Critics' Pick: Katie Kirkpatrick's Best Theatre of 2023

2023 has been a big year for theatre. It’s easy to say that every year, but in the past twelve months we have seen a real shakeup of artistic directors, as well as a whole series of new smash hits, from revivals to new musicals to cutting-edge plays. With the pandemic era of closed buildings and Zoom plays fading into distant memory, theatre is well and truly back and thriving.

I spent much of my year travelling to venues across London to see shows big and small, as well as spending a month in Edinburgh consuming more theatre than is probably advisable each day. With all those hours spent catching trains, rifling through programmes, squeezing through aisles of seats and typing up reviews at all hours of the day and night, it only feels right to take a moment to appreciate some of the shows that really stuck with me this year. I'll be looking back on some of the genres and themes that stood out for me in 2023, as well as the venues that I most loved visiting.

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Queer theatre: Sound of the Underground, After the Act, 52 Monologues

Travis Alabanza and Debbie Hannan’s Sound of the Underground started my year of theatre with a bang. Transforming the Royal Court’s prestigious mainstage into a space of queer joy and rage, and at times almost into a gay club, this production was difficult to forget. Combining dialogue, verbatim, drag, cabaret, and more, Sound of the Underground dove deep into London’s underground queer scene, from the mouths of its performers themselves. Not only was it a show with something to say, it was a fantastic night out at the theatre. 

But it wasn’t the only show built around real-life testimonies. Breach Theatre presented After the Act at New Diorama, a verbatim musical about Section 28 which then went on to run at the Traverse in Edinburgh. A musical like no other, the show was a poignant look at the modern history that is often left out of school history lessons, from an honest and personal perspective.

Meanwhile, young theatre company piss/CARNATION presented 52 Monologues for Young Transsexuals at the Fringe, a verbatim cabaret spectacular about the present day lives of trans women. Although hard to watch, it was a powerful piece of theatre - and one not to miss when it transfers to Soho Theatre next year! 

Straight plays: Bitter Lemons, The Swell

While there was a lot of fantastic genre-bending, boundary-pushing work this year, there were also plenty of more conventional new plays that brought a new edge to contemporary playwriting. One such play was Lucy Hayes' Bitter Lemons, a two-hander that ran at both Bristol Old Vic and the Edinburgh Fringe. With only two women and a black box space, the show told a hard-hitting story of misogyny, sexuality, and pregnancy, in a production worthy of a much larger stage.

Similarly, Isley Lynn’s The Swell at the Orange Tree, took what seemed like a conventional structure and turned it into something smart and poignant - a deceptively simple play introducing a very talented writer. It’s true that there are plenty of boring plays out there, but there are also plenty of emerging female playwrights beginning to make their mark, and I can't wait to see what new writing makes its way to the stage next year.

Fringe transfers: Age is a Feeling, Sap

With 2022 marking the grand return of a full-scale Edinburgh Fringe, it’s no surprise that several festival shows continued to make their mark long after August faded into a blur of sunburn and cider pints.

Particularly stunning was Haley McGee’s Age is a Feeling, which had a very deserved transfer to Soho Theatre’s main house. Walking you through life’s ups and downs in a story that’s different every night, it was a production that leaves you rethinking the way you see the world. Also at Soho, Rafaella Marcus’ Fringe hit Sap returned for another successful run. Combining mythology with a contemporary account of bisexuality, it’s no surprise the show did so well  - it’s a simple but gripping play that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Other Edinburgh transfers that had hit runs at Soho Theatre this year included Body Show, Colossal, and Strategic Love Play - Soho continues to be the ultimate home for the best of the Fringe, with tens of its shows originating at the festival. It’s a really great part of the theatre ecosystem, offering emerging theatre makers access to a London audience and professional network, often a stepping stone to bigger things. 

Multimedia: The Last Show Before We Die, Ghosts of the Near Future

But not every Fringe transfer headed to Soho - the hidden gem of the Barbican’s Pit Theatre hosted a London transfer of Ghosts of the Near Future, a multimedia journey through post-nuclear America from performance duo emma + pj. Having been part of Summerhall’s Fringe programme back in 2022, the production felt very at home in this underground venue, and was a dynamic, creative show speaking to experiences of the pandemic but also future anxieties.

In a similar vein, duo the Hotter Project brought their production of The Last Show Before We Die to Summerhall’s Roundabout venue at this year’s festival. Using lip-syncing, movement, and a whole lot of props, the show was a beautiful, humorous take on endings, from friendship break-ups to death to finishing a tube of toothpaste. It was my most-watched show of 2023, and certainly not one to miss when it runs at The Yard in London next month - bring your tissues!

Gig theatre: Sugar Coat, Bloody Elle

2023 has been the year to get me really excited about gig theatre. Particularly inspiring was Sugar Coat, a riot grrrl gig meets coming-of-age play that ran at Southwark Playhouse. This was the perfect example of a story being told in exactly the right form, with the final product being something both unexpected and a whole heap of fun.

While Sugar Coat featured a female punk band of five, Lauryn Redding’s Bloody Elle used guitars and loop pedals to create a gig theatre show performed by only one person. The production has been on quite a journey, from multiple Fringe runs to a short stint on the West End, which is only a testament to its widespread popularity. What both of these shows have in common is that they tell stories of female adolescence and sexuality that aren’t frequently written about, and do so with an honest but comedic eye - and some funky guitar riffs. Gig theatre is a form with so much storytelling power, and the potential to reach those who wouldn't normally go to the theatre - I hope to see much more of it in 2024.

Immersive/site-specific: Dark Noon, Oscar at the Crown

When you think of the Edinburgh Fringe, you tend to think of little black box venues inside of town halls and university buildings, or perhaps performances in a church or pub basement. You might not think, however, of a huge conference space, or of a circus tent meets nightclub. In Dark Noon, Danish/South African company fix+foxy took a vast conference room with thousands of seats and transformed it into an immersive, multi-media journey through the American West. With live camera work, audience participation, and a set that’s literally built during the show, Dark Noon was a spectacle like no other, really pushing the boundaries of what theatre can be and do.

In a very different vein, Oscar at the Crown transformed one of Assembly’s circus tents in the centre of Edinburgh into a post-apocalyptic queer nightclub. What this show lacked in plot, it made up for in atmosphere and seriously impressive vocals, making it definitely one of the city’s most electric nights out of the festival season. 

Theatres of Year

Most of the theatre I saw outside of the Edinburgh Fringe this year took place in London. While there are fantastic shows to be seen all across the capital, some venues really stood out in their programming this year.

There’s a reason why the Royal Court is so well-respected, and why it’s known as the writers’ theatre: in Vicky Featherstone’s last year as AD, both of its stage spaces welcomed an exciting range of new writing, from both well-known playwrights and vibrant new voices. With a similar blend of high profile stars and emerging successes, the Bush maintained its place at the forefront of representation both on and offstage, with much-loved productions like Sleepova and Dreaming and Drowning showcasing Black and queer stories. 

When it comes to musical theatre, Southwark Playhouse really cemented their place as the leading venue for new work, with their two buildings presenting plenty of brand new musicals, as well as fan favourites from the fringes and from the US. As well as Sugar Coat, I especially loved Police Cops, an unlikely hysterical hit. 

Alongside their programming of starry casts, edgy classics, and sharp new work, the Almeida deserve some love for their commitment to youth events - although always oversubscribed, the likes of their Almeida for Free days offer one of the only regular opportunities for young people to access workshops and training with exciting figures from the industry, and to network with one another. 

One venue that made a lot of theatre headlines this year was New Diorama: with Bec Martin set to take over as AD in the new year, David Byrne’s last year running the venue saw a major shake-up. Through the second half of last year, the theatre went on hiatus for ‘Intervention 101’, a movement towards reevaluating British theatre. Their first shows post-hiatus included Section 28 musical After the Act, and War and Culture, a show responding to government arts FOI requests, with no press allowed. They’ve remained at the frontier of bold new work, and I look forward to seeing what Martin brings to the venue in the new year. 

It will come as no surprise, however, that my theatre of the year 2023 has to be Soho Theatre. With around four to six shows on every night, the venue remains the beating heart of the central London theatre scene, its bar always a-buzz with chatter from and about the who’s who of the stage and screen. The venue has shown a real and continued commitment to new writing, young artists, and bold Fringe work, among a programme that also showcases the best of comedy and cabaret. Their successful Lab schemes and writing awards also mean Soho plays a vital role in the ecosystem of getting new work to the stage - I always look forward to a Soho trip, and not just for the free wine.

With major venues like The National Theatre, Royal Court, and New Diorama, among others, changing hands in 2024, it’s set to be another exciting year for British Theatre. I’m excited to see what all this change brings, and also excited to see the industry beginning to pay attention to problems like the lack of female directors. 2024 - it’s almost time for the curtain to rise. 

Main Image Credit: Ali Wright

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