Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, is a 60-minute two-hander, based on J.M.Barrie's own prequel to the better-known adventures of Peter and Wendy, and the far more famous Peter Pan. Betwixt-and-Between productions have adapted this little-known story for what they believe is the very first time on stage. It’s evidently a project they have thrown their hearts into and … [Read more...]
Reviews of Plays in London West End and Off West End
If you are planning to visit London to see a play at one of the West End theatres, or a play in one of the many Off West End or Fringe venues, then maybe our reviews section can be of help? Read one of the latest reviews or use the search button to find and view one of our previous reviews. We use a star rating system on our site.
Small Island adapted by Helen Edmundson at the Olivier Theatre
After the recent Windrush Generation government scandal, this National Theatre production of Small Island couldn’t have come at a better time. Based on Andrea Levy’s 2004 novel and adapted for the stage by Helen Edmundson, it tells the stories of two families, one white and one black leading up to the arrival of immigrant workers from the Caribbean on the Empire Windrush in 1948. Read the full review...
Review of The Actor’s Nightmare at Park Theatre
Why, The Actor’s Nightmare asks, do patrons of the theatre leave their homes to see a show? It’s a pertinent question to ask a London audience, or indeed an audience in any metropolitan area where there are so many things that people could do in their spare time. Whether the question is fully answered during the performance is up to one’s interpretation. Personally, I … [Read more...]
Review of Richard III at Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is playing host to the temporary pop-up Rose Theatre produced by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions. The production of Richard III is one of the four plays being performed this season. With a powerful performance, William Mannering, in the title role of Richard III, plays the king with an abundance of passion - emphasizing the King's limp and partial … [Read more...]
A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Blenheim Palace
The partly open-air custom-built Rose Theatre adds more atmosphere and depth to this production of A Midsummers Night's Dream where a large part of the original play was set in woodlands with the fairies and King and Queen. The story begins with Demetrius (Mark Peachey) hopelessly in love with Hermia (Francesca Zoutewelle). However, Hermia and Lysander are in love … [Read more...]
The Night Of The Iguana at the Noël Coward Theatre
It’s not exactly unheard of for reviewers to be asked for recommendations to shows by friends, acquaintances and even complete strangers (the latter, at lest in my case, usually via social media). Another reviewer’s recommendation for a production earlier this year was suffixed with, “It’s for grown-ups”. The Night of the Iguana falls into that category: it’s more … [Read more...]
Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre at Blenheim Palace
The custom-built thirteen-sided Rose Theatre dominates the front landscape at Blenheim Palace. The internal design has been created to resemble the theatre which would have been used in Shakespeare's time. Using this model's idea means that nobody in the audience is more than fifteen feet away from the stage. Part of the experience designed by Lunchbox Theatre … [Read more...]
Just Don’t Shout it from the Rooftops at the King’s Head Theatre
Of all the things members of the LGBT+ community go through in their lives, probably the hardest is the first time they decide to ‘come out’. Everyone has their own story to tell, and they are all unique in some respect. My own involved the answer to a Trivial Pursuit question, a famous male singer, and a very perceptive elderly lady. Actor, magician, theatre and … [Read more...]
Review of EQUUS at Trafalgar Studios
“Only connect,” wrote EM Forster (1879-1970), referenced in one of the most engaging plays of recent years, The Inheritance. I’m sorry to report that I struggled to connect with this production of Equus - though it may not be the production’s fault, as it happens. I suspect it has become a play of its time: having premiered at the National Theatre in 1973, the world … [Read more...]
Jellyfish by Ben Weatherill at the Dorfman Theatre | Review
No show has ever made me want to eavesdrop on the conversations of fellow theatre-goers as much as Ben Weatherill’s Jellyfish, which has transferred from the Bush Theatre to the National’s 450-seat Dorfman Theatre earlier this month. Funny and thought-provoking, Weatherill’s two-act, four-hander drama is both searing and sincere. It finds the heights of extremely … [Read more...]