UK / WEST END THEATER REVIEWS

Andrew Lloyd Webber continues to indulge theatre lovers in lockdown with his generous weekly stream of one his works on the dedicated The Shows Must Go On YouTube channel to raise money for charity. This week's offering is the 25th-anniversary performance of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Alb...

Polly Findlay's brilliant gender-bending production of Treasure Island for the National Theatre was a hit back in 2014 and now comes to a screen near you as part of their National Theatre At Home series....

After a hugely successful debut in 2018 at London's Old Vic Theatre and a subsequent UK tour, Emma Rice's highly theatrical adaptation of Angela Carter's Wise Children is a welcome and absurdist addition to the BBC's Culture in Quarantine series, filmed at York Theatre Royal in 2019....

Perhaps one of Kander & Ebb's lesser-known works, musical comedy Curtains opened to mixed reviews on Broadway back in 2007, where it starred David Hyde Pierce as Lieutenant Cioffi. The first UK tour has been touring the country since last year before running in the West End and we have been lucky en...

A surfeit of exposition and shouty scenes detract from an important story that resonates to this day....

Since taking the lead as Birmingham Royal Ballet's Director just three months ago, Carlos Acosta certainly hasn't had the easiest time of it. His ambitious first season of programming - featuring Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, their popular Nutcracker and a exciting Curated by Carlos bill featuring...

Premiering at Chichester Festival Theatre in September 2018 (although first produced in Sheffield in 2016), Daniel Evans' production of Flowers for Mrs Harris takes us on a heart-warming journey of self-discovery. Based on Paul Gallico's 1958 novel of the same name, Rachel Wagstaff's book is overflo...

Already in its third week, the Royal Opera House's streaming initiative #OurHouseToYourHouse, turned to Jonathan Miller's modern version of Mozart's Così fan tutte. The comedic plot surrounds two pairs of young lovers: Ferrando and Dorabella and Guglielmo and Fiordiligi whose affections are put ...

After the riotous One Man Two Guvnors from the National Theatre At Home series, comes Sally Cookson's fervent adaptation of Jane Eyre. This intensely theatrical production is full of atmosphere and gothic chill. In these difficult times, it is three hours of escapism to a windy Yorkshire moor....

At its height in the late 90s, Who Wants to be a Millionaire was must-see television. Hosted by Chris Tarrant, the show premiered in 1998 and was an overnight ratings sensation. After an unwavering run of success, controversy reared its head in 2001. Major Charles Ingram bagged the big prize, only ...

Following the popularity of last week's stream of Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual, Curve have whipped out another archive recording; this time, their 2016 production of The Importance of Being Earnest, co-produced with Birmingham Repertory Theatre....

a?oeI'm not the one that's on trial here.a?? Artemisia Gentileschi has brought fellow artist Agostino Tassi to court, accusing him of raping her a?" but, naturally, it's her decisions and actions that are being called into question, seemingly seeking to justify his actions if not disprove them entir...

Wouldn't it be ironic that the time that the whole of the UK (and indeed the world) really fell in love with theatre was when no-one could actually go there? Millions of people who already love the performing arts are desperately missing their fixes. But now this virus is the great equaliser; every...

At a time when the show must go onLINE and the hunger for live theatre is ever increasing, Curve has followed suit (along with other arts organisations) and dipped into their archives to stream the world premiere recording of 2018 production, Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual, for one week only....

Hampstead Theatre has delved into its digital archive. In partnership with The Guardian the theatre will stream a series of past productions completely free of charge. First up is Mike Bartlett's Wild, which premiered back in 2016. The play is available for just one week and will be followed by Beth...

The Barn Theatre stream their Henry V right into your living room - why not watch it with your stay at home band of brothers?...

In our current enforced state of isolation thanks to the nationwide lockdown, creatives across the country have been engaged in a tornado of generosity sharing their existing work on line and producing theatre at home. One such giver is London's Hampstead Theatre who have released their 2018 product...

#Zoological Society is a concept album set in a zoo and the story is told from the perspective of the animals. With music and lyrics by Vikki Stone, book by Vikki Stone and Katie Mulgrew and the orchestrations by Vikki Stone and Simon Nathan with the London Musical Theatre Orchestra....

The Vaults is very vocal about its mission statement of embracing artists from all walks of life to come together and inspire others.  Glitch truly belongs in the festival line up with its unique and heartfelt depiction of autism....

What happens after the honeymoon? Do opposites really attract? Neil Simon's hit play, Barefoot in the Park, has been revived and is currently running at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, in collaboration with the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh....

A seven-hour piece of marathon theatre may not be everyone's cup of tea. But the demanding length of The Seven Streams of the River Ota brings with it such a dazzling array of perks that it's nearly impossible to resist the challenge of sitting through it. First performed in 1996, Robert Lepage's ep...

On 15 November, 2016, Russian teenagers Katya Vlasova and Denis Muravyov ran away from home and barricaded themselves inside a cabin with whisky, guns and ammunition. After firing on family and at police the two 15-year-olds found themselves in a stand-off with Special Forces, which only ended when ...

William Shakespeare's swansong lands on Jermyn Street Theatre's tiny stage in fetching fashion. Traditionally a grand spectacle, Tom Littler transforms The Tempest into boutique theatre at its finest. Shakespearean veteran Michael Pennington leads as Prospero, and the result is a myth-imbued and aes...

The Cavern at the Vaults could not be a more appropriate setting for a play about underground crime. Francine and Marla are in search of a new apprentice at their hazardous waste removal firm. Eager for the work, Belinda quickly discovers the job is not quite what it seems and it isn't long before s...

The Vault Festival provides a perfect platform for artists to tackle subjects that are seldom explored on stage. Writer Karen Bartholomew is herself adopted and reunited with her birth family at a young age. This is not her story; however it's obviously an issue very close to her heart and her backg...