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

Pros: Set and costumes are the most inspired outcome of the company’s joint effort. Cons: An overstretched, overlong production which should shed a third of its weight to hold audience engagement. Taken from his family when he was a toddler, Mowgli (Nnamdi Oli) is adopted by a family of wolves and raised in the Indian jungle as a part of the pack. Responsibility for his education lies with the bear Baloo (Paul Robinson) and the black panther Bagheera (Joe Newton), who teach him ...

Pros: Strong acting which created a present, dark and twisted atmosphere Cons: Some risky creative choices were made which didn’t quite land for me and seemed peculiar Best known for it’s miraculous ability to engage with both the twisted and the tender, Sondheim’s musical Sweeney Todd is a tough balancing act to pull off. The play delves into the dirty streets of London and follows the vengeful and murderous actions of Todd as he desperately tries to reclaim his daughter ...

A poignant and beautiful play which reclaims the story of Sophie Scholl, a young heroine of the resistance against Hitler.

Two spot on performances of two interesting women, but overall result feels dated.

Pros: Audience engagement through a novel mechanism involving ping pong bats Cons: A muddled, confused plot, riddled with inconsistency The Time Capsule bills itself as a “pick your own adventure” play, in the manner of those books where you make moral or logical choices to determine which page you turn to continue the story. You’re handed a ping pong bat on entering the theatre, one side red, one black. Its purpose is explained through mime: each actor appears in turn, and ...

Pros: A bright cast and slow burning story that blossom in an excellent Act II. Cons: Act I is disappointingly slow and spends far too much time setting the scene. Casting familiar faces in a play is usually a safe bet, as the audience already have a rapport though television. End Of The Pier neatly pulls off the trick at the wonderful Park Theatre. Les Dennis takes the lead, while Blake Harrison, Nitin Ganatra and Tala Gouveia complete the line-up. ...

Pros: This never-before-seen play has funny moments and quirky characters. Cons: The meandering writing and cramped staging let it down. The Finborough, the dinky pub theatre above the plain but cosy Finborough Arms, is fond of rediscovering forgotten twentieth century plays. Sometimes, as with The Passing of the Third Floor Back last year, the attempts are charming and reasonably successful. This time, however, with war poet Robert Graves’ never-performed late-1929 play But It Still Goes On, the play feels as ...

Pros: A total treat for eyes and ears. Cons: Given the show’s steep price tag and focus on the music of Fantasia, I wish the sound had worked better. Those of us who grew up with a VHS tape of Disney’s Fantasia in the family film collection are likely to have vague memories of psychedelic colours, fairies dancing to swirling music and the harrowing tale of the sorcerer’s apprentice, which tells the sorry story of young Mickey Mouse daring to ...

Pros: British clichés and drama tropes are nailed, aided by a vast number of fun props and different music styles, from rap to community brass band tunes. The cast is a deliberate cross-section of modern Britain, with some stand-out performances. Cons: At times it feels like the weirdness factor is cranked up just for a reaction, with little relevance to the plot. A seemingly relentless war section labours its writer’s and director’s point. It must be a nightmare to clear ...

Pros: Skilful adaptation and winning performances Cons: A few less successful moments Although less celebrated than his plays, Oscar Wilde’s prose work is every bit as accomplished and distinctive. His fairy tales in particular are a unique take on the genre – they’re wise and unsentimental, which somehow makes their impact all the more emotional, and Wilde delights in using animals and flowers as a witty chorus to comment on the foibles of the human world. Young company Orange Moon do a ...