Review: THE BATTLE, Birmingham Rep
by Laura Lott - February 18, 2026
Before Taylor Swift versus Charli XCX - but after The Beatles versus The Rolling Stones - came Blur versus Oasis. David Niven's debut comedy at Birmingham Rep takes us back to the summer of 1995, when temperatures and egos both soared and the nation was gripped by the chart battle between Oasis’ �...
Review: THE SINGING MERMAID, artsdepot
by Christiana Rose - February 16, 2026
Set beneath a vibrant circus tent filled with sparkling multicoloured lights and fluttering flags, the production opens with a jovial instrumental atmosphere that immediately invites children into the world of the show....
Review: THE BOY AT THE BACK OF THE CLASS, Rose Theatre
by Aliya Al-Hassan - February 12, 2026
Today we are wearily familiar with the terms 'Stop the Boats' and the narrative that all refugees are coming to Britain to take 'our' jobs, scam us for benefits and prey upon young girls. Nick Ahad's adaptation of Onjali Q. Raúf's beautiful book, The Boy at the Back of the Class, takes much of th...
Review: BLOOD BROTHERS, Theatre Royal Brighton
by Caroline Cronin - February 12, 2026
Three years ago, I sat in this same auditorium reviewing Blood Brothers for this publication, and I wondered then what gives this show its extraordinary staying power. Returning now to see the very same production - with the same creative team and even some returning cast members - the answer is cle...
Film Review: HAMNET, In Cinemas
by Gary Naylor - January 08, 2026
There are many times you catch yourself, as a parent, doing things you never thought you would do - worse, that you would scoff at if reported by others. I recall looking at one, probably both, of my sons in their crib and becoming aware that I couldn’t see or hear them breathing. You walk away (�...
Review: NT LIVE'S HAMLET, Starring Hiran Abeysekera
by Cheryl Markosky - January 12, 2026
NT Live's filmed screening of Hamlet, featuring Hiran Abeysekera (Olivier award-winner for Life of Pi) in the title role, will be released in UK cinemas on January 22 and soon after around the world....
Review: WOMAN IN MIND, Starring Sheridan Smith
by Aliya Al-Hassan - January 07, 2026
Alan Ayckbourn’s 1985 play Woman In Mind is a darkly comic look about mental disintegration and a mid-life ennui that would have rarely been spoken about forty years ago. In the first major West End revival since 2012, director Michael Longhurst presents a startling portrait of a woman who ret...