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

Doug Lucie Directed by James Hellier★★★★  Pros: An excellent young cast dazzle in this still relevant play about both being in your early twenties and the inequality of modern society. Cons: While the set contributes much to the atmosphere of the play, the actors are still finding their feet with the clutter and consequently it can sometimes act as a barrier rather than a tool. Our Verdict: Once again the Finborough produces great work, with a young cast we should watch ...

Federico Garcia LorcaDirected by Zoe Ford★★★ Pros: Some strong cast members offer passionate and realistic performances. Cons: The surrealism surrounding the final act may be off putting for some. Seating arrangement made it hard to see some of the action. Our Verdict: The first and final acts leave much to be desired however this is more to do with the play itself than this production of it. Courtesy of Hiraeth Artistic Productions Hiraeth Artistic Production‘s version of Lorca’s Blood Wedding is ...

Amaara Raheem ★★★ Pros: Engrossing, poetic commentaries on stories that span continents. Lovely music to accompany the narrative. Cons: Incomprehensible dancing at points that felt disjointed from the rest of the piece. Our Verdict: Good production value that successfully creates an intimate feel and absorbs the audience in the tales that are told. Courtesy of Ovalhouse Set in the Ovalhouse Theatre, Shield by Amaara Raheem encompasses the mediums of movie, music, movement and monologue to portray three stories. One is an ...

Gaetano Donizetti and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi Directed by Darren Royston★★★ Pros: Rarely staged operas sung by new operatic talent. Cons: Occasionally hard to follow due to inter-weaving storylines and lack of surtitles. Our verdict: Innovative, fresh and intimate night of opera in an unusual space. Courtesy of Pop Up Opera Pop up Opera’s productions are the modern day theatrical equivalent of a warehouse party. Not quite site specific, their productions are, for lack of a better term, pre-packaged and performed for us in ...

Aisling Foster Directed by Cherry Cookson ★★ Pros: Some great accents and beautiful scene change music produced a lovely sounding show. Cons: The actors were very wobbly on their lines and the show didn’t run straight. Our verdict: Sadly, an interesting topic based on true events is let down by the lacklustre performance and script that would be better as a novel or article. Courtesy of Ciaran Cunningham for Giant Olive Theatre When the Bolsheviks and the Irish were trying ...

Devised TheatreDirected by John-Michael MacDonald★★ Pros: Unusual and visually intriguing, with some innovative stylistic direction.Cons: The improvised nature meant the piece fell flat at times – it might be too weird for some people.Our verdict: A strange and unnerving production, which seemed to be conflicted between a conventional linear play and a physical interpretative performance. Every so often, I get night terrors. Once I dreamt I was in a room full of wardrobes, and these Courtesy of the Blue Elephant ...

Martin McDonaghDirected by Michael Grandage★★★★ Pros: Visually stunning, unabashedly hilarious, and flawlessly performed by an excellent cast including world-famous Daniel Radcliffe. Cons: Whether due to direction or flow of the script, some scenes dragged and lacked the same energy as the production overall. Our Verdict: Another excellent and well-rounded production from Michael Grandage– a must see for theatre lovers and Radcliffe fanatics alike! Courtesy of Michael Grandage Company Michael Grandage, Martin McDonagh, Daniel Radcliffe. I didn’t need any more information ...

Sarah Rutherford Directed by Dawn Reid ★★★★  Pros: A play about women, with an A-list cast, female director and author, that asks important questions about race.  Cons: Perhaps the play could have gone further in certain areas, but more of that later.  Our Verdict: A good ice breaker to kick off the latest Angelic Tales Festival. Courtesy of Theatre Royal Stratford East Earlier this week, the Theatre Royal’s season for new writing got off to an excellent start with a ...

Inua EllamsDirected by Thierry Lawson★★★★★ Pros: This is a wonderful piece of theatre from an incredibly talented writer/performer. Not knowing what you are seeing until the curtain goes up ensures you appreciate it without preconceptions. Cons: None really, although the set is a bare box and more could be done with the lighting to evoke the change in locations from Nigeria to London. Our Verdict: I love Inua Ellams – this is a fabulous piece of poetic writing and he ...

Holly Rumble★★★★ Pros: An interesting topic is used to explore the sights and sounds of London living.  Cons: Only a small cog in the wheel of a much larger project. Our Verdict: A lovely project that has taken a very simple idea and ran with it. While not strictly falling under the obvious definition of theatre, Holly Rumble’s piece is well considered! Holly Rumble walked every street within a 500-meter radius of the Battersea Arts Centre. Every 50 yards or ...