Written and directed by Sebastian Rex★★★ Pros: Interesting concept, with a great performance by the eponymous Phil. Cons: Some of the characters can come across as overly simplistic. Our Verdict: A good night out, if you have the energy to travel to the venue! Courtesy of The Space Even after a quite a few years in the London theatre scene, I must say that I wasn’t aware of The Space, which is a great shame. The charming venue, admittedly, is ...

Louise MonaghanDirected by Louise Hill★★★ Pros: An absolutely amazing all-female cast and a passionate, intense, and unique story. Cons: A bit of a jumpy script – coherency sometimes took a backseat to valuable but heavy-handed morals. Our Verdict: A polished and fiercely performed show that was powerful but in the end maybe a bit too overpowering. Courtesy of the Finborough Theatre I didn’t go into the Finborough’s new play about race and politics expecting the setting to be a bridge ...

Written and performed by Tom LyallDirected by Wendy Hubbard ★★★★★ Pros: A tremendous one man science fiction epic the likes of which you will have never seen on stage. Brilliantly performed by Tom Lyall. Cons: The auditorium at the CPT is a veritable ice-box. I had to leave my gloves on for the whole show. Luckily, I was swept up in the play pretty quickly and forgot all about it. Our Verdict: This is a triumph both in scriptwriting and ...

William ShakespeareDirected by Ricky Dukes★★★ Pros: A nice, wintery feel to a traditional summer tale (who doesn’t love a good snow machine?). Smooth and creative scene changes, a terrific performance from Bottom and quite a few very funny moments (though mostly thanks to Bottom). Cons: Some of the performances require toning down and sadly the show never quite comes together fully. Our Verdict: A promising production which still requires a lot of improvements to make it work really well. The ...

Written by Robert Crighton★★★ Pros: A thought-provoking series of three plays which are interesting in terms of content and also written in an intense and engaging manner. Enthusiastic performances which really connect with the audience. Cons: The subject matter, terrorism, is considerably weighty, yet the drama feels insubstantial, clichéd and a little flippant at times. There are several moments throughout when I feel the dialogue runs uncomfortably close to the bone. Our Verdict: The interesting concepts, solid performances and engaging ...

Written and performed by Robert Crighton★★★ Pros: A well-crafted monologue delivered with energy, pace and humour. Crighton engages the audience from the outset and the discussion preceding the story builds anticipation and expectation. Cons: The poltergeist in the story is a hamster, which feels naive: there is nothing spooky or disturbing about the story which was a little disappointing after the build-up. Our Verdict: This is a very good yarn and is a perfect conversation starter if you are planning ...

Kaye ConwayDirected by Jennifer Tang★★ Pros: Some very dynamic performances and a handful of genuinely funny moments. Cons: The humour and drama of the piece failed to sync well together, so it felt segmented and was rather slow at points. Our Verdict: Blow Out! features some genuinely talented and enjoyable performers, but it is not a very cohesive or consistently entertaining production. Courtesy of FizzBang! Productions When the first thing that happens to you upon entering a theatre is an ...

Created and performed by Mojisola Adebayo and Mamela Nyamza★★★★★ Pros: An unforgettable love story beautifully told through music, dance, storytelling and stand-up. Cons: There are no cons. This is a must-see. Our Verdict: A brave and beautiful theatrical triumph starring two phenomenally talented young women. This is theatre as it should be. Courtesy of the Ovalhouse Gay rights remain a very serious and contentious issue throughout most of Africa today. It is estimated that approximately thirty-eight African countries continue to ...

Sarah PitardDirected by Cat Robey★★★★ Pros: A dedicated adaptation of Wilde’s fairy tales for children. A perfectly sized production for the space in question. Cons: A slightly (only slightly) dragged out second half. Also, some interactions seemed a tiny bit deliberate and unrealistic. Our Verdict: A well thought-out and penetrating adaptation of two of Wilde’s best loved shorts. A nice venue as well, with a relaxed crowd and very professional front-of-house staff. A real rose among the thorns in terms ...

Neil BartlettDirected by Caroline Devlin★★★ Pros: An interesting script from a great playwright with two very charming lead performances. Cons: Some hard-core Wilde fans may have a few issues with the casting. Our Verdict: Although this is a clever, insightful script delivered beautifully by two talented actors, I didn’t feel like I was looking at Oscar Wilde. The play is still very enjoyable, however, and well worth the ticket price. Courtesy of Kean Productions On 24th March 1895, a week ...