The unique setting of the Sewell Barn theatre, complete with gorgeous design choices, placed this adaptation of the Agatha Christie classic in strong ground before the lights even went down. Director Sabrina Poole has once again brought cohesion and creativity to the design of her shows, this time using temporal set and sound design to […]
Cast of Dracula. Photo by Adam Koszary Nick Lane’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Gothic novel has the machinery of a chilling theatrical encounter, but rarely generates the dread that should animate it. Directed by Hal Chambers, this uneven production is more adept at illustrating the story than making its horrors felt. Victoria Spearing’s multi-level set […]
Back at the beginning of the 20th century women were putting themselves on the line, in prison, or even being killed so that they might have equal rights. Emmeline Pankhurst was the most famous campaigner of them all, fighting for women to get the vote. But it was her middle daughter, Sylvia, who fought for […]
While theatre can be magical it is not always about being entertained. It can also, of course, open our minds to new experiences. And occasionally a production comes along that leaves you in awe, knowing the difference it could make to society. The image above is a street, any street. But it isn’t. It’s a […]
Broadway’s autumn season gathered momentum in the week ending Sunday 4 October, with a combination of established musical blockbusters and high-profile new productions lifting total box-office revenue to $27.74 million. The 15.1 per cent increase on the previous week marked a welcome recovery following a quieter September, while attendance climbed to 226,390 across 28 productions. […]
London theatre is heading into the autumn with a remarkably strong mix of major new arrivals, long-running favourites and high-profile revivals. This week’s Top 15 shows just how broad the West End offer has become, from large-scale musical spectacles and family favourites to dark comedies, cult adaptations and limited-run revivals. Several established productions continue to […]
Catherine Russell as Patricia Highsmith and Jamie Sayers as Edward Ridgeway. Photo by Fourth Wall Photography An absorbing psychological thriller driven by two compelling performances and a strikingly atmospheric design. In Joanna Murray-Smith’s Switzerland, fact and fiction intertwine in a darkly entertaining portrait of crime novelist Patricia Highsmith. Set in 1995, the play imagines an […]
Miss Jean Brodie is certainly in her prime in David Harrower’s new adaptation of Muriel Spark’s classic Edinburgh tale. While Maggie Smith’s portrayal of the avant-garde Edinburgh teacher in the 1969 film is forever etched on our memories, in this National Theatre of Scotland/Lyceum production in association with Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Gayle Rankin makes the […]
The circus has definitely come to Edinburgh this week. To quote PT Barnum, this show delivers a ‘cornucopia of delights’, with real circus performers, multi-talented musicians – and an elephant – sharing the top spots alongside Matt Rawle in the title role, and Monique Young as his wife. As the Ringmaster, Eamonn Cox whips up […]
Oh my God, you guys! Legally Blonde The Musical is back on the road across the UK, delivering a high-octane, glitter-infused dose of pure joy. Under Nikolai Foster’s slick, inventive direction, this touring production proves that nearly 20 years after its Broadway debut, Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin’s pop-rock score remains as razor-sharp, energetic, and […]