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

Pros: Excellent performances by the three cast members.  Cons: The ending is a bit of a damp squib. So the Vault Festival is in full swing beneath Waterloo station. With its interesting spaces and buzzing atmosphere it is well worth a visit. Looking at the eclectic mix of shows available you will surely find something that takes your fancy.  With some planning it may even be possible to see more than one per visit. But one of the problems of ...

Pros: The seamless combination of action, lighting and sound. Cons: Nothing much springs to mind. Don’t go to this show expecting a complete run through of the HG Wells book. Instead, using the 1938 Orson Welles radio broadcast as a starting point, Rhum and Clay have explored people’s propensity to readily accept that all they hear and read is true with, in this case, some unintended consequences for one family.Starting off with a re-creation of the radio play the focus ...

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 ...

Riotous, rollicking, fun-filled fishy frolics.

Pros:  A funny and entertaining show with good performances from all concerned. Cons:  The points being made were accentuated unnecessarily.  The Museum of Comedy is an interesting place full of old posters, props, books and photographs. It is worth getting there a bit early to get a drink from the bar and have a good look around. The cosy theatre space smells a bit damp which is to be expected as it is in the basement space of a church. ...

Pros: Excellent performances from all concerned. Cons: The fragmented style of the dialogue.  Ominous music pervades the auditorium as you enter, and the stage is filled by an opaque screen which resembles a giant TV. Shadowy figures walk up to the screen and look out at the audience before disappearing into the murky background. The piece is just over two hours, without interval, consisting of three distinct parts. Part one is a series of vignettes where most of the 16 strong ...

Pros:  The performance of Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong. Cons: Uncomfortable benches resulted in noisy fidgeting which made it difficult to hear. This Folk musical tells the story of the Haymarket Affair, an incident at a gathering of striking workers in May 1886, at Haymarket Square, Chicago, USA.  What started as a peaceful rally to support strikers demanding an eight hour day, ended up with a number of police and strikers being killed when a bomb was thrown into the police line. The police, in ...

A bizarre adaptation of a true story about stalking, illness, grave robbing, necrophilia and amateur mummification, done in the style of a light romantic musical. Utterly strange.

Pros: All the advantages of being outside in a garden space helping to create a magical atmosphere – flowers, breeze, full moon in a clear sky. Cons: All the disadvantages of being outside in a garden space, spoiling the magical atmosphere – pollen, noises off, helicopters. Right in the heart of Covent Garden, St Paul’s Church Yard is a cool space even on one of the hottest days of the summer, shade provided by the surrounding buildings and a gentle breeze.  Being ...

Two enjoyable short plays highlighting the difficulties encountered by people who are different from the majority. Both need refining and a bit more development to explore fully the many questions raised.