Reviews of Plays in London West End and Off West End

There has always been sociological pressure on men to act a certain way. And this pressure, like all pressure, can lead to consequences. This idea has been explored in many books, plays and films and the latest one to enter the world is Tom Stocks’ play Netflix & Chill at the Drayton Arms Theatre. Ben (Tom Stocks) is an average guy. In his twenties, he is … [Read more...]

Notch (directed by Madelaine Moore) is a very topical one-woman show written and performed by Danaja Wass, a young Croatian artist, tackling issues like immigration, xenophobia, mental health, sexual assault, homosexuality and homelessness (just not to miss any difficult topic). Clearly, this is not a light-hearted performance, it is intense to the point that the … [Read more...]

It is easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of different shows that the Vault Festival offers; while the quality is generally very high, there are productions that should not be missed. So, let me help you: Madame Ovary by Rosa Hesmondhalgh (Wildchild Productions) is a must-see one-woman show that will make you laugh and cry, often at the same time and it is one of … [Read more...]

I have been interested in climate change since well before Greta Thunberg made the topic fashionable, both on a personal level trying to reduce my carbon footprint, and on a professional level, doing research into fuel cells. So, I was very excited when I read that How To Save A Rock, a show described as a “multi-award-winning musical comedy about how to still have … [Read more...]

The thing about allocating stars to designate a production’s calibre within its type is that you first have to determine what its type is. If there is a subgenre of Samuel Beckett-inspired TED Talks in the True Crime strand at over-thinker conventions, then Sergio Blanco’s The Rage of Narcissus is a 5-star stand-out smash. Singularly anchored by the redoubtable Sam … [Read more...]

A Deed Without A Name, as the show’s programme informs its audiences, comes from Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Specifically, in Act IV Scene I, the witches consider the religious beliefs of the time. When an infant was christened, they were deemed to have entered the Church: this was also the point at which they were publicly named. For an action to be described as ‘a deed … [Read more...]

Cards on the table: I have to declare a non-interest. I’m a Spurs supporter. This is a solo show about Arsenal. The Wenger Years to be precise. So if you support Arsenal you’ll adore this show. Though if you love football, and don’t follow Arsenal, then I believe you’ll still appreciate this show. Even if you love football but support Spurs and are not too keen on … [Read more...]

So, you’ve gone and done it. You’ve met the love of your life, wined and dined them and finally proposed. They’ve accepted and now it's time to think about the wedding preparations. But before the big day itself, something else needs to happen. The two sets of parents need to meet. A daunting enough experience for any young couple, but if the respective families come … [Read more...]

Kitch (Gershwyn Eustache Jnr) and Moses (Paapa Essiedu) want to ‘pass over’, by which they mean they want to move past their present circumstances and stations in life and go on to something better, more palatable, more comfortable. Perhaps they might settle for the dictionary definition of ‘pass over’ instead - ‘to take no notice of; disregard’ - instead, they find … [Read more...]