Laura WadeDirected by Lyndsey Turner★★★ Pros: Funny, angry and well performed. Audience unlikely to be populated by Tories… Cons: Don’t feel it is entirely sure what it is trying to say in places… Our Verdict: A fun production, especially for those seeking an outlet for their vitriol. Courtesy of Alastair Muir for the Daily Telegraph I walked past George Osborne at the National fairly recently. I’d just come out of The Comedy of Errors, I think, and there he was. ...

Conceived and devised by Forced EntertainmentDirected by Tim Etchells★★★ Pros: A good concept and a magnificent venue. Cons: The execution leaves something to be desired, and makes for a rather dull show. Our Verdict: Not the best we’ve seen, but an interesting idea worth developing into something more interesting. Courtesy of Hugo Glendinning Another guilty secret of ours is that, until last week, we had never visited the famous Battersea Arts Centre, described by Lyn Gardner as being ‘one of ...

William ShakespeareDirected by Dominic Dromgoole★★★★ Pros: Moving central performance heading a great cast in a well-paced and effective production. Cons: My poor legs! Always with the painful legs at the Globe… Our Verdict: Great production – rousing central performance, great supporting cast, far funnier than you’d expect. Courtesy of Alastair Muir for the Daily Telegraph When the sun is shining and the crowd is enthralled, I challenge anyone to deny that The Globe is one of the most glorious places ...

Original screenplay by Colin Welland, adapted by Mike BartlettDirected by Edward Hall★★★★ Pros: A solid cast and some moments that work amazingly well. Plus the awesome theme tune. Cons: Wore me out a little just watching that much running! Our Verdict: About the most patriotic piece of theatre you could hope to come out of Britain. Courtesy of Tristram Kenton for The Guardian I feel we should deal first with the criticisms that have been made of this production and ...

Stephen BeresfordDirected by Howard Davies★★★ Pros: A cast that makes you go ‘wow’, a stunning set, and some wonderful individual performances. Cons: Some conversations didn’t seem quite real, despite it being a naturalistic production. Our Verdict: This play will do very well with the cast it has but there’s something not quite there. Yet. Courtesy of the National Theatre The first play written by actor-turned-playwright Stephen Beresford, The Last of the Haussmans follows an ailing hippy (Julie Walters) and her ...

Although it shows real promise, it lets itself down. It's worth seeing because it is different, but be prepared to feel disappointed in places.

Sophocles, in a new version by Don TaylorDirected by Polly Findlay★★★★ Pros: great performances, short, snappy staging. Cons: Greek tragedies aren’t everyone’s cup of tea – they are by definition depressing! Our Verdict: an engaging and worthwhile rendition of a Greek classic. Courtesy of the Daily Telegraph Re-imagining ancient Greek tragedies is always a difficult task. It seems that, because these plays have been around for literally thousands of years, any conceivable adaptation has already been done. It can therefore ...

Produced by LAStheatre★★★★ Pros: Great science and a great cast make for an enjoyable evening. Cons: Drunken, unfunny hecklers…who needs them? Our Verdict: Definitely worth doing if you’re a science enthusiast or just love a night doing something out of the ordinary. Remember to listen to our blogcast interview with LAStheatre’s Barra Collins and Andy Franzkowiak. The Enlightenment Cafe from LAStheatre It was a fairly average day in the week for me yesterday. But then I went underground to The ...

Written and Directed by Amir Nizar ZuabiA ShiberHur, Young Vic production co-produced with the Bush Theatre and KVS Brussels, part of World Stages London★★★★ Pros: Original, engaging, thought-provoking. Cons: Bit weird and very uncomfortable in a couple of places. Our Verdict: A great venue if you’ve never been before. Go if you want to really be challenged by something. Courtesy of Spoonfed When I sat down in the auditorium and read ‘young lamb’ in the cast list I was a ...

Ilaaje Zid Dastiyaab HayTheatre Wallay, in association with KASHF foundation★★★ Pros: A big achievement for Pakistan’s theatre scene. Cons: Ran a bit long, especially the first half. Our Verdict: Despite it’s difficulties, a great contribution to a brilliant festival. Courtesy of Simon Annand for the Arts Desk One of the wonderful things about the Globe to Globe festival – and there are many – is that as each country brings its play to the stage, each audience reflects the culture ...