UK / WEST END THEATER REVIEWS

Gary Naylor sees a beautifully delivered comedy of manners performed for the first time in almost 90 years....

Gary Naylor sees two short operas from Irrational Theatre that provide wonderful value for money and a fine introduction to the form....

The latest 2016 state-of-the-nation play has arrived - from 1957. There's the Brexit-ish granddad mired in corrosive nostalgia, the forward-looking granddaughter joining anti-establishment protests in Trafalgar Square, tax dodging, a crisis of British identity, and chaos in the Middle East....

Gary Naylor sees an ambitious and engaging all-through production of one of Shakespeare's best loved comedies....

Gary Naylor sees a revival that invites comparisons between the Britain of the 1930s and 2010s, but runs out of narrative energy and character credibility...

How long does it take to cover the complex problems in the Congo, AKA the most dangerous place in the world? Adam Brace's play has a semi-joking educational sequence that attempts it in four and a half minutes - putting to bed the ubiquitous Um Bongo jingle - but the morass of conflicting informati...

Gary Naylor sees a fine addition to the Shakespeare 400 season with a return of The Comedy of Errors to its original venue but with a 1929 vibe....

'If only the world loved black people as much as they love black culture' - an excerpt Bola Agbaje's powerful new piece, 'Bitches'...

It is rare that you might see a Jewish florist, a sadistic dentist and a giant singing, flesh-eating plant on the same stage, but in Little Shop of Horrors, this is all part of the show....

Every year, the Globe hosts productions by writers other than Shakespeare - this year it sees the inclusion of Kneehigh Theatre's version of Michael Morpurgo's 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips. Adapted for the stage by Morpurgo and Emma Rice, it sits neatly in the middle of the Wonder Season,...

It's deja vu all over again, as the Matilda dream team reconvenes to bring the beloved Bill Murray-starring 1993 movie to stage. Serious expectations, then, but you wouldn't know it from this fearless, fleet-footed and impressively cohesive show - destined to be a smash hit because of, not despite, ...

Gary Naylor sees a beautifully staged revival of a 1991 musical that's great on music, but not so good on making God likeable....

Gary Naylor sees Zola's tale of lust and murder brilliantly staged and performed....

Actor-musician Simon David revives his sell-out show, 'Simon David: Virgin' for the Camden Fringe Festival....

Gary Naylor sees a show that had been forgotten, but is thrillingly brought to the London stage for the first time...

When it comes to cabaret, and especially camp cabaret, Australia reigns supreme. So much so that the stars on their flag should be replaced by sequins. Following the high heeled footsteps of those who have twinkled across the ocean like Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Miss Kylie Minogue, comes the...

They say don't judge a book by its cover, and same can be said for Edinburgh Fringe show titles....

Based on the 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Sister Act premiered onstage in the West End in 2009 starring Patina Miller as Deloris Van Cartier and Sheila Hancock as the Mother Superior. The lavish production opened at the London Palladium to critical acclaim and has enjoyed many revivals across...

'This is our show,' proclaims one of the musically angelic but devilishly foul-mouthed convent schoolgirls descending on Edinburgh for a choir competition. And by God it is. A cracking ensemble of six plays the vividly drawn gang, as well as everyone else they encounter - the world viewed with their...

Following the success of the previously released Lost West End comes the aptly named Lost West End 2 - of course! The albums, produced by Stage Door Records, are revisiting forgotten musical numbers from shows that sadly didn't enjoy a long run in London. Lost West End 2 features songs that date bac...

Pub quizzes, that delightful hallmark of British drinking culture and the ruin of many a friendship, perhaps so popular because they appeal to our desperate need to be celebrated for being a know-it-all.  It is this form of entertainment that has inspired Alex Love's show at The Stand this year.  ...

As part of the celebrations of its 60th anniversary, the National Youth Theatre is presenting a trio of new plays at the Finborough Theatre. This week sees Olivier Award-nominated writer James Fritz's world premiere of The Fall, a mini epic in three parts, exploring the stark realities of contempora...

If you've ever thought that what the fringe needs is a room full of people cheering numbers on a rolling dice, then your search is over. Paul Flannery, known to nerdy Fringe-goers as Treguard from Knightmare Live, is our guide through an hour of role-playing and comedy in The MMORPG Show.  MMORPG, ...

The Collector was originally published in 1963 and was the debut novel of John Fowles. After successfully crossing over on to the big screen, numerous stage adaptations followed, the latest being Mark Healy's production at The Vaults....

Axis of Awesome, the Australian comedy rockers behind such viral hit songs as '4 Chords', return to the Fringe after a two year break with their latest show Won't Ever Not Stop Giving Up....