Adam Kelly MortonDirected by Matthew Gould★★★★ Pros: Strong acting and a captivating storyline. Cons: The staging was perhaps a little too bleak. Our Verdict: An accomplished and intelligent piece of writing performed with flair and intense emotion. Courtesy of Giant Olive Speeches are the old-fashioned status updates: most people tolerate them, others even encourage them, but more often than not they end up self-indulgent and utterly tedious. And like status updates, they should always be short and sweet. Which is ...

This production of Othello was previously reviewed by everything theatre during it’s short run at the White Bear Theatre. This second review was written independently of the first by a different member of our reviewing team. William Shakespeare Directed by Emily Morrison ★★★★ Pros: Using a small theatre space well, this production shows the depth of all the characters and adds more than a little extra to any other performance I have ever seen of Othello. Cons: One or two ...

Leo Butler Directed by Zoe Thomas-Webb ★★ Pros: Strong, intense performances from a small cast; a minimal but thoughtful set design. Cons: An incredibly confusing script made the show nearly impossible to follow. Our Verdict: Despite a true effort, the show failed to hold my interest throughout a confusing and disjointed story line. Courtesy of KDC Theatre The Early Bird, from amateur company KDC Theatre, recently experienced a short run at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre. Always a delightful venue, ...

Barrie Keefe Directed by Paul Tomlinson ★★★★ Pros: This is a politically relevant play that forces you to sit up and listen. The intensity and quality of the performances blur fiction and reality. Cons: This piece is incredibly stressful to watch and requires a good deal of emotional commitment from its audience. Our Verdict: An important piece of theatre performed by committed actors. This piece affirms the reflective and provocative nature of theatre and the important impact this has on ...

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 the heightened action of the story and an occasionally overcrowded stage distracted from an otherwise polished production.Our Verdict: This is an entertaining production, successfully showcasing a talented young cast and proving, once again, the relevance and accessibility of classics in ...

Matt ReedDirected by Graham Hubbard ★★★★ Pros: This show is funny, smart and accessible. The obvious rude humour one might expect from a play about impotence remains mostly absent, thankfully. Cons: A couple of characters (a failed beautician and her boyfriend) were overly stereotypical and the second half felt a lot slower than the first. Our Verdict: This is a clever, well-written, well-structured play. It entertains while exploring the issue of impotence in today’s society. Courtesy of Giant Olive Theatre ...

William Shakespeare Presented by the Grassroots Shakespeare Company London ★★★★ Pros: Tremendously funny, great use of language and an engaging, vibrant cast. Cons: Despite cuts, it’s still a bit long. Our Verdict: An incredibly approachable, tasteful, and uproarious Shakespeare production. Courtesy of Grassroots Shakespeare My main complaint about productions of Shakespeare’s plays is always that they either tend to be tired, unoriginal and stale, or that they try too hard to be original and lose all the sense and beauty ...

William Shakespeare Presented by the Grassroots Shakespeare Company London★★★★ Pros: A wonderfully modern, high energy production filled with great jokes, lovely acting and lots of amusing pop culture references. Cons: If you’re a serious Shakespearean scholar you might find this production a bit silly and it felt a teensy bit too long overall. Our Verdict: A fun and unpretentious production from a great theatre company. This show is perfect for anyone seeking a fun night out and it is also ...

Ronan NooneDirected by Hugh Ross★★★ Pros: An interesting insight into a world that is written, created and manipulated by the media from the perspective of one overly self-aware journalist. Cons: While this one man performance is impressive, there could have been better differentiation between the female characters. The slight predictability of the plot made the end points of acts less impactful than they should have been. Our Verdict: A compelling story of relevance well-told. However, the one man characterisation of ...

Jonathan SaltDirected by Sam Conway★★★★ Pros: A look at World War Two from a slightly different angle that doesn’t remove any of the awful-ness of period whilst allowing a man’s love and honour to shine through. Cons: Focus is a little broad which left me wanting to know more about the man; technical design not quite level with the artistic performance. Overall: Poignant monologue told through a well-scripted play that attempts to combine the horror of the time with the ...