing, as artefacts of theatre. These plays would have shocked back in the 1890s. Courtesy of Peter Langdown for The Guardian Maurice Maeterlinck’s The Blind ...

Martin Foreman  Emma King-Farlow  ★★  Pros: Small venue with an intimate setting. Good performances from John Vernon and Carolyn Lyster. Cons: Three monologues one after the other can be a bit exhausting, and the audience’s attention does wane slightly.  Our Verdict: The stories reflect emotions and events that occur in everyday life and which resonate with the audience, however the monologue aspect was difficult to swallow. One-man shows are notoriously difficult for the actor; having no other actors to play ...

Ninaz Khodaiji★★★ Pros: The intimate space meant that each audience member became inescapably involved in the story. Cons: The consistent use of one narrative style meant that momentum was sometimes lost and audience members began to visibly lose interest. Our Verdict: A very brave and honest piece of theatre which engaged well with its audience. Theatre is one of the greatest and most powerful platforms for voicing aspects of yourself; opinions, Courtesy of Rich Mix your life, your experiences – the list ...

Philip HimbergDirected by Indhu Rubasingham★★★ Pros: This show is lively, enchanting and huge fun. Lovely characters and wonderful music. Cons: There is a lack of focus in the script and some overacting from the cast. Our Verdict: Flawed, but wonderful.  Courtesy of The Tricycle Theatre The Tricycle theatre is a terrific, quirky space which is both a theatre and a cinema. It also serves jerk chicken for £7 – one of the best I’ve ever eaten and feels like the kind of ...

Presented by Little Bulb Theatre and the Battersea Arts Centre ★★★★ Pros: Lots. Something very different from your average trip to the theatre: it is a concert and a play all in one with a little French joie de vivre. Fantastic performances from a dedicated cast. Cons: A little slow to get going. Our Verdict: Another fabulous production in the spectacular Grand Hall of the Battersea Arts Centre that offers a lot of excellent content for a reasonable price. Courtesy ...

Charlotte Brontë Adapted and directed by Bryony J. Thompson ★★★ Pros: A great cast and an interesting and loyal approach to the inspirational material. Cons: While the attempt to preserve the original text was well meaning, it steered the production towards monotony at times. Our Verdict: A loyal and enjoyable adaptation of a well-loved classic, but the concept might have worked better in theory than it did on stage. Courtesy of the Rosemary Branch Theatre Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre is ...

Howard Korder Directed by Sebastien Blanc ★★ Pros: The team work hard at the frequent scene changes and utilise the small space to maximum effect. It’s an interesting script, worthy of revival and there are some humorous moments. Cons: The actors struggle with the American accents and there is no sense of a real understanding of the characters and the 1980s setting. The use of several lit cigarettes in the confined theatre space is oppressive and uncomfortable. Our Verdict: This ...

This production of Othello was previously reviewed by everything theatre during it’s short run at the White Bear Theatre. This second review was written independently of the first by a different member of our reviewing team. William Shakespeare Directed by Emily Morrison ★★★★ Pros: Using a small theatre space well, this production shows the depth of all the characters and adds more than a little extra to any other performance I have ever seen of Othello. Cons: One or two ...

Frances Hodgson-Burnett Adapted and directed by Eleanor Appleton ★★★★ Pros: A dynamic and enjoyable adaptation of a classic good-mood tale with some very good acting and use of space. Some great physical theatre and puppetry scenes. Cons: Props were bare but did their job. Some rushed transitions interrupted the magic flow at times. Our Verdict: A well-adapted, fast and uplifting play set in an interesting theatre space. Enjoyable all round. Credit: Estibaliz Moreno  There’s something special about attending a show ...