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

Presented by Made in China ★★★★ Pros: Mixes fun and games with lateral thinking and an acute social commentary. Cons: Although the work makes a lot of intelligent points about our society’s obsession with ‘success’, the audience are not left with an overriding central message to take home with them. Our Verdict: A flamboyant and colourful performance unlike anything you’re likely to see anywhere else. Courtesy of Made In China Meet Chris, Jess and Ira, three winners who will do ...

Mick Gordon Directed by Abigail Pickard Price ★★★★ Pros: Unpredictable and entertaining. Fans of immersive theatre will love it. Cons: The Bedford is a great venue for comedy and music, but the band playing elsewhere in the venue was distracting at times. Our Verdict: A gem of a play. Do try and catch it before its run finishes. Credit: KiteHigh Theatre What does the word ‘love’ mean to you? The topic has been the cornerstone of the arts for millennia ...

Why Can’t We Live Together? Steve Waters Directed by Paul Bourne  Somniloquy  Craig Baxter, in collaboration with Richard Horner Directed by Paul Bourne How To Begin Hisham Matar, in collaboration with Devorah Baum Directed by Patrick Morris  ★★★★ Pros: Versatile use of space and set design. Three quick-paced witty scripts directed and delivered with energy and style. Cons: The emotional moments of Why We Can’t Live Together? need to settle in. Confident this will happen after a few more performances. ...

Oscar WildeAdapted by Poise Performance★★★ Pros: It looked great. Used dance and movement in a visually arresting way along with projections, music and art. Cons: Casting a woman as Henry Wotton fundamentally changed the nature of the story and the acting wasn’t up to scratch. Our Verdict: This is a new company with a solid foundation that, with careful development, will be one to watch. Courtesy of Poise Performance Taking place in CLF Café/Bussey Building in the middle of trendy ...

Teatr ZAR ★★★★ Pros: Intense and stirring polyphonic music that brings a subtle power and energy to the entire play. Cons: As the title suggests, this show does not make for a hugely enjoyable experience and can make you feel uncomfortable. Our Verdict: A heart-wrenching meditation on suicide and survival, marrying haunting sounds with sensual movement. Credit: Ken Reynolds It begins with a pitch-dark room, the sound of pattering feet, shrill laughter, heavy breathing and the sudden, excruciating crash of ...

A sublime production that has historical resonance and, more importantly, says something about our relationship with our families.

William ShakespeareDirected by Nick Hastings★★★ Pros: The technical elements, including the music, sound effects, lighting and use of film are well crafted, and perfectly managed. Cons: Some of the cast sound like they are reciting lines, and not performing them. There is also an overuse of actions and hand gestures to try and convey meaning of the words. Our Verdict: This interpretation of Macbeth is very clear, and is intelligently applied to the story. However, it is questionable whether such ...

George ChapmanDirected by Brice StratfordThe Owle Schreame Theatre Company ★★★  Pros: Excellent movement and choral effort. Impressive sword action, entertaining and unorthodox. Cons: Lighting is too bright and detracts from the atmosphere. Some lines were difficult to hear in this setting. Our Verdict: Commendable effort in bringing a 400 year old script to modern life. Well worth the 5 pound ticket cost for an evening of lustfully demonic theatre in creepy environs. Courtesy of Cannibal Valour As part of the ...

Katerina Vrana Presented by Angel Comedy ★★★★★ Pros: Stand Up doesn’t get better than this. Intelligent content; expertly crafted humour; deliciously responsive audience dynamic and performance skill so good it actually hurts a little bit.Cons: Guilt. She’s not charging for this show. Verdict: I’ve seen a *lot* of stand-up comedy and Vrana’s set is one of the cleverest, funniest most skilfully delivered shows I’ve seen, ever. Courtesy of Angel Comedy Katerina Vrana’s stand up comedy set, Feta with the Queen, ...

Thomas Hescott & Matthew BaldwinDirected by Thomas Hescott★★★★ Pros: A clever and complex construction dovetailing fact with fiction to great effect and an admirable performance by Matthew Baldwin. Cons: Not really an official ‘con’ but if you expect this to attract a largely gay audience you’d be wrong. This is a piece of theatre for everyone. Our Verdict: An entertaining, witty, poignant and illuminating piece examining what it was like to be gay before decriminalisation. Courtesy of Ovalhouse The Ovalhouse ...