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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Twelfth Night, Lion and Unicorn Theatre
William ShakespeareDirected by Rae Mcken★★★ Pros: The spoken text is crystal clear while the modern day setting, with mobile phones and such, makes the Bard’s renaissance comedy relevant and accessible to present day audiences. Cons: The small space could barely contain…
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The Human Being’s Guide to Not Being a Dick about Religion, Canal Café Theatre
Matt ThomasDirected by Sarah Elaine Stewart★★★★ Pros: A well-researched, funny performance which balances serious discussion of religious views with lots of good humour.Cons: Sometimes the performer looked a little uncomfortable on the stage. Our Verdict: A refreshingly non-aggressive look at…
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The Tempest, Watford Palace Theatre
William Shakespeare Directed by James Williams ★★★ Pros: A high-energy, creative take on Shakespeare for the whole family. Cons: Drastic script cuts sometimes lead to confusion. Our Verdict: A family-friendly, mostly accessible version of Shakespeare with a multi-talented cast and…
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One Festival, The Space
A showcase of monologues ★★ Pros: A great platform for new work, and a real mixture of different genres and tones. Cons: The four shows together make the evening quite long, and some scripts that would benefit from further workshopping.…
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The Dreamer Examines his Pillow, Old Red Lion Theatre
John Patrick Shanley Presented by Lightning Jar Theatre Company ★★★ Pros: A clever and deeply poetic script from a master playwright. Some very nice acting too. Cons: I struggled to keep focussed during the first half as the performances didn’t deliver enough…
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L’Orfeo, Trinity Buoy Wharf
Despite the cons this is unmissable, if just for the pure brilliance of it all!
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Festopia, Theatre503
Presented by Little Pieces of Gold ★★★★ Pros: This production is filled with a wonderful variety of wit and humour, clever concepts and poignancy. The writing is mostly top notch and the cast work very well together. Cons: There are a…
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House of Atreus, Waterloo East Theatre
Based on The Libation Bearers by Aeschylus Adapted by Ozlem Ozhabes Directed by Kaitlin Argeaux ★★★★ Pros: A very enjoyable, visually pleasing and strongly emotional performance driven by innovative direction and some cracking performances that leave you wanting more, even…
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A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings, Battersea Arts Centre
everything theatre originally reviewed this production at the Battersea Arts Centre. It will transfer to the Little Angel Theatre on 20th February 2013, where it will run until 2nd March 2013: http://www.littleangeltheatre.com/lat/whatson/forthcoming/MjQyGabriel Garcia Marquez Directed by Mike Shepherd★★★ Pros: Stunning puppetry…