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

Pros:  A talented cast Cons: A poor, almost non-existent storyline When it opened on Broadway in 2012, this musical was nominated for Tony awards for Best Musical and Best Original Score. The songs are pleasant enough, if a bit ‘same-y’. There is a lively tap number in the second half, and the song What a Mother Does lingered in my head for quite a while, although I think that may have been down to the rather old-fashioned sentiments contained within it. Of ...

Pros: A wonderfully talented cast happily connecting with the audience. Cons: Multiple characters and minimal costume changes occasionally makes the action difficult to follow. The story of Burke and Hare has been regularly plundered for TV dramas, documentaries and two big screen versions, the most recent of which starred Andy Serkis and Simon Pegg. It’s not difficult to see why, as it remains a cracking yarn based on true events. The play tells of the titular characters that embarked on ...

Pros: The fresh take on the pressures entailed by an alpha male role. Cons: The narrative structure feels fragmentary. Bill (Azan Ahmed) and Frank (Jack Dillon) have been friends since childhood and know each other’s secrets and history. They both look smart and act cool, wearing blue suits and fancy silk ties. Looking impeccable, pleasing the boss and being cordial to each other are all part of their role, although, deep inside, they’re burning with mutual envy and tormented by an unreasonable pressure ...

Pros: A vivid and joyful updating of a well-loved family classic. Cons: About and hour too long and could feel more contemporary. Little Women at The Space in the Isle of Dogs joins the ranks of the many contemporary versions of classic texts in the theatre of recent years. While this is a trend we might be growing weary of, if ever there was a text that deserves a second lease of life and an airing in our current society, it’s Little ...

You don’t have to be gay to be moved by this abiding tale of love and passion.

Pros: Full of honesty, humour and a word perfect performance, the sound and strength of Imogen Stirling’s words create a landscape that restores the faith in middle class privilege. Cons: Spoken word performance is not for everyone. Spoken word performance may not be everyone’s cup of tea. For many it brings to mind images of bearded hipsters in berets; rest assured that only occurs once tonight, and in a most amusing of ways. But if you were to consider spoken ...

Riotous, rollicking, fun-filled fishy frolics.

A well-meaning but overly ambitious first outing by new theatre company Unshaded Arts.

Pros: The bleak honesty of Motherhood or Madness and Eoin McKenna’s top-notch comedic delivery in Specky Ginger C*nt. Cons: Motherhood or Madness could benefit from a more imaginative lighting design, whereas Specky Ginger C*nt plunges too deeply into hopeless drama. In a renewed climate of female emancipation, women are unafraid to address motherhood in dispassionate tones. No longer seen as a gift from god, nor a state of bliss, it is often considered a mere inconvenience, a life-changing event over ...

Pros: Rats is smart and hilarious, with excellent performances and a bitingly relevant script.  Cons: The ending is predictable, and some of the emotional moments feel under-explored. In 2016, Microsoft released Tay, a chatbot that could learn by interacting with people on the internet. Sadly, the chatbot had to be shut down after it began spouting Nazi slogans and sexually explicit messages. If machines can learn from humans, they can also learn our biases, our flaws, and our cruelty. We ...