Sara West takes us on a whirlwind tour of lunchtime theatre and its origins

A heartwarming, foot-tapping restorative

Camp it up with feathers and sequins and watch a family gathering go spectacularly awry!

Perhaps slightly more old-fashioned than re-fashioned, this is nevertheless a charming and spirited production of an old favourite.

Part of the Deloitte Ignite Festival 2013 Written and performed by Simon Callow Directed by Simon Stokes ★★★★ Pros: Witty, well-pitched and refreshing taste of classical music.  Cons: It’s difficult to find any. Price of tickets is a little high given the ethos of the festival.  Our Verdict: An eloquently written, superbly performed and directed potted history of Richard Wagner. Courtesy of Royal Opera House  Straight up, I am no great listener of classical music. I have been to the ...

As the theatre world recuperates following the Offies, James Hodgson argues that ‘fringe’ and ‘Off West End’ theatre is actually at the very centre of the UK’s theatre scene.

Jonathan Bate Directed by Tom Cairns ★★★ Courtesy of the Ambassador Theatre Group There is always a risk in going to see one man shows as the entire production rests on one person delivering an outstanding performance if the audience are to be kept engaged. Being Shakespeare is also a reasonably long one man show, running for 80 minutes over two acts. Fortunately, Simon Callow, one of Britain’s best loved actors, delivers a very engaging performance which makes it more ...