I recently read something about ‘verbatim theatre’, in which the assertion is made that it can work both ways. While providing voices, so to speak, to people who wouldn’t ordinarily have their stories depicted on stage, the very nature of it means that, by definition, it is restricted to whatever words the playwright’s interviewees supply, and therefore deprives (if that’s the right word) the playwright of using their creative juices to come up with a more impactful way of saying more or less … [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.
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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...
All Quiet on the Western Front by Incognito Theatre Company
'The greatest moral evil is, of course, war' (Voltaire, 1694 - 1778). The 21st Century is proving to be a global playing field of endless military conflict. Beginning with the US/UK-led invasions of Afghanistan in 2001; Iraq in 2003; and the same nations intervening in Libya, 2011; and at different times in Syria, it seems death and destruction only serve to whet the appetite of these misguided transgressors. Given it is the remit of democratic nations to start and maintain military … [Read more...]
UK Tour of Bang Bang! at Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford | Review
Bang Bang! is, perhaps, rather surprisingly, John Cleese’s stage-writing debut. It is an adaption of Georges Feydeau’s farce “Monsieur Chasse”, written in French in 1892. John Cleese and Director Daniel Buckroyd’s version keeps the story in the time and place that it was originally set: Paris in the mid-1890s but, thankfully, it is performed in English. David Shields’ set is brilliantly designed, beginning at Monsieur and Madame Duchotel’s (Tony Gardner and Tessa Peake-Jones) Parisian home … [Read more...]
Unlikely Productions presents The Apologists at Omnibus Theatre | Review
An apology is a curious thing in British life - sometimes people find themselves saying ‘sorry’ for all sorts of reasons, not necessarily anything to do with having done anything wrong, such as “I’m sorry, could I have the bill please?” at a busy restaurant, or not quite hearing what someone has just said on account of a lot of other conversations happening in the said restaurant, or, as a list on the BuzzFeed website puts it, “Thinking you heard what someone said but being so scared of being … [Read more...]
Cracking by Alright Mate? at The King’s Head Theatre | Review
Having a baby is supposed to be one of the best things that can happen to a couple in their lives. And for the majority that is true, but for roughly 1 in 10 women, the experience is not great and they suffer postnatal depression. Quite rightly, there is a wide range of services available to support a mother suffering from postnatal depression but, what about the other people in their lives, the ones that live with the effects of the illness? Who do they have to support them? This idea is … [Read more...]