THE SPEAKEASY

by Franco Milazzo - June 06, 2026

Mae West famously asked, 'Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you happy to see me?' Well, at the beginning of the relationship, he will no doubt be very happy to see you. But, at the end of the relationship… And that, my friends, is as good a summary of Mozart’s The Marriage Of Figaro as any...

by Cindy Marcolina - June 06, 2026

Kurt Vonnegut’s anti-war sci-fi is probably one of the most censored novels of the 20th century. Published in 1969, it’s a methodical indictment of war and a sharp critique of traditional American values. The book has been reproached for its obscene and graphic writing, the exact same reasons wh...

by Clementine Scott - June 04, 2026

Clad in pastel pyjamas and lounging on bunkbeds, two preteen girls discuss the repeated drugging and rape of Gisèle Pelicot. Their tone is not the sobering one of a news reporter, or even the hushed horror of one learning about the case for the first time, but light and jovial, teasing each other a...

by Clementine Scott - June 03, 2026

Latest in the line of blockbuster Cole Porter musicals dominating the Barbican’s summer programming is High Society, following in the footsteps of Anything Goes and Kiss Me, Kate. Like its predecessors, High Society is, to a certain extent, an excuse for a series of absurd situations contrived to ...

by Christiana Rose - June 03, 2026

Returning to London with their trademark energy and astonishing athleticism, Onyx Productions’ 360 ALL STARS continues to prove why it has remained a global success for more than a decade. This urban circus spectacle brings together world class performers from across a range of disciplines, celebr...

by Aliya Al-Hassan - June 03, 2026

Nearly twenty years since its original run at the National Theatre and after worldwide success, Joey has come home. Back on the Olivier stage, the emotional and technical jugganaut that is War Horse has lost none of its impact or thrill....

by Christiana Rose - June 01, 2026

Tom Fletcher’s much loved Who’s in Your Book? series makes a joyful leap from page to stage in There’s a Monster in Your Show, a lively and engaging family musical which celebrates imagination, friendship and the importance of working together....

by Franco Milazzo - June 01, 2026

There’s a certain neat irony at the heart of this. A female director, returning to this opera for a second season (and for its third outing in Holland Park's semi-open staging), has chosen to stay largely faithful to a work whose central idea is that women are inherently unfaithful....

by Aliya Al-Hassan - June 02, 2026

What a joy it is to see Olivier Award-winning The P Word returning to the Bush Theatre, along with original cast members Esh Alladi and Waleed Akhtar. A deeply moving, heartfelt and important play for our times....

by Donald Hutera - June 01, 2026

Multi-tasking seems to come easy to the American dancer, choreographer, pedagogue and artistic director Maria Caruso. Based in Pittsburgh, where she founded the company Bodiography Contemporary Ballet a quarter-century ago, Caruso also creates and teaches dance around the world. (Next stop: Brazil.)...