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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Four Farces, Wilton’s Music Hall
Various Playwrights Directed by Jonathan Kemp★★★ Pros: A spectacle in the best sense. Cons: Sometimes not quite funny enough. Our verdict: Possibly the best performance of these farces ever given. Courtesy of European Arts Company The program promises a hilarious…
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Early Days, Finborough Theatre
David StoreyDirected by Tim Newns ★★★ Pros: A rarely performed play that carries itself with gentle humour and poise. Cons: The play doesn’t quite pull the heart strings as you would expect about from such a subject. Our Verdict: A poignant…
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Romeo and Juliet, Old Red Lion Theatre
William Shakespeare Directed by Grassroots Shakespeare London ★★★★ Pros: Say what you like about Shakespeare, but he knew how to write a play. Romeo is excellent and Juliet lends a bit of spice to a role that can be bland…
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Held by the Habit, New Diorama
Ben SeagerDirected by Sam Carrack ★★★ Pros: Enjoyable and entertaining, with some great potential. Good acting from all and a great performance from lead actor Jeff Lewis. Cons: There wasn’t much movement on stage. Our Verdict: A great initiative with a…
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Disgraced, Bush Theatre
Ayad Akhtar Directed by Nadia Fall ★★★★★ Pros: Brilliant performances. Explosive, intelligent and gripping to watch. Cons: Starts out a little too abstract and intellectual; the set-up–a dinner party between four people of four different ethnic and religious backgrounds—feels a little contrived.…
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Black Out, Simulacra Studios
Martin Malcolm, Dan Horrigan, Nathan CrossDirected by Marta Noguera-Cuevas★★★ Pros: A tremendous performance venue with fantastic atmosphere. Cons: The production’s point of interest is that the three plays all supposedly take place on the same night. There is little to…
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Hard Feelings, Finborough Theatre
Doug Lucie Directed by James Hellier★★★★ Pros: An excellent young cast dazzle in this still relevant play about both being in your early twenties and the inequality of modern society. Cons: While the set contributes much to the atmosphere of the…
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Blood Wedding, Waterloo East Theatre
Federico Garcia LorcaDirected by Zoe Ford★★★ Pros: Some strong cast members offer passionate and realistic performances. Cons: The surrealism surrounding the final act may be off putting for some. Seating arrangement made it hard to see some of the action.…
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Shield, Ovalhouse Theatre
Amaara Raheem ★★★ Pros: Engrossing, poetic commentaries on stories that span continents. Lovely music to accompany the narrative. Cons: Incomprehensible dancing at points that felt disjointed from the rest of the piece. Our Verdict: Good production value that successfully creates an…
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Rita/La Serva Padrona, The Sun Tavern (site-specific)
Gaetano Donizetti and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi Directed by Darren Royston★★★ Pros: Rarely staged operas sung by new operatic talent. Cons: Occasionally hard to follow due to inter-weaving storylines and lack of surtitles. Our verdict: Innovative, fresh and intimate night of opera in an…