UK / WEST END THEATER REVIEWS

John Hill's play touches on a range of interesting themes, but its narrative meanders and its tension falls away...

“The dead are alive.” Even the film’s title is redolent of a haunting presence - although hardened Bond fans will know the true significance of this word....

This is a theatrical experience unlike any other, crafted with accessibility at the helm. The framework of each unique production is built around empowering disabled people’s autonomy; Rachel has every freedom available to her as both cast and audience await her next creative decision....

It’s remarkable how permeating Thomas Newman’s score is. It becomes evident in such a context, where the music is given the place of honour as it soaringly comes alive....

What did our critic think of PICKLE at Park Theatre?...

As the rain pours and the Chancellor’s statement rings in our ears, escapism is what we all need and James Bond always fits the bill. To continue the celebrations of 60 years of James Bond at the Royal Albert Hall, the venue is showing some of the most recent films in concert and last night Casino...

During lockdown, Hear Myself Think's mini audio-theatre podcasts exploring mental health offered solace to listeners in more than 25 countries. Coming from diverse perspectives, they're aimed at communities less likely to get support for mental health issues....

While ostensibly in the same bailiwick as Constellations and Lungs, Anything With A Pulse is far more of a white-knuckle ride into the heart of a modern source of darkness....

Brimming with ideas, Richard Harris's play never forgets that its first obligation is to entertain...

When it comes to London Christmas stage institutions, there’s an argument for saying that La Clique now deserves a place alongside Handel’s Messiah, A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker and Mother Goose. ...

It all sounds quite dramatic on paper, but the piece becomes a relentless plod-along. It’s plotless and paceless. The characters are irredeemably broken and unchanged by their time on stage. Monica is an alcoholic, Jess is having an existential crisis, Jeff is a church-going gambler, and Matt’s ...

Terry Johnson’s new play,The Sex Party, has many ingredients for success; an intriguing idea, an excellent cast and a beautiful set, but is let down with a sledgehammer script and meandering message that goes nowhere. There’s a lot happening at once, but the entire play is as shallow as a puddle...

There is a growing trend of operas drawing inspiration from and working alongside the contemporary theatre world. Whether it is collaborations or borrowing ideas, in these tempestuous times for the performing arts our artistic ecosystem inevitably grows richer as a result....

One of Shakespeare's most political plays is on the nose for our times, but this production doesn't quite have the courage of its aesthetic convictions...

A tender study into the blurred boundaries between desire and addiction...

Time for the annual treat that is an ENB mixed bill at Sadler’s Wells, on this occasion featuring a couple of lockdown greatest hits, and a bold new production of The Rite of Spring. ...

Devastating production showcases outstanding writing, directing and acting to create a production that will live long in the memory...

Javaad Alipoor’s new show is hard to categorise. Part lecture, part poetry-slam, part abstract Wikipedia game and part lesson on colonialism. It acts as a provocative and creative way to pass on a message about the realities of our modern knowledge under the auspices of investigating a cold-case m...

This is the second outing for the Death Drop team following on from the popularity of the first Death Drop play which toured in 2020. This time for Death Drop: Back in the Habit, directed by Jesse Jones, we meet new characters as the comedy horror mystery tale takes place in the convent of Saint Bab...

Relationships are forged and fractured in the emotional fires of lockdown...

SPIKE is based on letters between Milligan and his BBC executives. Ian Hislop and his long-time writing partner Nick Newman have created an affectionate and beautifully staged portrait of the often-troubled mind of this comedy genius....

It should all feel very epic, but it’s mild at best. While the piece puts into perspective how irrelevant any matter of the heart is in the face of war, the attempt to present the love stories so upfront mostly just dilutes the critique of the American military system. An unmemorable score that am...

Ivan Putrov’s annual celebration of the male dancer returns to the Coliseum with a diverse programme of work, old and new. “Ballet conjures up an image of tutus and pointe shoes,” he says, keen to showcase what else the art form can offer since 2012....

A play from an award-winning Spanish playwright that captures our life and times in the UK with a domestic dilemma that raises big questions for the next generation...

A play about the legendary football match between the British and German troops on Christmas Day 1914, co-inciding with Rememberance Day, should feel both moving and timely. Unfortunately, it is just frustrating....