As the company tours their double bill of Mozart works across the UK, Pop-Up Opera founder Clementine Lovell shares the company's approach to making opera accessible.

Pros: The beautifully written script and the performances of Sinead Cusack and Michael Cardone, closely followed by the remainder of the cast. Cons: Very, very occasionally, there was a slight tendency towards Porridge like characterisation. Calling herself a ‘Victorian do-gooder’, Lady Anne Tree conducted a long campaign to be allowed to teach prisoners skills through which they could have paid work whilst in prison and improved prospects upon their release.  Her proposal was approved as late as 1992, and the ...

A pleasant but not particularly memorable trip down musical theatre lane.

A heartfelt portrait of young love, heartache, regrets and hope.

Pros: A pleasant, well-appointed venue and the opportunity to see an infrequently performed Shakespeare play. Cons: The scenic backdrop relied on styling from the 1950s and 1960s, and didn’t sit particularly well with the tone of the play. This particular visit to the theatre represented two firsts for me. It was my first visit to the Bridewell Theatre in the City of London. Although signposting announced the theatre’s location in Ludgate Circus, it was a struggle to find it as I weaved through a ...

Pros: As a piece of theatre, this will entertain many. Cons: As a piece about anxiety, it seems at times almost to send up the subject matter. Cards on the table: I suffer from anxiety. It controls my whole life in ways most people will never realise, and what people see as unsociable is in fact me avoiding anything that could heighten my anxiety. Even reviewing can trigger it. I might seem confident and relaxed, but what people don’t see ...

Pros: Good to see a foreign language production in the West End Cons: A failure of common sense in the use of surtitles Molière’s Tartuffe on the West End stage. A story of bad faith and credulity for the age of MAGA and taking back control, in a version that’s simultaneously accessible to English and French speakers. An admirable project, and one that might have made perfect sense on paper. The same is not true on stage. Christopher Hampton’s adaptation ...

Cathartic show in which professional performers work with a group of people who have suffered a stroke.

A daring, innovative new play offering a frightening glimpse into the potential of robots.

Pros: Thought-provoking storytelling from an excellent cast. Cons: The phlegmatic British attitude in the telling of the story left me a bit cold, but then I think that was the point. Fans of Mike Bartlett’s previous work (Dr Foster, King Charles III, Earthquakes in London) might be drawn to the Arcola Theatre in the hope of enjoying more of his writing, and they won’t be disappointed. Originally performed as a BBC radio play Not Talking now takes its stage premiere, and the text ...