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

Intense and vivid account of the Catch 22 of gang life in disadvantaged communities.

Well-made refugee drama that doesn’t need its abstract trimmings.

“What is your relationship to this man?” It’s a question that recurs through Tom Coash’s play, and it’s one that neatly keeps the focus on the two central characters. These are Nicholas (Marc Antolin), a British academic working in Egypt, and his native lover Mohammed (James El-Sharawy). His name having been “on a list” since some political cartoons in his student days drew him to the attention of the authorities, the play begins with Mohammed, newly released from police custody, ...

This was my first visit to Above The Stag’s latest premises, and I think it’s the slickest building they’ve inhabited to date. It’s still under railway arches with regular distracting rumbles from the trains, but there’s a large bar area to accommodate waiting audiences, and the main theatre (there’s also a studio space now) is well-designed with a nice stage;seating ratio. Having been a patron of the venue since it actually was above The Stag pub in Victoria, I’m always ...

Having connected online, a pretty young man (Thomas Flynn) and a bulky older guy (Antony Gabriel) meet for an unsuccessful sexual encounter. Then the pretty boy plays a strip game with a friend (and lover?) who tries to discourage him from moving to London to attend art school. Next, at art school we find pretty boy enamoured of an older student (Joseph Rowe) who’s about to abandon him to study in Paris. And so it rolls on… At first I ...

If there’s one topic which occasionally penetrates the news agenda through the cacophony of the Brexit debacle, it’s the ongoing refugee crisis, as the displaced population of war-torn Syria continues to strive desperately to reach some sort of safety in Europe. Jonathan Brown’s extremely accomplished play introduces us to Saif (Vincent Kerschbaum), Hassan (Hamza Siddique), Amira (Natali Servat) and her tiny baby, who have trekked through Egypt to the Mediterranean coast, whence they hope to board a boat to Italy, ...

The naked arse and abs on the marketing material and on the cover of the play text don’t belong to the actors in this production. Presumably they were cast after the publicity deadline, so stand-ins were required. The gays like topless twinks, don’t they, so any pecs will do the job, right? It’s sad that this crude and demeaning strategy continues to pervade the presentation of gay theatre productions, and that prominent voices in the queer community are content to ...

Pros: Excellent musicianship and a good range of song styles Cons: Lack of memorable tunes and a confusing storyline Calling all producers! Please stop pasting microphones to your singers’ foreheads! If you can’t hide them under their hair (although, why?) then the jawline is a far better option. Your audience is connecting to a singer’s eyes, and they don’t want to be distracted by a bundle of wiring in the middle of their face. Sorry, just had to get that ...

Pros: Lots of new talent showcasing their abilities. Cons: Doesn’t quite rise above student production standards. “Do you really love it?” asked a friend when I said I was going to see a student production of Cabaret, the famous Kander and Ebb musical that has been frequently revived since it first appeared on Broadway in 1966. The answer was that I’d seen the 1972 Bob Fosse movie a few times and liked several of the songs, plus I was drawn to ...

Pros: Superb script and performances Cons: A few plot points not entirely clear “Thank fuck for Ryan Air!” isn’t something you hear that often in real life or in the theatre, what with all the cancelled flights and relentless penny pinching. But this uncommon praise is understandable, coming from the lips of young misfits looking to flee small town life in Ireland for the bright lights of London. Iona (Caitriona Ennis) and Pingu (Elise Heaven) are best pals with a ...