Off West End
Much like fringe theatre, trying to define what Off-WestEnd venue really means is a debate that would take us long into the night. So for our own sanity, we define it as those venues that are slightly bigger than the fringe venues (so roughly 100+ seats), but not the big West End or similar venues that form part of the Society of London Theatre (SOLT). Like fringe venues, Off-WestEnd are eligible for consideration for awards via the Fringe Theatre Awards.
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64 Squares, New Diorama Theatre – Review
An ingenious, joyful and inventive piece of physical theatre that brings the end of the jazz era to life through beautiful performances, clever use of percussion, and play with light and shadow.
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Oresteia, Almeida – Review
A marathon performance of a bloody saga with very impressive acting.
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A Doll’s House, The Space – Review
Ibsen’s tale of domestic repression may well have been daring in 1879, but feels more like a dusty museum piece now.
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Dirty Special Thing, Platform Theatre – Review
This engaging production is a great reflection of Generation Arts’s commitment to fostering the talent of marginalised aspiring actors.
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Signor Baffo’s Restaurant,The Watermans Centre – Review
Some enjoyable moments of silliness, but there’s not much more to this children’s show.
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Fatherland & Until You Hear That Bell, The Place – Review
Two autobiographical studies, featuring very different approaches to narrative structure.
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City Stories, St James Theatre – Review
Good music doesn’t make up for storytelling which is tedious and portentous.
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The Clockmaker’s Daughter, Landor Theatre – Review
A genuinely original new musical with an eye-catching set design and a superstar lead.
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The Flannelettes, King’s Head Theatre – Review
Although some potentially “hard-hitting” moments don’t quite hit the spot, when they do it is devastating.
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Like Mother, Like Daughter, Battersea Arts Centre – Review
Innovative reality theatre that blurs the boundary between public and personal to look at the relationship between mothers and daughters of faith.