Because film is such a powerful medium it naturally becomes a reference point for any stage adaptation. The Talented Mr Ripley is a perfect example, coming twenty years after the big screen version starring Matt Damon and Jude Law. Here the four principal characters, within a self-contained plot, seem to suit the stage well. The understated grandeur of Wilton’s Music Hall also provides a natural atmosphere in which to crank up the tension. Tom Ripley (Christopher Hughes) is a small ...

After several years of clashing diaries and missed opportunities, I finally made it to the legendary Wilton’s Music Hall in Whitechapel. John Wilton’s magnificent music hall was opened in 1859, and has survived the obligatory fire and demolition notice on several occasions since then. It eventually acquired Grade II status and reopened as a theatrical venue in 1997. We are deep in Jack the Ripper territory and a huge Victorian brass lamp announces the venue in Graces Alley. The interior ...

Two spot on performances of two interesting women, but overall result feels dated.

This bold, nuanced and highly engaging one-man show from the multi-talented Paterson Joseph uncovers a black British trailblazer who should be remembered in mainstream history.

Mellifluous, masterly magic presented for your edification by waggish, whiskered, wizards. Suitable for oldlings and younglings alike.

A delight of an evening; entertaining monologues interspersed with powerfully performed songs.

Well performed and beautifully designed, but it was style over substance with no new insights into this familiar play.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest theatrical venture, the transforming of the St James Theatre in Victoria into The Other Palace, this year opened its doors with the gin-soaked jazz age musical The Wild Party. It featured a cast of 15, cavorting around an exuberant three-storey set that also housed the eight-piece orchestra. It was, by any standards, a spectacular production. Yet for all the spectacle, glamour and glitter, it was one of the dullest shows of the year. With tunes that you forget even while you’re ...

A wonderful Christmas adventure, packed with mysterious twists and turns.

A magnificent depiction of crossdressing for survival in war-torn Germany, brought to life in a scintillating performance.