London Theatre Reviews - West End & Off West End

A huge fan of the works of Oscar Wilde, I am more au fait with the society comedies such as The Importance of Being Earnest and the dark works such as A Picture of Dorian Gray and Salome. In fact, to be honest, I have never read any of Wilde's fairytales first published in 1888. The opportunity to watch "an adapted fantasia of two of Oscar Wilde's most beloved short stories, The Nightingale and The Rose and The Happy Prince" set in pre-war Germany, at the Nazi uprising, especially in days … [Read more...]

The Shakespeare Conspiracy is a an interesting piece of theatre. For me, a cross between Russell T. Davies' Torchwood, Pirandello's 6 Characters in Search of an Author, The Never Ending Story, Ground Hog Day and the complete works of William Shakespeare - perfect for the well-educated, sci-fi theatre geek! (me!) Set in the present, the audience arrives to an open dressed set; blood red theatrical curtains, a set full of "Wanted" posters alluding to a private investigator's … [Read more...]

Having heard good things about the current production of Taboo in its Brixton bolt-hole, I was looking forward to experiencing this site-specific musical myself. Tucked away in South London, the Brixton Clubhouse is a large bar room converted into its current theatrical state for the run of Taboo, theatre doesn’t get more intimate than this. The action happens right at the audience’s feet making the job for the actors harder I think, as there is nowhere to hide, and nobody can get away with … [Read more...]

It’s always exciting seeing a musical for the first time, especially when it’s quite a new one. Will the songs have you singing and clapping along; will they be so memorable that you’ll be humming them for days? In the case of Old Goat Song, the answer is no. However what the songs are is witty, warm and funny. The music is simple but the lyrics are clever and well delivered, meaning that the introduction of the songs never seems artificial or misplaced. All the cast have good voices and … [Read more...]

The Monk is based on a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis from the late 1700s and has not previously been staged in the UK. This new production is written by Benji Sperring and developed by the company. Barons Court Theatre is a small fringe theatre located underneath a pub. The space has a low ceiling and is a very fitting staging for this story based in a monastery. The stage is centred in the space with pillars on each corner, and the simple addition of a few candles and a statue are … [Read more...]