Absence of atmosphere and a weak ensemble result in a production that fails to conjure any spirit.

Pros: Irvin Shaw’s 1936 expressionist play about the futility of war is brilliantly brought to life by director Rafaella Marcus. Cons: This excellent staging does its best with a slightly uneven work, though the last third feels very much of its time. There’s always a lovely sense of expectation, going up the stairs to the Finborough Theatre. While the pub has recently been modernised and lost its old school atmosphere, the theatre remains unchanged and is as evocative as ever. ...

Pros: A gripping story, outstanding performances by an impressive cast, and a burning social issue that should be a priority in every politician’s agenda. Cons: none A woman dressed in a thawb (Mimi Malaz Bashir) puts the kettle on in a half-lit dining room. The boiling sound is soothing, and reminds us of the routine that many people follow at home every morning. The difference here is that this woman – her name is Tharwa – can hardly call this place a home: ...

Pros: An engrossing war story brilliantly told by a two man cast. Cons: A disappointingly camp cabaret section at the start of Act II looks out of place and disturbs the story’s tone. There are subtle reminders that November has arrived: the clocks go back, street lights flicker into life earlier and Christmas adverts creep onto TV screens. Another permanent reminder is Remembrance Sunday. Billy Bishop Goes To War gives a very personal account of the titular character, told by his ...

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: Outstanding performances bring passion to an effervescent script. Cons: Written 15 years ago, some of the sexual mores can seem outdated. An older man leaves his wife for a younger woman. It’s a story we’ve seen dozens of times before – but in Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith’s hands this age-old tale becomes something entirely new, through well-rounded characters and thought-provoking dialogue. George, in a compelling performance by Henry Goodman, is a celebrity intellectual, who dispenses his wisdom through TV ...

Pros: A wonderfully evocative script that allows an excellent cast to explore the humour, pathos and downright brutality of war. Cons: Some time might have been shaved off the 2 hours 10 minute duration for a more streamlined production. Sunday 11 November 2018 marks a significant centenary in the annuls of human conflict. One hundred years have now passed since the Armistice was signed formally ending World War I. The Great War was one of the bloodiest, claiming 17 million ...

Pros: The Wild Duck is a witty and inventive adaptation of Ibsen’s masterpiece. Cons: The play lacks in subtext and can sometimes feel more intellectual than emotional. Henrik Ibsen wrote The Wild Duck in 1884. He was white, Norwegian, and fifty-six. He had fathered an illegitimate child. His father was declared bankrupt. This is the truth, we are told, but from the very moment this word is uttered, at the beginning of the play, we are invited to question everything. What ...

Pros: An original play with a largely female cast. Good use of props and set pieces to create the multiple locations of the play as well as nice use of puppetry. Cons: The issue of feminism wasn’t really explored despite the gender swap of the lead characters. It felt like the script could have done with an edit to make it more succinct as was a little meandering in places. Burn-Bright’s production of Frankenstein replaces the male scientist from Mary ...

Pros: A sparky performance from the cast using physicality to strengthen a weak script. Cons: Disappointingly weak plotting, and a complete lack of suspense in a play that pitches horror as its central theme. Presented as part of the London Horror Festival, The Wolves of Erin tells a folk horror story in the vein of classic movies like Witchfinder General and The Wicker Man, two brilliant examples of the genre that naturally sets the bar very high. Curiously, the story begins in Northern ...