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

everything theatre originally reviewed this production at the Trafalgar Studios. It is currently on a national tour until June 2013: http://www.yesprimeminister.co.uk/tour-dates/Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn Directed by Jonathan Lynn ★★★ Pros: A very witty script and a batch of good performances. Cons: Lacks that special something that allows you to really engage with it. Our Verdict: It’s an enjoyable evening, but it left me with a slight feeling of anti-climax and disappointment. It’s a brave decision to revive a classic, especially ...

William ShakespeareDirected by Edward Hall★★★★ Pros: Energetic production, executed with surgical precision by a talented all-male cast. Cons: The plot is fairly convoluted, and involves an unresolved resuscitation. Could be a little shorter. Our Verdict: A standout production which deserves to be watched and enjoyed. Courtesy of Manuel Harlan for Exeunt Magazine The Winter’s Tale was written towards the end of Shakespeare’s career. With a tragic, heartbreaking first half, and a light-hearted, pastoral and comedic second half, it is sometimes ...

Claire DowieDirected by Lauren Bracewell★★★★ Pros: A brilliant script and a superb performance from Joanna Griffin. Cons: Not necessarily ground-breaking, but who cares when it’s just very good theatre?! Our Verdict: A top show, certainly advisable that you get your tickets for their next performances! Courtesy of Local Girl Productions I must confess to not being particularly familiar to Claire Dowie’s work, much to the annoyance of one of my fellow bloggers! Our latest outing to the Tristan Bates was ...

Laura WadeDirected by Lyndsey Turner★★★ Pros: Funny, angry and well performed. Audience unlikely to be populated by Tories… Cons: Don’t feel it is entirely sure what it is trying to say in places… Our Verdict: A fun production, especially for those seeking an outlet for their vitriol. Courtesy of Alastair Muir for the Daily Telegraph I walked past George Osborne at the National fairly recently. I’d just come out of The Comedy of Errors, I think, and there he was. ...

Conceived and devised by Forced EntertainmentDirected by Tim Etchells★★★ Pros: A good concept and a magnificent venue. Cons: The execution leaves something to be desired, and makes for a rather dull show. Our Verdict: Not the best we’ve seen, but an interesting idea worth developing into something more interesting. Courtesy of Hugo Glendinning Another guilty secret of ours is that, until last week, we had never visited the famous Battersea Arts Centre, described by Lyn Gardner as being ‘one of ...

William ShakespeareDirected by Dominic Dromgoole★★★★ Pros: Moving central performance heading a great cast in a well-paced and effective production. Cons: My poor legs! Always with the painful legs at the Globe… Our Verdict: Great production – rousing central performance, great supporting cast, far funnier than you’d expect. Courtesy of Alastair Muir for the Daily Telegraph When the sun is shining and the crowd is enthralled, I challenge anyone to deny that The Globe is one of the most glorious places ...

Original screenplay by Colin Welland, adapted by Mike BartlettDirected by Edward Hall★★★★ Pros: A solid cast and some moments that work amazingly well. Plus the awesome theme tune. Cons: Wore me out a little just watching that much running! Our Verdict: About the most patriotic piece of theatre you could hope to come out of Britain. Courtesy of Tristram Kenton for The Guardian I feel we should deal first with the criticisms that have been made of this production and ...

Stephen BeresfordDirected by Howard Davies★★★ Pros: A cast that makes you go ‘wow’, a stunning set, and some wonderful individual performances. Cons: Some conversations didn’t seem quite real, despite it being a naturalistic production. Our Verdict: This play will do very well with the cast it has but there’s something not quite there. Yet. Courtesy of the National Theatre The first play written by actor-turned-playwright Stephen Beresford, The Last of the Haussmans follows an ailing hippy (Julie Walters) and her ...

Although it shows real promise, it lets itself down. It's worth seeing because it is different, but be prepared to feel disappointed in places.

Sophocles, in a new version by Don TaylorDirected by Polly Findlay★★★★ Pros: great performances, short, snappy staging. Cons: Greek tragedies aren’t everyone’s cup of tea – they are by definition depressing! Our Verdict: an engaging and worthwhile rendition of a Greek classic. Courtesy of the Daily Telegraph Re-imagining ancient Greek tragedies is always a difficult task. It seems that, because these plays have been around for literally thousands of years, any conceivable adaptation has already been done. It can therefore ...