Theatre Reviews

Now that, my friends, is magic.

A cracking tale of duplicity and double-cross

Gritty and sexy, and filled with the passions and power of a beautiful Northern love story.

I confess to being a tad snooty when it comes to all this memory and movement malarkey, but I was surprised just how much difference it made not having a music stand between me and the players. Free from having to keep sheet music within their eyeline, the artists could express the music more, well, expressively

The skill of Thomas and Ward is quite remarkable; their ability to effortlessly shimmy up a Colgate lamppost and perform aerial acrobatics was jaw-dropping

Both sensitive and challenging in its treatment of the question of what is natural and unnatural.

A visceral reimagining of Mia Fisher’s novel of a young boy seduced through poverty and circumstance into the murky world of drug dealing.

Danny’s journey is interwoven with stories, facts and demonstrations involving the significant accordions throughout his life, and the result is warm, funny, comforting, worrying and, at more than one point, deeply unsettling.

As this show was unlike anything I have had the pleasure of seeing it feels difficult to just categorise as simply a circus act.

Menagerie Theatre Company’s Albatross is a new play by George Devine and Bruntwood Prize winner Martha Loader.

Sumptuous costumes, moody lighting, dramatic sound, superb design and a fine cast tautly directed all add up to grand night out

The tension between the beautiful simplicity of Harper Lee's text and the whip-smart dialogue Sorkin is known for is deftly handled. The novel is how Scout saw things, Sorkin seems to be saying; now take a look at the unvarnished truth.

'Carry On Venice', anyone?

From costumes, to music, lighting, comedy, quality of dancing - it really was the perfect show.

Having entered the theatre worried this show might not be for me, I left after one of the most unexpectedly enjoyable evenings at the Theatre Royal for quite some time

This was a noble attempt to breathe fresh life into a play we know too well to enjoy as the author intended. It was a feast for the eyes and, with the text stripped to the bone, offered up an unusually urgent and fast-moving version. Whether that justifies a staging conceit that strained credulity is a moot point.

Those that see this show will leave with a renewed sense of warmth and hope in their souls. It is a visceral tribute and testament to the music, the traditions and the culture of the people of the Kerry coastline

This play about football was not really about football at all. It was a play about male bonding, humanity, mutual respect, facing your demons, and about meeting with triumph and disaster, and treating those two impostors just the same.

This is a ghost story, not a horror story, with an uneasy atmosphere of impending doom. The play is handsomely staged, with subtle but effective use of sound and lighting. Along the way we get red herrings, misdirection and tension-busting humour. Robins even lobs in class-conscious social commentary into the mix.

Spectacular, colourful, funny and polished. What more could you ask?

Actors, directors and backstage crews work just as hard, perhaps even harder, when things aren’t working out, and I take no pleasure in finding fault. However, whatever the reason, the play was a disappointment

What was most surprising was how witty a speaker Olusoga is.

Challenging, intelligent and visually stunning.