Teddington Theatre Club provides a double bill of Alan Bennett though not, perhaps, the double bill one would expect. The first play, A Visit from Mrs Prothero, is an all too brief two-hander first seen on television in 1978 with an unnecessary running commentary from the author which is not included in the stage version. Liz Williams gives the performance of the … [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 Cuttings at The Hope Theatre
Ollie George Clarke's brilliant new play, Cuttings, explores the influence and power of PR and examines what can now pass as an apology. After winning an Olivier Award, YouTuber turned actor, Arthur Moses delivers a drunken, offensive, expletive-ridden acceptance speech on live radio. His publicists then need to spin into action, handling frantic calls and social … [Read more...]
The Sweet Science of Bruising by Joy Wilkinson at Wilton’s Music Hall
It is said that female prison wings can be just as violent as male ones, and in some cases more so – so why shouldn’t there be female boxers? But Professor Charlie Sharp (Owen Brenman) wishes to treat the sport as an art form, a choreographed event but with scope to go with the flow if there’s a ‘wrong’ move somewhere. There’s a bit more to it than merely thumping … [Read more...]
Review of Custody at Ovalhouse, London
This is a powerful, invigorating, seismic, and ultimately chillingly disturbing show brought to life through performances by a quartet of on-the-money-actors supported by a high-quality creative team. Conceived by Urban Wolf, who also performs, in collaboration with writer Tom Wainwright, Custody is a tour de force about a tour of the force, the Police Force, that … [Read more...]
Bronx Gothic Written and performed by Okwui Okpokwasili
From my vantage point (top row and in the corner) there was enough time in the opening scene (which contained no dialogue whatsoever) to count fourteen lampshades dotted around the stage. I even had time to count them again, ostensibly to double-check that I hadn’t missed any, or if I did, it could only be because I couldn’t see them, not having a complete view of the … [Read more...]
Armadillo by Sarah Kosar at the Yard Theatre | Review
Have you ever held a gun? A real one? A trip to the Yard to catch Sarah Kosar’s new play Armadillo may make you feel as though you had, for guns are everywhere - they permeate the very fabric of this piece. Set in America, the play centres on married couple Sam (Michelle Fox) and John (Mark Quartley). Both hedging 30, their addiction to guns is apparent from the off, … [Read more...]
Wife by Samuel Adamson at Kiln Theatre | Review
How can something be both blistering and beautiful? Funny, tragic, hopeful, searing and true, Samuel Adamson’s Wife is that rare combination of a play of ideas and a play of feelings. Indhu Rubasingham’s direction masterfully takes a densely-worded play and turns it into a sensory spectacle. Her staging and pace alight our nerve-endings whilst - with perfect economy - … [Read more...]
Country Music by Simon Stephens at the Omnibus Theatre | Review
One of the distinctive features of a short play is that the writer has to introduce their characters fast and the audience have to make their mind up about them at once. On the whole, this works. A short play doesn’t have the time for huge character development so you are probably going to feel the same about the characters at the end as you did at the start. But this … [Read more...]
Review of Outrageous Fortunes at Greenwich Theatre
Debs Newbold has an engaging style, excellent stage presence and a good rapport with the audience that was sustained to the end of a long one-act play - if there is such a thing: in its current state, Outrageous Fortune goes beyond ninety minutes ‘straight through’. There are, of course, shows that go on for even longer without a break, the National Theatre’s Follies … [Read more...]