three examples of superb storytelling that for those who like to hear a good yarn being told will find plenty to enjoy

A man and his guns are wandering the Wild West. His name, Roscoe ‘Blackjack’ Porter. And he’s bleeding. He owes his life to his loyal weapons, Bess and Bella, and his inseparable deck of cards. Those, together with a good bottle of whiskey, are all the family he has left. He’s got a long walk ahead, so he takes the opportunity to recall the events that led him to this state with flashbacks of his last few days. It all ...

A young woman is entrusted by her dying mother with a wooden box containing all the stories and words she knows. But not prepared to listen to them again, the bereaved daughter hides the box under her bed, wanting to forget about it. As the years go past, she grows lonely and misunderstood, gradually giving in to the Shadow Man – a sly creature who lingers around her and whispers demeaning messages into her ear. An impending sense of unworthiness ...

A play that has the depth and beauty demanded

A well-written and well choreographed piece

The world isn’t short of new Sherlock Holmes stories. Several hundred have been written since Conan Doyle hung up his pen, and in the main they stick closely to the character of the original stories. So why is it that, when bringing Holmes to the stage, dramatists feel the need to give the famously asexual detective a love life? It started with the ill-fated Sherlock Holmes – The Musical, featuring a woefully miscast Ron Moody in platform heels (he was ...

Was it ever thus? Horny humans playing every trick in the book to win some love, or at least satisfy their lust? Well, yes, probably, but the eternal quest makes for brilliant entertainment in this smart and exuberant four-hander from writer Ryan Craig and director Anthony Banks. Proceedings start with a bang as the brilliantly energetic opening scenes provide key background information on the characters, punctuated by infectious music and movement, all played out against Simon Scullion’s beautifully colourful abstract ...

With theatre access and diversity issues continually in the headlines lately, it’s worth remembering Chickenshed has been blazing a trail for inclusiveness for over forty years now. As well as championing the under-represented on stage, they have clearly learned a thing or two about creating crowd pleasing work over that time too.  Mr Stink, first seen last year and now returning as a slightly slimmed down touring production, is an uncomplicated affair perhaps, but, by gosh, it is a gloriously ...

ImmerCity’s lastest immersive murder mystery takes place in and around St Matthews Church in Bethnal Green. It’s 1955, and memories of the war still resonate. You’re present at the wedding of Jim Slice, son of East End gangster Micky, to Maud Sweetly, the daughter of feisty widow Cheryl. But Maud has failed to show up; and neither her twin sister, nor her cousin Bernie, can explain why. It’s left to the priest, Reverend Gris, to keep the two warring families ...

Have you ever wondered how long a £5 note survives in circulation? Experts suggest the polymer note introduced in 2016 can last up to five years. But who might take ownership of the said note during its lifetime. What impact did it have before it was passed onto the next recipient? All these questions are imagined and explored in Fiver, currently running at the Southwark Playhouse. Most fringe theatres have a studio space secreted in its bowels. The playhouse is ...