UK / WEST END THEATER REVIEWS

After a sold-out run at Oxford University, composer Maria Shepard took her musical based on Lev Tolstoy's Anna Karenina for a one-night engagement at The Actors' Church in London as part of Iris Theatre's Workin Process. Considered one of the greatest literary accomplishment of all time, it's certai...

An Honourable Man is bold in its ambition and gets a lot of details right, but its excellent first half gives way to a theatrically disappointing conclusion....

This action packed adaptation brings Lermontov's 1840 novel into the 21st century with wit and no little elan....

After The Murder Express and Journey To The Underworld, Funicular invite their audience to Pedley Street Station to embark on a silly Christmas journey whilst savouring a sublime feast. When the mysterious Ed Snow hops on a train directed to the Birmingham Christmas market, greater forces take over ...

The centenary of the end of the First World War had been marked widely in dance, now the Royal Ballet present their tribute within this latest triple bill, headlined by Alastair Marriot's new work The Unknown Soldier....

Rebecca Frecknall's production of Summer and Smoke lands in the West End after a starry run at Almeida Theatre earlier this year. In its new incarnation, one of Tennessee Williams' undervalued pieces is turned into an aesthetic dream to inspire a broader reflection on how the 1948 play resonates 70 ...

Directed by Lucy Bailey, the play is set in a remote house in 90s Switzerland where the elderly and mean Patricia Highsmith - eccentric writer of many psychological thrillers and creator of the famous murderous character Tom Ripley - receives a visit from a young man. Sent by her American publisher,...

Peter Groom brings a legendary figure of 20th century culture to life in this affectionate and beautifully observed show....

As one of the most famous coming-of-age films, the story of Dirty Dancing is loved by many. The 2004 stage show now comes to the New Wimbledon Theatre in an energetic but occasionally awkward revival. ...

With detailed explanatory notes for every piece of its 75-strong compilation, this must-have guide is sure to bolster the confidence of those lining up to take part in the most important minutes of their lives....

The National Theatre end their series of rehearsed readings with Elizabeth Robins' Votes for Women. Written in 1907, the play dramatises the birth of the suffragette movement and, presented in 2018, shines a light on how slow the progress of equality has been....

Iona wants to be happy. After years of ridicule and childhood trauma she desperately seeks refuge in a more vibrant place than where she's at right now. She wants out. Her destination of choice: London - a place that's apparently the home to her estranged father. She's convinced that he'll put her u...

The National Theatre marks the 100th anniversary of women earning the right to vote in the UK with Courage Everywhere, a series of rehearsed readings and events celebrating the milestone. The talented list features Bryna Turner's Bull in a China Shop....

You wait so long for a Macbeth then like the buses, four major productions come along at once. The Barbican is staging the Royal Shakespeare Company's offering while the roundly panned National Theatre's effort is out on tour and the National Youth Theatre's version is playing in the West End....

A traditional production of Verdi's classic opera is beautiful and terrifying in equal measures....

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… Star Wars celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, and the first instalment in the multi-trilogy film series has now made its way to the Royal Albert Hall as part of its ongoing 'film in concert' series. It also follows hot on the heels of a concert in ...

Made in China present their solo show about anxiety. In it Jessica Latowicki performs a monologue that quickly descends into chaos. The text, which has been dramaturged by Tim Cowbury, is a mixture of fun, comedy and intense emotion. It's solid, if a little too long, but does well to get across the ...

In a deserted part of the American south-west, Alex (Joe McGann) is being tended to by his loving fourth wife Lia (Clara Indrani). Once a successful artist, he was rendered speechless and motionless by a stroke. His only son Sean (Jack Wilkinson) and his second spouse Toinette (Josie Lawrence) arriv...

Gregg and Claire live sheltered, boring, suburban lives. She has a high-end job she hates; he is a teacher. They follow the rules and are everything one could expect from an established couple. Except one day they discover they share an overwhelming desire to kill animals....

The screened version of this year's Palladium run brings a completely new perspective to the show, not only delivering a true reflection of the live experience but enhancing it beyond any reasonable expectations....

We are all familiar with the tale of the six wives of Henry VIII. Or at least, their endings - divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived. But what about the women behind the rhyme?...

If you're looking for a funny play concerning a heist, this is the show for you. Mischief Theatre's third production The Comedy About A Bank Robbery opened at the Criterion Theatre on London's West End in March 2016. A 2018-2019 touring production opened in Birmingham in August 2018. It is currently...

'Some would say change is inevitable' and nowhere more so than Clybourne Park, a street in Chicago in the 1950s where the first black family are about to move in....

The latest incarnation of Anais Mitchell's musical sees it cross the river to the other side, playing to UK audiences before heading to Broadway. The result: an otherworldly experience with sublime staging....

Jamie Lloyd's 10-anniversary season of Pinter (which kicked off in style earlier this autumn) continues with two more batches of miniatures - from familiar shorts like A Kind of Alaska to sketches and more obscure works - plus another tantalisingly starry company....