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

Created and Performed by Claire Gaydon★★★ Pros: A very enjoyable performance from a charming young actress and some lovely, magical storytelling. Cons: The story seemed to contain quite a bit of filler and sitting in the Arcola Tent in December can be a fairly uncomfortable experience. Our Verdict: Not a particularly energetic or engaging story but it is brimming with warm-hearted, feel-good cheer and an uplifting performance that is both refreshingly minimalistic and natural. Be sure to wear your thermals ...

Written and directed by Sebastian Rex★★★ Pros: Interesting concept, with a great performance by the eponymous Phil. Cons: Some of the characters can come across as overly simplistic. Our Verdict: A good night out, if you have the energy to travel to the venue! Courtesy of The Space Even after a quite a few years in the London theatre scene, I must say that I wasn’t aware of The Space, which is a great shame. The charming venue, admittedly, is ...

Louise MonaghanDirected by Louise Hill★★★ Pros: An absolutely amazing all-female cast and a passionate, intense, and unique story. Cons: A bit of a jumpy script – coherency sometimes took a backseat to valuable but heavy-handed morals. Our Verdict: A polished and fiercely performed show that was powerful but in the end maybe a bit too overpowering. Courtesy of the Finborough Theatre I didn’t go into the Finborough’s new play about race and politics expecting the setting to be a bridge ...

Written and performed by Tom LyallDirected by Wendy Hubbard ★★★★★ Pros: A tremendous one man science fiction epic the likes of which you will have never seen on stage. Brilliantly performed by Tom Lyall. Cons: The auditorium at the CPT is a veritable ice-box. I had to leave my gloves on for the whole show. Luckily, I was swept up in the play pretty quickly and forgot all about it. Our Verdict: This is a triumph both in scriptwriting and ...

William ShakespeareDirected by Ricky Dukes★★★ Pros: A nice, wintery feel to a traditional summer tale (who doesn’t love a good snow machine?). Smooth and creative scene changes, a terrific performance from Bottom and quite a few very funny moments (though mostly thanks to Bottom). Cons: Some of the performances require toning down and sadly the show never quite comes together fully. Our Verdict: A promising production which still requires a lot of improvements to make it work really well. The ...

Written by Robert Crighton★★★ Pros: A thought-provoking series of three plays which are interesting in terms of content and also written in an intense and engaging manner. Enthusiastic performances which really connect with the audience. Cons: The subject matter, terrorism, is considerably weighty, yet the drama feels insubstantial, clichéd and a little flippant at times. There are several moments throughout when I feel the dialogue runs uncomfortably close to the bone. Our Verdict: The interesting concepts, solid performances and engaging ...

Written and performed by Robert Crighton★★★ Pros: A well-crafted monologue delivered with energy, pace and humour. Crighton engages the audience from the outset and the discussion preceding the story builds anticipation and expectation. Cons: The poltergeist in the story is a hamster, which feels naive: there is nothing spooky or disturbing about the story which was a little disappointing after the build-up. Our Verdict: This is a very good yarn and is a perfect conversation starter if you are planning ...

Kaye ConwayDirected by Jennifer Tang★★ Pros: Some very dynamic performances and a handful of genuinely funny moments. Cons: The humour and drama of the piece failed to sync well together, so it felt segmented and was rather slow at points. Our Verdict: Blow Out! features some genuinely talented and enjoyable performers, but it is not a very cohesive or consistently entertaining production. Courtesy of FizzBang! Productions When the first thing that happens to you upon entering a theatre is an ...

Written and Directed by Tim Etchells★★★ Pros: A well delivered monologue with an interesting concept behind it. Cons: The occasional slip breaks the reverie. Our Verdict: Worth the detour if you fancy something a bit different. Courtesy of the BAC It was lovely seeing the Battersea Arts Centre buzzing with activity on a Friday night. The entire building was being used not only for performances, but also for book readings and exhibitions. They even had a pop-up bar serving ‘recession ...

People Like UsJake BrungerDirected by Kirsty Patrick Ward★★★★ Happy Never AfterHannah RodgerDirected by Luke Sheppard★★★★ Pros: Good quality, clean cut shows featuring excellent performances across the board and very good designs. Cons: A couple of issues, one being the age of the cast, but generally no complaints. Our Verdict: A great way to spend an evening – excellent quality unpretentious theatre, well worth the ticket price. Happy Never After, credit: Jonny Bosworth I like to think that I have a ...